The Mitteler Rebbe

The Mitteler Rebbe (Middle Rebbe), Rabbi DovBer Schneuri - originally in Yiddish "Der Mitteler Rebbe" - (9 Kislev 5534 - 9 Kislev 5588), was the second Rebbe in the dynasty of Chabad Rebbes and successor to his father, the Alter Rebbe. His nesius (leadership) was characterized by harchava (expansiveness and abundance), and he wrote and delivered thousands of maamarim (Chassidic discourses). He became known as the "Mitteler Rebbe" after his histalkus (passing), following the appointment of the third Rebbe of Chabad, the Tzemach Tzedek.

Life History

After 14 years of marriage during which only daughters were born, his father, the Alter Rebbe, traveled to his Rebbe, the Maggid of Mezritch, for a bracha for a son. The Maggid promised that if he would excel in hachnosas orchim (hospitality), he would merit a son, hinting to this from the possuk "Bameh yizakeh naar - es archo" (how shall a young man merit - through his ways/guests).

On the final Shabbos of the Maggid's life, Parshas Vayishlach 5533, he revealed to the Alter Rebbe the inner meanings of the "Shalom Zachar" and "Vach Nacht" ceremonies, promising him a son whom he should name after him (DovBer).

One year later, on 9 Kislev 5534, DovBer was born, the Alter Rebbe's first son. At his birth, his father provided a special piece of fabric to wrap the infant after his first washing.

The bris milah was attended by several of the Maggid's greatest talmidim, including Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk and Rabbi Avraham of Kalisk.

Education

The Alter Rebbe hired a special melamed (teacher) from among the Maggid's talmidim to teach his son Torah and guide his development. An additional melamed was Reb Avraham of Liepli.

From his earliest years, his extraordinary kochos (abilities) were evident to all. He would engage in pilpul (scholarly discourse) with his father's senior chassidim. He had a special interest in recording his observations of his father's hanhagos. From childhood, he was known for his ability to write with exceptional speed and clarity.

Bar Mitzvah

His Bar Mitzvah celebration drew chassidim from throughout the region, despite the Alter Rebbe's general rule against chassidim visiting during Cheshvan and Kislev. The rule was suspended for this simcha.

On the Bar Mitzvah day - Thursday, 9 Kislev 5547 - candles were lit throughout the beis medrash courtyard, which was specially expanded for the many guests. During krias haTorah, while the Bar Mitzvah bochur didn't receive an aliyah, his father was called for shlishi and afterward recited "Boruch Sheptarani" with Shem uMalchus.

After davening, the Alter Rebbe delivered a maamar on the possuk "Ki lekach tov," followed by the Bar Mitzvah bochur's discourse on "Maggid d'vorov l'Yaakov." The Alter Rebbe entered a state of deep dveikus and began singing the Niggun Daled Bavos.

Marriage

In 5548, at age 14, the Mitteler Rebbe was matched with Shaina, daughter of Reb Yaakov, a poor melamed from Yanowitz near Liozna. This shidduch came about when Shaina's father expressed concern to the Alter Rebbe about being unable to focus on his davening due to worry about marrying off his three daughters. The Alter Rebbe suggested his son as a match, knowing this would encourage other chassidim to seek shidduchim with the remaining daughters.

Lubavitch

Description of the Town of Lubavitch [Expanded entry - Lubavitch] The journey concluded with the Mitteler Rebbe choosing the town of Lubavitch as his residence, arriving there with thousands of chassidim on the 18th of Elul 5573. Upon arrival, the Mitteler Rebbe told the chassidim that the Alter Rebbe had studied in Lubavitch during his youth under Rabbi Yissachar Ber of Lubavitch. He added that the Alter Rebbe had appeared to him and requested that he establish his seat in Lubavitch.

Prince Tchekhovskiy, who ruled over the town, commanded his workers to cut trees from his forests to build homes for the Rebbe and the chassidim.

From Lubavitch, the Rebbe's teachings - Toras Chassidus Chabad - began spreading throughout White Russia and Lithuania, and the number of visitors to Lubavitch steadily increased.

A year after establishing his residence in Lubavitch, many of the elder chassidim who had been close to his father, the Alter Rebbe, began coming to hear Chassidus from him. All were filled with amazement at the leadership of the new Rebbe and the chassidic discourses (maamarim) which he delivered abundantly, as was his way. Sometimes he would deliver Chassidus multiple times during the same Shabbos, each time for several hours. On one Shavuos, the Rebbe said Chassidus 11 times in one day! Regarding this, his uncle Rabbi Yehuda Leib, the Alter Rebbe's brother, remarked: "Lav kol mocha sovil da" (not every mind can bear this).

During his nesius (leadership), the number of chassidim multiplied two and threefold compared to their numbers during the Alter Rebbe's time. The elder chassidim related that in his first year of leadership alone, fifteen thousand new chassidim joined in White Russia alone, and in the second year, 5575, the entire Chernigov region became a center of Lubavitch Chassidus.

Chevron

[Expanded entry - The Mitteler Rebbe's Synagogue in Chevron] In 5583, Chabad chassidim ascended to Chevron, and the Mitteler Rebbe purchased a room in the Sephardic synagogue "Avraham Avinu" and designated it as a special synagogue for Chabad chassidim. This synagogue is today the oldest Chabad synagogue in the world.

Imprisonment and Liberation

[Expanded entry - The Imprisonment and Liberation of the Mitteler Rebbe] In 5585, a Jew named Simcha Kissin submitted a denouncement to the authorities claiming that the Chassidic movement under the Mitteler Rebbe's leadership was a cult that entrapped thousands of chassidim to increase the Rebbe's wealth. This accusation was based on a forgery of the Mitteler Rebbe's letter and on the fundraising conducted to rebuild the court following the fire during the Alter Rebbe's time. As a result, the Mitteler Rebbe was arrested on Isru Chag Sukkos 5587. After investigations and examinations, the investigators realized that false accusations had been made against him, and on 10 Kislev 5587, he was released from imprisonment. This date was established for generations as a Holiday of Liberation (Chag HaGeulah).

Histalkus (Passing)

Before his histalkus, the Mitteler Rebbe hinted to the chassidim about it by saying that 5588 would be a year of gezeiros (decrees). Before the Tishrei holidays of 5588, he left Lubavitch to visit his father's tziyun (gravesite) in Haditch. During the return journey, he became very ill, and they stopped to rest in Nezhin. His illness grew worse day by day, and he would faint whenever touched. This condition continued until 8 Kislev. On that day, he wanted to write Chassidus about Chanukah matters, but since the world was in tzaar (distress), he didn't want to indulge in writing Chassidus and therefore didn't write. Instead, he told his chassidim to go home b'simcha (with joy) and say "l'chaim". During the night, he fainted many times, and when he awoke, he requested to be dressed in a white kittel. His face reddened, and he began praising and finding merit for all of Klal Yisrael. He again requested the chassidim to be joyful, saying that simcha sweetens dinim (harsh decrees).

On the eve of Wednesday, 9 Kislev 5588, the Mitteler Rebbe began saying a chassidic discourse with great hislahavus (enthusiasm) on the possuk "Acharei Hashem teileichu" (After Hashem you shall follow). Toward dawn, he concluded the maamar with the words "ki imcha mekor chaim mechayei hachaim" (for with You is the source of life from the Life of life) and was nistalek at age 54. His honorable resting place is in Nezhin.

The Mitteler Rebbe left a Sefer Torah that was inherited by his son Rabbi Menachem Nachum and from there to his grandchildren, the Popka family; R' Yitzchak Chaim Popka and R' Mordechai DovBer Popka. Today, the Sefer Torah is kept in the "Beis Torah Damesek Eliezer" synagogue in Flatbush.

Explanation of His Histalkus on His Birthday

The Mitteler Rebbe was nistalek on his birthday, 9 Kislev. The Rebbe (the Lubavitcher Rebbe) noted regarding this the Chazal's statement that "HaKadosh Baruch Hu sits and fills the years of tzaddikim from day to day and from month to month, as it says: 'The number of your days I shall fill'" - from which we see there is a special quality when a tzaddik's histalkus occurs on his birthday, making his years and days complete. The Rebbe adds that all tzaddikim have this quality of Hashem filling their years, but for most, it isn't visible in the physical realm. This was the special quality of the Mitteler Rebbe - that this concept was expressed even in gashmiyus (physicality).

This aspect fits with his avodah throughout his life - to bring the highest concepts of Chassidus even into physical flesh and material matters. As his son-in-law, the Tzemach Tzedek, expressed: "If they would cut my father-in-law's finger, Chassidus would flow instead of blood." He influenced his chassidim in this direction as well, stating that his desire was "that when two young men meet in the marketplace, they should discuss Chassidus," and that "when young men understand Kesser like they understand their five fingers, I will have satisfaction from this."

His Torah

The Mitteler Rebbe would deliver chassidic discourses in sequences two or three times every Shabbos, each time speaking for between 45 minutes to an hour. On Yom Kippur, he would say Chassidus three times: on Erev Yom Kippur morning after Shacharis (they would pray early), at the conclusion of Yom Kippur, and the morning after Yom Kippur before Shacharis.

Before delivering a maamar, he would write it in his own handwriting, and consequently, there aren't many transcripts (hanachos) from chassidim of his maamarim. On occasions when the Mitteler Rebbe didn't provide his own written version but rather the transcript from his father's (the Alter Rebbe's) maamar on which his discourse was based, we are missing the chiddushim (novel insights) that the Mitteler Rebbe added to those maamarim of his father that he then delivered. The Mitteler Rebbe's written maamarim are similar in style to his father's, the Alter Rebbe's, and he would add his explanations and elaborations throughout. His speaking style was lengthy and explanatory, different from his father's.

His Seforim

A large portion of the maamarim that the Mitteler Rebbe delivered were printed by him in seforim that he published during his years of nesius, and apparently underwent editing for publication. The Rebbe specifically noted the Mitteler Rebbe's tremendous effort and toil in publishing his seforim, even going so far as to publish them in separate booklets to make it easier for chassidim of limited means to purchase them - an innovation not found among our other Rebbeim.

Another portion of his seforim were printed only after his histalkus.

Seforim Published During His Lifetime:

1. Siddur with Dach (Chassidic discourses) and Biurei HaZohar from his father's maamarim, written by him (hence the sefer "Biurei HaZohar" is sometimes attributed to the Mitteler Rebbe) (5576)
2. Kuntres Pokeach Ivrim - Guidance for baalei teshuvah (5577, originally written in Yiddish)
3. Shaarei Teshuvah - On teshuvah, tefillah, and free choice (5577 - Part 1, 5578 - Part 2)
4. Derech Chaim - Part 3 of Shaarei Teshuvah. Printed in subsequent editions as a separate volume (5579)
5. Ner Mitzvah V'Torah Or, divided into two parts:
   • Shaar HaEmunah - Discourses on faith and Pesach topics
   • Shaar HaYichud - Explanation of contemplation according to the order of hishtalshelus (5580)
6. Imrei Binah - On the mitzvos of Krias Shema and G-d's unity, tefillin, and tzitzis (5581)
7. Ateres Rosh - Maamarim for the Yamim Noraim (High Holidays) (5581)
8. Shaarei Orah - Maamarim for Chanukah and Purim (5582)
9. Toras Chaim - Maamarim on the Torah portions:
   • Bereishis Part 1 (until Chayei Sarah) - printed by the Mitteler Rebbe himself
   • Bereishis Part 2 (Toldos-Vayechi) - printed in 5626 by his son
   • Shemos - printed in 5707 by the Rebbe (5586)

Seforim Published After His Histalkus:

1. Kuntres Bad Kodesh - A petition letter to the Vitebsk district governor requesting fair judgment, written during his imprisonment
2. Peirush HaMilos - Explanations on prayer
3. Piskei Dinim - Halachic rulings on Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah and Even HaEzer
4. Maamarei Admur HaEmtzai - His remaining unpublished maamarim that reached us, published in the seventh generation under the Rebbe's direction: On Torah, Nach, wedding discourses, and various kuntreisim (18 volumes - 5745-5751)
5. Maamarim Yekarim - His holy manuscripts of teachings received from his father, the Alter Rebbe
6. Igros Kodesh - His letters that reached us. Printed in two volumes containing letters of the Alter Rebbe, the Mitteler Rebbe, and the Tzemach Tzedek