Throughout the long, difficult months of the coronavirus pandemic, many have said that a bulwark against worry each day was their study of Torah—particularly, the daily study of Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah—a connection to eternal wisdom in a time of uncertainty. Now, as the 39th cycle of daily study comes to its end, thousands worldwide are preparing to celebrate its conclusion. And with the availability of many new online study tools, thousands more are expected to join in the daily study for the first time as the 40th cycle begins. The celebration this year will consist of three study tracks all concluding simultaneously. When the Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson of righteous memory—instituted the daily study of Rambam, he suggested a daily study regimen of three chapters, finishing the entire Mishneh Torah in under a year. For those unable to study three chapters on a daily basis, the Rebbe proposed learning one chapter a day, allowing the learner to finish the entire work in just under three years. For those who found even the daily chapter to be a challenge, the Rebbe instituted a third track: studying the Rambam’s Sefer Hamitzvot (“book of commandments”). By studying the more concise summaries of the mitzvahs all 613 commandments could be completed annually. This year, being the third year since the start of the 13th cycle of one-chapter study, all three tracks will be concluding their study, making for a momentous commemoration.
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