The Tzemach Tzedek: Difference between revisions

He is called 'Tzemach Tzedek' after his sefer Tzemach Tzedek.

== Birth and Childhood ==

On Sunday, 29th of Elul 5549 in the city of [[Liozna]], Rabbi Menachem Mendel was born to his father R' [[Rabbi Shalom Shachna Altshuler|Shalom Shachna]] and Rebbetzin [[Rebbetzin Devorah Leah Altshuler|Devorah Leah]] Altschuler. His parents named him "Menachem Mendel" after Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk. In 5553 on 3rd of Tishrei, when he was three years old, his mother passed away and as per her final request, Menachem Mendel was adopted by his grandfather, the [[The Alter Rebbe|Alter Rebbe]] who cherished him greatly. Menachem Mendel would sleep in the Alter Rebbe's room, near the Aron Kodesh and was constantly at his side. Until his wedding, the Alter Rebbe would cover him with his tallis during Birchas Kohanim on Yom Tov, and until age nine would cover him during shofar blowing on Rosh Hashanah. On 11th of Tishrei 5553, the Alter Rebbe brought him to begin learning in cheder.

Until age 13 his main learning was in nigleh and after bar mitzvah age the Alter Rebbe established special times to learn with him [[Kabbalah]] and Chassidus.

On 5th of Kislev 5564, when the Tzemach Tzedek was fourteen years old, he married in Liadi his cousin, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson, daughter of the Mitteler Rebbe.

After his marriage, the Tzemach Tzedek was supported by his father-in-law, the Mitteler Rebbe, and served as Rosh Yeshiva under him, choosing not to make his living from Torah but rather from his own work. He invested the three hundred rubles he received as dowry in establishing a wax seal manufacturing business (used for sealing mail) as a source of income. He took the chassid Reb Nechemiah of Dubrovna as a partner. Throughout their work, they would discuss divrei Torah. After about a month, one night they became deeply engrossed in a particularly complex sugya (Talmudic topic) and the vat containing the raw adhesive material caught fire, and they barely managed to escape from the factory that went up in flames. Afterward, the Tzemach Tzedek decided to work in carpentry, but the Rebbe's court preferred that he not engage in manual labor and appointed him as a melamed (teacher).

After the histalkus (passing) of the Mitteler Rebbe on 9 Kislev 5588 (1827), an assembly of elder Chabad chassidim convened and decided to appoint the Mitteler Rebbe's son-in-law, Rabbi Menachem Mendel, to assume his father-in-law's position in leading Chabad Chassidus. This decision was based on the Mitteler Rebbe's own words when he had expressed his desire to make aliyah to Eretz Yisroel. The chassidim had asked him, "How can our Rebbe leave us like sheep without a shepherd?" To which the Mitteler Rebbe replied, "Don't you have my son-in-law, the Rov HaGaon Rabbi Menachem Mendel? He will be your faithful shepherd."

The decision from this assembly was publicized throughout all Chabad chassidic centers in Russia. A delegation of distinguished elder chassidim, including Reb Hillel Paritcher, Reb Yitzchak Aizik of Vitebsk, Reb Yitzchak Moshe of Yass, Reb Peretz Chen of Chernigov, and others, presented themselves to the Tzemach Tzedek with the assembly's decision. However, the Tzemach Tzedek refused to accept the crown of nesius. Additional delegations of chassidim came and went, but Rabbi Menachem Mendel refused them all, claiming that the nesius rightfully belonged to his uncle Reb Chaim Avraham Schneuri, the Alter Rebbe's son and the Mitteler Rebbe's brother.

On Tuesday, 3 Sivan 5588, three of the greatest chassidim - Reb Peretz Chen, Reb Hillel Paritcher, and Reb Yitzchak Aizik of Homel - came to the Tzemach Tzedek's room and pleaded with him to accept the nesius. Finally, he agreed, but with the condition that they not trouble him with requests for advice in material matters. Reb Hillel Paritcher responded saying, "Chassidim want to hear Chassidus." Shortly after, word spread that the Tzemach Tzedek would come to the shul to say Chassidus.

Now remembering this scene, a thought crossed his mind: "Indeed this is a supernal power, and the Tzemach Tzedek is revealing his hidden kochos (powers) which Hashem has granted him." While he was still thinking this, the Tzemach Tzedek suddenly stopped delivering the maamar, turned to Reb Yitzchak Aizik and said, "Would you suspect me of something I don't possess? What can I do - my grandfather, the Alter Rebbe, commanded me to say this particular maamar." He then immediately continued delivering the maamar. Thus, his ruach hakodesh (divine inspiration) was revealed publicly. At the conclusion of the maamar, all the chassidim burst into song and accompanied him home with dancing and great simcha.

The Tzemach Tzedek was known for the many halachic responsa he would give to all who approached him. These she'eilos u'teshuvos were published in the seforim Shu"t Tzemach Tzedek.

The Tzemach Tzedek would deliver maamarei Chassidus on Shabbos, Yomim Tovim, and other special occasions. After the team of chozrim (those who would memorize and transcribe the maamarim) had thoroughly reviewed the maamar, the manichim would enter the Rebbe's room and repeat the maamar before him. He would correct their mistakes and explain what needed clarification.

* Rav Isser Ber Gilerson

The Tzemach Tzedek established a large yeshiva in Lubavitch, and in the early years of his nesius, he regularly gave shiurim to the special yungeleit in the yeshiva. His son, Rav Yisroel Noach, was the rosh magidei shiurim, and his son-in-law, Rav Levi Yitzchak Zalmanoff, was among the yeshiva's examiners.

The Tzemach Tzedek was known as a mattir agunos (one who found halachic solutions for agunos), and many agunos were sent to Lubavitch so he could find ways to free them from their status.

The Tzemach Tzedek coined the phrase "Tracht gut vet zain gut" - think good and it will be good - a saying that was frequently quoted by the Rebbe and became a fundamental principle in Chabad Chassidus.

In the month of Kislev 5620 (1860), the Tzemach Tzedek became very ill and remained so for more than six years. On Erev Shabbos Parshas Vayigash 5621, after his wife Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka's histalkus, he said to his son, the Maharash, that the holy words of the Alter Rebbe had been fulfilled - 54 years had passed since he had sighed and said to him "nad katzir b'yom nachala" (the harvest flees on a day of sickness). After the Rebbetzin's passing, the Tzemach Tzedek stopped receiving people for yechidus.

After his histalkus, Chabad Chassidus split, with three of his sons establishing different courts in the spirit of Chabad. His successor in Lubavitch was his youngest son, the Rebbe Maharash.

There was a non-Jewish artist who knew the Tzemach Tzedek and very much wanted to paint him, but the Tzemach Tzedek wouldn't agree. The artist cleverly came on Shabbos to the Tzemach Tzedek's house, studied him carefully to remember his likeness, ran home, and hurried to paint him. For this reason, the Tzemach Tzedek appears in the painting wearing his white Shabbos clothes, which he had inherited from the Alter Rebbe. Later, when the Tzemach Tzedek saw the picture, he was distressed that it was painted on Shabbos - but 'consoled' himself with the fact that the artist had made two mistakes: First, he painted the Tzemach Tzedek with the left side of his garment placed over the right, while Jewish custom is the opposite. Second, he painted the sefer that the Tzemach Tzedek was holding as a secular book, read from left to right. The Rebbe once noted an additional mistake - that in the painting, the Tzemach Tzedek places his glasses on the sefer's cover - something that would never be done as it shows disrespect for the sefer.

In 5647 (1887), the portrait was restored and the mistakes were corrected, and since then it has been circulated in its corrected version.

In 5781 (2021), R' Yechiel Ofner discovered in the estate of Mrs. Hinda Gurevitch, granddaughter of Rebbetzin Beila Wells (daughter of the Mitteler Rebbe and niece of two of the Tzemach Tzedek's sons), another copy of the original portrait, apparently the earliest known version.

The Tzemach Tzedek had many sons and two daughters:

# [[Reb Boruch Sholom Schneerson|Rabbi Baruch Shalom]]

# [[The Rebbe Maharash]]

# Rebbetzin Devorah Leah Zalmanson, wife of Rav Levi Yitzchak Zalmanson

Among the distinguished chassidim of the Tzemach Tzedek were:

* Rabbi Peretz Chen

# Tzemach Tzedek - Halachic responsa, rulings, and Talmudic novellae. The sefer's name hints at the author's name (in Yiddish spelling) - "Menachem Mendel" in gematria equals "Tzemach Tzedek"

# Yahel Ohr - On Tehillim

# [[Niggun "Yemin Hashem Romeima"]]

* "The Rebbe Following the Tzemach Tzedek", in the 'Nitzutzei Rebbe' section of Hiskashrus Weekly, Parshat Shemini 2021

* "As the Tzemach Tzedek Rules, So They Rule in Heaven", Kfar Chabad Issue 1954, pages 64-74

[[Category:Chabad Rebbes]]

[[Category:The Tzemach Tzedek]]

[[he:רבי מנחם מענדל שניאורסון (אדמו"ר הצמח צדק)]]