In the years of 1841 – 1844 the Tzemach Tzedek, the 3rd Chabad Rebbe, was undergoing tremendous challenges, When the Russian government was meddling in the Jewish children’s education and in the Rabbinate. The Haskalah movement got the Minister of Education and other Ministers under the leadership of Czar Nicholas, to try to force the Jewish children to learn in their schools from their books, an abbreviated version of the Chumash and Nach, minus all parts which they deemed irrelevant. The Rabbonim would have to take approved courses. All of course, for the good of the children, for the good of the people, living under the honorable Czar Nicholas. Czar Nicholas was known not to be friendly to the Jewish faith and some of his ministers were outright anti-Semites.
The Russian government called a rabbinic conference which started May 1842 in St. Petersburg. The Rabbonim were threatened to cooperate under the penalty of going against the good of the kingdom. The main Rabbonim were the Tzemach Tzedek and Hagaon Yitzchok ben Hagaon Chaim Volozhiner. The Tzemach Tzedek was under house arrest numerous times during these proceedings.
In that period, under the heading of “Good Practices,” the Tzemach Tzedek outlined for himself how he would take his mind off the worry, pain and fear that influenced his health. In the list of “good practices” that he took upon himself, the Tzemach Tzedek jots down many sources of positive behavior from holy seforim.
The Tzemach Tzedek also mentions that the “Gra” slept a half hour, 3 times a day. And as he slept, his mouth was still moving [with words of Torah.] [The Tzemach Tzedek slept 3 hours a night after midnight.]
The Tzemach Tzedek's main focus was to keep his mind busy with shiurim, totally immersing his mind in Torah to the exclusion of any outside thoughts. It was that period that he took upon himself to learn for six hours straight while standing on his feet etc.
==== Igros Kodesh Tzemach Tzedek pp. 49-57
