Chassidus Chabad

This article is about Chabad. For the Kabbalistic sefirot of Chochmah, Binah, and Da'at, see Sefirot.

Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi (the Alter Rebbe), founder of Chabad Chassidus

A painted map of the town of Lubavitch, home to four Chabad leaders for over a century, after which the movement continues to be named to this day

A painting depicting the Chabad Rebbes and elders near 770

Chabad-Lubavitch Chassidus (acronym for Chochmah, Binah, Da'at — Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge) is a Chassidic movement founded approximately two hundred and fifty years ago by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi in 1771. In 1812, Rabbi Schneur Zalman's son, Rabbi DovBer Schneuri, relocated to the town of Lubavitch (in modern Hebrew spelling: Lubavitz), where four successive leaders of the movement made their home for over a century — and after which the movement continues to be named to this day. Chabad Chassidus is distinguished from other Chassidic movements by its intellectual approach: it grounds a Jew's faith in the Creator, and the desire to serve Him, in a rational appreciation of His greatness and transcendence. This is also the source of the movement's name — an acronym of Chochmah (Wisdom), Binah (Understanding), and Da'at (Knowledge), which according to Kabbalah and Chassidus are the three components of human intellect.

Chabad Chassidus numbers tens of thousands of Chassidim, most of them concentrated in dozens of communities in Israel and around the world, along with over five thousand emissaries of the Rebbe active across the globe.

The current leader of the movement is Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the seventh in the dynasty of Chabad leaders.

The Founding of Chabad Chassidus

The founder of the Chabad approach, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, was born on Chai Elul 1745 in the town of Liozna in White Russia to his father Rabbi Boruch, who belonged to the "hidden circle" and was among the Chassidim of the Baal Shem Tov.

He came to the world of Chassidus between the ages of eighteen and twenty, traveling to the town of Mezeritch, where the Baal Shem Tov's disciple and successor — Rabbi Dovber, known as "the Maggid of Mezeritch" — led the Chassidic movement, and he quickly became one of his foremost disciples.

Following the Maggid's passing in 1773, Rabbi Schneur Zalman was appointed to oversee the conduct and network of activities of the Chassidim. Three years later, at a general gathering of the Maggid's disciples, it was decided to appoint Rabbi Schneur Zalman as the leader of Chassidus in the region of Lithuania — where opposition to Chassidus was stronger than anywhere else — as his colleagues considered him best suited for the role, also on account of his intellectual approach, which aligned with Lithuania's scholarly character. Rabbi Schneur Zalman succeeded greatly in his work, and many leading Torah scholars of the region joined the Chassidic movement.

This year — 1776 — was also, it appears, the year in which Rabbi Schneur Zalman's leadership began to take on an increasingly distinctive Chabad character. Over the following years this direction came to be recognized as something wholly unique, and before long it became known that within the Chassidic world a new current had emerged — the Chabad current.

Chabad Chassidus now became the primary target of attack by the Misnagdim and, later, by the Maskilim (adherents of the Jewish Enlightenment movement). Rabbi Schneur Zalman suffered greatly as a result, and in 1799 was arrested by the Czarist authorities following denunciations by the Misnagdim and Maskilim. He was held for fifty-three days, with the death penalty — reserved for those accused of sedition against the crown — hanging over him. In the end, however, he succeeded in proving his innocence and was released with great honor and triumph. The day of his liberation, Yud-Tes Kislev (the 19th of Kislev), has since become the "Festival of Liberation" among Chabad Chassidim and those close to them.

The Nature of the Chabad Approach

The Chabad approach holds that while faith in G-d is the foundation of Jewish life, that faith must be grounded in intellectual understanding. Likewise, Jewish life cannot be built on spontaneous emotions alone, which may come and go. Such emotions can even amount to "vain imaginings," and anything built upon them will dissolve and dissipate. For this reason, the true foundation of a complete Jewish life according to the Chabad approach is deep intellectual engagement through the study of Chassidic philosophy. According to Chabad, even the emotions — love of the Creator and awe of Him — will be stable and enduring only if they are grounded in intellectual contemplation and internalization, which occur primarily during prayer. The goal of this process is to bring a person to full mastery over his thoughts, speech, and actions, directing them entirely toward Heaven.

Chabad emphasizes the need for "hisbonenus" (contemplative meditation) — a technique that comes only after deep study and reflection, whose purpose is to internalize what has been learned and, in a second stage, to cause it to arouse the appropriate emotions. For example: contemplating the greatness of G-d is meant to give rise in a person's heart to love and awe of G-d. Contemplating the intrinsic worth of every Jew is meant to cultivate feelings of love for every Jew. Contemplating G-d's individual Providence over every detail of creation is meant to awaken a feeling of joy.

Chabad Chassidic philosophy is characterized by its depth and by its drive to penetrate the innermost meaning of the concepts explained in Kabbalistic teaching, as they relate to the service of G-d. This approach is rooted in the teachings and path of the Baal Shem Tov, but continues primarily along the path of the Maggid of Mezeritch, with certain expansions. For this reason, some have described the Baal Shem Tov, the Maggid of Mezeritch, and the Alter Rebbe — the founder of Chabad — as corresponding to the three higher intellectual faculties known as Chochmah, Binah, and Da'at, whose acronym is the word "Chabad."

Chassidic Philosophy

Main article: Chassidic Philosophy

Chassidic philosophy is an approach to the service of G-d founded by the Baal Shem Tov, which continued as a general Chassidic tradition until it was internalized in its deepest form through the teachings of our Rebbes and leaders — the Chabad Rebbes. Chassidic philosophy represents a new illumination of Divinity, shedding new light on all dimensions (Pardes) of the Torah — from the deepest reaches of its mystical dimension down to the straightforward meaning of the Torah and its practical commandments.

One of the foundations of Chassidic philosophy is ahavas Yisrael (love of one's fellow Jew) and the recognition that within every Jew there is a divine soul united with G-d. Because of this bond, every Jew has the capacity to reach the highest levels of divine service. Chassidic philosophy also represents the preparation for the coming of Moshiach, as is known from the Baal Shem Tov's encounter with Moshiach, who replied to the question "When will you come?" with the words: "When your wellsprings spread outward."

The Tanya is the Written Torah of Chassidic philosophy, and the other Chassidic works of our Rebbes and leaders are its Oral Torah.

Torah Study

In Chassidic philosophy in general, and in Chabad Chassidus in particular, special emphasis is placed on the study of the revealed dimension of Torah — the wisdom of the Holy One, blessed be He. Studying the reasoning behind the laws as they appear in the revealed Torah is a form of unique closeness to G-d, achieved by the fact that the person's thoughts are united with G-d's wisdom, which is — together with G-d Himself — one. At the same time, the writings of Chassidic teachers stress the obligation to study "for its own sake" — for the sake of the Creator, to cleave to G-d, in holiness and with proper reverence, and out of humility and self-nullification.

Every Jew, in every situation, is obligated to study Torah — as stated in the verse: "You shall contemplate it day and night" (Joshua 1:8). The mitzvah of Torah study is equal in weight to all other commandments combined.

The Rebbe's Place in Chassidus

Main articles: Rebbe and Nasi HaDor

Unlike most Chassidic courts of that era, the Chabad movement did not accept the view that the primary burden of divine service rests with the Rebbe or tzaddik, while the Chassidim need only cleave to him and remain bound to him. This stance initially generated controversy among other disciples of the Maggid of Mezeritch, who argued that it represented a departure from the Chassidic path laid down by the Maggid and the Baal Shem Tov — foremost among them Rabbi Avraham of Kalisk, who opposed the approach sharply. Rabbi Schneur Zalman replied, however, that his path integrates the approach of the Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid with the individual's own obligation to serve G-d. It is also recounted that Rabbi Shlomo of Karlin sought from the Alter Rebbe permission to settle within his area of activity — and the Alter Rebbe agreed, on three conditions. Rabbi Shlomo of Karlin accepted the first two, but would not accept the third: "that he not teach that the tzaddik must carry the flock."

These disagreements did not, for the most part, cause a rift between Chabad and other Chassidic movements. Thus even tzaddikim whose path in Chassidus differed greatly from Chabad's — such as Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev and Rabbi Mordechai of Chernobyl (who even expressed his differing view from the Chabad leaders' approach) — became related by marriage to the Chabad Rebbes.

At the same time, even according to Chabad, the tzaddikim are the head and mind of the community, and the community draws its spiritual — and even material — strength from them, cleaving to and connecting with Divinity through them. As Rabbi Schneur Zalman himself wrote:

In every generation there are leaders of the thousands of Israel, whose souls are in the category of head and mind relative to the souls of the multitude and the common people… The nurture and vitality of the soul, spirit, and neshamah of ordinary people comes from the soul, spirit, and neshamah of the tzaddikim and sages — the leaders of Israel in their generation… Through cleaving to Torah scholars, the soul, spirit, and neshamah of the common people are bound and united with their original essence and root in the supernal Wisdom.

— Tanya, ch. 2

In keeping with this idea, the Rebbe occupies a central place in the Chabad community, and every Chassid aspires to be "bound" to him — a state known as hiskashrus (spiritual connection), which is achieved primarily through studying the Rebbe's Torah teachings and following his directives. Many Chassidim accordingly would not take a significant step in their lives without seeking the Rebbe's counsel and blessing.

Paths of Divine Service

Main articles: Divine Service, Avodah and Haskala, Mind Over Heart, Bittul, Atkafya, Athaflya, Inner, Outer, and Effort

According to the Chabad approach to divine service, all sadness must be pushed aside — even sadness arising from remorse over sins and spiritual failings. Emphasis is placed on deep contemplation during prayer, so as to connect intellectual understanding with internalized feeling throughout the day.

Among the important foundations of divine service in Chabad is the principle of moch shalit al halev — "the mind rules over the heart" — meaning a state in which the intellect governs the emotions of the heart. That is, a state in which the intellect of the mind is the guiding and directing force in a person's life, since the brain is the seat and dwelling place of the divine soul.

There are also two central paths of divine service:

• Avodah (service) — a term for the work of prayer and contemplative meditation during prayer on the unity of G-d and its particulars as taught in Chassidus. Chassidim who invest themselves in bringing these matters into actual practice, with particular emphasis on prayer and working on their character traits, are called ovdim (practitioners).
• Haskala (intellectual study) — the study and deepening of Chassidic philosophy; the divine inquiry found within the discourses and teachings of Chabad Chassidus; and the understanding of Kabbalistic topics that appear within them. Chassidim who focus on this are called maskilim (scholars).

The true and correct path is Avodah. While it can only be realized through the prior engagement of Haskala, Haskala alone and of itself is not the goal.

Chabad Literature

To explain the Chabad approach, the founder of Chabad — the Alter Rebbe — composed the Tanya, which is considered the Written Torah of Chassidic philosophy. On this basis, the Chabad Rebbes have delivered and written maamarim (Chassidic discourses) — known by the acronym Da"Ch (Divrei Elokim Chayyim, "Words of the Living G-d") — exploring and expanding the system, discussing such themes as: the nature of G-d and the meaning of His being "infinite"; the purpose of creation; the relationship between G-d and man; why G-d concerns Himself with human deeds; the nature of Torah; the nature of the commandments; what a soul is and why it descended into the world; the essence of Jewish identity; and more. Chabad literature comprises hundreds of volumes engaging these themes at great depth.

The Chabad Rebbes

The Alter Rebbe

Main article: The Alter Rebbe

Rabbi Schneur Zalman Boruchovich of Liadi — the Alter Rebbe (in Yiddish: Der Alter Rebbe, "the Old Rebbe"). He is also referred to as "the Rav" or as the author of the Tanya and the Shulchan Aruch. He is the founder of the Chabad approach and the first of the seven Chabad Rebbes. He authored the Tanya and the Shulchan Aruch. He was born on Chai Elul 1745 in the town of Liozna in the Mohilev Governorate of Belarus, to Rabbi Boruch (a descendant of the Maharal of Prague) and Rivka. He resided first in Liozna and later in the city of Liadi. He passed from this world on the motzaei Shabbos (Saturday night) of Parshas Shemos, the 24th of Tevet 1813, and his resting place is in the city of Haditch.

The Mitteler Rebbe

Main article: The Mitteler Rebbe

Rabbi DovBer Schneuri — the Mitteler Rebbe (in Yiddish: Der Mitteler Rebbe) is the second Rebbe in the Chabad dynasty and the successor to his father, the Alter Rebbe. He was born on the 9th of Kislev 1773 to the Alter Rebbe and Sterna. He established the Chassidic court in the town of Lubavitch, and passed from this world on the 9th of Kislev 1827; his resting place is in the ohel of the Mitteler Rebbe in the city of Nezhin.

The Mitteler Rebbe founded a Chabad community in Hebron in 1845, under the leadership of his son-in-law Rabbi Yaakov Slonim and his daughter Menucha Rochel, supported by donations from Chassidim in Russia.

The Tzemach Tzedek

A portrait of the Tzemach Tzedek

Main article: The Tzemach Tzedek

Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn — the Tzemach Tzedek — is the third leader in the Chabad dynasty. He was born on Sunday, the 29th of Elul 1789, in the city of Liozna, to Shalom Shachna and Devorah Leah Altschuler. He was both a grandson of the Alter Rebbe and a son-in-law of the Mitteler Rebbe. He passed from this world on the 13th of Nissan 1866, and his resting place is in Lubavitch in the ohel of the Tzemach Tzedek and the Maharash.

Over the years, the Tzemach Tzedek worked to rescue children from the cantonist decrees, fought for the pure Jewish education of Jewish children, founded the town of Shchedrin and settled some three hundred Chassidim there, and was known for his rulings freeing agunos (women chained to a missing or refusing husband) who were brought to him in Lubavitch. One of his well-known teachings is the maxim Think good and it will be good, which expresses the profound influence of thought even on actual events.

The Rebbe Maharash

Main article: The Rebbe Maharash

Rabbi Shmuel Schneersohn — the Maharash — is the fourth Rebbe in the Chabad dynasty. He was born on the 2nd of Iyar 1834 in the town of Lubavitch, to Rabbi Menachem Mendel (the Tzemach Tzedek) and Chaya Mushka Schneersohn. He passed from this world on the 13th of Tishrei 1882, after enduring a serious illness; his resting place is in Lubavitch, beside his father the Tzemach Tzedek, in the ohel of the Tzemach Tzedek and the Maharash.

The Maharash coined the celebrated maxim Lechatchila Ariber — "from the outset, leap over obstacles" (the principle of tackling difficulties head-on rather than working around them).

The Rebbe Rashab

The well-known photograph of the Rebbe Rashab

Main article: The Rebbe Rashab

Rabbi Shalom DovBer Schneersohn — the Rebbe Rashab — is the fifth Rebbe in the Chabad dynasty. He was born on the 20th of Cheshvan 1860 in the town of Lubavitch, to Rabbi Shmuel (the Maharash) and Rivka Schneersohn. He passed from this world on the 2nd of Nissan 1920; his resting place is in the city of Rostov.

The Rebbe Rashab founded the yeshiva Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch — the mother of all Chabad yeshivos worldwide — established the distinctive Chabad method of mikveh construction known as bor al gabei bor (a pit built over a pit), and worked vigorously in many other areas, including the founding of Agudas Yisrael (from which he ultimately withdrew before it was formally established), and more.

The Frierdiker Rebbe

The well-known photograph of the Frierdiker Rebbe

Main article: The Frierdiker Rebbe

Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn — the Frierdiker Rebbe (the Previous Rebbe; in Yiddish: Der Frierdiker Rebbe) — is the sixth Rebbe in the Chabad dynasty and the father-in-law of the Rebbe of Lubavitch. He was born on the 12th of Tammuz 1880 to Rabbi Shalom DovBer (the Rebbe Rashab) and Sterna Sara Schneersohn. From the Soviet Union, the Frierdiker Rebbe moved to Latvia and then to Poland; when World War II broke out, he left Poland and returned to Latvia, and from there traveled to the United States, establishing the center of Chabad at 770 Eastern Parkway in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.

In the United States, the Frierdiker Rebbe worked to rebuild Jewish life in general and Chabad Chassidus in particular, fighting the drift and assimilation of Jewish immigrants from Europe. To this end he established numerous institutions, including many Tomchei Temimim yeshivos — among them the central Tomchei Temimim — the Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch (the central educational body), Kehot Publication Society, Machne Yisroel, and more.

He passed from this world on Yud Shevat 5710 — the 10th of Shevat 1950 — which fell on Shabbos, and his resting place is at the Ohel in the Montefiore Cemetery in the Queens borough of New York.

The Rebbe

Main article: The Rebbe

The Rebbe receiving supporters of the Shluchim mission and the institutions affiliated with Chabad Chassidus worldwide, in the framework of the Keren L'Mifal Machne Yisroel

Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn — known as "the Rebbe of Lubavitch" or simply "the Rebbe" — is the seventh Nasi (leader) of the Chabad movement and a central spiritual leader for the world at large and for the Jewish people in particular. He was born in Nikolaev on the 11th of Nissan 1902 (April 18, 1902) to his father, the Kabbalist Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneersohn, and his mother, Rebbetzin Chana.

Upon assuming the leadership, the Rebbe launched campaigns to publicize the observance of Torah and Chassidic philosophy under the banner of "U'faratzta" — "And you shall spread out" — drawn from the verse "You shall spread out to the west, east, north, and south" (Genesis 28:14). As part of this, the Rebbe called upon his Chassidim to reach out in every possible setting to every Jew, encouraging the observance of Torah commandments and Torah study — including by going out to public places and enabling the broader community to fulfill these mitzvos. His directives and instructions on these matters developed into full-scale campaigns, giving the ten central campaigns he announced the collective name the Ten Campaigns — alongside many additional directives, chief among them the Rambam Study Campaign, which has in our time spread beyond Chabad Chassidus to additional streams and circles.

On the 3rd of Tammuz 1994, he became concealed from our eyes. Among Chabad Chassidim there is a range of views on how to understand this day; most Chabad Chassidim believe that the situation that arose represents a further stage in the process of the complete revelation of Moshiach (the Messiah). This view is also based on the words of Rashi at the end of the Book of Daniel, on the verse concerning Moshiach — "Fortunate is he who waits and reaches" — where Rashi writes: "…our Moshiach is destined to be concealed after he is revealed, and will then be revealed again" — that is, Moshiach is concealed and revealed again.

Characteristics of Chabad Chassidus

The Shluchim and Chabad Houses

Main articles: Shluchim of the Rebbe and Chabad House

The Rebbe's shluchim (emissaries) in the traditional photograph (5785 / 2024)

In the seventh generation, under the Rebbe's leadership, the concept of shlichus (emissary mission) became a central demand — from Chabad Chassidim in particular, and from every Jew in general — to leave one's place and dedicate oneself to spreading Judaism and Chassidus in distant locations that need it. As part of this call, the Rebbe built the shlichus enterprise by appointing his Chassidim as emissaries throughout the world and establishing Chabad Houses across the globe, which provide material and spiritual support to every Jew: running schools that offer Jewish education, synagogues, Torah and Chassidus classes, mikvehs, and other communal services. Over the years the shlichus enterprise has expanded to encompass nearly every city and settlement in the world where Jews are found, and today numbers approximately six thousand shluchim (emissaries).

The Movement's Center

Main articles: Lubavitch and 770 — Chabad World Headquarters

The facade of the building known as "770 — Chabad World Headquarters"

The town of Lubavitch served as the center of the Chabad movement from the era of the Mitteler Rebbe, who established his court there; it was subsequently home to the Tzemach Tzedek, the Maharash, and the Rebbe Rashab.

During World War I, at the beginning of 1915, as the German army approached the Lubavitch region, the Rebbe Rashab decided to leave Lubavitch — bringing to an end 102 years in which Lubavitch had served as the capital of the movement.

Today the center of Chabad Chassidus is 770 (Seven-Seventy) — the Chabad World Headquarters, more widely known simply as "770" — the Rebbe's beis midrash (study hall and synagogue). The center is located at 770 Eastern Parkway in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.

Institutions of the Movement

Chabad Chassidus has thousands of institutions worldwide. The central organization is Agudas Chassidei Chabad (the World Chabad Chassidic Federation). Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch is the supreme body overseeing the shluchim. Kehot Publication Society is the movement's official publishing house (though numerous private publishers also exist). The network of Chabad yeshivos is called "Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch." Chabad has a youth movement called Tzivos Hashem, the Machne Yisroel organization, Neshei uBnos Chabad (women's and girls' organization), and the "Beis Rivkah" institution — a network of girls' schools.

The main institutions in Israel are: Chabad Rabbinical Court — the supreme rabbinical and halachic body; Agudas Chassidei Chabad in Israel — the principal organization and umbrella body for all institutions; Tzeirei Agudas Chabad — the executive arm of the movement, also responsible for shluchim in Israel; Kollel Chabad — a charitable organization; Ohalei Yosef Yitzchak Network — a network of kindergartens and Torah schools; Tomchei Temimim — the yeshiva network; the Neshei uBnos Chabad organization; "Beis Rivkah" elementary schools; the "Beis Rivkah" college in Kfar Chabad Beis; a central branch of Tzivos Hashem; and a central branch of Kehot Publication Society.

Redemption and Moshiach

Template:Main portal With the revelation of Chassidic philosophy, a new clarity was added to all matters relating to the redemption. This is because the revelation of Chassidus is itself part of the unfolding of the light of redemption — and accordingly, in the teachings of the Chassidic leaders, the connection of Torah and its commandments to redemption in general, and the constant longing and anticipation for the redemption, were emphasized.

This theology found expression in the Chassidic leaders, for whom yearning for the redemption permeated their very being and was manifest in their conduct — but especially in recent generations, beginning with the Rebbe Rashab, who founded the Tomchei Temimim yeshiva and stirred his disciples with the idea that the yeshiva's students are "soldiers of the House of David" fighting against those who scorn the footsteps of Moshiach. This awakening was intensified by the Frierdiker Rebbe, especially during the Holocaust, which he described as "the birth pangs of Moshiach." The Rebbe, the leader of our generation and the seventh in the Chabad dynasty, announced upon accepting the leadership that our generation is the last of exile and the first of redemption — and concluded from this that redemption is not an additional matter layered onto the generation's situation and conduct, but is woven as a thread through every detail of them.

In his later years the Rebbe spoke on this subject incessantly, announcing that the work of exile is complete and that all that remains is to welcome Moshiach in actual reality. He also encouraged Chassidim hundreds of times to proclaim and sing Yechi Adoneinu Moreinu VeRabbeinu Melech HaMoshiach LeOlam Va'ed — "Long live our Master, Teacher, and Rebbe, King Moshiach, forever and ever" — a proclamation whose content is the revelation of the reality of Moshiach.

The Chassidic Maamar

Main article: Maamar

The Rebbe delivering a maamar

A Chassidic maamar is a Torah discourse — known by the acronym Da"Ch (Divrei Elokim Chayyim, "Words of the Living G-d") — delivered or written by a Rebbe, explaining a matter in Chassidus and the inner dimension of Torah rooted in Kabbalah, while drawing practical lessons for divine service. It is a tradition in the name of the Chassid Rabbi Hillel of Paritch that when a Rebbe delivers a Chassidic maamar, the Shechina (Divine Presence) speaks through his throat. Before the Rebbe begins delivering a maamar, the Chassidim sing a special niggun called the preparatory niggun. During the maamar, the Chassidim stand in their places.

The Chassidic Farbrengen

Main articles: Chassidic Farbrengen and Mashpia

A farbrengen (or התוועדות in Hebrew, from the Yiddish farbrengen) is the name commonly used among Chabad Chassidim for a Chassidic gathering at which it is customary to raise a glass of l'chaim, sing Chassidic niggunim, and tell Chassidic stories — all in order to inspire and strengthen one another in divine service. A farbrengen is usually led by a mashpia (a Chassidic mentor and guide) who encourages and strengthens the participants in improving their conduct.

Chabad Personalities

In every generation of Chabad Chassidus, great Chassidim distinguished in Torah and divine service have occupied a place of honor — their names on the lips of Chassidim in subsequent generations, with stories circulating about them from generation to generation. Teachings spoken with Chassidic insight, and even niggunim composed by gifted baalei menagen (Chassidic composers), are sung at Chassidic farbrengens and inspire divine service.

Special attention is given to the stories of the Chassidim — their greatness in Torah and fear of G-d, the path by which they drew close to Chabad Chassidus, the relationship they had with the Rebbe, and their own path in divine service according to the Chassidic way.

Chabad Niggunim

Main pages: Chabad Niggunim and Portal: Chabad Niggunim

Music holds profound significance in the Chassidic worldview. The Frierdiker Rebbe cited a saying in the name of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi that "speech is the pen of the heart, and a niggun is the pen of the soul," and in the name of the Tzemach Tzedek, based on the Talmudic teaching that "whoever reports a saying — it is as if the one who said it stands before him" (Shekalim 7:2) — that one who sings a niggun has the one who composed it standing before him in the most literal sense.

There are hundreds of niggunim associated with and attributed to Chabad Chassidus, which are divided into three categories: a mekuvvan niggun (an intentional niggun) — a niggun composed by a Rebbe or Admur, in which each "movement" alludes to a lofty and exalted matter and whose progressions are aligned with supernal worlds; a meyuchas niggun (an attributed niggun) — a niggun in which great Chassidim prayed and which is therefore "filled" with content, holding within it an inner essence and expressing a sublime emotional state; and a shoteh niggun (a simple niggun) — like a "wandering myrtle" that says and alludes to nothing in particular; these are various melodies that accumulated among Chassidim over time, from which lessons in divine service and the like can be drawn. The niggunim are intended primarily for singing at farbrengens (communally) and during the extended prayer known as tefillah b'avodah (quietly, by the individual worshipper), contributing in both settings to spiritual elevation — each niggun corresponding to the worshipper's inner direction: cleaving to G-d, spiritual ascent, and personal work.

Directives and Study Schedules

The Rebbe's Directives
Study Directives
Daily Rambam Study · Daily Tanya chapter before prayer · Study of Temple-related topics during the Three Weeks · Study of Redemption and Moshiach topics · Study of the weekly Chassidic portion · Study of the Rebbes' teachings during Kislev · Completing Tractates during the Nine Days · Writing Torah novellas · Thaluchah

Main articles: Chitas, Daily Study Schedules, and Rambam Study Campaign

Chabad Chassidim maintain fixed daily study schedules. The Frierdiker Rebbe instituted the Chitas (an acronym for Chumash, Tehillim, Tanya) — a daily study program consisting of: the weekly Torah portion divided by the day of the week, Tehillim (Psalms) divided according to the days of the month, and a portion of Tanya following a schedule that covers all its sections over the course of a year.

In 1942, the Rebbe compiled, at the direction of the Frierdiker Rebbe, various sayings and stories from the Frierdiker Rebbe's talks and Chabad customs into a book called HaYom Yom — "From Day to Day" — including the Chitas study portions for each day, so that it could be studied daily throughout that year (5703/1942–43). To this day it is customary among Chabad Chassidim to read each morning, before prayer, the passage corresponding to the date, as written in HaYom Yom.

There are also study programs corresponding to seasons of the year: studying a page of Tractate Sotah each day during the Counting of the Omer; study of Temple-related topics during the Three Weeks; studying each week the discourses from Likkutei Torah and Torah Or corresponding to that week; study of the Rebbes' teachings during the month of Kislev; completing tractates during the Nine Days; and more.

Distinctive Customs

Main articles: Chabad Customs and Extended Prayer

Chabad Chassidus has a number of distinctive customs, which in our generation were compiled at the Rebbe's direction and published in the Sefer HaMinhagim (Book of Customs). A few examples:

• Chabad places great emphasis on extended prayer with deep contemplative meditation on the infinite greatness of the Creator and the smallness of man. Prayer is sometimes accompanied by the quiet singing of a Chabad niggun to stir the heart. At the same time, unlike other branches of Chassidus, Chabad Chassidim are careful not to give outward expression to this through physical movements, and are strongly discouraged from doing so. Extended prayer is called in Chabad parlance tefillah b'avodah (prayer through service), and a Chassid known for this is called an oved (practitioner) — as this is the more practical aspect of Chabad philosophy. Engaging in Chabad intellectual study alone, without emphasis on avodah, is considered a failing.

• Chabad Chassidim do not customarily sleep in the sukkah during the festival of Sukkos.

• Chabad Chassidim generally eat the Seudah Shlishis (Third Shabbos meal) on Shabbos without bread. This time, toward the close of Shabbos, is called "Reava D'Reevin." During this time it is customary to sing Chassidic niggunim and even to repeat a Chassidic maamar aloud (the custom is to do so from memory).

See Also

• Kuntres Inyanah Shel Toras HaChassidus
• Kuntres Toras HaChassidus
• Portal:Chabad Chassidus

Further Reading

• Rabbi Chaim Levi Yitzchak Ginsburg, Moshiach Now, vol. 2.
• Rabbi Avraham Chanoch Glitzenstein, Sefer HaToldos — a series of volumes on the Baal Shem Tov, the Maggid of Mezeritch, and the seven Chabad Rebbes.

History of Chabad

• Rabbi Shalom DovBer Levin, History of Chabad in Soviet Russia, Kehot, Brooklyn NY, 1988.
• Rabbi Shalom DovBer Levin, History of Chabad in the Holy Land, Kehot, Brooklyn NY, 1988.
• Rabbi Shalom DovBer Levin, History of Chabad in the United States, Kehot, Brooklyn NY, 1988.
• Rabbi Shalom DovBer Levin, History of Chabad in Czarist Russia, Kehot, Brooklyn NY, 2010.
• Rabbi Shalom DovBer Levin, History of Chabad in Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia, Kehot Publication Society, Brooklyn NY, 2011.
• Rabbi Refael Nachman HaKohen, Lubavitch and Its Soldiers — on the town of Lubavitch, the Tomchei Temimim yeshiva, and its students. Kfar Chabad, 1982.
• Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Kaminetzky, Concise History of Chabad, Kfar Chabad, 2004.
• Rabbi Yitzchak Kaplan, Who Continues the Path of the Baal Shem Tov? — an explanation of the connection and continuity between Chabad Chassidus and the Baal Shem Tov's teachings despite the differences between them. Journal Bnei Heichala, issue 2, Kislev–Tevet 5785, p. 48.

Chabad Chassidic Philosophy

• Rabbi Yoel Kahn, Machsheves HaChassidus — Topics in Chassidic philosophy. Eshel Library, Kfar Chabad, vol. 1 2001, vol. 2, 2004.
• Rabbi Yoel Kahn, Shiurim BeToras Chabad, vols. 1–2 — Chabad teachings for yeshiva students. Kfar Chabad, 2008.

The Chabad Rebbes and World Jewry Series

• Zusha Wolf, Diedushka — the Rebbe and Russian Jewry. Va'ad HaShluchim for the CIS countries, 2006.
• Ibid., The Chabad Rebbes and German Jewry, Heichal Menachem, 2008.
• Ibid., The Chabad Rebbes and Romanian Jewry, 2013.
• Ibid., The Chabad Rebbes and Austrian Jewry, Chabad Lubavitch Center Austria, 2014.
• Ibid., The Chabad Rebbes and French Jewry, Beis Lubavitch Paris, 2016.
• Ibid., The Chabad Rebbes and Georgian Jewry, Machon HaSefer — Tiferes Refael, 2016.
• Ibid., The Chabad Rebbes and Bukharan Jewry, World Congress of Bukharan Jews, 2016.
• The Chabad Population

External Links

• Nusach Chabad — a comprehensive overview of Chabad Chassidus, its characteristics, history, Rebbes, personalities, and concepts, in the Yiddish newspaper Moment Template:PDF Template:Broken link
• The Rebbe Rashab at an illuminating farbrengen on the purpose of Chabad Chassidus, on the Lachluchis Ge'ulas website
• Asher Frekes, What is "Chabad" really? Template:Video