The Rebbe: Difference between revisions

[[File:לערך הרבי שליט"א.png|250px|thumb|right|the Rebbe Shlita]]

== Life History ==

==== Birth and Early Years ====

{{Chabad}}

[[File:הרבי בילדותו.jpg|thumb|The Rebbe Shlita in His Youth]]

At the age of 18, in 1920, he was appointed to serve as a rabbi in one of the synagogues in the city.

In Tishrei 1928, he visited his parents in Dnipro. After Sukkot, his mother accompanied him to Leningrad. From there, he left Russia with the Rebbe Rayatz, who was set to become his father-in-law, and with his entire family. The Rebbe settled in Riga with the Rebbe Rayatz’s family. However, due to financial difficulties, their planned wedding was delayed, and it was decided he would move to another city. In Tevet of that year, he moved to Berlin, Germany.

== Marriage ==

Due to Soviet authorities not permitting the Rebbe's parents to leave Russia and attend the wedding, they held a simultaneous celebration in Russia to mark their son's wedding. Despite their absence, many friends and supporters attended, and the joy was immense.

The Rebbe remarked on his wedding day:<blockquote>"The day that connected me to you, and you to me, so that together we will labor and bring about the true and complete redemption."

==== Berlin ====

[[File:הרבי צרפת.jpg|thumb|The Rebbe Shlita in Paris Around 1937]]

==== Paris ====

He compiled Chassidic teachings at that time, including:

* Letters of the Rebbe Rayatz

* Indexes to the Ma’amarei Admor Rashab

* Other Torah compilations.

In the winter of 1939, Chabad in the United States, by the Rebbe Rayatz’s instructions, began lobbying with high-level officials to obtain entry visas for the Rebbe and his wife to the United States. The request was submitted at the American Consulate in Paris. However, due to the war, communication was difficult, and it was unclear whether the visa had been granted.

[[File:תשב.JPG|thumb|The Rebbe Shlita , after his arrival in the United States, with the Rebbe  Rayatz, (5702/1942)]]

On the 17th of Sivan, 1941, the Rebbe and his wife boarded the ship "S.S. Serpa Pinto" from Portugal to New York, where they arrived on the 28th of Sivan, 1941. A delegation of Chassidim sent by the Rebbe Rayatz welcomed them at the port.

Upon his arrival in the United States, the Rebbe began assisting his father-in-law, the Rebbe Rayatz, in all of his activities, particularly his efforts to establish America as a center of Torah and Chassidus. In 1942, the Rebbe Rayatz appointed him as the chairman of the central Chabad institutions:

[[File:בצעירותו.jpg|thumb|The Rebbe Shlita during his university studies]]

In 1943, the Rebbe was also appointed as the chief editor of [[Kehos|Kehot's]] publications.

During those years, the Rebbe also worked as a ship engineer in the U.S. Navy.

[[File:Ship.jpg|thumb|The ship 'Serpa Pinto' on which the Rebbe Shlita and the Rebbetzin sailed from Portugal to New York]]

* [[Shneur Zalman Gurary|Rabbi Shneur Zalman Gurary]]

* Rabbi Shmuel Zalmanov

* Rabbi DovBer Haskin

===== In the Holy Land: =====

* Rabbi Moshe Gurary - Director of Agudas Chassidei Chabad

* Rabbi Shmerel Gurary

* Rabbi Shlomo Yosef Zevin

* Rabbi Avraham Chein

* [[Saadia Liberow|Rabbi Saadia Liberow]]

== Leadership of Chabad Chassidism ==

After the passing of the Previous Rebbe, he began energetically expanding the Torah and educational institutions established by the Previous Rebbe worldwide.

[[File:תשיא 2.jpg|thumb|The Rebbe's first official photograph taken on 30 Shevat 5711 at a reception for R' Yehuda Leib Posner]]

In the early years of his leadership, the Rebbe sent emissaries throughout the United States, Brazil, and elsewhere.

==== Daily Schedule ====

For most of the day, the Rebbe's occupation revolved primarily around Torah study and responding to letters sent to him from around the world. Additionally, with increasing frequency over the years, the Rebbe would visit the resting place of his father-in-law, the Previous Rebbe. Furthermore, for decades the Rebbe dedicated time three times a week to receive people for private audiences in his personal room, where he would answer people's questions and guide them in divine service. In later years, due to the heavy burden, the Rebbe discontinued private audiences and began receiving the public in general audiences in his study hall. On 11 Nissan 5746, the Rebbe began distributing dollars for charity every Sunday. Many rabbis and public figures came to the Rebbe during the dollar distribution and private audiences to receive his blessing and advice.

* [[Mivtza Torah|Torah study]]

* [[Mivtza Tefillin|Tefillin]]

* [[Mivtza Kashrus|Kashrus]]

* [[Mivtza Bayis Molei Seforim|Having seforim in the home]]

* [[Mivtza Neiros Shabbos Kodesh|Neiros Shabbos Kodesh and Yom Tov candle lighting]]

* [[Tzeirei Agudas Chabad|Tzeirei Agudas Chabad organization]]

He instituted structural and organizational changes with new general and specific horaos (directives) in Agudas Chassidei Chabad, positioning it as an umbrella organization for all Chabad mosdos in Eretz HaKodesh. This was alongside assistance to Colel Chabad which provided support to Chassidim in gashmius matters.

In the United States, the Rebbe established:

* N'shei Chabad organization

* [[Kehos|Kehot Publication Society]]

==== The Shlichus Enterprise ====

[[File:שלוחים.jpg|thumb|The Rebbe's shluchim in the traditional photograph (5773/2013)]]

The Rebbe's father-in-law, the Frierdiker (Previous) Rebbe, worked to bring Yidden closer to Torah and mitzvos, and sent shluchim to various countries. However, during his time the scope of activity was relatively limited, and the Rebbe expanded it on an enormous scale, until today the number of shluchim reaches about two thousand spread throughout the world.

==== The Daily Rambam Study Initiative ====

In 5744 (1984), the Rebbe initiated the daily [[The Rambam|Rambam]] study project, in which the Rambam's halachic works were divided into daily study portions. One of the takana's objectives was to encourage concise study of all areas of halacha in a clear and illuminating way, as they are formulated in the Rambam's seforim. There are three study tracks:

* Three chapters per day, completing the entire Yad HaChazaka in one year

* One chapter per day, completing the series once in three years

==== The Seven Noahide Laws ====

Starting in the 1980s, the Rebbe called for action to instill the Sheva Mitzvos B'nei Noach (Seven Noahide Laws) to all of humanity, encouraging all people to observe them, based on the Rambam's ruling that there is an obligation on the Jewish people to ensure that the nations of the world fulfill the Seven Noahide Laws. In his view, the notable lack of engagement with this topic in previous generations stemmed from concern that such activity would be perceived as an attempt to interfere with the gentiles' religion, a concern that barely exists today, and therefore the Jewish obligation to transmit the Seven Mitzvos remains in full force.

==== Education in the American Congress ====

[[File:בוטמן בסנאט.jpg|thumb|The Governor and legislators during the declaration of Education Days]]

In the year 5738 (1978), the United States Congress decided to declare the 11th of Nissan, the Rebbe's birthday, as "Education and Sharing Day," during which efforts and resources would be increased to improve education in all educational institutions for all ages throughout the United States. In the text of the proposal submitted by Congress for ratification by then-President Jimmy Carter, the seven Noahide laws are mentioned as a model for the moral principles upon which human civilization rests. Since this legislation, the United States' "Education and Sharing Day" has been proclaimed each year by the sitting President on the day corresponding to the Hebrew date of 11 Nissan, the Rebbe's birthday. The Rebbe expressed his gratitude for the decision of Congress and explained in a farbrengen the significance of establishing this day as "Education Day":<blockquote>The government declared a certain day (11 Nissan) as "Education Day" throughout the United States. Everything must have a source in Torah. And seemingly - where is the source for this matter, to connect an essential and important matter with a special day of the year? Especially the matter of education, which is an ongoing and constant matter at every moment.

So, too, the Rebbe saw every positive action of each individual as a redemptive act in its own right, and a step on the road to global Redemption. For each ''mitzvah'' and each word of Torah contains G‑d’s infinite energy – wherein lies the secret of another advancement toward the ultimate goal of perfecting this world as a place where Hashem “feels at home.”

== His Niggunim ==

==== General ====

==== History ====

==== The Rebbe and Leaders of the Generation ====

==== Video ====

== References ==