The Portrait of The Alter Rebbe - Revision history

Raphaelwilmowsky at 17:16, 22 June 2026

2026-06-22T17:16:50Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:16, 22 June 2026
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	[[File:רבי_שניאור_זלמן.jpg\|left\|thumb\|250px\|Portrait of the Alter Rebbe]]		[[File:רבי_שניאור_זלמן.jpg\|left\|thumb\|250px\|Portrait of the Alter Rebbe]]
	The '''portrait of the Alter Rebbe''' was painted during his first imprisonment in [[5559 (1799)\|5559 (1799)]]. In the summer of [[5622 (1862)\|5622 (1862)]], the Rebbe Maharash traveled to the Tsar's village (now [[Pushkin, Saint Petersburg\|Pushkina]]), near [[~~Saint~~ Petersburg]], to locate the grandson of the investigator who had kept the portrait in his home. The Maharash found him, and the grandson agreed to hand it over. The portrait was brought to [[Lubavitch]], where a copy was made. It remains unclear whether the original was painted in color or in black pencil, as is the case with all surviving copies.		The '''portrait of the Alter Rebbe''' was painted during his first imprisonment in [[5559 (1799)\|5559 (1799)]]. In the summer of [[5622 (1862)\|5622 (1862)]], the Rebbe Maharash traveled to the Tsar's village (now [[Pushkin, Saint Petersburg\|Pushkina]]), near [[S. Petersburg]], to locate the grandson of the investigator who had kept the portrait in his home. The Maharash found him, and the grandson agreed to hand it over. The portrait was brought to [[Lubavitch]], where a copy was made. It remains unclear whether the original was painted in color or in black pencil, as is the case with all surviving copies.

	== Discovery of the Portrait ==		== Discovery of the Portrait ==

Raphaelwilmowsky at 17:15, 22 June 2026

2026-06-22T17:15:44Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:15, 22 June 2026
Line 1:		Line 1:
	[[File:רבי_שניאור_זלמן.jpg\|left\|thumb\|250px\|Portrait of the Alter Rebbe]]		[[File:רבי_שניאור_זלמן.jpg\|left\|thumb\|250px\|Portrait of the Alter Rebbe]]
	The '''portrait of the Alter Rebbe''' was painted during his first imprisonment in [[5559 (1799)\|5559 (1799)]]. In the summer of [[5622 (1862)\|5622 (1862)]], the Rebbe ~~Maharash—~~ traveled to the Tsar's village (now [[Pushkin, Saint Petersburg\|Pushkina]]), near [[Saint Petersburg]], to locate the grandson of the investigator who had kept the portrait in his home. The Maharash found him, and the grandson agreed to hand it over. The portrait was brought to [[Lubavitch]], where a copy was made. It remains unclear whether the original was painted in color or in black pencil, as is the case with all surviving copies.		The '''portrait of the Alter Rebbe''' was painted during his first imprisonment in [[5559 (1799)\|5559 (1799)]]. In the summer of [[5622 (1862)\|5622 (1862)]], the Rebbe Maharash traveled to the Tsar's village (now [[Pushkin, Saint Petersburg\|Pushkina]]), near [[Saint Petersburg]], to locate the grandson of the investigator who had kept the portrait in his home. The Maharash found him, and the grandson agreed to hand it over. The portrait was brought to [[Lubavitch]], where a copy was made. It remains unclear whether the original was painted in color or in black pencil, as is the case with all surviving copies.

	== Discovery of the Portrait ==		== Discovery of the Portrait ==

Raphaelwilmowsky at 17:15, 22 June 2026

2026-06-22T17:15:25Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:15, 22 June 2026
Line 1:		Line 1:
	[[File:רבי_שניאור_זלמן.jpg\|left\|thumb\|250px\|Portrait of the Alter Rebbe]]		[[File:רבי_שניאור_זלמן.jpg\|left\|thumb\|250px\|Portrait of the Alter Rebbe]]
	The '''portrait of the Alter Rebbe''' was painted during his first imprisonment in [[5559 (1799)\|5559 (1799)]]. In the summer of [[5622 (1862)\|5622 (1862)]], the ~~[[Maharash]] — Rabbi Shmaryahu Noach Schneersohn, the fourth~~ Rebbe ~~of Chabad-Lubavitch —~~ traveled to the Tsar's village (now [[Pushkin, Saint Petersburg\|Pushkina]]), near [[Saint Petersburg]], to locate the grandson of the investigator who had kept the portrait in his home. The Maharash found him, and the grandson agreed to hand it over. The portrait was brought to [[Lubavitch]], where a copy was made. It remains unclear whether the original was painted in color or in black pencil, as is the case with all surviving copies.		The '''portrait of the Alter Rebbe''' was painted during his first imprisonment in [[5559 (1799)\|5559 (1799)]]. In the summer of [[5622 (1862)\|5622 (1862)]], the Rebbe Maharash— traveled to the Tsar's village (now [[Pushkin, Saint Petersburg\|Pushkina]]), near [[Saint Petersburg]], to locate the grandson of the investigator who had kept the portrait in his home. The Maharash found him, and the grandson agreed to hand it over. The portrait was brought to [[Lubavitch]], where a copy was made. It remains unclear whether the original was painted in color or in black pencil, as is the case with all surviving copies.

	== Discovery of the Portrait ==		== Discovery of the Portrait ==

Raphaelwilmowsky: Created page with "Portrait of the Alter Rebbe The '''portrait of the Alter Rebbe''' was painted during his first imprisonment in 5559 (1799). In the summer of 5622 (1862), the Maharash — Rabbi Shmaryahu Noach Schneersohn, the fourth Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch — traveled to the Tsar's village (now Pushkina), near Saint Petersburg, to locate the grandson of the..."

2026-06-22T17:14:33Z

Created page with "left|thumb|250px|Portrait of the Alter Rebbe The '''portrait of the Alter Rebbe''' was painted during his first imprisonment in 5559 (1799). In the summer of 5622 (1862), the Maharash — Rabbi Shmaryahu Noach Schneersohn, the fourth Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch — traveled to the Tsar's village (now Pushkina), near Saint Petersburg, to locate the grandson of the..."

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[[File:רבי_שניאור_זלמן.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Portrait of the Alter Rebbe]]
The '''portrait of the Alter Rebbe''' was painted during his first imprisonment in [[5559 (1799)|5559 (1799)]]. In the summer of [[5622 (1862)|5622 (1862)]], the [[Maharash]] — Rabbi Shmaryahu Noach Schneersohn, the fourth Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch — traveled to the Tsar's village (now [[Pushkin, Saint Petersburg|Pushkina]]), near [[Saint Petersburg]], to locate the grandson of the investigator who had kept the portrait in his home. The Maharash found him, and the grandson agreed to hand it over. The portrait was brought to [[Lubavitch]], where a copy was made. It remains unclear whether the original was painted in color or in black pencil, as is the case with all surviving copies.

== Discovery of the Portrait ==

The original portrait was first located by the Maharash in [[5622 (1862)|5622 (1862)]] in the Tsar's village (now [[Pushkin, Saint Petersburg|Pushkina]]), near [[Saint Petersburg]], in the possession of the grandson of the investigator who had held it. The Maharash persuaded him to lend the portrait in exchange for government bonds valued at ten thousand rubles. Accompanying the Maharash was Rabbi [[Yisrael Chaikin]], who was entrusted with the portrait and responsible for returning it to its owner once a copy had been made.

The portrait arrived in Lubavitch in strict secrecy. One chassid, however, reported having heard the [[Tzemach Tzedek]] — Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, the third Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch — say to his son the Maharash: "The portrait is authentic, just as I remember him in his middle years — and yasher koach for this." The same chassid testified that "after about two or three years" — [[5624 (1864)|5624]]–[[5625 (1865)|5625 (1864–1865)]] — it had already become known among the chassidim that one of the senior noblemen in Saint Petersburg had painted the [[Alter Rebbe]] — Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad-Lubavitch — while he sat in prison.

[[Rebbetzin Rivkah]], wife of the Maharash, was also permitted to view the portrait, on condition that she not speak of it further. After the copy was completed, the portrait was returned to its owner.<ref>Ari Rubin, ''Beis Moshiach'', issue 1387, p. 34 — a detailed investigation of the portrait, its discovery, dissemination, and the evidence for its authenticity.</ref>

The earliest surviving copy of the original portrait is a large-format print from the first printing, made by Rabbi [[Shmarya Schneersohn]]. This copy is held by the [[Lubavitch Library]] in New York and is periodically displayed to visitors at the library's exhibitions.

== Testimony on the Portrait's Authenticity from the Diaries of the Frierdiker Rebbe ==

The Frierdiker Rebbe — Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, the sixth Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch — is the term by which chassidim refer to the Previous Rebbe. In the eighth issue of the journal ''[[HaTamim]]''<ref>Published in [[Kislev]] [[5699 (1938)|5699 (1938)]].</ref>, the well-known portrait of the Alter Rebbe was printed along with a note explaining that following its earlier appearance in ''HaTamim'' (issue 2, p. 7), many letters had arrived challenging the attribution of the portrait to the Alter Rebbe. The first time the portrait had been published publicly — in [[5648 (1888)|5648 (1888)]]<ref>See below: [[5649 (1889)|5649 (1889)]].</ref> — by Rabbi [[Shmarya Schneersohn]], it had already sparked debate in the Jewish press of the day, with some casting doubt on its authenticity.

In response, the editorial board of ''HaTamim'' turned to the Frierdiker Rebbe for clarification. He provided them with excerpts from notes he had written beginning in [[5656 (1896)|5656 (1896)]], recording what he had heard regarding the portrait. These accounts make the authenticity of the portrait clearly evident.

=== The Frierdiker Rebbe's Record ===

The record contains five accounts and proofs of the portrait's authenticity:

1) The testimony of two elderly chassidim from [[Bobruisk]] who had personally known the Alter Rebbe and identified the portrait as his likeness.

2) The Maharash had seen this portrait as early as [[5615 (1855)|5615 (1855)]], in Saint Petersburg.

3) Rebbetzin Rivkah, wife of the Maharash, had seen the original portrait in Lubavitch in [[5622 (1862)|5622 (1862)]], when it was brought on deposit for two weeks to the Tzemach Tzedek. In [[5656 (1896)|5656 (1896)]] she recounted: {{blockquote|When the portrait of the Alter Rebbe was published, and I saw it, I recognized it clearly as a copy of the portrait I had seen then.}}

4) The testimony of a chassid who in [[5622 (1862)|5622 (1862)]] heard the Tzemach Tzedek say to his son the Maharash: {{blockquote|The portrait is authentic, just as I remember him in his middle years.}} The same chassid also testified that several years later — [[5624 (1864)|5624]]–[[5625 (1865)|5625 (1864–1865)]] — it had already become known among the chassidim that one of the prominent noblemen in Saint Petersburg had painted the Alter Rebbe while he sat in prison.

5) A remark of the Tzemach Tzedek (in Yiddish): {{blockquote|''Az ich kuk oyf dem feter R' Chaim Avraham ze'ah ich dem zeide, zayn klaster ponim iz vi dem zeidens'' — When I look at my uncle [[Rabbi Chaim Avraham (son of the Alter Rebbe)|Rabbi Chaim Avraham]], I see my grandfather; his facial features are those of my grandfather.}} It was likewise transmitted among the elder chassidim that Rabbi Chaim Avraham, son of the Alter Rebbe, bore a striking facial and physical resemblance to the Alter Rebbe himself — a point they cited as corroborating testimony from those who had known Rabbi Chaim Avraham personally (noting only that "Rabbi Chaim Avraham's nose lacked a certain line" found in the portrait).

== The Rebbe's Reference to the Portrait of the Alter Rebbe ==

When Rabbi [[Yaakov Katz]] asked the Rebbe about the authenticity of several portraits of the Chabad Rebbes, the Rebbe replied simply that of the Alter Rebbe and the Tzemach Tzedek, "there are the well-known portraits."<ref>The second night of Sukkos, 5726 (1965), during the Yom Tov meal at the home of the Frierdiker Rebbe (''HaMelech BaMesibo'', vol. 1, p. 104). The same impression emerges from numerous other sources.</ref>

In a letter published in ''[[Igros Kodesh]]'', vol. 18, p. 226, the Rebbe wrote:

{{blockquote|Regarding what you wrote about a stamp bearing the portrait of [the Alter Rebbe] — in my view the matter is inadvisable, since stamps pass through many hands and so on, in addition to the unavoidable practice of striking the stamp, which would affect the portrait.}}

A marginal note in that volume clarifies that the reference is to a proposal to issue a postage stamp bearing the portrait of the Alter Rebbe.

== See Also ==
* [[Portraits and Likenesses of the Chabad Rebbes]]

== Notes ==
<references/>

[[Category:The Alter Rebbe]]

[[he:ציור אדמו"ר הזקן]]