Editing Baruch (father of the Alter Rebbe) (section)

== Orphanhood and Wanderings ==
About a year and a half after reaching [[Bar mitzvah|Bar Mitzvah]] age, Baruch was orphaned from both his father and mother. In Vitebsk, he had an aunt named Freida, who with her husband Kadish, took in Baruch and his sister Devorah Leah to raise them. However, the death of his parents deeply affected Baruch, and consequently, within a short time, he decided to leave Vitebsk (despite his aunt and uncle's objections). His sister Devorah Leah remained living in her aunt and uncle's home until her marriage.

For three years, he wandered through towns and cities around Vitebsk. Wherever he arrived, he would first enter the beis medrash and sit down to study. He never stayed in one place for long. In each location, Baruch tried to earn his living through his own labor, firmly refusing to accept tzedakah or free assistance. Baruch would study day and night in the beis medrash, and sustain himself frugally through whatever work he could find, for any payment. Baruch maintained his lifestyle with great determination and decisiveness, without regard for the opinions of those around him. As soon as he encountered even the slightest interference with his original lifestyle in any place, he would leave and wander to another settlement, where he would continue his path.

Sefer Hazichronos extensively describes Baruch's period of wandering, the places he visited, and stories he heard or saw during this time. The events and experiences of young Baruch greatly influenced the shaping of his character, which as the father of the future founder of Chabad philosophy, contributed significantly through his righteousness and lifestyle to the formation of this approach. During his wanderings, Baruch visited the cities: Dobromysl, Yanovitch, and Liozna. In Liozna, he befriended R' Avraham the Gardener, who later became his father-in-law.

At the end of his wanderings, Baruch returned to Vitebsk. His sister was already married to a yeshiva student from Smorgon named Yosef Yitzchak of Shrei, who later became one of the teachers in the Vitebsk Yeshiva. Her residence was at the edge of the city. Both his sister and his aunt and uncle wanted Baruch to stay with them, but Baruch preferred to earn his living through his own labor and not depend on anyone. Baruch decided to stay in Vitebsk and study in his uncle's yeshiva.