The three hundred twenty-fifth "cheder" in the palace of Hayom Yom.
Monday, 19 Tishrei, the third day of Chol Hamoed Sukkos, 5704.
Shiurim: Chumash, Parshas Bracha, sheni, with Rashi's commentary.
Tehillim: on the 19th of the month, one recites from chapter 90 through chapter 96 inclusive.
Tanya: On this day we continue with Iggeret 23. The daily portion begins on page 266 with the words "aval le'hashra'ah," and concludes on page 272 with the word "legamrei."
The source of the daily teaching is a journal entry recorded by the Rebbe, in which he wrote down what he heard from his father-in-law, the Rebbe Rayatz, on Sukkot of the year 5693. Thus said the Rebbe Rayatz: "Iysa [it is written], that throughout the entire year, when one recites in Shemoneh Esreh" in the blessing of "Barech Aleinu," the words found in the siddur "ve'et kol minei tevu'atah letovah" — when we ask the Holy One, blessed be He, to bless for us all its varieties of produce for good — "one must have in mind" three things.
Two of them the Rebbe Rayatz mentions immediately, and the third afterward. What must one have in mind? "Wheat for matzah and an esrog" — that he should have, with God's help, matzos on the night of the Seder, and that he should have an esrog for Sukkos. And he adds: "In one place it is mentioned, besides the above, also wine for kiddush" — that in one place they add, besides matzah and esrog, also wine for kiddush. That is, that regarding "all the varieties of its produce" one should have in mind these three things.
Interestingly, there is a letter of the Rebbe in "Igrot Kodesh" in which he quotes this saying of the Rebbe Rayatz, but with a change: he does not mention only the etrog, but says that one should have in mind the four species for Sukkot — all four species. And there the Rebbe explains the conclusion of the teaching: "and then, automatically, all the produce will be for the good".
The Rebbe explains it thus: Seemingly, according to the plain meaning of the words in Shemoneh Esreh, when one says "and all the types of its produce for good," a person is asking for all kinds of produce — for the wheat, for the fruits, and for all the yield throughout the year. If so, why do we say that one should have in mind the matzot, the four species, and the wine for Kiddush? The Rebbe explains that since the source of all the influences in the world and the channel for their drawing down is Torah and mitzvot, it follows that if those particular items of produce that are connected to Torah and mitzvot — wheat for matzah, the four species for Sukkot, wine from grapes for Kiddush — will be and will be made properly, this will be the channel through which "all its produce," all the physical matters a person needs throughout the year, will be for good and as they should be. Therefore one thinks of these, which are the foundation of everything.
The connection of this saying specifically to the day of 19 Tishrei is that the particular passage recited in the "Hoshaanos" on this day deals with the produce of the earth. For on each day of Sukkos there is a different theme, following the order of the alef-beis, and in the passage pertaining to this day one prays for the produce. Presumably this is why the Rebbe mentions this teaching here — as it provides the key to ensuring that the harvest will indeed be, with God's help, for the good.