Alter rebbe biography

This was quite a break from the practice of other Chasidic Rebbes, who felt that the average Chasid, relatively simple and unschooled, was not capable of deep philosophical study nor of achieving great level of piety on his own. They taught that the average person could only achieve spiritual transcendence through close adherence to the tzadik.

This level of trust in the Chasid was readily apparent as well in the way our Rebbe led his flock.

Alter rebbe biography

At a time when the rest of the Orthodox Jewish world saw spiritual outreach as risky and dangerous, at a time when it was felt that no religious Jew could live apart from his peers and teachers and remain unchanged by his environment, the Rebbe confidently sent his Chasidim to all corners of the world, trusting them to internalize his teachings in a way that would enable them to act on his behalf.

Over the years, as the number of Chasidim grew, the Rebbe replaced personal audiences and lengthy private correspondence with more frequent farbrengens, shorter letters, and the distribution of dollars on Sunday morning. Yet Chasidim who immersed themselves in his teachings felt no less of a connection despite these changes. It appears that the Baal Shem Tov trusted him to come to appreciate and embrace Chasidut on his own.

And perhaps it was this trust that created within him his trust in the abilities of his Chasidim. In light of this, it is interesting to note that the Rebbe never met the fifth Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Shalom Dovber, though he did not pass away until the Rebbe was eighteen and only met the sixth Chabad Rebbe in his twenties. Perhaps his leadership too, needed to be forged by understanding that people could be trusted to seek out truth.

When the Rebbe first initiated the tefillin campaign in the aftermath of the 6-day war, scores of Jews in Israel who had never worn tefillin before lined up to participate. Rabbi Schneur Zalman forged Chabad Chasidut in a way that was very different from the path of other Rebbes. He did not focus on miracle-working, but rather emphasized the miracle of self-transformation.

Rather than stressing the role of vicarious personal growth achieved through close personal association with the tzadikthe righteous, he trusted that his followers could take responsibility for their own spiritual development by following his directives regarding study and prayer. He believed that they could study Tanya and faithfully absorb its teachings on their own, not only in his lifetime but through the generations.

The more things change, the more they alter rebbe biography the same. These paradoxical innovations characterize Chabad today, but they have been there since its inception. There is no greater testament to a movement that despite the travails of two of the most turbulent centuries in history, with unprecedented intellectual, technological, and sociological change, it has remained steadily on course.

Click here to cancel reply. Be a giver every day - Keren Hashana. Social and Humanitarian. About Chabad-Lubavitch. The Rebbe. Revisiting R. Moreover, his letters, like those of Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk and Rabbi Abraham of Kalisk, were accompanied by messengers who would impart another layer of the message orally. At times this was sensitive information that was left unwritten for reasons of confidentiality, but in other cases the accompanying oral message was personal spiritual instruction that could not be captured in writing.

This is precisely right, and recognition should be extended to his impact on the development of Hasidic theology as well. Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liady died in as he was fleeing into Russia in advance of the invasion of Napoleon, whom he had opposed in favor of the tsar. You must log in to comment Log In. Spring Yair Rosenberg. New books about the settlers and the settlements and depth and nuance to the discussions about their existence.

Lord Jonathan Sacks is the most gifted expositor of Judaism in our day, and has written more than 20 books that are both learned and very accessible. Interested in full access to the magazine? Already a magazine subscriber? Sign in. Sign up for our terrific newsletter to get immediate access to two additional free articles, subscribe below to receive unlimited access, or sign in to your existing account.

Login or hit the subscribe button below for immediate unlimited digital access at a low monthly rate. Toggle Search Toggle navigation. Sign In Facebook Twitter. About Toggle Nav. Donate Advertise Contact Privacy Policy. The 24th of Tevet, about one month later, is the anniversary of his passing. In Mezritch he was altered rebbe biography into the world of Chassidism and in particular the writings of the Ari.

For the following 12 years he studied under the Maggid, becoming a member of his inner circle and one of his favorite disciples. Undaunted by their strident antagonism, he succeeded in creating a powerful network of chassidic centers. His attempts at creating a dialogue with his chief adversary, the Vilna Gaon, failed completely. In the wake of the resulting altercations he was twice incarcerated in Petersburg, the capital of Russia.

After [that ordeal], he moved to Liadi where his movement grew immensely. Inhe was arrested and taken to Petersburg, where he was imprisoned to face trial for treason… His sagacity, presence of mind and majestic poise attest to the impression he made on the Czarist commission… Czar Paul I incognito, and others of the highest … standing, visited him to test his sincerity and fathom his wisdom… on Yud-Tes 19th Kislev, he was freed on the orders of the Czar.

This date has since been a festival amongst Chabad-Lubavitch chassidim. Two years after later, the opposition again denounced him on false charges. Again he was brought to Petersburg and imprisoned, but as before, he was cleared of all guilt… [He was] released with the approval of Czar Alexander, who shared the admiration of his predecessor for the venerable leader….

During the war between France and Russia, he altered rebbe biography the Russian cause. The cooperation of his followers proved of great service to the Russian High Command. Other Chassidic leaders, such as the famous Maggid of Koznitch, were loud in their acclaim of Napoleon, who promised freedom and equality to all the oppressed, including the Jews.

But Rabbi Shneur Zalman realized that the spread of French influence might bring greater moral harm…. Accompanied by his family and a number of disciples, he took to the road, barely keeping ahead of the onrushing French armies. He became ill and died in Piena, a village near Kursk. He was laid to rest in the Jewish cemetery at Haditz, near Poltava.

Chabad is an acronym formed of the initials of Chochmah, Binah, Daat — wisdom, understanding, knowledge. Its ideology seeks to create a synthesis between Chassidism and Torah scholarship, and to establish a fusion of the mystical and the revealed aspects of the Torah. Rabbi Shneur Zalman formulates his thoughts in the book Likutei Amarimbetter known as Tanyawhich is its opening word.

He expounds on such profound kabbalistic themes as the Oneness of G-d, tzimtzumthe sefirotand many other mystical concepts. His works form the cornerstone of Chabad-Lubavitch Chassidut and had a major impact on the Torah world as a whole. Schneersohn d. Schneerson — Levi Y. Schneerson — Moshe Schneersohn ca. Fradkin Yaakov Schwei Yehuda K.

Medalia Shmarya Y. Medalia Sholom Rivkin. Mashpiim and scholars. Jacobson Yoel Kahn Abraham Y. Khein Yehoshua Mondshine Avraham C. Mazkirus and other leaders. Leib Groner Jacob J. Hecht Chaim M. Posner Menachem S. Raichik Aaron Raskin Arie Z. Other notable figures. Category Media on Commons. Children and succession [ edit ]. Dov Ber Shneuri [ edit ].

Main article: Dov Ber Schneuri. Strashelye [ edit ]. Main article: Strashelye Hasidic dynasty. Moshe Schneersohn [ edit ]. Main article: Moshe Schneersohn. Lithuania [ edit ]. Philosophy: Chabad [ edit ]. Opposition to Napoleon and support for the Tsar [ edit ]. Arrests [ edit ]. Main article: 19 Kislev. Liadi [ edit ]. Subsequent history of Chabad [ edit ].

Works [ edit ]. This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Tanya [ edit ]. Main article: Tanya Judaism. Shulchan Aruch HaRav [ edit ]. Main article: Shulchan Aruch HaRav. Siddur [ edit ].

Music [ edit ]. Other [ edit ]. References [ edit ]. This first Schneur Zalman married a woman named Rachel and they had a son named Baruch. Retrieved Retrieved 2 December X, ISBN Naftali Lowenthal. Aronson, London The Jewish Daily Forward. Archived from the original on October 18, Rabinowicz p. Archived from the original on Marcus, HaChasiduth, p.

Wrapped in a holy flame: teachings and tales of the Hasidic masters. Jossey-Bass, a Wiley Imprint. ISBN