Editing Shlichus (section)

== History ==

==== By Our Rebbeim ====
The Chabad Rebbeim throughout the generations sent shluchim to strengthen and fortify Yiddishkeit and Chassidus - from the time of the Baal Shem Tov, founder of general Chassidus, then through his successor the Maggid of Mezritch, through the Alter Rebbe who established Chabad Chassidus, and our Rebbeim who followed. The shluchim of our Rebbeim were called Shadar (Shlucha D'Rabbanan). They traveled through towns and breathed life and faith into them.

During the period of the Rebbe Rashab, after the Communist revolution in 1917, a new era of shlichus began involving actual mesiras nefesh. The Rebbe sent shluchim to all Jewish towns in the Soviet Union: Russia, Georgia, and Bukhara, to establish mikvaos and chadarim. This work was strengthened by his son and successor, the Frierdiker Rebbe, who was even imprisoned because of it.

The Frierdiker Rebbe intensified the work of shlichus through his students - some of whom never returned - and laid the foundation for shlichus across all continents including America, Africa, and Australia.

==== Under the Rebbe ====
The first shliach sent by the Rebbe was Rav Michoel Lipsker. In a letter written by the Rebbe on 20 Shevat 1950, ten days after the Frierdiker Rebbe's histalkus on 10 Shevat, the Rebbe wrote to him that before the histalkus, the Frierdiker Rebbe had discussed with him the need to work to strengthen Yiddishkeit and Jewish education in Morocco, and requested to send Rav Lipsker there. Rav Lipsker arrived in Meknes, Morocco in Iyar 1950, and immediately began activities by opening a yeshiva there, with the assistance of Rav Refael Baruch Toledano.

A few months later, the Rebbe sent Rav Shlomo Matusof to Casablanca, Morocco. Rav Matusof was the first to be sent directly by the Rebbe himself. Subsequently, the Rebbe sent additional shluchim to Morocco.

In the following years, the Rebbe expanded shlichus to additional countries. Rav Tzvi Hirsch Chitrik was sent to Brazil and Rav Nissan Pinson to Tunisia, Rav DovBer Baumgarten was sent to Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1956; Rav Gershon Mendel Garelik was sent to Milan, Italy in 1959; and following them, additional shluchim began to go out. Although in the early years, going on shlichus was considered a rare breakthrough, as the years passed, the shlichus enterprise grew and expanded, and many chassidim requested to join it.

Over the years, the Rebbe sent thousands of shluchim to every corner of the world. Today, approximately 5,000 shluchim are spread throughout the world (a large portion of today's shluchim began their activities after 3 Tammuz 1994, on the Rebbe's shlichus through Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch). Almost everywhere in the world where there is a Jewish community or Jewish travelers, there is a Chabad House operating in that location.

The Rebbe gave special attention to the activities of the shluchos (women emissaries), and several times even attributed the success of the shluchim to the help of the women.