The Rebbe Rashab: Difference between revisions

Born in [[Lubavitch]] on Monday, [[Parshas Chayei Sarah]], 20 Cheshvan 5621. Regarding his birth, it is told that a year earlier, on the 10th of Kislev 5620 (1860), his mother dreamed that she saw her mother, Mrs. Chaya Sarah, and her grandfather, [[the Mitteler Rebbe]]. Her mother said to her with a happy face: "Rivka, you and your husband should write a Torah scroll," and the Mitteler Rebbe added: "And you will have a good son, and don't forget to name him after me." Her mother added: "Rivka, did you hear what my father is telling you?" And thus the dream ended. After nine days, on the night of the 19th of Kislev, she dreamed again, and this time in addition to her mother and grandfather, an elderly man arrived. Her mother said to her: "Rivka, you and your husband should write a Torah scroll." The Mitteler Rebbe said: "And you will have a good son," and the elderly man said: "Amen, so may Hashem say." Her mother concluded: "Grandfather, bless her," and the elderly man blessed her. Her mother and the Mitteler Rebbe answered Amen loudly, and she awoke. Afterwards she told her dreams to her husband,  the Rebbe Maharash, who said that he wanted the Torah scroll to be written on elegant parchment from properly slaughtered and kosher hides. The Tzemach Tzedek commanded that the beginning of the Torah scroll writing should be done secretly, in the presence of his brothers only and in his room. Less than a year later, the son was born and was named 'Shalom Dovber' after his two grandfathers, Rabbi Shalom Shachna and the Mitteler Rebbe.

On the 26th of Kislev 5621 (1861), the circumcision ceremony was held, after being postponed at the instruction of the Tzemach Tzedek from the 27th of Cheshvan. His grandfather the Tzemach Tzedek explained during the circumcision event the name according to Chassidic teachings: "Rashab means flesh breaking (basar shavar) - one needs to break the flesh of the body, and he was born on the 20th of Cheshvan 5621 (1861), which contains two kaf letters, alluding to the supernal crown."

On the 20th of Cheshvan 5624 (1864), the Rebbe Rashab's first haircut was performed. At the instruction of the Tzemach Tzedek, the haircut was done secretly. The night before, the Rebbe Rashab slept in the room of the Tzemach Tzedek, and when he woke up, the Tzemach Tzedek told the attendant R' Chaim Ber Chaimson to wash the Rebbe Rashab's hands, and the Tzemach Tzedek recited the morning blessings with the child and answered Amen after his blessings. After the prayer, he called his son and daughter-in-law, the child's parents, and told them: "The spiritual oil flask that our teacher the Baal Shem Tov gave to his disciple our teacher the Maggid of Mezritch to anoint the Alter Rebbe for leadership for his generations, with this power my father-in-law - the Mitteler Rebbe was anointed, and I with this power anointed you (Admor the Maharash) and with this power I am anointing the child."

As customary, the Rashab's entrance to cheder was done on the day of his haircut, and he was brought to study in the "cheder" which was in the second room of the small Beit Midrash of his grandfather the Tzemach Tzedek. It is told that during the child's entrance celebration, his grandfather threw candies at him saying they were thrown by the angel Michael. The child accepted this with innocence and refrained from eating the candies. On Passover eve, while checking the children's pockets, the Tzemach Tzedek called his grandson and asked him what he did with the candies, and he was compelled to eat them.

At age 14, he knew all of Seder Nashim by heart. In 5635, he began serving as a chozer for his father the Rebbe Maharash, transcribing hanachos of the maamarim.