Editing Lubavitch (section)

== History ==
The town of Lubavitch is first mentioned in a document from 1494. Some speculate that the town was established after the Spanish Expulsion in 1492, when Jews began settling in Poland. However, some date its establishment to before the Spanish Expulsion.

The Frierdiker Rebbe relates the following about the city's establishment:<blockquote>"The story of Lubavitch's founding, in the distant past, is connected with an interesting Jewish personality whose memory has not been forgotten through the generations until our time. The man's name was Rabbi Meir, and he was counted among those tzaddikim who wanted to live only by the work of their hands. Since he did not want to remain in his old place of residence, but rather to establish a new foundation for his existence and that of additional Jews - he left, together with three other families, his city and went to search for some remote corner to settle there and earn a living through manual labor. It seems his dream was to establish a Jewish village... The area that was chosen, upon which Lubavitch was established, was very suitable for realizing this idea, as it was surrounded by forests and located on the bank of a river. Rabbi Meir and the families who went with him immediately devoted themselves to work: they chopped wood in the forest and built themselves houses.

According to the story, Rabbi Meir was especially distinguished in his great love for Jews, and even for non-Jews. His ahavas Yisroel was unlimited, and he showed love toward others as well. He frequently quoted the saying: 'Whoever is pleasing to people is pleasing to Hashem,' and it is clear that people are pleased with one who relates to everyone with friendship and kindness. And not only did Rabbi Meir value humans, the chosen of creation - but also every created being, even four-legged animals or those that fly in the sky. Naturally, this Rabbi Meir frequently performed acts of chesed with Jews and non-Jews. Thus his name quickly became renowned throughout the area and even spread to distant places... Thus 'Lubavitch' became a symbol of ahavas Yisroel, love for creation, and above all, of course, ahavas Hashem, Creator of all.

Rabbi Meir was the first in a line of hidden tzaddikim over hundreds of years who saw Lubavitch as their home. Therefore, Lubavitch later merited to become an 'ir v'eim b'Yisroel' (a mother city in Israel), from which came authority and leadership that were recognized throughout the Jewish world."</blockquote>In Lubavitch there was a community of Jews long before Chabad Chassidus established itself there. Already around 1680, "Lubavitch was a town with a rich past behind it."

In Sefer Hazichronos it is related that two hidden tzaddikim lived in the town of Lubavitch in 1680 or 1690, Reb Binyamin and Reb Wolf. This Reb Binyamin established the oldest synagogue in Lubavitch which was called "Binyamin's Shtibl" (although in truth this synagogue was rebuilt several times throughout its history, after being destroyed by fires).

It is also related there about other hidden tzaddikim who lived there in the generation after them: Reb Yosef (the town's rabbi), Reb Zevulun the Sofer, Reb Binyamin and Reb Wolf (second generation) and Reb Yissachar Ber. All of these were students of the Baal Shem Tov (and later students of the Maggid of Mezritch).[[File:Lubavitch today.jpg|alt=Lubavitch today|thumb|Lubavitch ]]

[[File:The city of lubavitch.jpg|thumb|A drawing of the map of the town of Lubavitch, as reproduced by the students who studied at the yeshiva]]

==== The Period of [[the Alter Rebbe]] ====
A painting of the town of Lubavitch in 1812

In the years 1756-1757, the Alter Rebbe, when he was a child of about 11-12 years old, was sent by his father to the town of Lubavitch to study with the Gaon Rav Yosef. Rav Yosef handed him over to his son-in-law Rav Yissachar Ber of Kabilnik to teach him. For two years (1756-1757), the Rebbe studied in Lubavitch. During this period, he stayed in the apartment of Rav Naftali the 'Batlan' and Tzere-Dvashe the shopkeeper. His designated place of study was in the second room of the "Poalei Tzedek Mashkimei Kum" Beis Medrash. On the site where the Alter Rebbe studied, the courtyard of our Rebbeim was later established.

The Frierdiker Rebbe writes about this:<blockquote>"Lubavitch was also the place of Torah where the Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Zalman, wandered in his childhood to study Torah. And from whom? From that same Rabbi Yissachar Dov! Rabbi Shneur Zalman, the teacher and founder of Chabad, did not know then about Chassidus in general and had not even heard, presumably, about the Baal Shem Tov - he was then a boy of twelve years old. He certainly heard then the foundations of Chassidus as explained in the sermons of Rabbi Yosef the Maggid. Rabbi Shneur Zalman learned Torah not only from Yissachar Dov but also from his teacher's father-in-law, Rabbi Yosef the Maggid, and apparently also from Rabbi Zevulun the Scribe, as these three were always together. The spirit of Chassidus was felt in all their words, in all details of their behavior, and in their relationship with people, especially simple people..."

"...Later, when Rabbi Dov Ber moved to Mezeritch and led the Chassidic movement from there, attracting the greatest and finest people of that period, Rabbi Shneur Zalman also became connected to him. Thus, Rabbi Shneur Zalman became a double 'grandson' of the Baal Shem Tov, both as a student of Rabbi Yissachar Dov of Lubavitch and as a student of Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezeritch, the successor of the Baal Shem Tov. Through this double connection to the Baal Shem Tov, his connection with Lubavitch, the town where he studied in his youth under Rabbi Yissachar Dov, was also strengthened. This laid the foundation for the connection of Chabad Chassidus with the town of Lubavitch, although the Alter Rebbe himself established his court in Liozna and later in Liadi, and only in the second generation of Chabad Chassidus was its capital established in Lubavitch by the Mitteler Rebbe."

Later, when our Rebbe was with Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Horodok, he met again with Rav Yissachar Ber. And over the years after our Alter Rebbe founded Chabad Chassidus, the roles reversed and Rav Yissachar Ber became a chassid of our Alter Rebbe.

Also, Rav Yissachar Dov's son, Rav Yosef of Lubavitch, was among the greatest students of our Rebbe. Similarly, the chassid Rav Tzvi Hirsh Zarchi, from the students of the Alter Rebbe, lived in Lubavitch. In the Alter Rebbe's responsa (Chapter 17), there is a halachic question sent to our Rebbe from "Rav Binyamin Moreh Tzedek of Lubavitch."</blockquote>In 1812, a force of Napoleon was stationed in Lubavitch for two weeks.

==== The Period of [[the Mitteler Rebbe]] ====
When his father, the Alter Rebbe, passed away on the 24th of Teves 1812, the Mitteler Rebbe was staying in the town of Kremenchug where he accepted upon himself the nesius (leadership). After a journey (known as the "Coronation Journey") through the towns of Russia, the Mitteler Rebbe chose the town of Lubavitch as his place of residence, arriving there (with his entire family) together with thousands of chassidim on the 18th of Elul 1812.

Upon his arrival, the Mitteler Rebbe told the chassidim that in his youth, the Alter Rebbe had studied in Lubavitch under Rabbi Yissachar Ber of Lubavitch. He added that the Alter Rebbe had appeared to him and requested that he establish his residence in Lubavitch.

Prince Chehovsky, who ruled over the town, ordered his workers to cut down trees from his forests to build houses for the Rebbe and the chassidim. As soon as the chassidim settled in Lubavitch, they also built a mikvah there. Later, they built the mikvah on the riverbank, not far from the courtyard of our Rebbeim.

After the Mitteler Rebbe settled in Lubavitch, Anash (chassidim) began streaming there from all over the country. From Lubavitch, the teachings of Chabad Chassidus began spreading throughout White Russia and Lithuania, and the number of travelers to Lubavitch continued to grow. When the number of guests arriving in Lubavitch increased greatly, our Rebbe was compelled to establish special regulations limiting permission for these travels.

==== Period of [[the Tzemach Tzedek]] ====
The Tzemach Tzedek settled in Lubavitch together with his uncle and father-in-law, the Mitteler Rebbe, in late 1813. After the passing of the Mitteler Rebbe in 1827, he accepted the leadership of Chabad and led the movement from Lubavitch for nearly forty years. During this period, he established a yeshiva in Lubavitch.

The Rabbi of Lubavitch during the period of the Tzemach Tzedek: From 1832 onwards, it was Rabbi Yissachar Ber HaLevi Horowitz, and after him - Rabbi Avraham son of Rabbi Avigdor HaKohen.

The Tzemach Tzedek was the first among the Chabad Rebbes to remain in Lubavitch until his final day - on the 13th of Nissan 1866, and there is his honored resting place. In his will, he wrote not to build a structure over his grave, neither from bricks nor from wood. However, in practice, there was concern that non-Jews would dig in the grave to search for gold that might have been buried there, so they were compelled to build an ohel with high walls around his grave, without a roof. Later, they added and built another room on the southern side of the ohel to serve as a beis medrash adjacent to his grave.

==== Period of [[the Rebbe Maharash]] ====
The Maharash lived in Lubavitch all his life. The Rabbi of Lubavitch during the period of the Maharash was Rabbi Avraham son of Rabbi Yosef Zeligson. The Maharash passed away in Lubavitch on the 13th of Tishrei 1882, and there is his honored resting place, in the ohel that was built for his father, the Tzemach Tzedek.

==== The Destruction of Lubavitch ====
'''Extended article - The Destruction of Lubavitch'''

The "Destruction of Lubavitch" refers to the eleven-year period between the histalkus of the Rebbe Maharash until his son the Rebbe Rashab accepted the nesius (13 Tishrei 5643 - Rosh Hashanah 5654). During this time, both sons of the Rebbe Maharash - the Rebbe Rashab and his older brother the Raza - refused to accept the nesius, leaving Chabad Chassidus without an official nasi. This period is called "destruction" because during it, the dimensions of Chabad Chassidus significantly diminished.

==== The Period of [[the Rebbe Rashab]] ====
'''Extended article - Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch'''

In the summer of 5657 (1897), the Rebbe Rashab established Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch. He also began building a mikvah, but there were enormous obstacles, and it was decided to renovate the previous mikvah instead. The rav of the town of Lubavitch during the period of the Rebbe Rashab was Rabbi Dovid Jacobson.

During World War I, at the beginning of 5676 (1915), when the German army approached the Lubavitch area, the Rebbe Rashab decided to leave Lubavitch, and on 16 Cheshvan 5676, the Rebbe and his family left Lubavitch. While on the way, the Rebbe Rashab remarked to his son, the Rebbe Rayatz, that the Mitteler Rebbe had settled in Lubavitch in the month of Cheshvan, and now - one hundred and two years later, in Cheshvan 5676, they were leaving Lubavitch. He explained to him an interpretation based on the number 102 - the number of years that the center of Chabad Chassidus was located in the town of Lubavitch.

After the Rebbe's departure from Lubavitch, Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim continued learning in the yeshiva for another two and a half years. The last students left the town of Lubavitch, on their way to the yeshiva in Kremenchug, in late summer 5678 (1918).

Before the last group of yeshiva students left Lubavitch, they arranged all the remaining possessions, dividing and hiding them as much as possible. They dug deep in the basement of the Rebbe's house and hid the items there. After the departure of the last ones, the local non-Jews destroyed the Ohel (it was only rebuilt in 5726).

After the departure of the last yeshiva students from Lubavitch in late 5678 (1918), the municipality took over the Rebbe's courtyard. At the beginning of Nissan 5681 (1921), after the first year of the histalkus of the Rebbe Rashab, all the houses in our Rebbes' courtyard burned down within half an hour, and everything in the basements was looted and broken by the non-Jews.

Following the departure of the Rebbe Rashab and Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim from the town, the residents experienced a severe economic downturn, as most of the residents had earned their livelihood from inns and similar work dependent on the many visitors who frequented the town. The Communist regime ruling at that time added to the economic difficulties, and most of the town's Jews left for larger cities.

==== Period of [[the Rebbe Rayatz]] ====
The Rebbe Rayatz was born on 12 Tammuz 5640 (1880) in Lubavitch. In the summer of 5653 (1893), his bar mitzvah was held in the Rebbe's courtyard in Lubavitch, and in late 5657 (1897), his wedding took place there. When Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim opened, he was appointed as the yeshiva's director. After his wedding, they built another room in his father's house for his residence. Later, he moved to another house in the Rebbe's courtyard.

In early Nissan 5681 (1921), after the Rebbe and yeshiva students left Lubavitch, some anash who still lived in Lubavitch transferred the shul to the stone house. The mikvah building was destroyed, and in early 5682 (1921), the Rebbe Rayatz sent them money to repair the mikvah.

On Erev Rosh Chodesh Elul of that year (5682), the Rebbe Rayatz traveled to Lubavitch to pray at the holy ohel. While there, he delivered a maamar chassidus in the shul in the stone house. This was the only time he visited Lubavitch after accepting the nesius. During the period when the courtyard was destroyed, the ohel was also destroyed. The beis midrash connected to the ohel was also destroyed and the non-Jews stole the fence walls. In 5684 (1924), the Rebbe Rayatz tried to repair the ohel, but the general situation continued to worsen over the years.

The village shul was closed by the Communists in mid-winter of 5696.
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