Editing The Rebbe Maharash (section)

==== Youth and Education ====
In his early years, he showed a love for craftsmanship and carving. A famous story tells that when he was about five years old, a chassid approached him saying, "If you tell me where Hashem is, I'll give you a pocket knife as a gift." The young Shmuel replied: "If you find a place where Hashem isn't, I'll give you a pocket knife as a gift." The chassid smiled and gave him the pocket knife.

At age seven, he began studying under the melamed Rabbi Pesach. He demonstrated exceptional knowledge of Torah and much of Tanach, studying Gemara with Rashi and selected Tosafos. While playing with his friends, he would review Tanach by heart. His father, the Tzemach Tzedek, would test him and his friends in cheder monthly, most of whom were family members, and after the test would give them silver coins as a prize. The young Maharash would combine these amounts with what he received every Friday - one ruble - and buy seforim.

By age ten, his father removed him from cheder due to his genius and breadth of knowledge, arranging a special melamed for him. At age twelve, he began memorizing mishnayos in addition to his analytical studies. His father studied Kesuvim with him three times a week, and his brother R' Boruch Shalom taught him the taamei hamikra for Neviim and Kesuvim as received from the Alter Rebbe.

By age thirteen, he knew all six orders of Mishnah and the Tanya by heart, letter by letter. Under his father's direction, he received Semichah from renowned rabbis including Rabbi Isaac of Homil, Rabbi Shneur Zalman Fradkin, Rabbi Hillel of Paritch, and Rabbi Y.A. Bahard of Vitebsk.
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