In a touching and bitter introduction R. Lass writes,"'Originally, [when I first came to New York,] ...I planned to publish [from my ms. the] section of responsa [on gittin called Geresh Yerahim] because there within are many important matters of practical halakhah. However, after my wheel [of fortune] turned I was left without any support and not one penny remained in my hands. I concluded that I should [instead] publish the section on aggadah and homiletics [i.e., Ateret Zevi]. It is my hope that this section will attract many of my brethren among the children of Israel in this land to support me and my household, and also so that I will be able to disseminate from my wellspring all my novel interpretations in halakhah, i.e., the book Geresh Yerahim." R. Lass published the section on aggadah first because "here interest in halakhah is in a low state."