The Rebbe Rayatz: Difference between revisions

On Tuesday 17th of Elul, the Rebbe Rashab selected eighteen students who would form the first nucleus of the new Tomchei Tmimim under the direction of the Rebbe Rayatz.

Immediately after the Sheva Brachos of the Rebbe Rayatz, at which the Rebbe Rashab announced the opening of Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim, in 5658, the Rebbe Rayatz was appointed as its active director.

On 20th of Sivan in 5662, Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim was closed for one day by order of the authorities. This was following the denouncement by the Maskilim. The Rebbe Rayatz did not comply with the police order and asked Yaakov the builder instead to prepare stairs so the bochurim could enter through the window. The next day a telegram arrived from the police commander giving permission to reopen the yeshiva.

At that time, the Czarist regime made life difficult for the Jews, and therefore the Rebbe Rayatz had to go to the authorities several times to try to soften their stance and change it for the better. Sometimes he had to do this with literal mesiras nefesh and risk to his life.

In 5670 he assisted his father at the Rabbinical Assembly of 5670, and in 5674 helped fight in the Beilis trial and prove Beilis's innocence.

On 2nd of Nissan 5680, the Rebbe Rashab, who was the father of the Rebbe Rayatz, passed away. In his will he wrote that they should appoint his only son, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak, to succeed him in leading Chabad chassidus and heading Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim. Consequently, on the day of the passing, Chabad chassidim appointed the Rebbe Rayatz to fill his father's place. He also wrote in the will that his son should work on strengthening and establishing the yeshiva and setting up chadarim and shiurim for learning Chassidus in the towns of Russia. In addition to the will, the Rebbe Rayatz also received a personal note from his father which stated: "You shall speak Chassidus before our friends on faithful foundations in the words of our holy fathers z"l, and you shall strive to explain the matters to others with good taste and knowledge." The Rebbe Rayatz showed this note to the chassidim after his father's passing but did not allow it to be copied.

The Rebbe Rayatz was well known to the chassidim from their time studying in Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim in Lubavitch under the management of the Rebbe's son as director, and other chassidim knew him from their visits to the Rebbe's court. Those involved in Chabad institutions and general public activities were in regular contact with the Rebbe's son, who had been his father the Rebbe Rashab's right hand for many years.

The details of the letters of hiskashrus were not known at all during those years and only after about ninety years were several letters of hiskashrus published in Beis Moshiach weekly, and in each "letter" dozens of chassidim plead and urge the Rebbe Rayatz to accept the yoke of leadership and the signatories commit to obey his instructions and connect to him.

== First Arrest ==

In Riga, the Frierdiker Rebbe achieved great accomplishments in communal matters, particularly for the Jews of Soviet Russia.

== Continued Achievements and Leadership in Riga ==

In Riga, the Frierdiker Rebbe focused on rebuilding and strengthening Jewish education and communal life. Despite the hardships faced by Soviet Jewry, his correspondence with chassidim in the Soviet Union became a lifeline for their spiritual survival. Through secret channels, he encouraged them to continue observing Torah and mitzvos under the most challenging conditions.

== Establishment of Educational Institutions ==

The Frierdiker Rebbe established and expanded the Tomchei Temimim yeshiva network outside of Soviet borders, emphasizing the importance of training students who would become emissaries (shluchim) to spread Yiddishkeit globally.

== Worldwide Influence ==

The Frierdiker Rebbe's influence extended far beyond the borders of Latvia. He maintained active correspondence with Jewish leaders and communities across Europe and the United States, offering guidance and support.

== American Rescue Mission ==

During the 1930s, recognizing the growing danger posed by the rise of Nazism in Germany, the Frierdiker Rebbe worked tirelessly to raise awareness about the plight of European Jewry. His efforts included fundraising, lobbying world leaders, and strengthening Jewish identity to combat the spiritual decline caused by assimilation and persecution.

== The Move to the United States ==

In 1940, the Frierdiker Rebbe and his family managed to escape the horrors of the Holocaust and arrived in the United States. His arrival marked a new chapter in Chabad's history, as he established the movement's headquarters in Brooklyn, New York.

== Transforming American Jewry ==

The Frierdiker Rebbe took on the monumental task of rekindling the flame of Yiddishkeit in America. Many Jews at the time were succumbing to assimilation, and Jewish observance was on the decline. Undeterred, the Frierdiker Rebbe launched a series of initiatives to strengthen Jewish education and observance in the United States, including:

* Publishing books and pamphlets to spread Torah knowledge and inspire deeper Jewish commitment.

* Sending emissaries to establish Chabad centers in cities and communities across America.

== Final Years and Legacy ==