Rivka (mother of the Alter Rebbe): Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 11:44, 19 June 2026

Rebbetzin Rivka[edit | edit source]

Rebbetzin Rivka was the mother of the Alter Rebbe, the founder of Chabad Chassidus.

Life[edit | edit source]

She was born in Vitebsk to her father, the gaon (Torah luminary) Rabbi Avraham.

On 17 Elul 5503 / September 6, 1743 — the eve of Shabbos, the Shabbos of the Torah portion Ki Tavo — Rebbetzin Rivka married Rabbi Boruch, a hidden tzaddik who was a sixth-generation descendant of the Maharal of Prague.

Her Wedding[edit | edit source]

Although the wedding ceremony took place on Friday, the 17th of Elul, the date of the marriage is considered to be 18 Elul (Chai Elul). This is because one of Rabbi Boruch's conditions with his father-in-law had been that the wedding take place on Chai Elul. Since Chai Elul that year fell on Shabbos, Rabbi Boruch had originally set the ceremony for Motzoei Shabbos (Saturday night). Only a few weeks before the wedding did he inform his father-in-law that he had agreed to move the ceremony forward to Friday, the 17th of Elul.

In memory of this, the weddings of most of the Chabad Rebbes have been held on a Friday.

Visits to the Baal Shem Tov[edit | edit source]

Rebbetzin Rivka merited to visit the Baal Shem Tov in Mezhybizh on two occasions.

She was a woman of great learning — well-versed in Tanach and Midrash, and studied Mishnah and Gemara as well. She was especially devoted to the study of mussar, the classical works of Jewish ethical literature.

When the Tzemach Tzedek — the Alter Rebbe's grandson and the third Rebbe of Chabad — was ten years old, the Alter Rebbe instructed him to sit with his grandmother Rivka for two hours each day and listen to her stories. The young boy himself asked Rebbetzin Rivka to share with him everything she knew. The Tzemach Tzedek kept notebooks in which he recorded the stories he heard from her, entries that begin with the words: My mother told me…

Passing[edit | edit source]

She was known to be alive at least until the year 5560 / 1800.^[1]

Children[edit | edit source]

On 18 Elul 5505 / September 4, 1745, their eldest son, the Alter Rebbe, was born.

Three more sons were born to Rabbi Boruch and Rebbetzin Rivka:

Notes[edit | edit source]

↑ According to one other letter, she was still alive in 5563 / 1803.

[1] According to one other letter, she was still alive in 5563 / 1803.

[1]

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-{{Beis HaRav}}
+==Rebbetzin Rivka==
-'''Rebbetzin Rivka''' was the mother of [[the Alter Rebbe]].
-== Life History ==
+'''Rebbetzin Rivka''' was the mother of [[the Alter Rebbe]], the founder of [[Chabad|Chabad Chassidus]].
-She was born in Vitebsk to her father, the Gaon Rav Avraham.
-On the 17th of Elul 1743, the Rebbetzin married HaRav HaGaon V'HaTzaddik Rav Baruch, who was a sixth-generation descendant of the Maharal of Prague.
+==Life==
-== Her Wedding ==
+She was born in [[Vitebsk]] to her father, the gaon (Torah luminary) [[Rabbi Avraham (grandfather of the Alter Rebbe)|Rabbi Avraham]].
-Although the chuppah took place on Friday, the 17th of Elul, Erev Shabbos Kodesh, Parshas Ki Savo 1743, the wedding date is considered to be the 18th of Elul.
-This is because it was one of the conditions that Rav Baruch made with his father-in-law, that the wedding date should be on the 18th of Elul. However, since that year the 18th of Elul fell on Shabbos, Rav Baruch initially set the chuppah for Motzei Shabbos Kodesh. Only a few weeks before the wedding did Rav Baruch inform his father-in-law of his agreement to have the chuppah on Friday, the 17th of Elul.
+On 17 Elul 5503 / September 6, 1743 — the eve of Shabbos, the Shabbos of the Torah portion ''Ki Tavo'' — Rebbetzin Rivka married [[Rabbi Boruch of the White Spring|Rabbi Boruch]], a hidden tzaddik who was a sixth-generation descendant of the [[Maharal of Prague]].
-In commemoration of this, most wedding dates of Chabad Rebbeim were set for Friday.
+===Her Wedding===
-== By the Baal Shem Tov ==
+Although the wedding ceremony took place on Friday, the 17th of Elul, the date of the marriage is considered to be 18 Elul (Chai Elul). This is because one of Rabbi Boruch's conditions with his father-in-law had been that the wedding take place on Chai Elul. Since Chai Elul that year fell on Shabbos, Rabbi Boruch had originally set the ceremony for Motzoei Shabbos (Saturday night). Only a few weeks before the wedding did he inform his father-in-law that he had agreed to move the ceremony forward to Friday, the 17th of Elul.
-The Rebbetzin merited to visit the Baal Shem Tov in Mezibush twice.
-The Rebbetzin was a great scholar, well-versed in Tanach and Midrash, and also studied Mishna and Gemara. She particularly devoted herself to studying mussar seforim.
+In memory of this, the weddings of most of the Chabad Rebbes have been held on a Friday.
-When the Rebbe Tzemach Tzedek was ten years old, the Alter Rebbe told him to listen to her stories for two hours every day, and he himself requested from Bubbe Rivka to tell him what she knew.
+===Visits to the Baal Shem Tov===
-Indeed, the Tzemach Tzedek had books where he recorded stories he heard from his grandmother Rebbetzin Rivka, which contained matters beginning with: "My mother told me."
+Rebbetzin Rivka merited to visit [[the Baal Shem Tov]] in [[Mezhybizh]] on two occasions.
-== Her Passing ==
+She was a woman of great learning — well-versed in Tanach and Midrash, and studied Mishnah and Gemara as well. She was especially devoted to the study of mussar, the classical works of Jewish ethical literature.
-She was among the living at least until 1800.
-== Her Descendants ==
+When the [[Tzemach Tzedek]] — the Alter Rebbe's grandson and the third Rebbe of Chabad — was ten years old, the Alter Rebbe instructed him to sit with his grandmother Rivka for two hours each day and listen to her stories. The young boy himself asked Rebbetzin Rivka to share with him everything she knew. The Tzemach Tzedek kept notebooks in which he recorded the stories he heard from her, entries that begin with the words: ''My mother told me…''
-On the 18th of Elul 1745, their firstborn son, the Alter Rebbe, was born to them.
-Three more sons were born to Rav Baruch and his wife the Rebbetzin:
+===Passing===
-* Rabbi Yehuda Leib, Rabbi of Yanovitch
+She was known to be alive at least until the year 5560 / 1800.<ref>According to one other letter, she was still alive in 5563 / 1803.</ref>
-* Rabbi Mordechai, Rabbi of Orsha
-* Rabbi Moshe, Rabbi of Rudnia
+===Children===
+On 18 Elul 5505 / September 4, 1745, their eldest son, [[Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi|the Alter Rebbe]], was born.
+Three more sons were born to Rabbi Boruch and Rebbetzin Rivka:
+*[[Rabbi Yehuda Leib (brother of the Alter Rebbe)|Rabbi Yehuda Leib]], rabbi of [[Yanovitch]].
+*[[Rabbi Mordechai Pozner|Rabbi Mordechai]], rabbi of [[Orsha]].
+*[[Rabbi Moshe Broukhovitch (brother of the Alter Rebbe)|Rabbi Moshe]], rabbi of [[Rudnya]].
+==Notes==
+<references/>
+[[Category:Family of the Alter Rebbe]]
 [[Category:Beis HaRav]]
 [[he:רבקה (אם אדמו"ר הזקן)]]