The Rebbe Rayatz

Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, the Rebbe Rayatz

Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn — the Rebbe Rayatz (12 Tammuz 5680 (July 8, 1880) – 10 Shvat 5710 (January 28, 1950)) was the sixth Rebbe in the Chabad-Lubavitch dynasty. Among Chabad Chassidim he is known as the Frierdiker Rebbe (Yiddish: "the Previous Rebbe"). He was the son of Rabbi Shalom DovBer Schneersohn (the Rebbe Rashab) and Rebbetzin Sterna Sara Schneersohn, and the father-in-law of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. He is buried in the Montefiore Cemetery in the Queens borough of New York City.

Childhood

Further information: The Rebbe Rayatz in His Childhood and Youth

Birth

Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn was born on 12 Tammuz 5640 (July 8, 1880) to his parents, the Rebbe Rashab and Rebbetzin Sterna Sara Schneersohn, who had married on 11 Elul 5635 (1875). For several years after their marriage they had no children.

On Simchas Torah (the festival celebrating the conclusion of the annual Torah reading cycle) of the year 5640 (1879), the Maharash — the Rebbe Rayatz's grandfather — was blessing the women and girls of the household. His son and daughter-in-law, the parents of the future Rebbe Rayatz, were inadvertently overlooked. The incident pained Rebbetzin Sterna Sara greatly. Although the oversight was promptly corrected and she received her father-in-law's blessing, it did not ease her distress. She returned home and burst into tears — both over the years she had not yet been blessed with children, and over having been momentarily forgotten during the blessings. As she wept, she fell asleep, and in a dream she saw a distinguished-looking man who entered her room. When he asked why she was crying, she told him her troubles. The man promised that she would give birth to a son that same year — on condition that she give eighteen rubles to charity from her own personal funds. He then left and returned accompanied by two men, and repeated the condition before them. She agreed, and they blessed her and left. When she awoke, she told her father-in-law the Maharash about her dream. He told her that the man had been his own father, the Tzemach Tzedek (the third Chabad Rebbe), and that the two who accompanied him were his grandfather the Mitteler Rebbe and his great-grandfather the Alter Rebbe.

In order to fulfill the man's request and donate eighteen rubles, Rebbetzin Sterna Sara was compelled to sell one of her dresses and distributed the money to charity. Nine months later, her only son, Yosef Yitzchak, was born.

On 19 Tammuz 5640, the bris (circumcision) was held. During the ceremony, the infant wept, and his grandfather the Maharash said to him: "Why are you crying? When you grow up you will... and you will teach Chassidus in a clear language." The Rebbe [Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson] later related that he had heard from Chassidim that the Maharash said "when you grow up you will be a Rebbe" — but in the written records of the Rebbe Rayatz himself, the word "Rebbe" was omitted.

At the bris, the Maharash was in a state of extraordinary joy, delivered a Chassidic discourse, told stories, and sang the melody of the Niggun of Four Movements with particular emotion.

Childhood and Education

His primary and foundational education came from his great father, the Rebbe Rashab, who gave him a pure and genuine Chassidic upbringing — about which he spoke at length in later years. His father regularly told him stories and sharpened his memory regarding things he had heard or witnessed among the great Chassidim.

In 5644 (1883–1884), the Rebbe Rayatz was enrolled for the first time in a cheder (traditional Jewish school) under the teacher Rabbi Yekusiel, who taught him the Hebrew alphabet and told him stories about Chassidus and Chabad. In 5645 (1884–1885), he moved to the cheder of Rabbi Zusha, and in 5646 (1885–1886), the Rebbe Rashab began educating him personally.

The Rebbe Rayatz later said that from the year 5648 (1887–1888), he became a different person. Until then he had not known what a Rebbe truly was; from that year onward a transformation began in his life — he began to understand more deeply the meaning of the Rebbe's role, to hear Chassidic discourses and matters of "Rebbe" from his father, and began to observe voluntary fasts. Around that time he began studying under the teacher Rabbi Shimshon.

At the age of nine, in the month of Elul 5649 (1889), he began studying under the teacher Rabbi Nissen Skabler.

In 5654 (1893–1894), the Rebbe Rashab appointed Rabbi Shmuel Betzalel Sheftel (the Rashbatz) as the personal mentor and guide of his son the Rebbe Rayatz, a role he filled until 5660 (1899–1900), when the Rashbatz was appointed as a spiritual guide (mashpia) in the Tomchei Temimim yeshiva.

Because the Rebbe Rashab was constitutionally frail and was compelled to spend extended periods at health resorts, much of his son's education during those years fell to his private teachers. His love of Chassidic stories came primarily from his teacher Rabbi Yekusiel and from his grandmother, Rebbetzin Rivkah (wife of the Maharash). From his youth, the Rebbe Rayatz reviewed Mishnah passages by heart at his father's encouragement, and was tested in his Mishnah knowledge by the examiner Rabbi Moshe Binyamin Maitin. By 5651 (1890–1891), he had committed the orders of Zeraim and Moed to memory. On one occasion he complained to his teacher Rabbi Nissen that he kept forgetting the stories told to him. His teacher suggested that he write everything down — and indeed, from 5652 (1891–1892), the Rebbe Rayatz began keeping a diary.

Bar Mitzvah

On 10 Tammuz 5651 (1891), at the age of eleven, his father took him for the first time to the gravesites of his ancestors and taught him how to conduct himself there. Afterward, his father told him that since the coming Shabbos would mark his eleventh birthday, he wished to teach him the practice received from his own father, who received it from his grandfather going back to the Alter Rebbe: to begin putting on tefillin at that age. The following day his father called him into his room, took a small pair of tefillin from the drawer, and revealed that these were the tefillin of his father the Maharash — and instructed him to begin putting on the Rashi tefillin without reciting a blessing. By his father's instruction, this practice was kept private. Each day he would quietly enter his father's room to put on tefillin, and would then go to the synagogue and pray as usual.

Two months before the bar mitzvah, on 11 Iyar 5653 (1893), the Rebbe Rashab delivered the discourse VeChizakta VeHayisa LeIsh ("Be strong and become a man"). In preparation for the bar mitzvah, the Rebbe Rayatz learned three discourses: one that he delivered publicly on the day of the bar mitzvah, one that he delivered at the ancestral gravesites, and a third whose specific circumstances were kept private. Many guests attended the bar mitzvah celebration, and the Rebbe Rashab was in a special state of joy, delivering Chassidic teachings and telling stories.

Youth

After his bar mitzvah, he frequently entered his father's room and heard discourses, most of which were not delivered publicly. At the age of fifteen, his father brought him to the gravesite of the Maharash and the Tzemach Tzedek and appointed him as his secretary for communal affairs. From the bar mitzvah onward, the Rebbe Rayatz studied the Tanya together with his father the Rebbe Rashab three times — after the bar mitzvah, in 5656 (1895–1896), and in 5658 (1897–1898).

From 5655 (1894–1895) until 5660 (1899–1900), the Rebbe Rashab and the Rebbe Rayatz would go out each summer for daily walks of two to three hours — except on Mondays, when they would visit Rebbetzin Rivkah. During these walks, the Rebbe Rashab would teach his son Chassidic discourses and guidance for his future life.

In 5660 (1899–1900), the Rebbe Rayatz studied the laws and practice of ritual slaughter (shechita), and in fact served as a practicing ritual slaughterer.

Childhood Journeys

The Yalta Journey

Further information: The Yalta Journey

In the month of Elul 5645 (1885), he traveled with his parents to the city of Yalta in Crimea, returning after Passover of 5646 (1886). During this journey he heard and learned a great deal from his father.

The Mazinkes Journey (5651)

In the summer of 5651 (1891), he joined his father on his journey to the village of Mazinkes, near Lubavitch.

The Elivoka Journeys

In 5655 (1894–1895), the Rebbe Rashab and the Rebbe Rayatz traveled on 11 Sivan for the first time to the resort village of Elivoka.

Marriage

Further information: The Wedding of the Rebbe Rayatz

The Engagement

The Rebbe Rayatz in his youth

Before the Rebbe Rayatz's match was arranged, three proposals were brought forward — two from daughters of wealthy men who offered large dowries, and the third was Rebbetzin Nechama Dina, whose family was of modest means. The Rebbe Rashab chose this third proposal, explaining that just as Abraham — who had an only son — wished to marry him to a member of his own family, so too he wished his only son to marry from within their family.

The formal engagement (tena'im) between the Rebbe Rayatz and Rebbetzin Nechama Dina Schneersohn was signed on 28 Sivan 5656 (1896) in the village of Elivoka. During the month of Tammuz, the families of the groom and bride gathered for a week of celebrations as a continuation of the engagement.

The Rebbe Rayatz remained in Elivoka for several more days with his uncle the Raza, during which time the Raza told him Chassidic stories. On 11 Tammuz, the Rebbe Rayatz returned to Lubavitch with his uncle.

Due to the bride's young age (fifteen), the wedding was held over a year later.

Between Engagement and Wedding

On 16 Av 5656 (1896), the Rebbe Rayatz traveled to Vitebsk and stayed with his uncle Rabbi Schneur Zalman Aharon Schneersohn and his aunt Devorah Leah Ginsburg, remaining there until 25 Av.

During the period between the engagement and the wedding, the Rebbe Rayatz and his father took walks during which the Rebbe Rashab prepared his son for married life.

The Wedding

On Friday, the Torah portion of Teitzei, 13 Elul 5657 (September 10, 1897), at the age of seventeen, the wedding took place in the town of Lubavitch. On the day of his wedding, the groom wore the traditional fur hat (shtreimel) for the first time, and at that moment his father told him to recite the blessing of Shehecheyanu ("who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion"). After the wedding canopy (chuppah), the Rebbe Rashab and a large crowd escorted the groom and bride to the wedding hall in song. Along the way, the Rebbe Rashab said to his son: "Be strong and become a man." The wedding feast was held in the Great Hall of Lubavitch. During the meal, the Rebbe Rashab circulated among the tables together with three Chassidim — Rabbi Meir Mordechai Chernin, Rabbi Yaakov Kopel Zeliksohn, and Rabbi Shlomo Chaim Kutain — to ensure that the waiters were serving everyone, saying l'chaim (a traditional toast) with each person. The Rebbe Rashab also delivered numerous Chassidic discourses. After the wedding, the couple resided in a room built adjacent to the Rebbe Rashab's own home.

At the festive meal of the Sheva Brachos (the seven-day celebration following a Jewish wedding), on Sunday 15 Elul 5657, the Rebbe Rashab announced his decision to found the Tomchei Temimim yeshiva, in which students would study both the revealed dimension of Torah law and Chassidic teachings.

On Tuesday 17 Elul, the Rebbe Rashab selected eighteen students who became the first nucleus of the new Tomchei Temimim yeshiva, under the management of the Rebbe Rayatz.

Director of Tomchei Temimim

Immediately following the Sheva Brachos of the Rebbe Rayatz, at which the Rebbe Rashab announced the opening of Tomchei Temimim, the Rebbe Rayatz was appointed in 5658 (1897–1898) as the yeshiva's acting director.

During his tenure as director, the yeshiva was closed and he was arrested on several occasions:

On 20 Sivan 5662 (1902), the yeshiva was closed for one day by government order, following an informant's report from the Haskalah (Jewish Enlightenment) movement. The Rebbe Rayatz disregarded the police order and asked the builder Yaakov to instead construct a staircase so that the students could enter through the windows. The next day, a telegram arrived from the police commander granting permission to reopen the yeshiva.

On 14 Iyar 5662 (1902), an informant told the authorities that the yeshiva was sheltering young men evading military service through bribery. As a result of this accusation, the Rebbe Rayatz was arrested.

Throughout the years, the Rebbe Rayatz served as the active director of the yeshiva, knowing the details and circumstances of every student personally. When questions arose regarding particular students, he would refer to his great father the Rebbe Rashab — the yeshiva's founder and president — who would make the final decisions.

Activities on Behalf of Russian Jewry

During this period, the Tsarist government imposed severe hardships on Jewish life, and the Rebbe Rayatz was called upon repeatedly to appear before the authorities to soften their stance and work on behalf of his people — sometimes at genuine personal risk to his own life.

In 5664–5665 (1904–1905), during the Russo-Japanese War, he assisted his father the Rebbe Rashab in supporting Jews serving on the front lines, ensuring they had kosher food and matzos for Passover.

Following the war, a wave of violent anti-Jewish riots (pogroms) swept Russia. The Rebbe Rayatz worked strenuously with the authorities to try to bring them to a halt.

In 5670 (1909–1910), he assisted his father at the Rabbinical Assembly of 5670, and in 5674 (1913–1914) he fought to defend Mendel Beilis in the Beilis Trial — the infamous blood libel case — and to prove his innocence.

Assuming the Leadership

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The Rebbe Rayatz

On 2 Nissan 5680 (March 21, 1920), the Rebbe Rashab — the Rebbe Rayatz's father — passed away. In his will, he wrote that his only son, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak, should be appointed in his place as head of Chabad Chassidus and of the Tomchei Temimim yeshiva administration. The Chabad Chassidim accordingly appointed the Rebbe Rayatz on the very day of the passing to fill his father's place. The will also instructed the son to work to strengthen and establish the yeshiva, and to establish study halls (chadarim) and classes in Chassidic teaching in the towns of Russia. In addition to the will, the Rebbe Rayatz also received a personal note from his father which read: "Speak Chassidic teachings before our friends, on firm foundations drawn from the words of our holy ancestors of blessed memory, and strive to explain these matters to others with good sense and understanding." The Rebbe Rayatz showed this note to the Chassidim after his father's passing but did not allow it to be copied.

The Bond of Allegiance

The Rebbe Rayatz was already well known to the Chassidim — those who had studied in Tomchei Temimim knew him from his years as director; others knew him from visits to the Rebbe's court. Those involved in Chabad institutions and communal activities had been in regular contact with him as his father's right hand for many years.

Distinguished senior Chassidim wrote letters of encouragement to Chassidim across the cities of Russia, weaving into their words the contents of the personal note. Simultaneously, Chabad communities throughout the Soviet Union began sending formal written declarations of allegiance — signed by the Chassidim — asking the Rebbe Rayatz to accept the leadership of Chabad Chassidus.

Written declarations were sent from the major Chabad communities of the time, including Moscow, Odessa, Poltava, Nikolaev, and Kharkov. The contents of these declarations were unknown for decades, and only some ninety years later were several of them published in Beis Moshiach Weekly — each one bearing the signatures of dozens of Chassidim earnestly entreating the Rebbe Rayatz to accept the burden of leadership, with the signatories pledging to obey his instructions and remain devoted to him.

Accepting the Leadership

The Rebbe Rayatz accepted the leadership immediately. Already on the Shabbos of the Torah portion Tzav — the last day of the seven-day mourning period — following the afternoon prayer (Mincha), he delivered a Chassidic discourse, which constitutes the traditional sign of the beginning of active leadership.

During the year of mourning, the Rebbe Rayatz conducted himself as his father had after the passing of the Maharash — he secluded himself in his father's room for private audiences (yechidus), dedicating his time to study. During that same period he also fell gravely ill, his life being in danger. At the same time he began working to strengthen the Chassidic community. He periodically wrote general letters to the Chassidim, mourning the passing of his father while also encouraging and comforting them, calling for renewed effort in spreading Torah and Jewish life.

Those years were particularly difficult, as the Communists had begun systematically implementing their program across the Soviet Union — closing religious institutions and outlawing all religious activity. The Rebbe Rayatz strengthened the Chassidim, who on their part were prepared to risk their lives in carrying out his instructions. The Soviet government did not leave the Rebbe Rayatz alone even during the first year of mourning: already in the month of Tammuz of 5680 (1920), he was taken in for interrogation at which he was threatened at gunpoint.

At the conclusion of the mourning year, the Rebbe Rayatz launched extensive activity among the Chassidim and the broader Jewish community of Russia, fanning the flame of Jewish identity under Communist oppression.

His Imprisonments

The First Imprisonment

When the Rebbe Rayatz was eleven years old, in the month of Menachem Av 5651 (1891), he was once walking in the marketplace with a friend on their way from the cheder to eat lunch. Along the way he saw a low-ranking police officer assaulting the Chassid Rabbi Dovid the Butcher — whom he knew and had even lent money for his business — striking him until blood poured from his nose. The Rebbe Rayatz jumped at the officer, pushed him away, and shouted at him angrily: "Drunkard! Scoundrel!" The officer turned on the Rebbe Rayatz, beat him forcefully, and dragged him by force to the police station, where he was placed in a detention room. He sat there for five hours until the officer who had arrested him entered the cell and apologized. During this time, Mordechai Zilberboard — secretary to the Rebbe Rayatz's uncle Rabbi Schneur Zalman Aharon Schneersohn — arrived and delivered a note to the commander, who ordered his immediate release.

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The Rebbe Rayatz in his study, Riga, 5689 (1929)

The Second Imprisonment

On Wednesday, 7 Iyar 5662 (May 14, 1902), when the Rebbe Rayatz was twenty-two and heading the administration of Tomchei Temimim, an informant reported to him that the head teacher at the Haskalah movement's school was furious with the Lubavitch Chassidim and the Rebbe at their head, and had prepared a letter of denunciation to the Ministry of Education, falsely claiming that Tomchei Temimim was encouraging students to evade military service through forgery and illegal means. The accusation was directed at the yeshiva's director — the Rebbe's son, the Rebbe Rayatz.

On Monday 12 Iyar, a police officer accompanied by two plainclothes men entered the Rebbe Rayatz's office and began questioning him generally about the yeshiva's operations, its care for students, and the legality of its finances. They then turned to the question of yeshiva students evading military draft. The interrogation ended after a short while and the three left.

The following evening at eight o'clock, a police officer and a secret service agent came to the yeshiva office and ordered the Rebbe Rayatz to accompany them to the police station. The Rebbe Rayatz told them that he held the hereditary title of "Distinguished Citizen" and asked not to be disturbed at such a late hour, adding that he would present himself the next morning between nine and ten. When the agent asked who would guarantee that he would not flee during the night, the Rebbe Rayatz replied: "A Schneersohn does not flee. The Schneersohns are not fainthearted people who run away, and they have no reason or cause to be fugitives." The following morning he presented himself at the police station as promised. He was brought into a side room where three men were waiting. One of them was the agent from the previous evening. The Rebbe Rayatz declined to answer their questions about how many people he had helped evade military service and how much he paid officials to ignore violations. One of the officers was summoned and escorted the Rebbe Rayatz to the prison. Toward evening he was called before the secret service officials, where the senior officer informed him that although the investigation was not yet complete, nothing had been proven against him in the inquiries conducted so far, and he was therefore free to go home.

The Third Imprisonment

On Wednesday, 6 Tevet 5666 (January 2, 1906), a special messenger arrived at the Rebbe Rayatz's residence bearing a summons requiring him to appear at ten o'clock before the investigative committee at the city police headquarters. The reason was not specified on the form, other than the notation "regarding an urgent and serious matter." The form also carried a clear warning: "Failure to appear carries a penalty of one week's imprisonment or a fine of one thousand rubles!" At the appointed hour, the Rebbe Rayatz appeared at the police station's interrogation room. At the head of the investigating team sat the district commander, Mr. Kovtskov, who recognized the Rebbe Rayatz and greeted him warmly, also introducing him to the chief intelligence officer.

The committee told him that he was being held as a hostage in connection with a riot by young men that had occurred the previous Friday in the Lubavitch marketplace. The young men had fled, and the authorities were doing everything in their power to find and prosecute them. The Rebbe Rayatz was assured that the authorities understood clearly that neither he nor the yeshiva students had any connection to the events — but he was being held as a hostage until the Jewish community surrendered the rebellious young men for prosecution. The Rebbe Rayatz was taken to a room under strict guard.

At five in the evening, an officer ordered the Rebbe Rayatz to accompany him back to the interrogation room. The investigators read to him the committee's formal decision: "For the purpose of the investigation into the young men's rebellion against the government, the investigative committee has found it necessary to intimidate and pressure the leaders of the Jewish community, so that they will surrender the rebellious young men and extract them from their hiding places. Alternatively, bond fines of five hundred rubles will be imposed for each of the fugitives. Second decision: to arrest — as a visual deterrent — Mr. Schneersohn, as a hostage for the rebellious Jews. We have accordingly called Mr. Schneersohn and informed him of our decision — and he agreed. We therefore thank Mr. Schneersohn for his willingness to assist us in the investigation, and he is now free to return home."

The Rebbe Rayatz was asked to sign the decision document. He announced that since he was not a member of the investigative committee, he had no right to sign its protocols — and furthermore, it was not accurate to say that he had agreed to being arrested. The intelligence officer fixed him with a sharp gaze and said: "If you do not wish to sign, that is certainly your right — but know that others respond to our proposals differently than you do." The Rebbe Rayatz stood, said "Good night," and left.

The Fourth Imprisonment

In the month of Tevet 5670 (December 1909), an educated Jew identified by the initial K. filed a denunciation against the Rebbe Rayatz, and he was arrested in Petrograd. The Rebbe Rayatz wrote about this imprisonment in his notes: "For various reasons that cannot be disclosed, only a few fragments and general impressions — nothing that would impugn the dignity of anyone."

The Fifth Imprisonment

In the month of Shvat 5676 (January–February 1916), as a result of his efforts to obtain legal documents exempting yeshiva students from military service, the Rebbe Rayatz was arrested for the fifth time, for several hours, in Petrograd. At the time of this arrest, he was approximately thirty-six years old.

The Sixth Imprisonment

The building in which the Rebbe Rayatz resided in Leningrad (third floor)

In the summer of 5680 (1920), during the morning prayer service, the Rebbe Rayatz was serving as the prayer leader (shaliach tzibbur) during the year of mourning for his father the Rebbe Rashab. In the middle of the prayer, three officers entered the synagogue, approached the prayer lectern, and ordered the Rebbe Rayatz to remove his tallis and tefillin and come with them. The Rebbe Rayatz replied that he must first complete the prayer service and then review the Mishnah passages customarily studied after prayer for the elevation of the soul of the departed — and only then would he be available. After he completed the final Kaddish following the Mishnah review, he removed his tallis and tefillin and accompanied the officers, who flanked him on the right and left, with the third walking behind.

Upon arriving at the "Courtyard of Death," the Rebbe Rayatz was brought into a large hall. Approximately fifteen members of the "Committee for the Inspection of Religions" sat around a wide table, with the two most senior members at the head. In front of each person lay a loaded revolver. The Rebbe Rayatz was seated at the far end of the table with the three guards standing beside him. They addressed him and said they were engaged in inspecting the Jewish religion and had summoned him to clarify several questions concerning Judaism related to Kabbalah (Jewish mystical tradition) and Chassidic teaching. The Rebbe Rayatz responded to them in Yiddish: "I have already made clear during the two previous occasions when I was summoned before you, that I will not move from my principles — and the person has not yet been born, nor even the demon, who will move me from my principles, even by a hair's breadth." One of those seated burst out and raised his revolver toward the Rebbe Rayatz's face, saying: "This little toy removes principles and is capable of opening the mouth even of mutes." The Rebbe Rayatz replied:

"This little toy makes an impression only on those who are fainthearted and have but one world and several gods. But we, who have one God and two worlds — this toy you are showing us not only does not frighten, it makes no impression whatsoever."

After a brief exchange, an extended dialogue developed between the Rebbe Rayatz and his interrogators. When they asked whether he believed in and observed the Jewish religion out of certain knowledge or out of faith and habit, he replied: out of certain knowledge. The interrogators asked the Rebbe Rayatz to convince them of the truth of the Jewish religion, and if possible, to bring them to a level of moral elevation such as the Rebbe himself possessed. The Rebbe Rayatz smiled and replied that he was willing to fulfill their request — but just as an ordinary person who encounters an astronomer on the street and asks to be taught astronomy, the astronomer would reply: come with me to the observatory and there I will teach you the science of the stars and their paths, properly and in full — so too I say to you: if you wish to arrive at certain knowledge of God's religion and Torah, come to God's house, put on tefillin, eat kosher food, observe Shabbos — and as your minds and hearts are gradually refined, you will be able to understand a moral matter as it should be, and step by step you will ascend the rungs of intellect toward rational recognition of God's religion and His Torah.

The interrogation continued for a long time, after which the Rebbe Rayatz was released.

The Seventh Imprisonment

Further information: The Imprisonment and Liberation of the Rebbe Rayatz

The Shpalernka prison in which the Rebbe Rayatz was held

Background

In the early years of 5684 (1923–1924), the Communists were working by every means to sever the Jewish people from Torah and observance. The Rebbe Rayatz, who at that time resided in Rostov, was the one figure most obstructing their program — leading the Chabad Chassidim in their struggle for Jewish life without fear. During that period, the Rebbe Rayatz traveled to Moscow to organize and strengthen Jewish activity there. The G.P.U. (the Soviet secret police) leadership in Rostov decided to arrest him and put an end to Jewish activity in Rostov. This became known to the Chabad Chassidim, and after negotiations with the G.P.U. leadership, an agreement was reached: if the Rebbe Rayatz left Rostov voluntarily, he would not be arrested. On 23 Iyar 5684 (May 27, 1924), the Rebbe Rayatz left Rostov and moved to the city of Leningrad, where he intensified his activity in the struggle for Torah observance among Soviet Jewry.

The Arrest

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) reports on the arrest of the Rebbe Rayatz. Translation of the report: "The Lubavitcher Rebbe, the famous Rabbi of the Schneersohn family, has been arrested on charges of raising funds for his yeshiva. The Rebbe's yeshiva is world-renowned and considered one of the most important yeshivas, and the Rebbe himself commands great esteem. The arrest has caused widespread agitation in the Jewish world."

Three years later, when the Communists saw that the Rebbe Rayatz's activity continued to expand, they decided to put a final end to it. At midnight on Wednesday night, 15 Sivan 5687 (June 15, 1927), agents of the K.G.B. broke into his home and took him to prison in the Shpalernka (the Shpalernaya Street prison in Leningrad). He was interrogated for many hours, and at the conclusion one of the interrogators told him: "Within 24 hours you will be shot!" Through international pressure and the rescue efforts of Rabbi Mordechai Dubin (a member of the Latvian parliament), Dr. Oskar Kohn (a member of the German Bundestag), and Mrs. Peshkova (the chairwoman of the Soviet Red Cross), the death sentence was commuted to ten years of exile in the Solovki Islands. Following further efforts by Mrs. Peshkova, the sentence was reduced to three years of exile in the city of Kostroma. On 3 Tammuz 5687 (July 3, 1927), the Rebbe Rayatz was released from prison and traveled to Kostroma.

The Chabad Chassidim did not yet know at that moment whether to celebrate the release, as they did not yet know it had been a commutation of a death sentence. In 5752 (1991–1992), the Rebbe [Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson] called this day Atchalta DeGeulah — "the beginning of the Redemption," both personal and general — and explained that in a certain sense this day surpasses even 12 Tammuz, both because it is a redemption that took place in concealment — which is of a higher order than a revealed redemption — and because it opens and initiates the process of 12 Tammuz.

Mrs. Peshkova continued to work on behalf of the Rebbe Rayatz with the Soviet leadership, and on Tuesday, 12 Tammuz 5687 (July 12, 1927) — when the Rebbe Rayatz came for his weekly mandatory check-in — the official informed him that he need not report any longer, as a order of complete release had arrived. Since that day was a holiday in Kostroma, the release papers were issued only the following day.

The Rebbe Rayatz spent several days in Leningrad. Following threats by the Yevsektsia (the Jewish section of the Communist Party) and the K.G.B. to re-arrest him, he moved to the village of Malachovka near Moscow. After extended efforts, the Rebbe Rayatz obtained permission to leave for Latvia. On 24 Tishrei 5688 (October 20, 1927), he departed Russia with his family and settled in Riga. Within days, his son-in-law the Rebbe joined him there. He subsequently founded the Tomchei Temimim Gustinaya yeshiva.

In Riga, the Rebbe Rayatz accomplished great and remarkable things in communal affairs in general, and in particular on behalf of Soviet Jewry.

His Journeys

Departure from Russia

Further information: The Rebbe Rayatz's Departure from Russia

After Simchas Torah of 5688 (1927), the Rebbe Rayatz departed Russia for Latvia, and the center of the Lubavitch Chassidic movement relocated from Russia to Latvia.

On Simchas Torah, in anticipation of the imminent departure, multitudes of Chassidim came to the Rebbe's home in Leningrad to bid farewell. After Simchas Torah, he boarded a train leaving Russia, in the presence of thousands of Chassidim who had come to the railway station to escort him — knowing that from this point forward, contact with him would be nearly impossible under the Communist regime.

On the train traveled the Rebbe and his family, along with many books. The train arrived in Riga, the capital of Latvia — at that time a democratic country — where he took up residence, though on a temporary basis.

First Visit to Warsaw, Poland

Immediately upon arriving in Riga, the Chabad Chassidim of Warsaw asked the Rebbe to establish his permanent residence in Poland — then the largest center of Jewish life. The Rebbe announced that for the moment he would come only for a brief visit. He traveled to Warsaw on 28 Shvat 5688 (February 20, 1928) and spent two weeks in Poland and Lithuania. During the visit, a Purim gathering took place with the participation of hundreds of Jews, including Chassidim and Tomchei Temimim students.

His Visit to the Land of Israel

Further information: The Rebbe Rayatz's Journey to the Holy Land

On 2 Menachem Av 5689 (August 7, 1929), the Rebbe Rayatz arrived in the Land of Israel for a visit. The purpose of the visit was to prostrate himself at the graves of righteous men in the Land — in place of his customary visits to the gravesites of the Chabad Rebbes, which were no longer accessible to him. Upon arriving in the Land of Israel, he immediately traveled to Jerusalem, and from there continued to the graves of righteous men across the country.

During his visit he met with leading rabbis, including the head of the Jerusalem rabbinical court, Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, and the Chief Rabbi of the Land of Israel, Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook.

One of the places he visited was Hebron. Upon arriving, he was welcomed by the Jewish residents and stayed in a hotel outside the city. The residents escorted him in procession along the outer road to the Cave of Machpelah. Through the efforts of the Chassid Rabbi Eliezer Dan Slonim — manager of the Anglo-Palestine Bank who had connections with the Arab authorities in Hebron — special entry permits were obtained for the Rebbe Rayatz and three companions. When the procession reached "Jacob's Gate" (beyond which Jews were normally forbidden to enter), a delegation of Arab notables received those with permits and gave them leather soles and laces so that they would not have to remove their shoes upon entering, as was the Arab custom. Inside the cave the Rebbe Rayatz walked at the head, with his escorts — Jews and Arabs — behind him. The Arab notables explained the site and the graves to the Rebbe Rayatz. The visit was deeply moving and was conducted in silence and solemnity. When they reached "Abraham's Gate," they descended the stairs to the seventh step (as far as Jews were permitted) and exited. The Rebbe Rayatz also visited the Chabad community in Hebron.

He also visited the cities of Afula, Tiberias, Tzfat (Safed), Meron, Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak, and Petach Tikvah.

On 16 Menachem Av 5689 (August 22, 1929), the visit concluded with a farewell ceremony that began in Tel Aviv, from which fifteen buses escorted the Rebbe Rayatz toward the Lod railway station. There approximately five hundred people had gathered from across the country in a special hall set up by the railway administration. As the train arrived, the Rebbe Rayatz climbed the train steps, turned to the crowd, and said:

"One should not take leave of one's friend except through a matter of Jewish law — and since time does not permit, I have hereby transmitted a lengthy discourse on this very topic."

The Rebbe Rayatz traveled by train from Lod together with a group of Chabad rabbis and elders who escorted him as far as the Rehovot station, from which he departed by a connecting train to Egypt, on his way to a visit to the United States.

Only a week after his departure, the 1929 Arab riots erupted — which he had foreseen during his visit, as he wrote: "Visions of grief came to my heart, and I saw stains of blood hovering in the air of the Land of Israel — and to the sorrow of all Israel and of my own heart, what happened befell us. May God have mercy upon His people and His inheritance, and may He send us a righteous redeemer and gather our dispersed from the four corners of the earth, speedily in our days, Amen."

The Journey to the United States

The Rebbe Rayatz during his visit to Baltimore, 5690 (1929–1930)

The Rebbe Rayatz during his visit to Philadelphia, 5690 (1929–1930)

Further information: The Rebbe Rayatz's Journey to the United States (5690)

Following his visit to the Land of Israel, the Rebbe Rayatz traveled for a special visit to the United States at the request of his Chassidim there. The visit began on 12 Elul 5689 (September 6, 1929).

The Rebbe arrived in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn and stayed in the building of Congregation Ahavas Achim Tzemach Tzedek, and later in a rented apartment on a Brooklyn street. Five days after arriving, on Monday 18 Elul, he called an assembly at his residence at 4515 14th Avenue in Brooklyn. This assembly marked the beginning of his work to strengthen Jewish life in the United States and to raise support for Soviet Jewry and Chabad institutions in Poland.

On Rosh Hashanah of 5690 (1929), the Rebbe stayed in the Brownsville neighborhood. On Yom Kippur he was at the synagogue of his Chassidim in Crown Heights.

During that month he traveled for a brief visit to the Bronx, then returned to Crown Heights, where he remained until traveling to Philadelphia in the month of Kislev.

On 25 Tishrei, the Rebbe led a special Chassidic gathering at which he organized the Agudas Chassidei Chabad of the United States, with each member committing to participate in its activities in his own community.

On Rosh Chodesh (the first day) of Kislev, the Rebbe held a gathering in the Williamsburg neighborhood, and on 10 Kislev, in the Bronx.

On 13 Kislev, the Rebbe Rayatz traveled by train from New York to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he spent a month. The local community organized a special welcome reception for him.

That same day he returned to New York to address a rabbinical assembly organized in his honor, at which he spoke about the situation of Russian Jewry — and the following day returned to Philadelphia. On Saturday night, 19 Kislev (the Chabad festival of liberation), a gathering was held for the city's residents with the Rebbe Rayatz. On 22 Kislev, the Rebbe Rayatz traveled once more to New York for another rabbinical assembly attended by eight hundred people, then returned to Philadelphia.

On 12 Tevet, the Rebbe Rayatz concluded his stay in the city and traveled to Baltimore — the next stop on his journey. There too, a magnificent reception was organized with the participation of thousands of city residents.

On 24 Tevet — the anniversary of the passing of the Alter Rebbe — the Rebbe Rayatz held a gathering with over 1,200 residents of the city — men and women — and all the city's rabbis.

On Monday 27 Tevet he made a brief visit to Washington D.C., and on 4 Shvat a farewell celebration was held at which the city's residents and leaders expressed their gratitude for the visit. The following day, 5 Shvat, he returned to New York and stayed at the Newton Hotel on Broadway at 94th Street in Manhattan.

On Sunday 11 Shvat, the Rebbe traveled by train from New York to Chicago, where he was again greeted with a festive reception attended by approximately five thousand residents of all backgrounds. He stayed in the city for about two months, including the Purim and Passover holidays.

Midway through his Chicago stay, he traveled on Sunday 9 Adar to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The following day, 10 Adar, he delivered the discourse VaYavo Amalek. On Tuesday, the local Chabad Chassidim gathered in their synagogue and the Rebbe Rayatz addressed them. The visit lasted less than a week, and by Wednesday 12 Adar he had already returned to Chicago.

The Rebbe also visited the cities of St. Louis and Milwaukee. On 19 Sivan 5690 (June 15, 1930), he began a visit to Massachusetts, arriving in the state capital Boston, where he stayed until 3 Tammuz.

On his way back he stopped in Worcester, where rabbis from the neighboring city of Springfield came to greet him. He then traveled to New York.

The visit concluded on 21 Tammuz 5690 (July 16, 1930), when the Rebbe returned to Europe. (On his way he stopped in Berlin to visit the Rebbe [Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson]. The Rebbe's written record of what the Rebbe Rayatz said on Tisha B'Av was published by the Rebbe several times: in 5710, in the book of customs, and elsewhere.)

In 5693 (1932–1933), the Rebbe Rayatz moved from Riga to Warsaw, Poland. In 5695 (1934–1935), due to his health and on doctor's advice, he moved to the town of Otwock.

In Poland

Further information: Tomchei Temimim Otwock

The Rebbe Rayatz, the Chofetz Chaim, and Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski in a joint proclamation calling for a worldwide fast day on behalf of Soviet Jewry.

After some years, the Rebbe Rayatz emigrated to Poland, where he engaged in extensive communal advocacy on behalf of Judaism and especially on behalf of the Jews of Russia. He raised funds for them — particularly for Kimcha DePischa (flour for Passover, distributed to the poor) — and enlisted dozens of rabbis and public figures from Europe, the Land of Israel, and the United States in his campaigns. Among the rabbis who stood with him were Rabbi Eliezer Silver, Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski, Rabbi Yisrael Meir HaKohen (the Chofetz Chaim), Rabbi Dr. Meir Hildesheimer, Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook, and Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, as well as Judge Gad Frumkin and Mr. Sam Kramer among others.

The funds collected were transferred to Russia for the support of chadarim (Jewish schools) and yeshivas, as well as for the support of Chassidic rabbis and students who remained in their towns spreading Jewish practice. A special fund was designated for the construction of ritual immersion pools (mikvaos) in the Soviet Union. The Rebbe Rayatz also organized prayer rallies and proclaimed several public fast days on behalf of Russian Jewry.

His secretaries Rabbi Yechezkel Feigin and Rabbi Chaim Lieberman coordinated the activity for the Rebbe Rayatz in Poland. When he came to the United States, Rabbi Yisrael Jacobson coordinated the fundraising efforts there.

During World War II

Further information: The Rescue of the Rebbe Rayatz

The haredi weekly Kol Yisrael reports: "The Lubavitcher Rebbe is safe and well" (issue of 4 Kislev 5700 / November 17, 1939))

In 5699 (1939), several days after the outbreak of World War II, the Rebbe Rayatz left Otwock and returned to Warsaw, where he was forced to move from house to house to escape the German bombardments. After the Nazis occupied Warsaw, he stayed in the home of Rabbi Yechiel Tzvi Gourarye. During this period, reports spread — based on rumors — that the Nazis had captured the Rebbe Rayatz and executed him. This was an error, and immediate denials were issued to the press announcing that "His Holiness the Lubavitcher Rebbe is safe and well."

The Agudas Chassidei Chabad in the United States worked continuously to smuggle the Rebbe Rayatz out of occupied Poland. They made contact with figures in the American government, who in turn reached Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, the head of German military intelligence, who worked to facilitate the Rebbe Rayatz's escape. Despite the dangerous situation, the Rebbe Rayatz insisted that twenty additional people — beyond his own family — be included in the rescue. On 2 Tevet 5700 (December 23, 1939), the Rebbe Rayatz and his family were smuggled out of Poland together with twenty others, through Berlin, to Riga. Three days later, on 5 Tevet, they arrived in Riga, and on 24 Adar 5700 (March 13, 1940), they departed Riga for Stockholm, Sweden.

On the day the Rebbe Rayatz left Riga, he wrote a general letter to Chabad Chassidim across Europe:

"To our friends the Chassidim in the Holy Land and in the European countries, may God be with them... By decree of Divine Providence, as it is written 'by God are the steps of man established and He delights in his way,' I am traveling with God's help together with my household to the United States of America, may God protect it. The love and bond between us know no interruption from walls or borders between countries, and this journey of mine will be as though I merely relocate from one city to another within the same country — for even as I travel, I am — with God's help and in the merit of my holy ancestors — with you, among you, as I have been until now, in a constant, unbroken love that comes surging like water, face to face."
— Igros Kodesh of the Rebbe Rayatz

On 25 Adar 5700 (March 14, 1940), they traveled by train from Stockholm to Gothenburg, from which they sailed on the ship Drottningholm to the United States.

In the United States

Arrival

The Rebbe Rayatz arrives in the United States, 5700 (1940)

On Monday, 8 Adar II 5700 (March 19, 1940), after twelve days at sea, the Rebbe Rayatz arrived on the ship Drottningholm — together with his wife Rebbetzin Nechama Dina Schneersohn and his mother Rebbetzin Sterna Sara Schneersohn — at the port of New York (West 57th Street, Pier 97). Since American law at the time did not permit passengers who arrived after 4:00 p.m. to disembark, they were compelled to wait until the following morning.

On Tuesday, thousands of Chassidim came to receive the Rebbe Rayatz. As he emerged from the ship, the crowd exclaimed "Shalom Aleichem!" in a great voice, and some in the crowd recited the blessing of Shehecheyanu. Among those who came to greet him were delegations from Jewish organizations across the United States, and the mayor even sent a representative to welcome the Rebbe Rayatz. After a brief reception in the port hall, the Rebbe Rayatz proceeded to the Greystone Hotel in Manhattan, where he resided during the first period of his stay in the United States.

Founding of Tomchei Temimim

Upon arriving at the hotel, an additional reception was held — this time more intimate in scale — in the middle of which the Rebbe Rayatz suddenly announced: "I have the pleasure of publicizing the decision reached at a special gathering of distinguished members of the Chassidic community, held a few hours ago, that tomorrow — with God's help — a Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch yeshiva will open in America, at the Oneg Shabbos synagogue!" He did not stop at the announcement but immediately called upon those present for their support: "I look to God that the Torah giants, the Torah institutions, and those who support Torah with fear of Heaven — together with my beloved friends the Chassidim, at their head — will come to my aid in continuing my work of spreading Torah and fear of Heaven and in communal service."

The first message the Rebbe Rayatz delivered upon arriving was that "America is no different."

770 Eastern Parkway

On 12 Av 5700 (August 5, 1940), the building at 770 Eastern Parkway in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn was purchased to serve as the Rebbe's residence and synagogue. About a month later, on 19 Elul, the Rebbe Rayatz moved into the building. On 21 Elul, a formal housewarming celebration was held.

The salon of the Rebbe Rayatz's apartment on the second floor of 770. The Rebbe [Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson] conducted holiday meals in this room even after the Rebbe Rayatz's passing.

In the month of Tammuz 5701 (1941), the Rebbe Rayatz established Agudas Chassidei Chabad in the Land of Israel, with the aim of "arousing the Chabad Chassidim in the Land of Israel to organize public study of Chassidic teachings in every place according to the level of those attending, and to set fixed times to gather and speak together on matters of Chassidus and love of one's fellow."

The Moshiach Torah Scroll

On 23 Tishrei 5702 (October 23, 1941), at the Simchas Torah gathering before the Hakafos (the celebratory circuits with the Torah scrolls), the Rebbe Rayatz announced the writing of the Moshiach Torah Scroll — a Torah scroll to be completed and presented at the coming of the Messiah. On 2 Iyar 5702, writing began, all expenses covered from the Rebbe Rayatz's personal funds. Donations received for the Torah scroll were transferred to the treasury of the Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch (the Central Organization for Jewish Education). The writing eventually stopped at a certain point, and only twenty-eight years later — on 9 Shvat 5730 (January 16, 1970) — was the completion and dedication of the scroll celebrated at 770, at the initiative of the Rebbe.

Rescuing Jews During the Holocaust

During the years of World War II, the Rebbe Rayatz devoted himself extensively to rescuing Jews from burning Europe and bringing them to free countries, sending food packages to Jews in Europe, rescuing students of the Tomchei Temimim yeshivas, and also working to rescue the Rebbes of Gur and Belz from the inferno. He gave particular attention to rescuing students of the Tomchei Temimim yeshivas in Poland and transferring them to other countries — including a group of students who eventually reached Shanghai.

The Sweden Connection

A special rescue operation was conducted through Sweden, which was a neutral country. Throughout the war years, several rabbis and activists operated there, including the Chabad rabbis Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Zuber and Rabbi Yisrael Hasdan, who were involved in rescuing the Rebbe Rayatz, rescuing Chassidim and yeshiva students, rescuing the Rebbe Rayatz's library, and more. The Rebbe Rayatz wrote of them in a letter: "The Agudas Chassidei Chabad in Stockholm, headed by Rabbi Zuber and the ritual slaughterer Hasdan — both students of Tomchei Temimim — obtained close to three thousand visas for Japan for our students and for..."

Rescuing Children Hidden in Holland

In 5708 (1947–1948), he worked to rescue Jewish children who had been hidden in Holland during World War II in the homes of non-Jewish foster families, and to transfer them to Jewish homes.

Founding Tomchei Temimim in the US and Israel

During the ten years he lived in the United States until his passing, the Rebbe Rayatz worked to establish Tomchei Temimim and Achei Temimim yeshivas across the United States, Europe, and the Land of Israel.

Founder of Kfar Chabad

On 21 Iyar 5709 (May 19, 1949), he founded the settlement of Kfar Chabad. Several months earlier, Chabad Chassidim had already settled on the outskirts of Lod. The Rebbe Rayatz gave detailed instructions and direction regarding the establishment of Kfar Chabad, its institutions, and their development.

He also instructed and helped Chassidic refugees reach permanent places of residence in the United States, Israel, and many other countries.

Receiving American Citizenship

The Rebbe Rayatz receiving American citizenship, raising his hand to take the oath (the Rebbe [Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson] is seen standing to the right). 5709 (1949).

On Thursday, 16 Adar 5709 (March 16, 1949), a special delegation from the United States government arrived at the Rebbe Rayatz's home to confer American citizenship upon him. This was preceded by the passage of a special law permitting citizenship to be granted to a person in his home, without requiring him to appear at government offices.

The delegation was received in the Rebbe Rayatz's room while he was dressed in silk garments and wore his shtreimel. The Rebbe Rayatz first delivered a brief talk for the occasion, in which he explained that Divine Providence had brought him specifically to this place — because from here, from the United States, it was fitting that the spread of Judaism and Chassidic teaching be led. After the talk, the Rebbe Rayatz signed the documents and expressed his allegiance to the country by raising his hand — and citizenship was granted. At the conclusion, the Rebbe Rayatz bade farewell to the members of the delegation with a smile and a handshake. His son-in-law the Rebbe accompanied the proceedings and assisted as needed. The Rebbe also arranged for two of the finest photographers of the time to document the event from two angles, and even arranged for a color videographer.

His Passing

The Rebbe [Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson] at the entrance to the ohel (gravesite enclosure) built over the grave of the Rebbe Rayatz.

The Rebbe Rayatz suffered greatly throughout his life, and from 5690 (1929–1930) onward, as a result of a serious illness, his suffering intensified and walking and speaking became difficult for him. On 10 Shvat 5710 (January 28, 1950) — Shabbos, the Torah portion of Bo — at eight o'clock in the morning, his soul departed. The following day, Sunday 11 Shvat, the funeral took place, and tens of thousands of people escorted his coffin to the Montefiore Cemetery in the Queens borough of New York City. A special gravesite enclosure (ohel) was built over his grave and has been expanded and renovated over the years.

Morocco

The Rebbe Rayatz continued his father the Rebbe Rashab's work among Sephardic Jewish communities — sending emissaries to Georgia (including Rabbi Shmuel Levitin and Rabbi Avraham Levi Slavin) and to Uzbekistan (Rabbi Simcha Gorodetzky).

Shortly before his passing, the Rebbe Rayatz initiated a mission to Morocco and even selected Rabbi Michoel Lipsker as the first emissary to Morocco — though the matter was not finalized and Rabbi Lipsker himself was not informed. After the Rebbe Rayatz's passing, the Rebbe [Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson] sent Rabbi Lipsker, and subsequently Rabbi Shlomo Matusov, Rabbi Shalom Eidelman, Rabbi Yehudah Leib Raskin, and additional emissaries to Morocco, to establish educational institutions under the network Ohale Yosef Yitzchak Lubavitch (Morocco), named in honor of the Rebbe Rayatz.

The Network of Schools Named for the Rebbe Rayatz

In 5712 (1951–1952), the Rebbe instructed Rabbi Zusha Vilimovsky to establish in the Land of Israel a similar network to the one built in Morocco, called Ohale Yosef Yitzchak Network in the Holy Land. Over the years, many institutions across the world have been named in honor of the Rebbe Rayatz.

Customs of the Rebbe Rayatz's Yahrzeit

On 10 Shvat each year, Chabad Chassidim observe special customs, as requested in a letter from the Rebbe [Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson].

His Family

• His daughter, Chana Gourarye — wife of Rabbi Shemaryahu Gourarye.
• His daughter, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneersohn — wife of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson.
• His daughter, Rebbetzin Sheina Hornstein — wife of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Hornstein. Both perished in the Holocaust.

His Works

Further information: The Works of the Rebbe Rayatz

The series of Chassidic discourses of the Rebbe Rayatz.

The Rebbe Rayatz wrote and documented extensively — recording what he had heard from his father, from family members, and from elder Chassidim. Some he wrote as personal notes (reshimos) and some in narrative form, as in the Sefer HaZichronos (Book of Memoirs).

• Series of Chassidic Discourses.
• Series of Chassidic Talks.
• Sefer HaZichronos (Book of Memoirs).
• Series of Sacred Letters — published in fourteen volumes.
• Treatise The Tzemach Tzedek and the Haskalah Movement — the story of the Tzemach Tzedek's battle with the Enlightenment movement.
• Treatise Divrei Yemei HaChozrim — history of the discourse memorizers.
• The Founding of Agudas Yisrael.
• Likkutei Dibburim — an anthology of his talks, originally published in special booklets by the HaTemim editorial staff and later reorganized into five volumes.
• Kuntres Klalei HaChinuch VeHaHadracha — guidelines for Jewish education and mentorship.
• Kuntres Toras HaChassidus — a concise and clear explanation of the nature of Chassidic wisdom and the necessity and nature of prayer. First published in 5706 (1945–1946).
• Kuntres Limmud HaChassidus — on the obligation and ability of every Jew to study Chassidic teaching. This treatise is a continuation and fulfillment of the Kuntres Toras HaChassidus.
• Collection of Letters on the Recitation of Psalms — on the special value of reciting Psalms. Printed as a supplement to the Tehillim Ohel Yosef Yitzchak Psalms volume.

His Secretaries

• Rabbi Chaim Mordechai Aizik Hodakov
• Rabbi Alter DovBer Chaskind
• Rabbi Chaim Lieberman
• Rabbi Nissan Mindel
• Rabbi Elchanan Dov Morosow
• Rabbi Eliyahu Simpson
• Rabbi Yechezkel Feigin
• Rabbi Eliyahu Kvint
• Rabbi Chaim Schneur Zalman Kozliner
• Rabbi Moshe Leib Rodstein
• Rabbi Nachum Shemaryahu Sasonkin

See Also

• The Covenant of Alliance
• The Imprisonment and Liberation of the Rebbe Rayatz
• The Rebbe Rayatz's Journey to the Holy Land
• The Rebbe Rayatz's Journey to the United States (5690)
• The Rescue of the Rebbe Rayatz

Further Reading

• Rabbi Schneur Zalman Hertzel, Nisi'ei HaNesi'im, vol. 1, chapter on the wedding of the Rebbe Rayatz.
• Rabbi Shalom DovBer Levin, History of Chabad in Tsarist Russia, Kehot, New York, 5770 (2010).
• Sefer HaToldos — the Rebbe Rayatz, by Rabbi Avraham Chanoch Glitzenstein.
• Asher Zalka Rand (ed.), "Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn," in Toldos Anshei Shem, vol. 1, New York, 5710, pp. 138–139.
• Rabbi Menachem Ziegelboim, Istalkei Yakira — the passing of the Rebbe Rayatz, p. 207.
• Rabbis Yosef Yitzchak Greenberg and Eliezer Yehoshua Zaklikofsky, Yemei Bereishis — including memoirs, documents, and press clippings about the passing of the Rebbe Rayatz.
• Schneur Zalman Berger, History of Chabad in Saint Petersburg, chapters 12 and 15 — the Rebbe Rayatz in Leningrad; the Rebbe Rayatz in prison.
• Raboseinu Nesi'einu — the Rebbe Rayatz.
• The Sixth Prince — Rabbi Menachem Ziegelboim, 5769 (2008–2009).
• Chasidei Yisrael — the story of Rabbi Yisrael Hasdan, 5783 (2022–2023), chapter 14: The Rescue of the Rebbe Rayatz.
• The Rebbe's Journey to the Holy Land — Rabbi Dovid Zev Rotenberg, Ashal–Kfar Chabad, 5757 (1997).

External Links

• The Rebbe Rayatz — tag page, Lachluchisgeuladik website.
• Menachem Ziegelboim, The Sixth Prince — a book documenting his childhood years, at the Otzar HaChochma website.
• The Wedding of the Leader — a description of the Rebbe Rayatz's wedding, Beis Moshiach Weekly.
• The Unconquered — a booklet published by Tzeirei Agudas Chabad.
• The Story in Brief, Chabad.org.
• The Story of the Imprisonment and Liberation, Chabad Israel website.
• Photo gallery of the Rebbe Rayatz, RebbeDrive website.
• Rare color video: The Rebbe Rayatz arrives in the United States, Lachluchisgeuladik website (video).
• HaTemim, issue 49, pp. 46–55 — The Rebbe Rayatz: Father of the Yeshiva World.