The Alter Rebbe

Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi

Rabbi Schneur Zalman Boruchovich of Liadi (18 Elul 5505 (September 4, 1745) – 24 Tevet 5573 (December 27, 1812)) is known among Chabad Chassidim as the Alter Rebbe (Yiddish: der Alter Rebbe, meaning "the Elder Rebbe"). He is also referred to as the Maggid of Liozna, the Graz (an acronym of his name), and the Author of the Tanya and the Shulchan Aruch — titles that became attached to him through the wide circulation of his two major works, the Tanya and the Shulchan Aruch HaRav (his comprehensive code of Jewish law). He was also known simply as The Rav (the Rabbi), and was among the foremost disciples of the Maggid of Mezeritch.

Rabbi Schneur Zalman was the founder of the Chabad school of Chassidic thought and the first Rebbe in the Chabad-Lubavitch dynasty. He composed the Tanya, the foundational text of Chabad Chassidic philosophy, and authored the Shulchan Aruch HaRav, a landmark code of Jewish law.

His family name, Boruchovich, was derived from his father's name, Baruch — it was customary in that era to use the father's first name as a surname.

Life

Birth

A colorized reconstruction based on the portrait of the Alter Rebbe

Rabbi Schneur Zalman's parents, Rabbi Baruch Poizner (a descendant of the Maharal of Prague) and Rivkah, were married on Friday, 17 Elul 5503 (1743). For about ten months they had no children, and on the advice of Rabbi Yitzchak Shaul, a close friend of Rabbi Baruch, the couple traveled to receive the blessing of the Baal Shem Tov.

In the month of Av 5504 (1744), they arrived at the Baal Shem Tov, who promised them that within a year they would have a son. Rabbi Baruch and Rivkah spent some time with the Baal Shem Tov. At the Baal Shem Tov's birthday celebration on 18 Elul, the Baal Shem Tov turned to Rabbi Baruch and said: "At precisely this time next year, you will be embracing a son."

Before leaving the town of Mezhibuzh, they entered the Baal Shem Tov for a farewell blessing. Rivkah told him that when God fulfilled his holy blessing, she would dedicate the child to Torah and divine service in the path of the Baal Shem Tov. The Baal Shem Tov blessed them, and they traveled home with joy. Exactly one year later, on Wednesday, 18 Elul 5505 (September 4, 1745), Schneur Zalman was born, in a small village near the town of Liozna.

In the month of Adar 5505 (1745), Rabbi Baruch traveled to the Baal Shem Tov to inform him that his blessing had been fulfilled and that his wife had conceived. The Baal Shem Tov asked about the time of conception, and upon hearing it, instructed Rabbi Baruch to don a gartel (a belt worn during prayer) and to recite the blessing of Shehecheyanu ("who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion") without pronouncing God's name and sovereignty aloud.

The Baal Shem Tov then gave instructions on how Rivkah should conduct herself during the pregnancy and after the birth, and cautioned Rabbi Baruch not to tell anyone that a son had been born — and if asked, to say simply: "God will help."

On Yom Kippur of 5506 (1745), Rabbi Baruch traveled to the Baal Shem Tov and received guidance on how to raise the child. By the age of one, the boy had begun to speak; by two, his parents noticed that he possessed an extraordinary memory and comprehension, and he had already memorized many chapters of Psalms by heart.

When Rabbi Baruch came to the Baal Shem Tov for Rosh Hashanah 5507 (1746), he mentioned his decision that on the upcoming 18 Elul — when his son would turn three — the Baal Shem Tov himself should perform the child's first haircut (upsherin). When he reached the age of three (in the year 5508 / 1748), his parents and his aunt (his father's sister, Rebbetzin Devorah Leah) brought him to the Baal Shem Tov in Mezhibuzh. The Baal Shem Tov left the child's sidelocks (peyos) intact, blessed him with the Priestly Blessing, and cautioned his parents to return home immediately and not to reveal where they had been. When the child asked who the Jew was who had cut his hair, his mother replied that it was "Grandfather."

Childhood and Youth

Rabbi Schneur Zalman was known from his earliest years as a disciplined and orderly child, both in his conduct and in his studies. He achieved remarkable success in Torah knowledge and grasped even the most difficult subjects in their every detail. On 17 Kislev 5510 (1749), Rabbi Schneur Zalman was accepted to serve the local burial society (Chevra Kadisha) in Liozna, until the time of his bar mitzvah. By the age of fifteen he had completed the entire Talmud three times. At age sixteen, on the eve of 17 Kislev 5521 (1760), he was formally accepted as a full member of the Chevra Kadisha. He was thoroughly familiar with the prayer book Sha'ar HaShamayim compiled by the Shelah (Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz), and conducted himself in accordance with the Shelah's spiritual guidelines.

At age eight, he composed a commentary on the Torah that incorporated the interpretations of Rashi, Ibn Ezra, and the Ramban (Nachmanides). When he was ten years old, he had a dream in which Rabbi Reuven Baal Shem — a hidden righteous person — informed him that he was being summoned to a heavenly court. In the vision, Rabbi Reuven led him into the synagogue of Liozna, where three judges declared: "These three elders — Rashi, Ibn Ezra, and the Ramban — are bringing a case against you, for by writing a commentary that incorporates all three of their interpretations, you seek to deprive them of the merit they earn when people study their works independently." The boy was shaken, and promised to burn his commentary. The elders then turned to him and blessed him to originate new Torah insights and paths of divine service. When he awoke, he fasted; and after a second dream on the same theme, he burned the manuscript.

At the age of nine, his father brought him to the town of Lubavitch to study Torah under the renowned scholar Rabbi Yissachar Ber. When Rabbi Schneur Zalman turned eleven — about two years after arriving in Lubavitch — Rabbi Yissachar Ber told Rabbi Baruch that his son no longer required a teacher, and Rabbi Baruch brought him back home to Liozna.

From the age of eleven, in addition to his intensive study of Talmud and legal codes, he began studying Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) and ethical literature. He also became active in communal affairs, regularly visiting the Liozna marketplace to encourage Jewish merchants — who were struggling to earn a living from trade — to take up farming instead. Many families made the transition to agriculture at his urging.

Bar Mitzvah

The bar mitzvah celebration in the year 5518 (1757–1758) was attended by some of the leading Torah scholars of the generation, from Vitebsk, Polotsk, and Minsk. His father, Rabbi Baruch, and his grandfather, Rabbi Moshe, hosted seven days of festive meals, each featuring Torah discourse. The young Schneur Zalman's original Torah insights surpassed all others present; they were recorded by his brother, Rabbi Yehudah Leib Minovitch. All the assembled scholars conferred upon him the titles "Gaon" (Torah genius) and "Tanna he'u u'falig" — a talmudic phrase indicating that his legal rulings carry independent weight.

Shortly after his bar mitzvah, he traveled to Vitebsk to visit his uncle, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Shrei, where he spent several months. There, he heard teachings of the Chassidic school and the path of the Baal Shem Tov — without initially knowing that these were the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov. He later recalled that during his time with his uncle, he felt each day as if he were experiencing the joy of a Jewish festival.

Marriage

By the time Rabbi Schneur Zalman reached marriageable age — at fourteen — his reputation as a Torah genius had spread throughout the region.

Rabbi Yehudah Leib Segal, one of the wealthiest and most prominent citizens of Vitebsk, selected him as a groom for his daughter, Sterna.

The wedding was initially set for the month of Elul 5519 (1759), but was postponed when Rabbi Baruch left home at the start of that month. The prospective father-in-law, Rabbi Yehudah Leib Segal, pressed for the wedding to take place in the winter of 5520 (1760), but Rabbi Baruch did not agree. After Passover, Rabbi Baruch again departed and returned in the month of Tammuz, at which point the wedding date was set for Friday, the eve of the Shabbat of Consolation, 12 Menachem Av 5520 (1760).

After the wedding, Rabbi Schneur Zalman lived in his father-in-law's home in Vitebsk.

One of the conditions Rabbi Schneur Zalman stipulated before agreeing to the match was that the five thousand gold coins being brought as his dowry be placed entirely at his own disposal. In the first year of marriage — with his wife's agreement — he distributed the entire sum to families who wished to support themselves through farming, helping them purchase land and livestock. Through this contribution, large settlements of Jewish farmers were established along the Dvina River running through Vitebsk. Rabbi Schneur Zalman visited these settlements frequently, encouraging the residents to set fixed times for Torah study, and sharing with them Torah stories and rabbinic teachings.

By the age of eighteen, he had mastered the entire Talmud together with its major commentators, including the works of the early authorities (Rishonim) and later authorities (Acharonim).

In Mezeritch

Although Rabbi Schneur Zalman had never met the Baal Shem Tov directly — apart from the brief encounter at his upsherin at age three — he spoke of the Baal Shem Tov as his spiritual grandfather: "Rabbi Baruch of Mezhibuzh is the Baal Shem Tov's physical grandson, while I am his spiritual grandson." This statement has been interpreted in two ways: either through his first teacher, Rabbi Yissachar Ber of Lubavitch, who was a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov, or through his primary teacher, the Maggid of Mezeritch, who was among the Baal Shem Tov's greatest disciples.

After Passover of 5524 (1764), with his wife's blessing, he traveled in fulfillment of the teaching "exile yourself to a place of Torah."

After deliberation, he chose to travel to Mezeritch to study under Rabbi DovBer, the Maggid of Mezeritch. His reasoning was: in Vilna, they teach how to study — and that he already knew. In Mezeritch, they teach how to pray — and that he had yet to learn.

When he decided to remain in Mezeritch, the Maggid revealed to him the Baal Shem Tov's teaching that Rabbi Schneur Zalman was a new soul from the highest spiritual realm (Atzilus), clothed in a physical body, and that his mission was to reveal and explain the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov — rooted in love of God and love of one's fellow Jew — and to reveal the path of Chabad Chassidus, for one must love every Jew simply because he is a Jew.

Rabbi Schneur Zalman later said that in Mezeritch he learned three things: what God is, what the Jewish people are, and the power of a Chassidic melody (niggun).

While in Mezeritch, he studied in regular paired study (chavrusa) with Rabbi Avraham HaMalach (the Angel), the Maggid's son.

After a year and a half in Mezeritch, he returned home to Vitebsk and began spreading the Chassidic path founded by the Baal Shem Tov. He caused a spiritual revolution in Vitebsk, and even the great Torah scholars there were awed by his immense brilliance. When his father-in-law, the wealthy Rabbi Yehudah Leib Segal, saw that his son-in-law had embraced the Chassidic path, he began making his life difficult and pressured his daughter to divorce. When she refused, her father expelled her from his home.

At the age of twenty-two — in 5527 (1766–1767) — Rabbi Schneur Zalman was appointed as the town preacher (Maggid) of Liozna.

At the age of twenty-five — in 5530 (1769–1770) — he began, at the Maggid's instruction, composing his code of Jewish law, known as the Shulchan Aruch HaRav. When the Maggid instructed him to undertake this task, he rose to his full height, placed his hands on Rabbi Schneur Zalman's head, and blessed him with the Priestly Blessing.

In 5531 (1770–1771), he traveled on a confidential mission on behalf of the Maggid of Mezeritch to Rabbi Yosef Kalbo of Shklov.

The Founding of Chabad Chassidus

Further information: The Founding of Chabad Chassidus

When Rabbi Schneur Zalman returned from Mezeritch for the first time, he reported that the Maggid had revealed to him that one of his missions in this world was to reveal Chabad Chassidus. In the year 5532 (1772), when the Russians conquered the entire region of Vitebsk and Liozna from the Poles, he founded the Chabad approach — divine service through the intellectual faculties of Wisdom (Chochma), Understanding (Binah), and Knowledge (Da'as), which together form the Hebrew acronym Chabad.

As the approach spread through Rabbi Schneur Zalman and his emissaries, hundreds of young scholarly men joined the movement. His brother, Rabbi Yehudah Leib Pozner, stood at his right hand in building Chabad Chassidus. Over the next four years, the movement spread among hundreds of additional devoted followers. After the passing of the Maggid of Mezeritch and the emigration of the leading disciple, Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk, to the Holy Land, leadership of Chassidus in the regions of Lithuania and Belarus passed to Rabbi Schneur Zalman. Thousands more families joined Chabad, and by the year 5540 (1780), Chabad Chassidim numbered approximately fifteen thousand families across Russia.

During that same year — 5532 (1772) — he conducted a campaign encouraging Jews living in the city of Vitebsk to relocate across the border into Russia proper.

Leader of Chabad Chassidus

The Passing of the Maggid of Mezeritch

The gravesite of the Maggid of Mezeritch, Rabbi Schneur Zalman's teacher

Further information: Gatherings of the Maggid's Disciples

On 18 Kislev 5533 (November 23, 1772), the Maggid of Mezeritch asked his disciple Rabbi Schneur Zalman to do whatever he could to ensure that his son, Rabbi Avraham HaMalach, would succeed him — and if Rabbi Avraham was unwilling, that Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk should take his place. The following day, 19 Kislev 5533, the Maggid passed away, and his leading disciples scattered to various lands to spread the teachings of Chassidus. Rabbi Avraham HaMalach settled in Vohlinia and Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk settled in Russia. Rabbi Schneur Zalman and the other disciples of the Maggid immediately submitted a formal declaration of allegiance to Rabbi Avraham HaMalach.

In those years, opposition to Chassidus was at its peak, and there was urgent need for a person of strong character who could stand firm against the opponents. For this purpose, a gathering was convened under the leadership of Rabbi Avraham HaMalach, and it was decided to establish a leadership council, whose chairman would be authorized to issue directives to all Chassidic centers as he saw fit for the spread of the Chassidic movement. Rabbi Schneur Zalman was elected as chairman. In this capacity he served for three years, traveling extensively to strengthen the disciples of the Maggid in their home communities.

In 5536 (1775–1776), Rabbi Schneur Zalman established study houses (chadarim) in Liozna, to which young scholars from across the region gathered to study Torah continuously according to his guidance and structure. During this period, Rabbi Schneur Zalman's leadership began to take on a distinctly Chabad character, which grew more defined over the years. Within a short time, it became known that a new current had been born within Chassidism — the Chabad stream.

In 5537 (1776–1777), Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk traveled to the Land of Israel together with three hundred people. Rabbi Schneur Zalman deliberated greatly about whether to join. He initially inclined against going, reasoning: "Upon whom can I leave our brethren, the children of Israel?" He also recalled the Maggid's teaching that the Baal Shem Tov himself had been unable to ascend to the Holy Land because "there are souls that specifically require the Land of Israel, and there are souls that specifically require the Diaspora." At the last moment — after Rabbi Menachem Mendel had already set out — he decided to join, and traveled with some of his disciples to Mogilev, where the group had stopped. He sent word that he wished to join. Rabbi Menachem Mendel and his senior disciples urged him to remain in Belarus and assume the mantle of leadership over the Chassidic community. Rabbi Schneur Zalman did not agree. Only after his teacher the Maggid appeared to him in a dream and instructed him to remain — and after he and Rabbi Menachem Mendel spent an entire week in private, extended daily sessions — did he agree to stay in Russia. After the group continued on its way to the Land of Israel, Rabbi Menachem Mendel continued to lead the Chassidim from afar through frequent letters and emissaries. During this time, the Alter Rebbe went to stay in Mogilev.

The Move to Liozna

During that period, Rabbi Schneur Zalman received offers of rabbinical positions from both Vitebsk and Liozna. He chose Liozna, on condition that the community undertake to provide for his material needs, those of his three brothers and their families, and the needs of the scholars in the study houses and the Chassidic guests who came from Russia and Lithuania. In the month of Elul 5536 (1776), Rabbi Schneur Zalman set out for Liozna, and in the month of Shvat 5538 (1778) he arrived.

By that time he was already leading thousands of Chassidim, yet he did not yet bear the official title of "Rebbe." His followers' longing for a Rebbe who would be physically present with them grew steadily, and they expressed this desire to Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk. He wrote to them that even though they were bound to him, they were permitted to seek guidance and encouragement from "the righteous and devout rabbis and complete ones... whose every word is like burning coals of divine counsel and knowledge" — "the great leaders of the community, renowned in Torah and fear of Heaven, who are present with you in your places of dwelling." He was referring to Rabbi Yisrael of Polotsk, Rabbi Yissachar Ber of Lubavitch, and "the honored Rabbi Schneur Zalman, may God protect him, and may his name endure forever — the threefold cord, etc., in whose hands, with God's help, is their goodness, from the great good that is hidden and stored up, to illuminate their eyes and give them life."

In this letter, Rabbi Menachem Mendel gave his Chassidim in Russia permission to seek counsel from these three leaders and to follow their guidance. This arrangement continued for a period, with Rabbi Menachem Mendel as the undisputed leader, while the three righteous men in Russia guided the community in spiritual matters. Over time, Rabbi Menachem Mendel sensed that despite his efforts to lead the community from afar, some of his Chassidim had begun seeking Torah guidance from various leaders across Eastern Europe. Some called for the "Seer of Lublin" to be brought from Poland and crowned as leader of the Russian Chassidic community.

When Rabbi Menachem Mendel understood that the situation was expanding, he decided to formally appoint Rabbi Schneur Zalman as the leader of the Chassidim in Russia.

The Journey to the Gaon of Vilna

Following the passing of the Maggid of Mezeritch, the opponents of Chassidus (Misnagdim) intensified their campaign against the movement. Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk and Rabbi Schneur Zalman traveled to Vilna in 5534 (1773–1774) to meet with Rabbi Elijah, the Gaon of Vilna, in order to convince him that the Chassidim had not deviated from the path of Torah — and thereby bring about an end to the Misnagdim's campaign. However, the Gaon refused to receive them and left Vilna, returning only after they had departed.

Rabbi Schneur Zalman later wrote:

From the outset we informed them, and we went to the home of the pious Gaon to speak with him and to remove his complaints against us — while I was there together with the pious Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Horodok, of blessed memory — and he shut the door before us twice... And when they implored him greatly, he departed and left the city and remained away until the day of our departure from the city... and the war of the opponents continued with full force.

Rabbi Menachem Mendel, together with several of the Maggid's disciples — having recognized that they could not silence the Misnagdim's campaign — decided to emigrate to the Land of Israel.

Debates with the Opponents of Chassidus

Further information: The Great Debate in Minsk (5543)

In the five years that Rabbi Schneur Zalman served as the general coordinator of the Chassidic movement — from the time Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk emigrated to the Holy Land until 5543 (1782–1783) — he conducted several formal debates against leading Misnagdim. For this purpose, he traveled specifically to the strongholds of those who opposed Chassidus, demonstrating their strength in the study of revealed Torah law and vindicating the legitimacy of their path and method.

The most celebrated of these debates was the "Shklov Debate" and the "Great Debate in Minsk," held in 5543 (1782–1783). In the aftermath of these encounters, hundreds of scholars drew closer to Chassidus, and genuine opposition from the leading Torah authorities among the Misnagdim diminished considerably — as they came to see that the leader of the Chassidic movement was a formidable scholar and that his entire path was rooted in authentic Jewish faith without any deviation from traditional practice. What remained was only the partisan opposition of the more extreme faction among the Misnagdim, who refused to accept that Rabbi Schneur Zalman had overwhelmingly prevailed in the debates.

His Appointment as Rebbe

In 5546 (1785–1786), Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk sent Rabbi Schneur Zalman a special letter informing and demanding of him that the time had come to formally accept leadership of the Chassidim in Russia, to serve as their "Rebbe," and not to evade the responsibility placed upon him — with a promise of blessing and success. The letter also outlined the manner in which he was to lead the Chassidim.

By that time, Rabbi Schneur Zalman was already leading thousands of Chassidim who gathered in his presence, and his study houses were home to hundreds of brilliant scholars. Yet he did not eagerly accept the title of "Rebbe" with all its attendant burdens. In a reply letter, Rabbi Schneur Zalman wrote that he trembled upon hearing that he had been anointed to lead the Chassidim of Russia, and wrote that the role weighed heavily upon him and that he could not bear it alone. Nevertheless, he did not wish to defy his teacher's will, and agreed to accept the role on condition that his teacher hold him in his daily remembrance and bless him continuously.

Rabbi Menachem Mendel also wrote letters to the Chassidim in Russia instructing them to accept the leadership and authority of Rabbi Schneur Zalman. In an additional letter written in 5548 (1787–1788), shortly before his own passing, he sent his final letter formally crowning Rabbi Schneur Zalman as the sole and undisputed leader of the Chassidim in Russia. Following this, the community of Chassidim in Russia accepted Rabbi Schneur Zalman's leadership and authority.

Only fifteen years after the passing of the Maggid of Mezeritch, in 5548 (1787–1788), did the Alter Rebbe formally accept the role of Rebbe and official leader of the Chassidim.

With the Haskalah Movement

The maskilim (proponents of the Jewish Enlightenment movement) of that era succeeded in penetrating Vilna — the greatest center of Torah scholarship at the time and also the stronghold of opposition to Chassidus. The Torah scholars of Vilna, led by the Gaon of Vilna, looked favorably upon the pursuit of secular studies alongside Torah study, and in particular upon the study of Hebrew grammar. The maskilim exploited this opening to penetrate the central circles of Torah scholarship and to transfer the children of scholars to their own educational path — which led many young men to secular studies in Berlin, and from there into the Enlightenment movement. An active role in this was played by Shimon Lilienthal (known as Shimon the Heretic), who disguised himself as a God-fearing tutor and transferred many children to Enlightenment-style education. Shimon attempted to find a way to influence the Chassidic community as well, and for this purpose undertook a lengthy journey to Belarus, even meeting with the Alter Rebbe — but he despaired when he witnessed the depth of the Chassidim's faith and their devotion to their Rebbe.

The Book of Tanya

Cover of the Tanya

Further information: The Tanya

The Tanya is the foundational text of Chabad Chassidic thought and one of the pillars of the broader Chassidic movement. The book surveys the human soul and analyzes the inner processes that lead to divine service, while offering practical tools for overcoming the obstacles that stand in the way. It is said that the Alter Rebbe wrote the Tanya containing answers for all questions of the soul for every generation until the coming of the Messiah.

In 5532 (1772), after founding the Chabad Chassidic approach, the Alter Rebbe began guiding his Chassidim in private audiences (yechidus) on matters of divine service. These teachings were recorded by the Chassidim and gathered into booklets that were studied within the community. These booklets were later published, in 5744 (1984), as a work known as Tanya Mahadura Kama (the First Edition Tanya). In 5535 (1775), the Alter Rebbe began composing the Tanya in its final form, working on it for twenty years until completing it in 5555 (1795), at which point he authorized copies to be made. The opponents of Chassidus feared the book's influence and created forged copies in which deliberate theological distortions had been inserted. When the Alter Rebbe learned of this, he decided to print it officially, to prevent further forgeries. In 5556 (1796), he sent the Tanya to the press in Slavita, accompanied by endorsements from disciples of the Maggid of Mezeritch: Rabbi Meshulam Zusya of Anipoli and Rabbi Yehudah Leib HaKohen. The first copies of the Tanya arrived from the press on 26 Kislev 5557 (December 6, 1796).

Initially, the book met with resistance even from some Chassidic leaders due to its strong intellectual dimension, but once they saw that it led to an increase in authentic divine service, they ceased their opposition and fully embraced it. Today the Tanya is considered the most important foundational text of the Chassidic movement, revered by all its branches and studied in Jewish communities worldwide.

The Tanya is known by several names:

• Likkutei Amarim ("Collected Teachings") — the official name given by the Alter Rebbe himself.
• Sefer Shel Beinonim ("The Book of the Intermediate") — named for the book's central focus on the spiritual level of the beinoni, the person who struggles and strives.
• Tanya — named after the first word of the text.
• The Written Torah of Chassidic Teaching — named for the precision of every letter in the book, comparable to the precision of the Written Torah.

The Tanya is divided into five parts:

1. Likkutei Amarim — the first and principal section.
2. Sha'ar HaYichud VeHaEmunah (also called Likkutei Amarim Part Two) — an intellectual explanation of the unity of God.
3. Iggeres HaTeshuvah (Epistle of Repentance) — an explanation of the nature of repentance according to Chassidic teachings.
4. Iggeres HaKodesh (The Holy Epistle) — a collection of thirty-two letters written by the Alter Rebbe.
5. Kuntres Acharon (Final Treatise) — the Alter Rebbe's elaborations on several topics discussed in the first section.

Many spiritual qualities have been attributed to the study of the Tanya by Chabad Rebbes and other great Torah authorities, and it is customary to memorize passages from the Tanya by heart. The Tanya has had a profound influence on Jewish faith, particularly in its explanation of the Baal Shem Tov's teaching on divine providence. Today it is considered a foundational work of divine service; Chabad Chassidim study a daily portion of the Tanya, completing the entire book over the course of a year, following an established schedule instituted by the sixth Chabad Rebbe. Over the years, dozens of commentaries and explanations have been written on the Tanya, some by Chabad Rebbes and some by Chassidim. As of 5770 (2010), the Tanya had been printed in more than five thousand editions.

His Imprisonments

The Peter and Paul Fortress, Saint Petersburg

Further information: The Imprisonment and Liberation of the Alter Rebbe and The Second Imprisonment of the Alter Rebbe

Following his formal appointment as head of Chabad Chassidus and the spread of his approach to divine service, the Alter Rebbe encountered fierce opposition from two directions: from the Misnagdim (the rabbinic opponents of Chassidism) on one side, and from the maskilim (the Enlightenment movement) on the other.

In 5559 (1798), the Misnagdim filed an accusation with the Tsarist government that the Alter Rebbe was collecting money for the Turks — who at that time ruled over the Land of Israel — in order to undermine Russian rule. In truth, the funds being collected were for the support of the Chassidim in the Holy Land. On 24 Tishrei 5559 (October 22, 1798), the Tsarist government had the Alter Rebbe arrested and sentenced him to death as a rebel against the government. He sat in prison in the Peter and Paul Fortress in Saint Petersburg for fifty-three days, during which time he succeeded in proving his innocence. On Tuesday evening, 19 Kislev 5559 (November 27, 1798), he was released. At the moment the news of his release was brought to him, he was holding his Psalms open to the verse: "He redeemed my soul in peace."

The day of his release, 19 Kislev, became known as the "Festival of Liberation" (Yud-Tes Kislev) among Chabad Chassidim and is celebrated to this day.

The Alter Rebbe's imprisonment had been due to occur several years earlier, but when Rabbi Zusya of Anipoli heard of it, he declared: "Zusya does not agree to this" — and the imprisonment was thereby deferred until 5559 (1798).

On 24 Tishrei 5561 (October 11, 1800), the Alter Rebbe was arrested a second time, though under somewhat better physical conditions. The charges against him were more severe, however. He was released from this imprisonment on 27 Kislev (the third night of Chanukah) according to one account, and on 29 Kislev (the fifth night of Chanukah) according to another.

In Liadi

After his second imprisonment, the authorities requested that the Alter Rebbe reside in Saint Petersburg. His Chassidim who lived far away were greatly pained by the distance from their Rebbe. At that time, the city of Saint Petersburg was governed by Prince Lyubomirsky, who wished to meet the Alter Rebbe. A Chassid told the Prince of the Alter Rebbe's greatness, of the awe and devotion that thousands of people felt toward him, and of the anguish of the Chassidim over the government's requirement that he reside in Saint Petersburg.

When Lyubomirsky and the Alter Rebbe met, the Prince told him that if he agreed to settle in one of the towns under the Prince's jurisdiction, he would petition the government to approve this. The Alter Rebbe agreed to settle in the town of Liadi, and the Prince ordered that homes be built there for the Alter Rebbe and his Chassidim.

On Friday, the eve of the Shabbat of Consolation, 14 Menachem Av 5561 (August 14, 1801), the Alter Rebbe arrived in Liadi together with five thousand Chassidim. From that time on, the Alter Rebbe and his Chassidim lived in peace and tranquility, free from the pressure of their opponents. His communal and spiritual activity spread across all of Belarus and Ukraine, and during this period tens of thousands more Chassidim joined the movement.

The Napoleonic War

Further information: The Napoleonic War

When Napoleon's war against the Russian Empire broke out, the Alter Rebbe expressed his position to his Chassidim: if Napoleon were to win, it was possible that Jewish life might improve materially — but spiritually, irreligion and moral abandonment would likely increase, God forbid. He therefore did everything in his power to aid the Russian army. Immediately after Napoleon's forces invaded Russia on 14 Tammuz 5572 (July 14, 1812), the Alter Rebbe dispatched several Chassidim to serve as intelligence agents for the Russian military in the French headquarters (the most prominent of those who went was Rabbi Moshe Meizlish).

The Alter Rebbe sent a sacred letter to all the Jews of Russia, calling upon them to stand in support and to assist the Russian government with their money, their labor, and whatever they had. He concluded his letter with the words: "And you — let not your hearts be faint, nor pay heed to the enemy's temporary victories, for the final victory will be on the side of the Tsar of Russia."

The Alter Rebbe was reluctant to leave his home in Liadi during the war, primarily in order not to break the spirit of the Jews of Belarus. However, when Napoleon's army rapidly advanced toward Liadi, the Alter Rebbe ordered all the Jewish residents to evacuate the city as quickly as possible. This was on Friday, 29 Menachem Av, the eve of the month of Elul 5572 (August 28, 1812). The Alter Rebbe, together with his household and approximately three hundred Chassidic families, hastily departed from Liadi, which faced imminent invasion by Napoleon's army.

Before the families left their homes, the Alter Rebbe instructed them to take all their household possessions — their beds, their tables, even their fixed prayer lecterns, which they uprooted from their places. All old and worn items he ordered to be burned. After all the Chassidim had left the city and had already traveled a considerable distance, he sent them back to check whether any item or garment had been left behind. To their great surprise, they found a worn pair of slippers. The Alter Rebbe ordered the entire house in which those items were found to be burned.

Shortly after the Alter Rebbe left Liadi, Napoleon himself arrived in the city with his French troops. He hurried to the Alter Rebbe's home, but when he saw it engulfed in flames, he ordered his soldiers to extinguish the fire — yet the blaze had spread too far for them to approach. When Napoleon saw that nothing could be saved from the Alter Rebbe's home, he turned to the residents of Liadi and asked them to bring him any object belonging to the Alter Rebbe — a coin, a utensil, or similar item — promising enormous payment to whoever could bring him something that had belonged to the Alter Rebbe. But nothing was found.

For a hundred and forty days, the Alter Rebbe and the three hundred families were displaced on a difficult journey, escorted by Russian soldiers, until they finally arrived at the village of Pyana, where they found rest for their souls. Upon arriving at Pyana, the Chassidic families received the news that the Alter Rebbe's words had been fulfilled: Napoleon's army had begun to suffer defeats. As the Alter Rebbe's successor, the Mitteler Rebbe, later wrote: "And on 19 Kislev we heard that the enemy had been routed near Krasna and was being chased away like a dog, and we were entirely joyous, for everything had been fulfilled — not a word or half a word had fallen."

When the Alter Rebbe departed from Liadi, the Chabad dynasty transferred its center from Liadi to Lubavitch, where the Mitteler Rebbe — the Alter Rebbe's son and successor — settled approximately one year later.

His Passing

The renovated Ohel (gravesite enclosure) of the Alter Rebbe in Haditch (5754 / 1994)

The gravesite of the Alter Rebbe from inside the Ohel

Final Days

On Friday, 8 Tevet 5573 (December 31, 1812), the Alter Rebbe arrived at the village of Pyana, where he received news of the devastation wrought across Belarus. On Thursday, 21 Tevet 5573 (January 13, 1813), the Alter Rebbe recited his final evening prayer (Maariv) — at length.

His sons later described this prayer as being "with a clear and settled mind and with a wondrous spiritual attachment (dveikus)." Before his passing, he said: "Whoever holds onto my 'handle,' I will do for him good in this world and in the World to Come."

He further said: "The passage from this world to the World to Come is a simple matter, and depends only on the one who conveys you. There are those who are dying for a long time — it appears that the one conveying them is among the slower ones. There are those who die in just a few moments — it appears that the one conveying them is among the efficient emissaries. And the obligation of departure from the body depends on the quality of life lived in the body, and the verse explains: 'better is my death than my life' — that the goodness and life after death depends on how one's life was lived while the soul was in the body. And from this comes my stirring."

Moments before his passing, the Alter Rebbe wrote on a slip of paper his final Torah teaching on the subject of the nefesh hashfela (the humble soul): "The humble soul in its truest depths — its root and its divine service are physical Torah."

The Alter Rebbe then instructed that the room in which he lay be closed, and that only those who wished to pray be admitted. He added that if two Jews who were lax in religious observance should happen to enter, the owner of the house should do his best to inspire them and bring them to repentance — and that in reward for this, the Rebbe promised the (non-Jewish) house owner long life.

The Passing

On the conclusion of the Sabbath, the Torah portion of Shemos, 24 Tevet 5573 (January 15, 1813), immediately after the evening prayer and the Havdalah ceremony (the prayer marking the close of the Sabbath) recited over coffee — at 10:22 p.m. — his soul departed.

His Resting Place — Haditch

Further information: The Ohel of the Alter Rebbe and Haditch

The village of Pyana had no Jewish cemetery, so the Alter Rebbe was transported the following day by snow-sled to the town of Haditch, approximately 300 kilometers away, where a Jewish cemetery existed.

As the Alter Rebbe was being transported for burial in Haditch, the wagon suddenly stopped midway, and those accompanying the body noticed that the Alter Rebbe appeared to have raised himself and was lying suspended in the air. The escorts were alarmed, and then noticed that an unclean animal had crept under the wagon. They drove it away, and the Alter Rebbe settled back as before.

The Alter Rebbe was brought to his final resting place in the Jewish cemetery of Haditch, and later an ohel (a commemorative enclosure, customarily built over the graves of great sages) was constructed over the grave.

After the burial, the Tzemach Tzedek (the third Chabad Rebbe) came to live in Haditch, near the holy gravesite.

His Family

• His daughter, Rebbetzin Freida — married Rabbi Eliyahu Klotzker.
• His daughter, Rebbetzin Devorah Leah — married Rabbi Shalom Shachna Altschuler.
• His daughter, Rebbetzin Rachel — married Rabbi Avraham Shaines.
• His son, Rabbi DovBer Schneuri, the Mitteler Rebbe (the second Chabad Rebbe) — married Rebbetzin Sheina Schneuri.
• His son, Rabbi Chaim Avraham.
• His son, Rabbi Moshe — married Sterna Schneuri, of the Rivlin family.

His Lineage

The Alter Rebbe's lineage traces back to the Maharal of Prague, who himself was descended in a direct line from Rav Hai Gaon, son of Rav Sherira Gaon, son of Rav Chanina Gaon — members of the ancient family of Exilarchs and Princes of Israel, going back to the kings of the House of David.

The sixth Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, writes that the Alter Rebbe was the son of Rabbi Yisrael Baruch Pozner, son of Rabbi Schneur Zalman Pozner, son of Rabbi Moshe of Pozna, son of Rabbi Yehudah Leib, son of Rabbi Shmuel Charif, son of Rabbi Betzalel Charif, the only son of the Maharal of Prague.

According to the book Beis Rebbi, Rabbi Moshe of Pozna (the great-grandfather of the Alter Rebbe's father) was the son of Rabbi Yehudah of Kavily, who was the son of Rabbi Moshe, who was the son of Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh, who was the son of the renowned Rabbi Yosef Yaski, the rabbinical court judge of the Lublin community (and according to some, of the Lvov community), who was the son-in-law of the Maharal of Prague. In recent years, however, scholarly studies have questioned whether this genealogical line through Rabbi Yehudah of Kavily can be conclusively established.

The Portrait of the Alter Rebbe

The portrait of the Alter Rebbe

Further information: The Portrait of the Alter Rebbe

In 5559 (1798–1799), while the Alter Rebbe was imprisoned, he was painted by the aristocratic masters of Saint Petersburg, and the portrait depicts him at an age corresponding to that period. Knowledge of the portrait came from a Chassid who heard the Tzemach Tzedek (the third Chabad Rebbe) mention it to his son, the Maharash (the fourth Chabad Rebbe), in 5622 (1861–1862).

It is not known with certainty whether the original portrait was made in black pencil or in color. The earliest known surviving example of the original portrait is a copy of its first printing, in a large format. It was produced by Rabbi Shemaryahu Schneersohn and is preserved in the Lubavitch Library.

His Works

• Igros Kodesh (Letters) of the Alter Rebbe
• Amira LeNochri (book)
• Biurei HaZohar (Alter Rebbe)
• Laws of Torah Study
• Likkutei Torah

Title page of the first printing of Likkutei Torah, 5608 (1848)

• Meah Shearim (book)
• Sefer HaMaamarim (Alter Rebbe)
• Siddur of the Alter Rebbe
• Tanya
• Piskei HaSiddur
• Kuntres HaRav
• Responsa of the Alter Rebbe
• Shulchan Aruch HaRav
• Torah Ohr (book)
• Boneh Yerushalayim
• Maamarei Admur HaZaken — HaKtzarim
• Luach Birchas HaNehenin

His Innovations and Rulings

The Alter Rebbe was a trailblazer not only in the realm of Chassidic thought, but also in the areas of Jewish law and practice. Beyond composing the Shulchan Aruch HaRav, he established ten major innovations and rulings:

• Tanya — a path of divine service for the Jewish soul.
• The Prayer Rite — a prayer book equally accessible to all Jews.
• Polished Slaughtering Knives — polishing the knife used for ritual slaughter (shechita) on both sides of the blade.
• Script for Torah Scrolls, Tefillin, and Mezuzos — a new letter form that synthesizes Kabbalah and Jewish law. The story is told that the Maggid summoned the Alter Rebbe and told him that there was a heavenly indictment over the disagreement between the legal and Kabbalistic traditions regarding the shape of certain letters. He asked him to compose a script that would unite both traditions. The Alter Rebbe created this script, and the Maggid was pleased.
• Division of the Talmud — the annual completion of the entire Talmud, distributed among the members of each Chabad community.
• The Mikveh Ruling — a legal solution that facilitates immersion in a natural spring.
• Sale of Chametz via a Guarantor — the sale of leavened food before Passover through the mechanism of a guarantor-contractor.
• The Tefillin Knot — a distinctive method of tying both the head tefillin and the arm tefillin.

The Ten Melodies

Musical notation of the Niggun of Four Movements from the Book of Chabad Melodies

Further information: The Ten Melodies

It is a longstanding Chabad tradition that the Alter Rebbe himself composed ten sacred melodies (niggunim) that possess a unique spiritual quality — the power to arouse the one who sings them to heartfelt repentance and to a profound attachment of the soul to the Divine. These melodies are traditionally not sung casually, but reserved for designated times or moments of spiritual opportunity. Five of the ten melodies are known with certainty; the remaining melodies are attributed to him, though it is uncertain whether he composed all of them himself.

1. Avinu Malkeinu
2. Eli Atah
3. Niggun of Four Movements
4. Niggun Bnei Heichala
5. Ka'Ayil Ta'arog
6. Lecha Dodi
7. Niggun of Attachment — Rosh Hashanah
8. Niggun of Attachment — Shabbos
9. Tze'ena U're'ena
10. Kol Dodi

See Also

• Tanya
• Association of Descendants of the Alter Rebbe
• Haditch

Further Reading

• Rabbi Shalom DovBer Levin, History of Chabad in Tsarist Russia, Kehot Publication Society, New York, 5770 (2010).
• Shterna Sarah Schneersohn, The Scroll of His Life — a documented account of the Alter Rebbe's imprisonment and liberation, written in her youth by the wife of the Rebbe Rashab and later lost. In 5700 (1940) it was discovered by her step-nephew, Rabbi Shimshon Dov Yerushalimsky, who passed it on to the sixth Chabad Rebbe.
• Rabbi Chaim Meir Hillman, Beis Rebbi.
• Mordechai Teitelbaum, The Rabbi of Ladi and the Chabad Faction (in Hebrew), 5670 (1910).
• Rabbi Yehoshua Mondshine, Journey to Berdichev.
• Rabbi Schneur Zalman Berger, History of Chabad in Saint Petersburg, chapter 4 — The Alter Rebbe in Prison.
• Imprisonment and Liberation of 19 Kislev, special supplement in Beis Moshiach Weekly, issue 207.
• Overview — Shulchan Aruch HaRav (Torah giants and the Shulchan Aruch HaRav; how it was received in the Lithuanian community), Beis Moshiach Weekly, issue 1343.
• Rabbi Chanoch Glitzenstein, Sefer HaToldos, Alter Rebbe.
• Schneur Zalman Berger, HaTemim (supplement in Beis Moshiach Weekly) — a series on the Alter Rebbe's greatest disciples.
• Rabbi Dov Taverdovitch, Halachta KeRav — an explanation of the laws of the Sabbath according to the Alter Rebbe's rulings, Kfar Chabad.
• Rabbi Avraham Levi, Kuntres Ksav Chabad — a survey of the Alter Rebbe's script, Migdal HaEmek, Tevet 5769 (2009).
• HaRishon ("The First"), Toras Chabad Publishing, 5774 (2013–2014).
• Menachem Ziegelboim, Istalkei Yakira — the story of the passing of the Chabad Rebbes, p. 54, 5773 (2013).
• Rabbi Nachum Greenwald, HaRav, 5775 (2015).
• Masanya Engelman, A New Path of a 'New Soul, Kfar Chabad Weekly, issue 1992, p. 20.

External Links

• Rabbi Shlomo Yosef Zevin, The Rabbi, Author of the Tanya — the Spiritual and Literary Legacy of the Founder of Chabad Chassidus and the Milestones of His Life
• Ruth Zucker, Graphological Analysis of the Alter Rebbe's Handwriting
• A Historical Document Concerning the Alter Rebbe's Involvement in the Napoleonic War — Segula journal
• Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi — Sichos LaNoar monthly
• The Alter Rebbe's gravesite on Google Maps: Photos, Location
• Shaul Silam, The History of the Alter Rebbe — printed as a commemorative pamphlet for a wedding, 3 Adar II 5774 (2014)
• Menachem Bronfman, A Special Interview with the Alter Rebbe — A "Translation" into Hebrew Giving a Taste of His Responses to His Questioners, at the Alysefer website
• Six Videos on the Alter Rebbe — multimedia segments at the Chabad.org website