Rabbi Shneur Zalman Fradkin

Rabbi Shneur Zalman Fradkin of Lublin (Adar 1830 - 5th Nissan 1902), known as the "Toras Chesed," was renowned as a great genius throughout the Jewish world.

Early Life[edit | edit source]

Rabbi Shneur Zalman Fradkin was born in Adar 1830 in the town of Lyadi to his father Rabbi Shlomo and his mother Mrs. Eidel. His father served as a shochet and bodek in Beshenkovitch in the Mohilev region.

His birth was rooted in the blessing of the Alter Rebbe to his maternal grandfather The Mitteler Rebbe, after his son passed away: "I will comfort you that your daughter will have a son who will illuminate the eyes of Israel."

On another occasion, when all members of Rabbi DovBer's family passed by the Alter Rebbe, Sarah was missing, and the Alter Rebbe asked: "Where is she? From her will emerge a great light."

In another account: The Toras Chesed's father, Rabbi Shlomo Fradkin, was a builder, and once while building a house for the Tzemach Tzedek, the Tzemach Tzedek suddenly came out of his room. Rabbi Shlomo startled backwards, and when the Tzemach Tzedek noticed him, he asked: "Am I a bear?" and blessed him that he should merit "rabbinic sons."

However, Rabbi Shneur Zalman was born mute, without the power of speech. His parents sought doctors but found no cure for his condition. Suddenly, at age three, words of Torah began flowing from his mouth. It became clear that during those three years he had been absorbing Torah but couldn't speak, and only at age three did he begin speaking. Moreover, his first words were an explanation of the Targum Onkelos on the verse "living soul."

People came from all corners of the region to witness this wonder - a three-year-old child already proficient in Chumash with Rashi and Onkelos.

Early Genius[edit | edit source]

By age five, he already knew complete tractates thoroughly. When the Tzemach Tzedek visited Lyadi, he tested him in his learning for two straight hours, after which he gave him a quarter ruble. The child took the money and said: "In the book of Shmuel, Shaul gave the man of G-d - Shmuel - a quarter of silver, and here the man of G-d gives me a quarter..." The Tzemach Tzedek enjoyed this and blessed him to become great in Torah.

Already at age eleven, the Tzemach Tzedek gave him halachic questions regarding agunos to share his opinion.

When Rabbi Shneur Zalman's tzitzis tore, the Tzemach Tzedek gave it to Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka to fix, saying "Shneur Zalman is a wonderful youth."

After his engagement, he went to study under Rabbi Eliyahu Yosef of Dribin where he became great in Torah. After his marriage, he decided not to earn his livelihood from the rabbinate, but after losing his wealth, the Tzemach Tzedek ordered him to become the rabbi of Polotzk.

Indeed, in 1855 he was appointed as rabbi of Polotzk.

With the Chabad Rebbes[edit | edit source]

In the court of the Tzemach Tzedek there were great geniuses like Rabbi Yitzchak Aizik of Homil and Rabbi Hillel of Paritch, yet they gave him a place of honor in the court, by explicit instruction of the Tzemach Tzedek who defined him as a 'genius.'

The Tzemach Tzedek already then began seating him in Torah judgments, and said about him "he knows how many vavs are in all of Shas." The elder chassidim relate that the Tzemach Tzedek girded him with a gartel and blessed "who girds Israel with might."

The Tzemach Tzedek valued him so much that he asked him to give an approbation to Likkutei Torah, referring to him there as "the greatest genius of our time."

When Rabbi Eliyahu Yosef Rivlin went up to Eretz Yisrael, he wanted to pass through Polotzk. The Tzemach Tzedek told him not to go there, so as not to disturb Rabbi Shneur Zalman from his studies.

Despite his phenomenal memory, he would study the Tzemach Tzedek's teachings for three hours daily, saying that connection to a tzaddik is impossible without studying his Torah daily.

He was also very connected to the Rebbe Maharash, and was one of the three geniuses who crowned the Rebbe Maharash as leader.

The Toras Chesed also gave semicha to the Rebbe Maharash in the laws of issur v'heter, together with the genius rabbis Yitzchak Aizik of Homil, Hillel of Paritch, and Yitzchak Aizik of Vitebsk.

Once, when he was in good spirits, he recited before the Maharash a page of Gemara, a page of Maharsha, and a page of Kinos...

The Rebbe Rashab valued him greatly and said about him: "In earlier generations he would have been considered a genius!"

In Lublin[edit | edit source]

After serving thirteen years in Polotzk, he was appointed as Rabbi and Av Beis Din in Lublin, which was a great honor as very few were permitted to be appointed as rabbis there.

His departure from Polotzk was puzzling. Some said the reason was rooted in the fact that most Chabad chassidim in Polotzk became connected to Kopust Chassidus, while Rabbi Shneur Zalman remained connected to Lubavitch, and this caused a split between them.

During his time in Lublin, he once took a book home for one night, and afterwards returned it saying to the seller: "I will pay you for the book being in my mind, but I won't take it as I don't like it..."

While in Lublin, he became especially close with Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin, and they would study Chassidus together for hours.

Rabbi Shneur Zalman reigned in Lublin for twenty years, and there became the leader of the generation. Questions came to him from all corners of the world, from New York in America to Melbourne in Australia. His genius was so great that even the Rogatchover - Rabbi Yosef Rozin traveled to study under him in Lublin

In Jerusalem[edit | edit source]

In 1892, Rabbi Shneur Zalman first expressed his desire to move to Jerusalem, but his community tried to prevent him.

Despite this, Rabbi Shneur Zalman was determined. He pretended to travel to healing springs, and from there "escaped" to Jerusalem illegally. Only upon arriving in Jerusalem did he send his resignation from Lublin.

All the Jews of Jerusalem participated in welcoming him, led by the leader of the Perushim Rabbi Shmuel Salant and the Sephardic leader Rabbi Yaakov Shaul Elishar.

Rabbi Shneur Zalman revolutionized Jerusalem. He established a Chassidic Beis Din and a Lubavitch-style shechita. He managed Colel Chabad and led the Tzemach Tzedek synagogue.

Before long, Rabbi Shneur Zalman became the leader of Chabad Chassidim in the Holy Land.

In Jerusalem, his first wife passed away, and he then married his second wife, Mrs. Yocheved. All the great rabbis of Jerusalem attended the wedding, including Rabbi Shmuel Salant and Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Diskin.

Later, Rabbi Diskin wrote to his son that it was worth coming to Jerusalem just to witness the Torah of the 'Toras Chesed'.

In Jerusalem, they applied to him the verse "Toras Chesed on his tongue."

Giving Blessings[edit | edit source]

The Rav of Lublin would receive kvitlach for blessings. It was known that if he looked at the person's face immediately after reading it, it was a good sign, but if he placed the note directly on the table, it was not a good sign.

There was another sign: when people would request a blessing for a sick person and he would say "er vet zein gezunt" (he will be healthy), it was a good sign, but if he said "er zol zein gezunt" (he should be healthy), they knew that a decree had been made, Rachmana Litzlan.

Toras Chesed[edit | edit source]

Even while in Polotsk, Reb Zalman was a great posek - see who testifies about him: "I am busy and cannot answer... and he should turn to Reb Zalman of Polotsk, whom he can rely upon" (the Tzemach Tzedek). Rabbi Shneur Zalman collected his thousands of responses to create the masterwork: "Toras Chesed".

Only part of the work was printed ("His First Drashah in Lublin" and seven more responses with additional matters in his name were later printed in the book "The Gaon of Lublin").

His Passing[edit | edit source]

Although he was ill in his final years, his words in Adar 1902 surprised those close to him: "I cannot bear this world of falsehood anymore!!"

On 5 Nissan 1902, Rabbi Shneur Zalman returned his soul to his Creator, and at that moment a storm of lightning and thunder broke out in the streets of Jerusalem.

He rests honorably in the Chabad section of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.

His Family[edit | edit source]

His son, the Gaon Rabbi Shlomo Ladier who passed away at only age 21
His son, the Gaon Rabbi Dov Ber Ladier who succeeded his father
His son, Chaim Ladier
His son, Yitzchak Ladier
His daughter, Mrs. Shifra Zuckerman Berlin, wife of Dov Ber Zuckerman Berlin
His daughter, Mrs. Tzvia After
His daughter, Mrs. Feya Dvora Pshipiorka (widow of Nachman Yehuda Kogan from her first marriage)
His daughter, Mrs. Rivka Ginzburg (wife of Yaakov David Landberg from her first marriage)

His Descendants[edit | edit source]

His grandson, Rabbi Eliezer Ladier, a tremendous genius and among the great Chabad Chassidim
His grandson, Yitzchak Sadeh - founder of the Palmach (son of his daughter Rivka)
His grandson, David Pshipiorka - Polish chess champion (son of his daughter Dvora)
His great-grandson, the philosopher Isaiah Berlin