Shneur Zalman Bezpalov
Rabbi Shneur Zalman Bezpalov (18 Adar 5641/1881 - 19 Tishrei 5721/1960) was the deputy of the Frierdiker Rebbe (Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn) in managing Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch, was among the founders of Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim Kherson, and later established the Chabad synagogue in San Francisco, California, becoming one of the respected members of the local Chabad community.
Life History[edit | edit source]
Born to Rabbi Yaakov Mordechai Bezpalov in the city of Nikopol on the 18th of Adar.
He was among the first students in Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch in the court of the Rebbe Rashab. It is told that his father claimed that he would first send his sons to a Lithuanian yeshiva and only afterward transfer them to Tomchei Tmimim, because if they would study from the beginning in Tomchei Tmimim, their sense of self would be completely nullified, and he wanted them to first develop their own character.
After completing his studies at the yeshiva in Lubavitch, he married Chana, the daughter of Rabbi Chaim Yeshaya Schneersohn, who was the rabbi of the town of Ramen.
In 5665/1905, due to the heavy workload caused by the development of the yeshiva, he was appointed as the deputy of the Frierdiker Rebbe as the director of Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch.
After several years, he moved to Kherson and was among the founders of the local Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva established there in 5677/1917.
In 5680/1920, he fled Russia due to fear of the authorities. He immigrated to San Francisco, California, and established a Chabad synagogue there.
He brought the Frierdiker Rebbe a walking stick with a silver knob, since the Frierdiker Rebbe had plain wooden walking sticks. Therefore, he bought this to honor him[1].
He passed away at a good age on 19 Tishrei 5721/1960 and was buried in the Chabad section of the Montefiore Cemetery in Queens, New York, near the ohel of the Frierdiker Rebbe. His wife passed away on 20 Tevet 5743/1983 and is buried there as well.
External Links[edit | edit source]
- Letters received from our Rebbeim: Volume 9 #2901 • Volume 10 #3512 • Volume 11 #3852 • Volume 13 #4529 • Volume 16 #6043