Editing Rebbetzin Rivka (mother of the Alter Rebbe)


Rebbetzin Tzidkanis (Righteous Rebbetzin) Rivka was the mother of the Alter Rebbe.

== Life History ==
She was born in Vitebsk to her father, the Gaon Rav Avraham.

On the 17th of Elul 1743, the Rebbetzin married HaRav HaGaon V'HaTzaddik Rav Baruch, who was a sixth-generation descendant of the Maharal of Prague.

== Her Wedding ==
Although the chuppah took place on Friday, the 17th of Elul, Erev Shabbos Kodesh, Parshas Ki Savo 1743, the wedding date is considered to be the 18th of Elul.

This is because it was one of the conditions that Rav Baruch made with his father-in-law, that the wedding date should be on the 18th of Elul. However, since that year the 18th of Elul fell on Shabbos, Rav Baruch initially set the chuppah for Motzei Shabbos Kodesh. Only a few weeks before the wedding did Rav Baruch inform his father-in-law of his agreement to have the chuppah on Friday, the 17th of Elul.

In commemoration of this, most wedding dates of Chabad Rebbeim were set for Friday.

== By the Baal Shem Tov ==
The Rebbetzin merited to visit the Baal Shem Tov in Mezibush twice.

The Rebbetzin was a great scholar, well-versed in Tanach and Midrash, and also studied Mishna and Gemara. She particularly devoted herself to studying mussar seforim.

When the Rebbe Tzemach Tzedek was ten years old, the Alter Rebbe told him to listen to her stories for two hours every day, and he himself requested from Bubbe Rivka to tell him what she knew.

Indeed, the Tzemach Tzedek had books where he recorded stories he heard from his grandmother Rebbetzin Rivka, which contained matters beginning with: "My mother told me."

== Her Passing ==
She was among the living at least until 1800.

== Her Descendants ==
On the 18th of Elul 1745, their firstborn son, the Alter Rebbe, was born to them.

Three more sons were born to Rav Baruch and his wife the Rebbetzin:

* Rabbi Yehuda Leib, Rabbi of Yanovitch
* Rabbi Mordechai, Rabbi of Orsha
* Rabbi Moshe, Rabbi of Rudnia