Editing The Rebbe Rashab

Rabbi Shalom DovBer Schneersohn - The Rebbe Rashab (20 Cheshvan 5621 - 2 Nissan 5680) was the fifth Nasi in the golden chain of Chabad Rebbeim, the son of the Rebbe Maharash and Rebbetzin Rivka. He founded Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch, the mother of all Chabad yeshivos worldwide. Known as "the Rambam of Chassidus" for his systematic and comprehensive approach to explaining Chassidic concepts.

== Early Years and Childhood ==
Born in Lubavitch on Monday, Parshas Chayei Sarah, 20 Cheshvan 5621. His birth was preceded by remarkable dreams experienced by his mother Rebbetzin Rivka, in which she was visited by her mother Rebbetzin Chaya Sarah and her grandfather, the Mitteler Rebbe, who instructed her and the Rebbe Maharash to write a Sefer Torah and promised them a "good son."

His bris was held on 26 Kislev 5621, delayed by hora'a of the Tzemach Tzedek. He was named Shalom DovBer after his zeidim - Reb Shalom Shachna Altshuler and the Mitteler Rebbe (DovBer). The Tzemach Tzedek explained the name's inner meaning according to Chassidus at the bris.

His upsherin took place on 20 Cheshvan 5624, conducted b'tznius (privately) as per the Tzemach Tzedek's instruction. The night before, he slept in the Tzemach Tzedek's room. In the morning, the Tzemach Tzedek instructed Reb Chaim Ber Chaimson to wash the child's hands, and said birchos hashachar with him.

He entered cheder on the day of his upsherin, learning in a room adjacent to the small beis medrash near the Tzemach Tzedek. During the celebration, the Tzemach Tzedek threw candies, saying they were from Malach Michael. With pure temimus, the young Rashab wouldn't eat them until Erev Pesach when reminded.

The Rebbe Maharash testified: "My son the Rashab was never a naar. Even in his youth, he was a yerei Shamayim, organized, and worked with tremendous yegiah that his hanhaga should be b'darchei haChassidus. By his bar mitzvah, he was already a chossid with a structured avodah."

== Early Achievements ==
By age five, he showed extraordinary hasmada. At age eight, he began attending the Rebbe Maharash's maamarim, and by age nine, his father began teaching him p'nimius. Before his bar mitzvah, he was already boki in all of Tanach, Shisha Sidrei Mishna, and Shulchan Aruch.

At age 14, he knew all of Seder Nashim by heart. In 5635, he began serving as a chozer for his father the Rebbe Maharash, transcribing hanachos of the maamarim.

== Marriage ==
The shidduch between the Rebbe Rashab and his cousin Rebbetzin Shterna Sarah was suggested by his zeide the Tzemach Tzedek when he was only four years old.

Before the chasunah, following the minhag Beis HaRav, the Rebbe Maharash instructed his son to be tested and receive semicha. The Rebbe Maharash wanted the chasunah to be in Lubavitch, which he called "the Yerushalayim of golus," but due to various circumstances, it took place in Avrutch.

The chasunah was celebrated on Motzei Shabbos Parshas Teitzei, 11 Elul 5635, in Avrutch. The Rebbe Maharash himself couldn't attend due to his health but sent deep maamarim and horaos with profound significance.

== Accepting the Nesius ==
On 13 Tishrei 5643, the Rebbe Maharash was nistalek, deeply affecting the Rebbe Rashab. The process of accepting the nesius lasted approximately eleven years. A few days after the histalkus, on the second day of Sukkos, 16 Tishrei, the Rebbe Rashab delivered his first maamar beginning with "Kesser Yitnu L'cha." He said another maamar on Chanukah. These maamarim were transcribed and sent to the Chassidim, who received them with great simcha.

During the year of aveilus, the Rebbe Rashab conducted himself with unique hanhagos: He would daven in his father's room, and after davening would close the door and remain there the entire day - learning, eating, and sleeping there. He wouldn't receive anyone or respond to questions seeking eitzos. He dedicated all his time to tefillah and limud haTorah, focused on hisbodedus and inner avodah.

In 5650, he began receiving people for yechidus temporarily. On Rosh Hashanah 5654, he started davening in his father's regular place, accepting Chassidim for yechidus regularly, and responding in writing to Chassidim's she'eilos. He also began allowing his maamarim to be transcribed for hafatzah among the Chassidim.

== Establishment of Tomchei Tmimim ==
On Sunday, 15 Elul 5657, during the sheva brachos of his son (later the Frierdiker Rebbe), the Rebbe Rashab called a meeting of fifty prominent rabbonim and gvirim who were in Lubavitch for the chasunah. He announced his decision to establish Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim, whose chiddush would be the iyuni study of Chassidus alongside nigleh. The talmidim, called "Tmimim," would be a nucleus of yirei Elokim, ovdei Hashem with heart and truth.

Three years after establishing the yeshiva, on Simchas Torah 5661, the Rebbe Rashab delivered a profound sicha to the Tmimim based on Chazal's statement "Kol hayotzei l'milchemes Beis Dovid kosev get krisus l'ishto." He explained the tafkid of the Tmimim as "Chayalei Beis Dovid."

== His Torah and Leadership ==
The Rebbe Rashab earned the title "Rambam of Chassidus" for his systematic exposition of Chassidic concepts through lengthy, comprehensive maamarim. His most famous work is "Hemshech Tav-Ayin-Reish-Beis" (commonly known as "Hemshech Ayin-Beis"), a series of profound maamarim spanning three years that systematically explains core concepts in Chassidus.

== Public Activities and Leadership ==
The Rebbe Rashab was deeply involved in protecting Yiddishkeit throughout Russia In 5652, when the Russian government decided to expel all Jews from Moscow, the Rebbe worked tirelessly to help resettle the affected Yidden. In 5655, he increased his askanus klalis, particularly strengthening Colel Chabad in Eretz HaKodesh.

At the Rabbinic Conference in Vilna in 5665, the Rebbe Rashab famously declared: "All nations must know that only our gufim were given over to golus and shibud malchuyos, but our neshamos were never given over to golus and shibud malchuyos!"

== Final Years and Histalkus ==
In Cheshvan 5676, the Rebbe left Lubavitch for Rostov due to World War I. In the winter of 5680, when the Bolsheviks captured Rostov, the Rebbe's court became smaller due to the dangers.

At the end of Adar 5680, the Rebbe became ill. On Motzaei Shabbos, Ohr L'Beis Nissan 5680, at 4:00 AM, his final moments approached. His eyes closed in dveikus and his breathing weakened. The Frierdiker Rebbe called out "Tatte! Tatte!" several times. The last time, the Rebbe Rashab opened his eyes, looked at him, and two holy tears fell from his eyes. He straightened his head, arranged his hands and feet, and his holy neshamah was nistalek in kedusha and tahara.

After the histalkus, the Frierdiker Rebbe wrote to all Chassidim: "In the first month, on Monday at dawn, about twenty minutes past the fifth hour, the heavens opened... and the pure neshamah ascended to its Father with holy pleasantness... and in one moment I became an orphan, I and you his talmidim, and with us together am hakodesh."

== Legacy ==
The Rebbe's divrei Torah were published in several seforim:

* Hemshech Samech-Vov
* Hemshech Ayin-Beis
* Kuntres HaTefillah
* Kuntres Eitz HaChaim
* Kuntres HaAvodah

His son and successor was the Frierdiker Rebbe, and through him, the golden chain of Chabad leadership continued to our generation with the Rebbe.