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The Alter Rebbe

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Rabbi Schneur Zalman Boruchovich[1] of Liadi (18 Elul 5505 [September 4, 1745] — 24 Teves 5573 [December 27, 1812]) is known among Chabad Chassidim as the Alter Rebbe (Yiddish: Der Alter Rebbe — literally, "the Old Rebbe"). He is also known as the Maggid (preacher) of Liozna, the Gra"z, the Baal HaTanya (author of the Tanya), and the Baal HaShulchan Aruch (author of the Code of Jewish Law)[2] — or simply The Rav (the Rabbi).[3]

A painting of the Alter Rebbe, by Shalom Feiglin

He was among the greatest disciples of the Maggid of Mezritch, the founder of Chabad Chassidus, and the first Rebbe (spiritual leader) in the dynasty of Chabad's spiritual leaders. He authored the Tanya — the foundational philosophical and spiritual work of Chabad Chassidus — and composed the Code of Jewish Law (known as the Shulchan Aruch HaRav).

Life History

His Birth

 
A colorized reconstruction based on the known portrait of the Alter Rebbe

The Alter Rebbe's parents, Rabbi Boruch Poyzner[4] (a descendant of the Maharal of Prague) and Rivka, were married on Friday, 17 Elul 5503 [September 6, 1743]. For nearly ten months they remained childless, and on the advice of Rabbi Yitzchak Shaul — a close friend of Rabbi Boruch — the couple traveled to seek the blessing of the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of the Chassidic movement. In the month of Menachem Av 5504 [summer 1744], they arrived at the Baal Shem Tov, who promised them that within a year they would have a son. Rabbi Boruch and Rivka stayed for a time with the Baal Shem Tov, and at the Baal Shem Tov's birthday celebration on 18 Elul [September 1744], he turned to Rabbi Boruch and said: "At this very time next year, you will be embracing a son."

Before they left Mezhibuzh, they went in to the Baal Shem Tov to receive a farewell blessing. Rebbetzin Rivka told the Baal Shem Tov that when God would fulfill his holy blessing, she would dedicate the child to Torah study and divine service in the path of the Baal Shem Tov. The Baal Shem Tov blessed them, and they traveled home in joy. Exactly one year later, on Wednesday, 18 Elul 5505 [September 4, 1745], Schneur Zalman was born in a small village near the town of Liozna.

In the month of Adar 5505 [early 1745], Rabbi Boruch traveled to the Baal Shem Tov to report that his blessing had been fulfilled and his wife had conceived. The Baal Shem Tov inquired about the time of conception, and upon hearing the answer, instructed Rabbi Boruch to don a prayer belt (gartel) and recite the blessing of thanksgiving (Shehechiyanu) without pronouncing God's Name and Kingdom.

The Baal Shem Tov then gave him instructions for how his wife should conduct herself during the pregnancy and after the birth, and cautioned him not to tell anyone that a son had been born — and if asked, to say simply: "God will help."

On Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) of 5506 [1745], Rabbi Boruch traveled again to the Baal Shem Tov and received from him a detailed regimen for raising the child. By the age of one the child had begun to speak, and by age two his parents recognized that he possessed an extraordinary memory and comprehension — he had already memorized many chapters of Psalms (Tehillim) by heart.

When Rabbi Boruch came to the Baal Shem Tov on Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) of 5507 [1746], he mentioned his intention that on 18 Elul of the coming year, when his son would turn three, the Baal Shem Tov would perform the upsherin — the traditional first haircut given to Jewish boys at age three. When the child reached the age of three (in 5508 [1748]), his parents and his aunt (his father's sister, Rebbetzin Devorah Leah) brought him to the Baal Shem Tov in Mezhibuzh. The Baal Shem Tov left him his side locks (peyot), blessed him with the Priestly Blessing (Birchas Kohanim), and warned his parents to return home immediately and not to reveal where they had been. When the child asked who the Jew was that had cut his hair, his mother replied that it was "Grandfather."

His Childhood and Youth

Rabbi Schneur Zalman was known as a disciplined child, punctual and devoted in his studies. He demonstrated remarkable success in Torah scholarship and grasped even the most complex subjects in their full detail. On 17 Kislev 5510 [December 7, 1749], he was accepted to serve the Chevra Kadisha (Jewish burial society) of Liozna until his bar mitzvah. By the age of fifteen he had completed the entire Talmud (Shas) three times, and at sixteen — on the eve of 17 Kislev 5521 [November 25, 1760] — he was accepted as a full member of the Chevra Kadisha.[5] He was thoroughly familiar with the prayer book Sha'ar HaShamayim of the Shelah HaKadosh (a major seventeenth-century Torah authority) and conducted himself according to its practices.

At the age of eight he wrote a commentary on the Torah (the Five Books of Moses) that incorporated the classic commentaries of Rashi, Ibn Ezra, and the Ramban. When he was ten years old, he had a dream in which Rabbi Reuven Baal Shem — a hidden righteous man (tzaddik) — told him that he was being summoned to a heavenly tribunal. When he entered the synagogue in Liozna, Rabbi Reuven Baal Shem led him to a table where the judges began to declare: "These three elders — Rashi, Ibn Ezra, and the Ramban — are bringing you to a rabbinical court case (din Torah), for you wish to deprive them of the merit of enabling the many to learn through their commentaries, by composing a commentary that incorporates all three." The young Schneur Zalman was shaken by these words and promised to burn his commentary. The elders then turned to him, blessed him that he would innovate Torah teachings and paths of divine service.

When he awoke he fasted, and after dreaming the same dream a second time, he burned his commentary.[6]

At the age of nine, his father brought him to the town of Lubavitch to study Torah under the great scholar (gaon) Rabbi Yissachar Dov. When he turned eleven — approximately two years after arriving in Lubavitch — Rabbi Yissachar Dov told Rabbi Boruch that his son no longer needed teachers, and Rabbi Boruch brought him home to Liozna.

From the age of eleven, in addition to Talmud and legal works, he began studying Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) and ethical literature (mussar). He also began engaging in communal activity, going to the marketplace in Liozna to encourage the Jewish merchants — who were struggling in trade — to take up farming instead. Many families made the transition at his urging.[7]

His Bar Mitzvah

At the bar mitzvah celebration in 5518 [1758], the leading Torah scholars (gaonim) of that generation attended from Vitebsk, Polotsk, and Minsk. His father Rabbi Boruch and his grandfather Rabbi Moshe held seven days of festive celebration, with a ritual feast (seudas mitzvah) each day at which much Torah scholarship was shared. The Alter Rebbe's Torah insights surpassed all others and were recorded by his brother Rabbi Yehuda Leib Minowitz.[8] All the scholars conferred upon him the titles "Gaon" (genius) and "Tanna hu u'falig" (a rabbinic authority who may be disputed even against the Talmudic sages).[9]

Shortly after his bar mitzvah, he traveled to Vitebsk to stay with his uncle Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Shrei for several months. There he first heard about the Chassidic approach and the path of the Baal Shem Tov — though without yet knowing that these teachings originated with the Baal Shem Tov. He later recounted that during his time at his uncle's home, he felt each day the joyful atmosphere of a Jewish holiday (Yom Tov).[10]

His Marriage

When the Alter Rebbe came of age — at fourteen — his fame as a Torah genius had already spread throughout the surrounding region.

Rabbi Yehuda Leib Segal, one of the wealthy and respected men of Vitebsk, took him as a groom (chassan) for his daughter, Moras Sterna.

The wedding was initially set for the month of Elul 5519 [summer 1759], but Rabbi Boruch, the Alter Rebbe's father, had left home at the start of Elul and the wedding was postponed. His prospective father-in-law, Rabbi Yehuda Leib Segal, pressed to hold the wedding in the winter of 5520 [1760], but Rabbi Boruch did not agree. After Passover, Rabbi Boruch again left home and returned in Tammuz [summer 1760], at which point he set the wedding date for Friday, 12 Menachem Av 5520 [August 4, 1760] — the Shabbat of Consolation (Shabbos Nachamu).

After the wedding, he was supported by his father-in-law Rabbi Yehuda Leib Segal in Vitebsk.[11]

One of the conditions the Alter Rebbe stipulated before agreeing to the match was that the five thousand gold coins brought as a dowry be placed at his disposal, to do with as he saw fit. Indeed, in the first year of his marriage — with the full agreement of his wife — he gave the entire sum to support families who wished to earn their livelihood from farming. With this money he helped them purchase land and agricultural equipment. Thanks to this investment, large Jewish agricultural settlements were established along the Dvina River that flows through Vitebsk. The Alter Rebbe visited these settlements many times, encouraged the Jews to set fixed times for Torah study, and would share with them stories from Torah literature and the teachings of the Sages.[12]

By the age of eighteen he was thoroughly versed in the entire Talmud with all its commentators, including the works of the early authorities (Rishonim) and later authorities (Acharonim).

In Mezritch

Although he had not met the Baal Shem Tov since his first haircut ceremony at age three, he referred to the Baal Shem Tov as his spiritual grandfather: "Rabbi Baruch of Mezhibuzh is a physical grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, and I am a spiritual grandson." There are two ways to understand this — either through his first teacher Rabbi Yissachar Ber of Lubavitch, who was a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov, or through his primary teacher, the Maggid of Mezritch, who was also among the greatest disciples of the Baal Shem Tov.[13]

After Passover of 5524 [spring 1764], with his wife's agreement, he set out to fulfill the teaching "exile yourself to a place of Torah."[14]

After deliberation, he chose to travel to Mezritch to study under Rabbi DovBer, the Maggid of Mezritch. His primary reasoning was that in Vilna they teach how to study — and that he already knew — while in Mezritch they teach how to pray, and that he had not yet learned how to do properly.

When he decided to remain in Mezritch, the Maggid revealed to him the words of the Baal Shem Tov — that he was a new soul (neshamah) from the highest spiritual world (the world of Atzilus), clothed in a body in a revealed manner, and that his task was to reveal and explain the Torah of the Baal Shem Tov in love of God and love of fellow Jews, and to reveal the path of Chabad Chassidus — for one must love a fellow Jew simply because he is a Jew.

The Alter Rebbe said that in Mezritch he learned: what God is, what Israel is, and what the power of a Chassidic melody (niggun) is.

While in Mezritch he studied as a study partner (chavrusa) with Rabbi Avraham the Malach (the Angel) — the Maggid's son.

After a year and a half in Mezritch, he returned home to Vitebsk and began disseminating the Chassidic approach founded by the Baal Shem Tov. The Alter Rebbe made a profound impression in Vitebsk — even the leading scholars of Vitebsk were deeply moved by his immense genius. When his father-in-law, the wealthy Rabbi Yehuda Leib Segal, saw that his son-in-law had embraced the Chassidic path, he began to make his life difficult. He even pressured his daughter to accept a divorce, and when she refused, he drove her from his home.

At the age of twenty-two — in 5527 [1767] — the Alter Rebbe was appointed as the community preacher (maggid) of the city of Liozna.

At the age of twenty-five — in 5530 [1770] — at the instruction of the Maggid of Mezritch, he began composing the Code of Jewish Law known as the Shulchan Aruch HaRav (Code of Jewish Law). When the Maggid commanded him to compose the Code of Jewish Law, he rose to his full height, placed his hands on the Alter Rebbe's head, and blessed him with the Priestly Blessing.[15]

In 5531 [1771], he traveled on a confidential mission from the Maggid of Mezritch to Rabbi Yosef Kolbo of Shklov.

The Founding of Chabad Chassidus

Main article: The Founding of Chabad Chassidus

When the Alter Rebbe returned from Mezritch for the first time, he related that the Maggid had revealed to him that one of his tasks in this world was to reveal the path of Chabad Chassidus. In 5532 [1772], when the Russians conquered the entire region of Vitebsk and Liozna from the Poles,[16] he established the path of Chabad Chassidus — the service of God conducted through the three intellectual faculties: Wisdom (Chochma), Understanding (Bina), and Knowledge (Da'as), whose Hebrew initials form the word "ChaBaD."[17]

As the approach spread through the Alter Rebbe's efforts and those of his emissaries, hundreds of young scholars joined the movement. At the Alter Rebbe's side in establishing Chabad Chassidus stood his brother Rabbi Yehuda Leib Pozner. Over the following four years, Chabad Chassidus spread among hundreds of additional devoted seekers, and after the passing of the Maggid of Mezritch and the emigration of the leading disciple Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk to the Holy Land, when the leadership of Chassidus in Lithuania passed to the Alter Rebbe, thousands of additional families joined Chabad Chassidus. By 5540 [1780], Chabad Chassidim numbered approximately 15,000 families throughout Russia.

During this year — 5532 [1772] — he also conducted efforts to convince the Jews living in Vitebsk to move across the border into Russia proper.[18]

Leader of Chabad Chassidus

The Passing of the Maggid of Mezritch

 
The gravesite of the Maggid of Mezritch, the Alter Rebbe's teacher
Main article: Gathering of the Maggid's Disciples

On 18 Kislev 5533 [November 12, 1772], the Maggid of Mezritch asked his disciple the Alter Rebbe to do everything in his power to ensure that his son Rabbi Avraham the Malach would succeed him — and if he was unwilling, that Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk would take his place. The following day, 19 Kislev 5533 [November 13, 1772], the Maggid passed away, and his great disciples dispersed to different countries to spread the teachings of Chassidus. Rabbi Avraham "the Malach" (the Angel) settled in Volhynia and Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk in Russia. The Alter Rebbe and the other disciples of the Maggid immediately submitted a letter of attachment and loyalty (kesher) to Rabbi Avraham the Malach, the son of the Maggid of Mezritch.

In those years, the opposition to Chassidus was at its height, and meeting this challenge required a steadfast leader capable of standing firm against the opponents. For this purpose, an assembly was convened under the leadership of Rabbi Avraham the Malach, at which it was decided to establish a leadership committee — whose chairman would be empowered to issue directives to all Chassidic centers as he saw fit, for the good of the movement's growth. The Alter Rebbe was chosen as chairman. In this capacity he served for three years, traveling extensively to strengthen the disciples of the Maggid in their respective locations.

In 5536 [1776], the Alter Rebbe established Torah study houses (chedarim) in Liozna, to which young scholars gathered from across the region and dedicated themselves to Torah study according to the approach and schedule he laid out for them. During this period, the distinctive character of the Alter Rebbe's leadership began to take on its Chabad flavor, which sharpened over the years. Within a short time it became known throughout the Chassidic world that a new stream had emerged — the Chabad stream.

In 5537 [1777],[19] Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk traveled with three hundred people to the Land of Israel. The Alter Rebbe deliberated greatly whether to join. At first he thought not to go, reasoning that "upon whom can I leave our brethren, the Jewish people," and recalling the Maggid's teaching that the Baal Shem Tov had not been able to make the journey to Israel because "there are souls that specifically need the Land of Israel and there are souls that specifically need the Diaspora."[20] At the last moment — after Rabbi Menachem Mendel had already departed — he decided to join, and traveled with several of his disciples to Mohilev, where the group had stopped. He sent word that he wished to join the journey. Rabbi Menachem Mendel and the leading disciples tried to persuade him to remain in White Russia and take upon himself the leadership of the Chassidic community. The Alter Rebbe did not agree. Only after the Maggid appeared to him in a dream and instructed him to remain — and after he spent an entire week in private session with Rabbi Menachem Mendel, several hours each day — did he resolve to stay in Russia. After the group continued on its journey, Rabbi Menachem Mendel continued to lead the Chassidim through letters and emissaries that arrived frequently from the Land of Israel. During this time the Alter Rebbe went to stay in Mohilev.

The Move to Liozna

During this period, the Alter Rebbe received offers of rabbinic positions from both Vitebsk and Liozna, and he chose Liozna after they agreed to his condition: that they provide for the material needs of himself, his three brothers and their families, the scholars and students of the Torah study houses, and the Chassidic guests arriving from Russia and Lithuania. In the month of Elul 5536 [summer 1776], the Alter Rebbe set out for Liozna, and in the month of Shevat 5538 [winter 1778] he arrived there.

By then the Alter Rebbe was already leading thousands of Chassidim, though he had not yet assumed the formal title of "Rebbe" (spiritual leader). The deep longing of his Chassidim for a living Rebbe in their midst grew steadily more intense, and they expressed this desire to Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk. He instructed them by letter that although they remained bound to him, they were permitted to seek wisdom and guidance from "the righteous men, Chassidim, rabbis, and complete ones... whose every word is like burning coals of divine counsel and knowledge" — "the great ones of the community, renowned in Torah and reverence of God, who are present with them in their places of residence." This was a reference to three righteous leaders: Rabbi Yisrael of Polotsk, Rabbi Yissachar Ber of Lubavitch, and "the honored Rav, our teacher Rabbi Schneur Zalman (the Alter Rebbe) — may God protect him and may his name endure forever. And the threefold cord, etc. In whose hands, with God's help, lies their good — from the great goodness that is hidden and concealed — to illuminate their eyes and give them life, and their faith and deeds are true."

This letter granted Rabbi Menachem Mendel's Chassidim in Russia permission to seek counsel from these three leaders. This arrangement continued for a period, with Rabbi Menachem Mendel as the undisputed leader while the three righteous leaders served as his deputies in guiding people in the path of God on various spiritual matters. Over time, Rabbi Menachem Mendel perceived that despite his efforts to lead the community from afar, some Chassidim had begun to seek Torah guidance from various righteous leaders in Eastern Europe. There were those who sought to bring the "Chozeh" (the Seer) of Lublin from Poland and crown him leader of the Chassidim in Russia.

When Rabbi Menachem Mendel saw that this trend was growing, he resolved to appoint the Alter Rebbe as the undisputed leader of the Chassidim in Russia.

The Journey to the Vilna Gaon

After the passing of the Maggid of Mezritch, those who opposed Chassidus (the Misnagdim) intensified their campaign against the movement. Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk and the Alter Rebbe traveled to Vilna in 5534 [1774], seeking to meet with the Vilna Gaon — the pre-eminent Torah scholar of the generation — and persuade him that the Chassidim had not departed from the path of Torah, thereby bringing an end to the opponents' campaign against the Chassidic movement. However, the Vilna Gaon (known by the acronym Gr"a) refused to receive them and left Vilna, returning only after the Alter Rebbe and Rabbi Menachem Mendel had departed.

The Alter Rebbe writes:[21]

"From the very beginning we informed them and went to the Gaon the Chassid, may his light shine, to his home to debate with him and remove his complaints against us — when I was there together with the Rav the Chassid, our teacher Rabbi Mendel of Horodok, of blessed memory — and he shut the door before us twice... And when they began to press him greatly, he departed and left the city and remained there until the day of our departure from the city... and the war of the opponents continued with full force."

Rabbi Menachem Mendel and several of the Maggid's disciples, seeing that they could not quiet the opponents' campaign, resolved to travel to the Land of Israel.[22]

Debates with the Opponents of Chassidus

Main article: The Great Debate in Minsk (5543)

During the five years in which the Alter Rebbe served as the general organizer of the Chassidic movement — from the emigration of Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk to the Land of Israel until 5543 [1783] — he conducted a number of formal debates against the leading opponents of Chassidus (Misnagdim). For this purpose he traveled specifically to the strongholds of the opponents, demonstrating the Chassidim's mastery of traditional Torah scholarship and the righteousness of their path and approach.

The most well-known of these debates were the "Shklov Debate" and the "Great Debate in Minsk" in 5543 [1783]. Following these encounters, hundreds of scholars drew closer to Chassidus, and the genuine opposition from the great Torah authorities among the opponents diminished considerably — for they saw with their own eyes that the leader of the Chassidic movement was an immense genius and scholar, and that his entire path was founded on pure faith in God without any deviation from traditional Jewish practice. What remained was only the factional opposition of the extremists among the opponents, who were unwilling to accept that the Alter Rebbe had decisively defeated them in debate.

His Appointment as Rebbe

In 5546 [1786], Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk sent a special letter to the Alter Rebbe[23] announcing and demanding[24] that the time had come for him to accept the leadership of the Chassidim in Russia, to become a "Rebbe" (spiritual leader), and not to evade the mission placed upon him — promising him blessing and success.[25] In the remainder of the letter he outlines the principles by which the Alter Rebbe should lead the Chassidim.[26]

By this time the Alter Rebbe was already leading thousands of Chassidim, with hundreds of brilliant scholars in his study houses. Nevertheless, he was reluctant to formally accept the title of "Rebbe" with all that it entailed. In a letter of reply,[27] the Alter Rebbe wrote that he trembled upon hearing that he had been anointed to lead the Chassidim of Russia, and that the burden was heavy upon him and he could not bear it alone.[28] Yet he did not wish to defy his master's will, and he agreed to accept the role on condition that Rabbi Menachem Mendel mention him daily and bless him with all blessings.[29]

Rabbi Menachem Mendel in turn sent letters to the Chassidim in Russia urging them to accept the leadership of Rabbi Schneur Zalman. In an additional letter written in 5548 [1788], shortly before his own passing, he sent his final communication in which he crowned Rabbi Schneur Zalman as the sole and undisputed leader of the Chassidic community in Russia.[30] Following this, the Chassidic community of Russia formally accepted the Alter Rebbe's leadership.

Only fifteen years after the passing of the Maggid — in 5548 [1788] — did the Alter Rebbe formally accept upon himself to be the Rebbe and official spiritual leader of the Chassidim.

With the Haskalah Movement

The proponents of the Haskalah — the Jewish Enlightenment movement (Maskilim) — of that era had successfully penetrated Vilna, the greatest Torah center of the time and also the center of opposition to Chassidus. The Torah scholars of Vilna, led by the Vilna Gaon, viewed favorably the pursuit of secular studies alongside Torah study — particularly the study of Hebrew grammar. The Maskilim (Enlightenment advocates) exploited this opening to penetrate the leading circles of Torah scholarship and draw their sons toward a secular education, which led many young men to intensive study in Berlin and from there toward the Enlightenment. An active role in this was played by Shimon Lilienfeld (known as Shimon the Heretic), who posed as a God-fearing teacher and led many children onto the path of the Haskalah. Shimon sought to influence the Chassidic community as well, and for this purpose undertook a long journey to White Russia, where he even met with the Alter Rebbe — but despaired when he saw the depth of the Chassidim's faith and their bond with their Rebbe.[31]

The Tanya — The Foundational Work of Chabad

 
The cover of the Tanya
Main article: Sefer HaTanya

The Tanya is the foundational work of Chabad Chassidus and one of the central works of the Chassidic movement as a whole. The book surveys the human soul and analyzes its spiritual processes in a way that guides a person toward the service of God — while providing practical tools for overcoming the inner obstacles that stand in the way. It is related that the Alter Rebbe wrote the Tanya with answers to all the spiritual questions of all generations until the coming of the Messiah (Moshiach).

In 5532 [1772], after founding the path of Chabad Chassidus, the Alter Rebbe began guiding his Chassidim in private spiritual audiences (yechidus) on matters of divine service. These teachings were recorded by the Chassidim and compiled as booklets that were studied among themselves. These booklets were published in 5744 [1984] as the work "Tanya — First Edition."[32] In 5535 [1775], the Alter Rebbe began writing the Tanya as a formal work, and over the course of twenty years brought it to completion in 5555 [1795], at which point he authorized it to be copied. The opponents of Chassidus (Misnagdim), fearing the work's influence, produced falsified copies with deliberate distortions. When this became known to the Alter Rebbe, he resolved to have it printed officially to prevent further forgeries. In 5556 [1796], he sent the Tanya to the printing house in Slavita, accompanied by the endorsements (approbations) of disciples of the Maggid of Mezritch: Rabbi Meshulam Zusya of Anipoli and Rabbi Yehuda Leib HaKohen. The first copies of the Tanya arrived from the press to the Alter Rebbe on 26 Kislev 5557 [December 6, 1796].

Initially the book was met with resistance even from some Chassidic leaders, due to its intellectual character — but when they saw that it led to an increase in the service of God, they ceased their opposition and ultimately embraced it. Today the Tanya is considered the foremost among the foundational works of the Chassidic movement. It is revered across all branches of Chassidus and studied throughout the Jewish world.

The Tanya is known by several names: "Likkutei Amarim" (Collected Teachings) — the official name given by the Alter Rebbe himself; "Sefer Shel Beinonim" (The Book of the Intermediate Person) — named for the Tanya's central theme; "Tanya" — after the first word with which the book opens; and "The Written Torah of Chassidic Teaching" — reflecting the precision of every letter in the text, comparable to the written dimension of the Torah's revealed law.

The Tanya is divided into five parts:

  1. Likkutei Amarim (Collected Teachings) — the first and primary section, dealing with the nature of the human soul and the path of divine service.
  2. Sha'ar HaYichud VeHaEmunah (The Gate of Unity and Faith; also known as Likkutei Amarim Part II) — a rational explanation of the unity of God.
  3. Igeres HaTeshuvah (Letter on Repentance) — an elucidation of the nature of repentance (return to God) according to Chassidic teaching.
  4. Igeres HaKodesh (The Holy Letter) — a collection of thirty-two letters from the Alter Rebbe on various spiritual topics.
  5. Kuntres Acharon (Final Treatise) — the Alter Rebbe's explanations of several topics discussed in the first section.

Many special spiritual qualities (segulos) have been attributed to the study of the Tanya by the Chabad Rebbeim (spiritual leaders) and other great Torah authorities — and accordingly, many are accustomed to memorize sections of the Tanya by heart. The work also carries decisive influence on Jewish faith, particularly in explaining the Baal Shem Tov's teaching of divine personal Providence (hashgachah pratis — the belief that God personally oversees every detail of creation). Today the Tanya is considered the foundational work of Chassidic spiritual practice — Chabad Chassidim study a daily portion of it according to the enactment of the Previous Rebbe, completing the entire work over the course of a year.

Over the years, dozens of commentaries and explanations have been written on the Tanya — some by the Chabad Rebbeim and some by Chassidim. As of 5770 [2010], the Tanya had been printed in over five thousand editions worldwide.

His Imprisonments

 
The Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg
Main articles: The Imprisonment and Liberation of the Alter Rebbe and The Second Imprisonment of the Alter Rebbe

After the Alter Rebbe's formal appointment as the leader (Nasi) of Chabad Chassidus and the widespread dissemination of his approach to divine service, he encountered fierce opposition from two directions: the opponents of Chassidus (Misnagdim) on one side, and the Jewish Enlightenment advocates (Maskilim) on the other.

In 5559 [1798], the opponents informed the Tsarist authorities that the Alter Rebbe was collecting money for the benefit of the Turks — who then controlled the Land of Israel — with the aim of undermining Russian rule. In truth, the funds were being gathered to strengthen the Chassidic community in the Land of Israel. On 24 Tishrei [October 22, 1798], the Tsarist government arrested the Alter Rebbe and sentenced him to death as a rebel against the crown. For fifty-three days he sat in prison in the Peter and Paul Fortress in Petersburg, until he was ultimately able to prove his innocence. On Tuesday, 19 Kislev 5559 [November 27, 1798], in the late afternoon, he was released. When the news of his liberation was brought to him, he was holding an open book of Psalms (Tehillim) at the verse "He redeemed my soul in peace."

The day of his liberation — 19 Kislev — became the "Festival of Liberation" (Chag HaGeulah) among Chabad Chassidim and is celebrated to this day as a major Chassidic holiday.

The Alter Rebbe's imprisonment had been due to take place many years earlier, but when Rabbi Zusha of Anipoli — one of the great Chassidic leaders of the generation — heard of it, he declared: "Zusha does not want this." And so the imprisonment was delayed until 5559 [1798].[33]

On 24 Tishrei 5561 [October 12, 1800], the Alter Rebbe was imprisoned a second time — this time under better conditions, though the charges against him were more severe. He was released from this imprisonment on 27 Kislev (the third night of Chanukah, the Festival of Lights) according to one version, or 29 Kislev (the fifth night) according to another.[34]

In Liadi

After the Alter Rebbe's second imprisonment, the authorities requested that he reside in Petersburg. The Chassidim who did not live in the area were deeply pained by the distance from their Rebbe. At that time, the prince Lyubomirsky held influence in Petersburg, and he wished to meet the Alter Rebbe. One of the Chassidim told the prince of the Alter Rebbe's greatness — the admiration of thousands of followers, and the suffering of the Chassidim at the authorities' decree that he live in Petersburg.

When Lyubomirsky and the Alter Rebbe met, the prince told him that if he agreed to settle in one of the towns under his jurisdiction, he would arrange permission from the authorities. The Alter Rebbe agreed to settle in the town of Liadi, and the prince ordered that homes be built for the Alter Rebbe and his Chassidim.

On Friday, 14 Menachem Av 5561 [August 4, 1801] — the Shabbat of Consolation (Shabbos Nachamu) — the Alter Rebbe arrived in Liadi together with five thousand Chassidim and settled there. From that time forward, the Alter Rebbe and his Chassidim lived in tranquility, relieved of the pressures from the opponents of Chassidus. The Alter Rebbe's communal activities spread throughout White Russia and Ukraine, and during this period tens of thousands of additional Chassidim joined the movement.[35]

The Napoleonic War

Main article: The Napoleonic War

When Napoleon's war against the Russian Empire broke out, the Alter Rebbe expressed his view to his Chassidim: if Napoleon were to win, it was possible that the material situation of the Jews would improve — but spiritually, heresy and licentiousness would spread, God forbid. He therefore did everything in his power to assist the Russian army. Immediately after Napoleon's forces invaded Russia on 14 Tammuz 5572 [June 24, 1812], the Alter Rebbe sent several Chassidim on intelligence missions for the Russian army within the French military command. The most notable of the Chassidim who undertook such missions was Rabbi Moshe Meizels.

The Alter Rebbe sent a sacred letter to all the Jews of Russia, calling upon them to stand in support and assist the Russian government with their money, their labor, and all that they had. He concluded the letter with the words: "And let not your hearts falter, and pay no heed to the enemy's temporary victories — for the final victory will belong to the side of the Tsar of Russia."

The Alter Rebbe did not wish to leave his home in Liadi during the war — primarily so as not to demoralize the Jews of White Russia. However, when Napoleon's army advanced rapidly toward Liadi, the Alter Rebbe ordered all the Jewish residents to leave the city as quickly as possible. This was on Friday, 29 Menachem Av, the eve of the first of Elul 5572 [August 18, 1812]. The Alter Rebbe, together with his household and approximately three hundred Chassidic families, departed in great haste from Liadi, which was in immediate danger of invasion by Napoleon's forces.

Before the Chassidic families left their homes, the Alter Rebbe instructed them to take all their household possessions — their beds, their tables, even their fixed prayer stands. He ordered all old items to be burned. After everyone had departed and traveled a considerable distance, he instructed them to return to the city and check whether any item or garment had been left behind. To their great surprise, the Chassidim found a worn pair of slippers — whereupon the Alter Rebbe ordered the entire house in which they were found to be burned.

Shortly after the Alter Rebbe left Liadi, Napoleon himself arrived in the city and hurried to the Alter Rebbe's home. Seeing that the house was in flames, he ordered his soldiers to extinguish the fire — but the blaze had spread too widely for them to approach. When Napoleon realized that nothing could be salvaged from the Alter Rebbe's home, he turned to the townspeople and asked them to bring him any object belonging to the Alter Rebbe — a coin, a vessel, anything. Napoleon promised enormous sums to whoever could bring him such an item — but nothing was found.

For one hundred and forty days, the Alter Rebbe and the three hundred families were displaced on a difficult journey, accompanied by Russian soldiers, until they reached the village of Piena where they found rest. When they arrived at Piena, the Chassidic families were informed that the Alter Rebbe's words had been fulfilled — Napoleon's army was beginning to suffer defeats. As the Mitteler Rebbe (the Alter Rebbe's son and successor) writes: "And on 19 Kislev we heard that the enemy had suffered a defeat near Krasna and they were fleeing him like a dog — and we were filled with joy, for everything had come to pass, not a word had failed..."

When the Alter Rebbe left the city of Liadi, the seat of the Chabad dynasty moved from Liadi to its new home in the town of Lubavitch, where the Mitteler Rebbe — his son and successor — settled approximately a year later.

His Passing

 
The renovated burial enclosure (Ohel) of the Alter Rebbe in Haditch (5754 [1994])
 
The interior of the Alter Rebbe's burial enclosure

His Final Days

On Friday, 8 Teves 5573 [January 3, 1813], the Alter Rebbe arrived at the village of Piena.[36] There he learned of the destruction of White Russia.[37] On Thursday, 21 Teves 5573 [January 16, 1813], the Alter Rebbe prayed his final evening service (Maariv) — at great length.[38]

The Alter Rebbe's sons related that this prayer was offered "with clear, settled mind and wondrous cleaving to God (deveikus)." Before his passing he said: "Whoever holds onto my 'handle' — I will do good for him in this world and the next world."[39]

He also said:[40] "The passage from this world to the next world is an easy matter — it depends only on the one who effects the transition. There are those who are dying for a prolonged time — it appears that their 'transporter' is among those who are negligent. There are those who are dying for only a few moments — it appears that their 'transporter' is among the good emissaries. And the manner of separation from the body depends on how one lived in the body. The verse explains 'Tov mosi michayyai' — that the good and the life after death comes from the life of the body, according to the manner in which the soul (neshamah) lived in the body — and this is what moves me."

Moments before his passing, the Alter Rebbe wrote on a note the discourse "The lowly soul": "The truly lowly soul in its root — its divine service is physical Torah."[41]

The Alter Rebbe instructed that the room where he lay be closed, and that only those who wished to pray be admitted. He also requested that if two Jews who were lax in their observance happened to come, the host should try to bring them to repentance (teshuvah — a return to God and Jewish practice) — and in the merit of this he promised the (non-Jewish) host length of days.[42]

His Passing

On the night following the Shabbat of the Torah portion of Shemos, 24 Teves 5573 [December 27, 1812], immediately[43] after the evening prayer and the conclusion of Shabbat (Havdalah) over coffee[44] — at 22:22 — the Alter Rebbe passed from this world.

His Resting Place — Haditch

Main articles: Ohel of the Alter Rebbe and Haditch

The village of Piena had no Jewish cemetery. The Alter Rebbe was therefore transported the following day on a horse-drawn sleigh to the town of Haditch, approximately 300 kilometers away, where there was a Jewish cemetery.[45]

As the Alter Rebbe was being brought for burial in Haditch, the wagon stopped along the way and it appeared as though the Alter Rebbe had raised himself up and was lying suspended in the air. Those accompanying him were frightened, and then noticed that a non-kosher animal had crawled beneath the wagon. They chased it away, and the Alter Rebbe's body settled back as before.

The Alter Rebbe was brought to his eternal rest in the Jewish cemetery of Haditch, and a burial enclosure (ohel) was later built over the gravesite.

After the burial, the Tzemach Tzedek — the third Chabad Rebbe and the Alter Rebbe's grandson — moved to Haditch to live near the holy gravesite.

His Family

His Lineage

The Alter Rebbe's lineage traces back to the Maharal of Prague — the great sixteenth-century Torah scholar, mystic, and Jewish leader — who himself was descended through Rav Hai Gaon, the son of Rav Sherira Gaon, the son of Rav Chanina Gaon — all of whom were from the family of the Exilarchs (the leaders of the Jewish community in Babylonian exile) and the Princes (Nesi'im), going back to the kings of the tribe of Judah and King David.[46]

The Previous Rebbe writes[47] that the Alter Rebbe was the son of Rabbi Yisrael Boruch Pozner, the son of Rabbi Schneur Zalman Pozner,[48] the son of Rabbi Moshe of Pozna, the son of Rabbi Yehuda Leib, the son of Rabbi Shmuel Charif, the son of Rabbi Betzalel Charif — the only son of the Maharal of Prague.

According to the work Beis Rebbi[49] — Rabbi Moshe of Pozna (the grandfather of the Alter Rebbe's father) was the son of Rabbi Yehuda of Kavli,[50] who was the son of Rabbi Moshe, who was the son of Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch, who was the son of the great scholar Rabbi Yosef Yaski, presiding judge of the Lublin rabbinical court (and some say of the Lvov rabbinical court), and the son-in-law of the Maharal of Prague. However, in recent years, academic research has raised questions about whether a lineage to the Maharal can be established through Rabbi Yehuda of Kavli.[51][52]

The Portrait of the Alter Rebbe

 
The portrait of the Alter Rebbe
Main article: Portrait of the Alter Rebbe

In 5559 [1799], while the Alter Rebbe was in prison, he was painted by the nobles of Petersburg, and is depicted at the age appropriate to that period. The existence of this portrait became known through a Chassid who heard, in 5622 [1862], the Tzemach Tzedek (third Chabad Rebbe) mention it to his son, the Rebbe Maharash (fourth Chabad Rebbe).

It is not known with certainty whether the original portrait was rendered in black pencil — as it is known from the printed copies — or in color. The earliest known surviving copy of the original portrait is an impression from its first large-format printing, made by Rabbi Shmarya Schneersohn. It is preserved today in the Lubavitch Library.

His Works

 
Title page of the first printing of Collected Torah Teachings, 5608 [1848

]

His Innovations and Enactments

The Alter Rebbe was a trailblazer not only in Chassidic thought, but in Jewish law (halacha) and practice (minhag) as well. In addition to the Code of Jewish Law he composed, the Alter Rebbe instituted ten[53] enactments and innovations:

  • The Tanya — a complete, written path of divine service available to every Jew.
  • The Prayer Rite (Nusach) — the Alter Rebbe's prayer book, equally accessible to all Jews regardless of background.
  • Polished Knives — the practice of polishing the ritual slaughtering knife on both sides of the blade to ensure it is perfectly smooth, as an additional guarantee of kosher slaughter.
  • Script for Ritual Writing (Kesav Stam) — a new form of the Hebrew letters used in Torah scrolls, mezuzot, and tefillin (phylacteries) that harmonizes Jewish mystical tradition (Kabbalah) and Jewish law (halacha). The story goes that the Maggid summoned the Alter Rebbe and told him that there was a heavenly complaint that the revealed legal tradition and the mystical tradition disagreed regarding the form of these letters, and asked him to compose a script that would unify both. Thus was created the Alter Rebbe's script, with which the Maggid was pleased.
  • Annual Talmud Completion — a system for completing the entire Talmud each year, divided among all Chabad communities so that collectively the entire Talmud is studied annually.
  • Ritual Immersion Pool (Mikveh) Enactment — a halachic solution facilitating immersion in a natural spring in accordance with Jewish law.
  • Sale of Leavened Products (Chametz) Before Passover — the use of a legal guarantor (eruv kablan) in the sale of leavened products before Passover, ensuring the sale is legally effective under Jewish law.
  • Knot of the Phylacteries (Tefillin) — a unique method of tying the head phylactery[54] and the hand phylactery.[55]

The Ten Sacred Melodies

 
The musical notation of the Four-Part Melody (Niggun Arba Bavos) from The Book of Melodies
Main article: The Ten Nigunim

It is a tradition among Chabad Chassidim that the Alter Rebbe composed ten specially designated sacred melodies (nigunim mekuvanim) — which carry a unique spiritual quality: they bring those who sing them to an awakening of repentance and a cleaving of the soul to God. These melodies are customarily not sung casually, but only at specially designated times or meaningful moments. Five of the ten melodies are attributed to him with certainty; the others are attributed to him, though whether he composed them all is uncertain.

  1. Avinu Malkeinu (Our Father, Our King)
  2. Eli Atah (You Are My God)
  3. Arba Bavos (The Four-Part Melody)
  4. Bnei Heichala (Children of the Palace)
  5. Ka'Ayal Ta'arog (As the Deer Yearns)
  6. Lecha Dodi (Come, My Beloved — the Shabbat Welcoming Melody)
  7. Melody of Cleaving to God for Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year)
  8. Melody of Cleaving to God for Shabbat
  9. Tze'ena U're'ena (Go Forth and Behold)
  10. Kol Dodi (The Voice of My Beloved)

See Also

Further Reading

  • Rabbi Shalom Dov Ber Levin, Toldos Chabad B'Russia HaTzarit — The History of Chabad in Tsarist Russia, Kehot, New York, 5770 [2010].
  • Shterna Sara Schneersohn, Megilas Chayyav shel HaRav MiLiadi — an account of the Alter Rebbe's imprisonment and liberation, written by the wife of the Rebbe Rashab (fourth Chabad Rebbe) in her youth and lost over the years. In 5700 [1940] it was found by her step-nephew, Rabbi Shimshon Dov Yerushalimsky, who transmitted it to the Previous Rebbe.
  • Rabbi Chaim Meir Heilman, Beis Rebbi.
  • Mordechai Teitelbaum, HaRav MiLiadi U'Mifleges Chabad [The Rav of Liadi and the Chabad Movement], 5670 [1910].
  • Rabbi Yehoshua Mondshein, Masa B'Berditchev [Journey in Berditchev].
  • Rabbi Schneur Zalman Berger, Toldos Chabad B'Petersburg [The History of Chabad in Petersburg], chapter 4 — the Alter Rebbe in prison.
  • Maasar V'Geulah Yud-Tes Kislev [Imprisonment and Liberation — the 19th of Kislev], special supplement in Beis Moshiach Weekly, issue 207.
  • Overview — Shulchan Aruch Admur HaZaken (Leading Torah Authorities and the Alter Rebbe's Code of Jewish Law; how the Code was received in the Lithuanian community), Beis Moshiach Weekly, issue 1343.
  • Rabbi Chanoch Glitzenstein, The History of the Alter Rebbe.
  • Schneur Zalman Berger, HaTamim (Beis Moshiach supplement). A series on the Alter Rebbe's great disciples.
  • Rabbi Dov Tversky, Hilchesa K'Rav — an elucidation of the laws of Shabbat according to the Alter Rebbe, Kfar Chabad.
  • Rabbi Avraham Levi, Kuntres Kesav Chabad — a survey and analysis of the Alter Rebbe's script for ritual writing. Migdal HaEmek, Teves 5769 [January 2009].
  • HaRishon [The First], Toras Chabad L'Vnei HaYeshivos [Chabad Torah for Yeshiva Students], 5774 [2013/2014].
  • Menachem Ziegelboim, Istalk Yikara — the story of the passing of the Chabad Rebbeim, p. 54, 5773 [2013].
  • Rabbi Nachum Greenwald, HaRav, 5775 [2015].
  • Matanya Engelman, A New Path of a New Soul, Kfar Chabad Weekly, issue 1992, p. 20.

External Links

Notes

  1. ↑ He was known by this name after his father "Boruch," as was customary in that era to append the father's name as a family surname.
  2. ↑ These titles became attached to him following the widespread dissemination of his two central works — the Tanya and the Code of Jewish Law. The Rebbe frequently used this title and on one occasion explained its significance: "Baal HaTanya" — a halachic authority (decisor of Jewish law) in the inner, mystical dimension of Torah; "Baal HaShulchan Aruch" — a halachic authority in the revealed, legal dimension of Torah. There is also a further connection between the two works: the four sections of the Tanya correspond to the four sections of the Code of Jewish Law.
  3. ↑ He was also known as Der Litvak ("the Lithuanian"), following the Maggid of Mezritch's reference to him before his disciples as "the Lithuanian genius."
  4. ↑ Rabbi Boruch was a descendant of the Maharal of Prague, the great sixteenth-century Torah scholar and mystic. The Maharal had one son — Rabbi Betzalel Charif, born in 5316 [1556], who passed away in 5380 [1620]. His son Rabbi Shmuel was head of the Prague community and passed away in 5415 [1655]. His son Rabbi Yehuda Leib served as the presiding judge of the rabbinical court of the Kavili community. His son Rabbi Moshe of Pozna authored the work Kol Yehuda on the Code of Jewish Law. His son Rabbi Schneur Zalman Pozner was the grandfather of the Alter Rebbe. His son Rabbi Yisrael Boruch Pozner was the Alter Rebbe's father. See also Kovetz Ohr Yisrael from Kislev 5764 [2003] and the journal Assef Yeshurun, 3 Elul 5757 [1997], p. 679.
  5. ↑ See Beis Rebbi, chapter 1, and the discussions in the footnotes there.
  6. ↑ From a record of the Previous Rebbe (the Frierdiker Rebbe), published in Bata'on Chabad, issues 19–20.
  7. ↑ Sefer HaSichos [Book of Discourses] 5705 [1945], p. 78.
  8. ↑ Rabbi Yitzchak Eizik of Vitebsk related that he possessed three manuscript volumes copied from the writings of Rabbi Yehuda Leib — the Alter Rebbe's brother — containing the Alter Rebbe's responses to all the questions posed by the scholars present at his bar mitzvah celebrations.
  9. ↑ These titles were recorded in the register of the Chevra Kadisha as a memorial for future generations.
  10. ↑ Sefer HaToldos — Admur HaZaken [The History of the Alter Rebbe], vol. 1.
  11. ↑ Sefer HaSichos, Summer 5700 [1940], p. 79.
  12. ↑ Sichos 5705 [1945], p. 131.
  13. ↑ Sefer HaZichronos [Book of Memoirs], at its beginning.
  14. ↑ Ethics of the Fathers (Avos) 4:14.
  15. ↑ HaTamim [journal], p. 72.
  16. ↑ Chabad Chassidus could only have been founded in Russia — see the talk (sicha) of the Rebbe, 12 Tammuz 5713 [July 4, 1953].
  17. ↑ Sichos 5709 [1949], p. 293; Shalshalas HaYachas — Admur HaZaken.
  18. ↑ Shalshalas HaYachas.
  19. ↑ Shalshalas HaYachas.
  20. ↑ Sacred Letters of the Alter Rebbe, vol. 1, p. 202. From his letter to Rabbi Yisrael of Polotsk.
  21. ↑ Sacred Letters of the Alter Rebbe, letter 34.
  22. ↑ Beis Rebbi.
  23. ↑ The opening of the letter contains praises of a kind not found in his other letters: "Light is sown for the righteous man, going and shining, the dew of lights is your dew for Israel. He will flourish like the rose and his roots like Lebanon, from him fruit is found, all who find him find life and peace — his honor, our beloved, the beloved of God and the beloved of my soul, the desire of my heart, the Rav, the luminary, the wondrous light, and the treasured storehouse in the abode of wisdom, mighty before God, this is Sinai — our holy master Rabbi Schneur Zalman, may he live."
  24. ↑ "And I have come only to add my love with this letter in my own hand, to arouse his righteousness and the Torah of his God in his heart, that his steps shall not waver. Why would you say that your path is hidden from God — to provide for Israel before their Father in Heaven, to show the way, and who like him is a teacher in all their provinces, for a candle of mitzvah and Torah is light, going and shining until the day is established — and they do not require a prophet or seer, for I am no prophet or seer, and God is his light. Only be strong and courageous, trust in God and tend faithfully, for God has given him as a shepherd."
  25. ↑ "Go in this your strength and save Israel, to lay upon them the yoke of Torah and commandments. And thereby will be fulfilled in them: one who accepts upon himself the yoke of Torah has removed from himself the yoke of government and the yoke of worldly concerns, etc."
  26. ↑ "The main thing is to distance them greatly from the customs and laws of the non-Jews — very far indeed — and not to be defiled by any of these, for this is primary, and it is the beginning of impurity and the drawing down of the forces of spiritual negativity, as explained in my longer letter. Light of life for those who ascend. And my intent was not that they pursue greatness and wonders from themselves, but only to broaden the heart of the reader to distance themselves greatly from the impurity of the nations."
  27. ↑ Written in 5548 [1788], approximately four months before the passing of Rabbi Menachem Mendel.
  28. ↑ "May he receive a blessing from God. The one who ascends the mountain of God and stands in His holy place — behold his holy honor, my soul is bound to his soul. Man of God, etc. — our teacher and master, the Rav Rabbi Menachem Mendel, may he live forever, in the Holy City of Tiberias, may it be built and established. After inquiring after the wellbeing of his holy honor as befits those who love his name. Behold I have heard and trembling and terror seized me at the sound of the call of your holy honor's words, may his light shine, in his letter to our dear community, may they live forever — that he has chosen and anointed me to be a faithful shepherd and guide and righteous teacher for the holy flock; may our teacher and master, may his light shine, turn this over in my merit, for I am not capable. Who am I that this holy burden has been placed upon me — how shall I bear it alone?"
  29. ↑ "But to defy the will of his holiness I also cannot. Therefore only with this do I agree — that every single day he will call me to mind and elevate each one at his camp and at his standard. And from the day I receive your holy reply with the blessings of our teacher, may he live, from that day forward I will carry this holy burden upon my shoulder. And may He Whose peace is His bring upon us peace and love and brotherhood and friendship, and let their hearts be with my heart as my heart is with theirs."
  30. ↑ "...All of you are obligated to honor him, for he has labored greatly and worn out his feet in distant wandering, moving about for a long time for the sake of hearing the words of the living God... who cast his soul behind him and wore out his feet to seek God, and became dust beneath the feet of the righteous men to hear the precious word of God."
  31. ↑ The Previous Rebbe (Frierdiker Rebbe), Reshimas Divrei Yemei Admur HaZaken — A Record of the Days of the Alter Rebbe's Life, pp. 32 and onwards, Kehot, 5771 [2011].
  32. ↑ By directive of the Rebbe.
  33. ↑ Cited in Sefer Padah B'Shalom, p. 83.
  34. ↑ Regarding both dates, the Rebbe writes: "It may be said that in both there were elements of liberation (even literally)." In Kerem Chabad, Rabbi Yehoshua Mondshein published documents indicating that on 27 Kislev the Alter Rebbe was transferred from prison to house arrest, and on 29 Kislev was released entirely.
  35. ↑ According to Kuntres Limmud HaChassidus [Treatise on the Study of Chassidus], pp. 12–13.
  36. ↑ Location of the village on Google Maps; Photo of the village on Panoramio.
  37. ↑ There is a version that also mentions the capture of Moscow by Napoleon — and there are those who dispute this.
  38. ↑ See in detail regarding all the events surrounding the passing in the work HaMasa HaAcharon [The Final Journey] by Rabbi Yehoshua Mondshein, and in the article HaShavua HaAcharon [The Final Week], Kfar Chabad Weekly, issue 1891, p. 36.
  39. ↑ Book of Discourses of the Previous Rebbe 5699 [1939], p. 338. The Previous Rebbe adds that "there are eight interpretations of this saying from the Tzemach Tzedek" and cites one of them.
  40. ↑ Appears in a record of the Previous Rebbe, who heard it from his father, the Rebbe Rashab.
  41. ↑ Likkutei Diburim [Collected Talks], vols. 3–4, Likkut 32, at its conclusion.
  42. ↑ From the records of Rabbi Azriel Zelig Slonim — Migdal Oz, pp. 174–175, in the name of the emissary Rabbi Yechiel Heilperin, who saw it in the city register of Haditch. In Shivchei HaRav it is mentioned that the room was closed, but it is not stated that this was at the Alter Rebbe's instruction.
  43. ↑ According to the letter of the Mitteler Rebbe, winter 5573 [1813]. Sacred Letters of the Mitteler Rebbe (Igros Kodesh), p. 234.
  44. ↑ Over which the Alter Rebbe made Havdalah, and which spilled on him several times during the ceremony. (Leket Hanhagos U'Minhagei Shabbos Kodesh [Kehot, 5756 (1996)], chapter 10, p. 63.)
  45. ↑ During the journey the wagon stopped at an inn, and robbers who were there planned to seize the wagon. Miraculously, the escorts overheard the robbers' plans and rushed the wagon away.
  46. ↑ See also the article by Rabbi Shalom Dov Ber Wolpa.
  47. ↑ Sefer HaZichronos [Book of Memoirs] and Hayom Yom [a daily calendar of Chassidic teachings] at the beginning of the genealogical chain (Shalshalas HaYachas).
  48. ↑ See the introduction to the Sacred Letters of the Alter Rebbe (Igros Kodesh).
  49. ↑ Chapter 1.
  50. ↑ Author of Kol Yehuda on the section of the Code of Jewish Law dealing with daily life and prayer (Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim).
  51. ↑ For a clarification of the lineage of the Alter Rebbe, see the note of Rabbi Shlomo Englard in Sefer Ohr Yisrael, 33, p. 128 and onwards; ibid., 34, p. 99 and onwards.
  52. ↑ The authoritative words of the Previous Rebbe require no external strengthening or support.
  53. ↑ Ten merits — these are what the first Chassidim attributed to the Alter Rebbe. Likkutei Diburim [Collected Talks], vol. 5, p. 918.
  54. ↑ Code of Jewish Law (Shulchan Aruch Admur HaZaken), section 27, paragraph 17. See also the related story in Lishmo'a Ozen (5776 [2016] edition), p. 82.
  55. ↑ Ketzos HaShulchan, section 8, paragraph 5, in the gloss.
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