The Alter Rebbe
Early Years
Rabbi Schneur Zalman was born on the 18th day of Elul (which
is also the birthday of the Baal-Shem-Tov), in the year 5505 (1745), in
the town of Liozna, province of Mohilev, in White Russia, which was
part of Poland at that time. His parents, Baruch and Rivkah, had three
sons, all of whom were outstanding Talmud scholars and Rabbis.
Rabbi Schneur Zalman's father was a man of some means. He
came from a family that originally lived in Bohemia and directly traced
its ancestry to the famed Rabbi Yehuda Lowe (Maharal) of Prague. R'
Baruch was a secret follower of the Baal-Shem-Tov, and when Schneur
Zalman reached the age of three years, his father took him to the
Baal-Shem-Tov for the traditional haircutting ceremony. That was the
only time that Rabbi Schneur Zalman saw the Baal-Shem-Tov in his life,
though he was fifteen years old when the Baal-Shem-Tov passed away. It
was the Baal-Shem-Tov's wish that Rabbi Schneur Zalman should find his
own way of Chassidus.
Until the age of twelve Schneur Zalman studied under a
scholar of noble character, Rabbi Issachar Ber, in Lubavitch. Then his
teacher sent him back home, informing his father that the boy could
continue his studies without the aid of a teacher.
During these early years, Schneur Zalman was introduced also
to mathematics, geometry and astronomy by two learned brothers,
refugees from Bohemia, who had settled in the vicinity of Liozna. One
of them was also a scholar of the Kabbalah.
When Schneur Zalman reached the age of Bar Mitzvah and, in
accordance with custom, - delivered his first public discourse on the
Talmud, he was acclaimed as an outstanding Talmud scholar. He was
thereupon elected as an honorary member of the local Chevra Kaddisha
and entered into the Pinkas (Register) of the community with titles and
honors given only to mature scholars of exceptional merit.
The fame of the young iluy (prodigy of learning) reached
Vitebsk, where one of its most prominent Jews, Yehuda Leib Segal, a man
of considerable wealth and scholarship, and a leader in the community,
desired to have him as his son-in-law. Rabbi Schneur Zalman was fifteen
years old when he married Sterna, Yehuda Leib's daughter. She proved to
be a worthy mate, who stood by him throughout his lifetime. As was the
custom in the better families of those days, the young couple was fully
supported by the wife's father for several years, so that the young
scholar could dedicate all of his time to the learning of Torah.
Before his marriage, Rabbi Schneur Zalman began to take an
active interest in the economic position of his brethren. He had always
felt that the towns and cities were too overcrowded to offer many
opportunities to the Jews for making a living, and that more Jews
should settle on the land and engage in agricultural pursuits. In his
younger days he stood up on a wagon in the market place in Liozna,
where many Jews had gathered for the local Fair, and delivered a talk
on the need of settling on the land. Now that he was married and in
possession' of a substantial dowry, he created a special fund, with
the' consent of his wife, to help Jewish families settle on the land.
Rabbi Schneur Zalman's father-in-law had dealings with the
nobles and high officials in and around Vitebsk. Two occasions
presented themselves to him to introduce his brilliant son-in-law to
these circles. One occasion was when the sun-dial in the garden of the
governor of Vitebsk suddenly stopped functioning perfectly. Several
scientists, whom the governor had called in, failed to solve the
mystery. Finally, the young Rabbi Schneur Zalman was invited to take a
look at it and he discovered the cause of the malfunction in an
obstruction created by trees that had grown tall on a hill at a certain
distance away. The other occasion was when he solved a mathematical
problem with which the local academy of science had been wrestling for
a long time. [1] Rabbi Schneur Zalman's
reputation and acquaintance with the local nobility later stood him in
good stead.
Turning Point
Being a very ardent student, and gifted with a brilliant
mind, Rabbi Schneur Zalman had become proficient in the entire Talmudic
literature, with all its commentaries and early and late poskim
(codifiers), before he was eighteen years old. Soon afterwards he
decided to leave home in search of a teacher and guide to help him
attain a higher degree of Divine service. From wandering scholars that
passed through Vitebsk he had heard about the saintly teacher of
Miezricz, Rabbi Dov Ber, the disciple and successor of the
Baal-Shem-Tov. It was said: "In Wilno you learn how to master the
Torah; in Miezricz you learn how to let the Torah master you." Rabbi
Schneur Zalman made the momentous decision to go to Miezricz. This was
the turning point in his life.
Rabbi Schneur Zalman's father-in-law was vehemently opposed
to his going to Miezricz: Like many other Jews at that time, who knew
very little of Chassidus and what it stood for, Yehuda Leib Segal was a
bitter opponent of the new movement. He threatened to deprive his,
son-in-law and daughter of any further, financial assistance if Rabbi
Schneur Zalman did not change his mind. But Sterna stood by her husband
and agreed to his leaving home for eighteen months. She sold some of
her precious possessions to buy a horse and cart for her husband to
make the long trip. Rabbi Schneur Zalman set out for Miezricz together
with his brother Rabbi Yehuda Leib. Having made their way to Orsha, a
distance of fifty miles, the horse collapsed. Rabbi Schneur Zalman then
learned that his brother had left home without his wife's consent. He
urged him to return home, while he himself continued his journey to
Miezricz on foot.
His first impressions were not encouraging, but Rabbi Schneur
Zalman decided to stay, and before long he realized how saintly and
learned Rabbi Dov Ber was, and became his devoted disciple.
Returning to Vitebsk after eighteen months, as he had
promised his wife, Rabbi Schneur Zalman met with a great deal of
animosity on the part of his wife's family and other members of the
community. But he also gained a number of followers who were eager to
learn about the Chassidic teachings and way of life. Soon Rabbi Schneur
Zalman went to Miezricz again, and continued to visit his master from
time to time, following him also to Rovno and Anipoli, where Rabbi Dov
Ber moved towards the end of his life.
For several years Rabbi Schneur Zalman and his wife suffered
many hardships. Finally, in thc year 5527 (1767), he was offered the
position of Maggid (preacher) in his hometown Liozna. He accepted this
post, which he held for the next thirty years, until he moved to Liady
after his second arrest and liberation (in 1800).
When Rabbi Schneur Zalman was barely twenty-five years old,
Rabbi Dov Ber chose him, the youngest of his disciples, to re-edit the
Shulchan Aruch.) It was 200 years since Rabbi Joseph Caro had written
his famous work. During this time much material had been added to the
Halachah literature, and it was Rabbi Schneur Zalman's task to examine
and sift all the new Rabbinical material, make decisions where
necessary in the light of the earlier codifiers and Talmudic
authorities, and filially embody the results into the new edition of
the Shulchan Aruch, thus bringing it up-to-date. Rabbi Schneur Zalman
superbly accomplished this task, which gave him an honored place among
the great codifiers of Jewish Law. The work became known as the "Rav's
Shulchan Aruch," [2] in distinction from
its forerunner.
Several years later he began to work out his Chabad system of
Chassidus, which he eventually published in his famous work Likkutei
Amarim, or Tanya. [3]
On the 19th of Kislev, in the year 5532 (1772), Rabbi Dov Ber
passed away. His disciples resolved to continue spreading the teachings
of Chassidus in their respective territories. Rabbi Schneur Zalman's
task was to capture the very stronghold of the opposition, the province
of Lithuania, with Wilno, the seat of the famed Gaon Rabbi Elijah.
During the next three years Rabbi Schneur Zalman visited many important
communities, where he preached publicly and won many followers. But the
spread of the Chassidic movement only sharpened the opposition. Rabbi
Schneur Zalman, accompanied by his senior colleague Rabbi Menachem
Mendel of Horodok, went to Wilno in the hope of convincing the Gaon
that his opposition was based on: misinformation. But Rabbi Elijah
refused to see them. Rabbi Menachem Mendel and some other Chassidic
leaders and followers left for the Holy Land. Rabbi Schneur Zalman
undertook to raise funds for their support. When Rabbi Menachem Mendel
died (in 1788), Rabbi Schneur Zalman was recognized as the chief leader
of the Chassidim.
The Rebbe and Leader
Rabbi Schneur Zalman established a school of selected
disciples in his hometown Liozna. Under his wise leadership and
guidance, many well-organized Chassidic communities were established.
He was a lover of peace, and he urged his followers to refrain from
debates and quarrels with their opponents. He introduced many important
ordinances to improve the standards of prayer and religious
observances. He insisted that the prayers in the Chassidic
congregations should be recited unhurriedly and with devotion. He
established the proper text of the prayers, Nusach Ari, publishing a
Nusach Ari Siddur (in two volumes). The nusach is often called Nusach
Chabad. He insisted that Chassidic shochtim should use steel knives for
Shechitah (instead of the older wrought iron knives), to ensure the
better observance of Kashruth. He introduced the warm Mikvah. The two
last mentioned improvements, which at first raised a storm of protest
on the part of some opponents, have eventually been accepted by all
orthodox Jews.
During the years 1781-1788 Rabbi Schneur Zalman was very busy
organizing and defending the position of the Chassidic communities. But
the next seven years (1788-1795) were relatively quiet, which gave
Rabbi Schneur Zalman the longed-for opportunity to devote more time to
spread Chassidus.
With the partition of Poland in 1793 and again in 1795, when
Russia took over large Polish territories densely populated by Jews,
there arose many economic problems, which were worsened by restrictions
placed on Jews by the Russian government. Rabbi Schneur Zalman proved
himself to be a wise leader not only of the Chassidim, but of Jews in
general. Thus he created a pattern of dedicated leadership-both as a
Chassidic leader ("Rebbe") and as a Jewish leader in general-a pattern
which was followed by his successors, the heads of Chabad to this day.
The burden of leadership began to weigh very heavily on him.
He had some 100,000 personal followers (Chassidim) at this time, and
their numbers were increasing steadily. Many people besieged him with
their personal problems, material and spiritual. He appealed to them to
address their material problems to their Father in Heaven, and come to
him only with spiritual problems. He published the Tanya as a "guide"
to spiritual problems. But those were difficult times for the Jews of
Russia, and he could not free himself of the burdens of leadership.
In 5558 (1798) a group of extremists among the opposition
denounced Rabbi Schneur Zalman and some of his leading Chassidim to the
Russian authorities in Petersburg as traitors to the Czar. The false
accusation was well timed. The territory had only recently been annexed
from Poland, and Czar Paul was highly sensitive to any activities by
Polish nationalists. Besides, Russia and Turkey had been at war for
years. The fact that Rabbi Schneur Zalman collected funds to support
the needy in the Holy Land (which was part of the Turkish empire) was
used by these slanderers as "evidence" that Rabbi Schneur Zalman was an
"enemy of Russia".
Yud-Tes Kislev
On the day after Simchath Torah 5559 (1798), Rabbi Schneur
Zalman was arrested and placed in the Peter-paul Fortress in
Petersburg. His life and the future of the whole Chassidic movement
hung in the balance. A special commission was set up by the Czar to
investigate the charges. Rabbi Schneur Zalman was able to convince his
investigators that his movement was purely a religious one and had
nothing to do with political matters. Favorable reports from the local
authorities of Rabbi Schneur Zalman's district helped to convince the
Czar that the prisoner was a peace-loving sage and scholar, and that
all the charges against him and his teachings were false. Fifty three
days after his arrest, Rabbi Schneur Zalman was informed that he had
been found innocent, and that nothing wrong was found with his
movement. He was released on the 19th of Kislev. This day (Yud-Tes
Kislev) became known as "Rosh Hashanah" of Chassidus, since on it, not
only the leader, but the whole Chassidic movement received a new lease
on life! [4]
The news of Rabbi Schneur Zalman's release spread quickly and
brought great joy to his many followers. Rabbi Schneur Zalman used the
occasion to try again to bring about peace and harmony between the
opposing camps. Immediately upon his return home, he wrote a special
letter to all his followers. With humility and love he appealed to them
to forget their grievances and seek to win over their opponents through
friendliness and brotherly love.
The next two years saw Rabbi Schneur Zalman busy to
counteract a new danger that threatened Russian Jewry from thc Russian
government. The Czar had appointed the famed Russian poet and statesman
Gabriel R. Derzhavin as a one-man committee to investigate the Jewish
position in Russia, and suggest ways and means to cope with the" Jewish
problem."
Derzhavin hated the Jews, though he knew some "good Jews."
These were certain Chassidim of Rabbi Schneur Zalman, who had shown him
kindness in his miserable youth. Derzhavin traveled through White
Russia to make an on the spot investigation. He was also in Liozna. In
October of 1800 he returned to the capital and presented his report
("Opinion about the Jews"), which was a mixture of truths, half-truths
and falsehoods, and decidedly unfavorable to the Jews, advocating a
series of new restrictions. It also contained an unfavorable reference
to Rabbi Schneur Zalman, stating that "some Jews complained about him
that he took their children away from them and sent their gold and
silver to Palestine." It seemed that while Rabbi Schneur Zalman was
busy trying to ensure that the landed nobility and government officials
should have good things to say about the Jews, some of the opponents of
the Chassidim were carrying bad tales to Derzhavin about the Chassidic
leader. However, bad as Derzhavin's report was for the Jews, it
contained at least one favorable view, that of Prince Lubomirsky, a
prominent nobleman and estate owner in White Russia, who was a friend
of Rabbi Schneur Zalman. Several other estate owners of White Russia
sent a complaint against Derzhavin to the Czar. As a result of what
Derzhavin called "intrigues" against him at the Court, his report was
not received favorably by the Czar, and the position of the Jews
remained unchanged for a time. [5]
Final Years
In the meantime, the opponents of Rabbi Schneur Zalman were
again busy plotting against him and against the Chassidic movement.
False charges were again brought to the authorities in Petersburg, and
once again Rabbi Schneur Zalman was summoned to the capital to defend
himself and his teachings. This time it took over nine months until
Rabbi Schneur Zalman won a complete victory over his slanderers. In the
meantime Czar Paul was murdered, and the new Czar, his son Alexander
the First, ordered the case dismissed.
Rabbi Schneur Zalman did not return to Liozna. At the
invitation of Prince Lubomirsky, he took up his residence in the town
of Liady, which was one of Lubomirsky's possessions. It was In Liady
that Rabbi Schneur Zalman Spent the remainder of his life. But he was
not destined to end his life in peace. In 1812 Napoleon invaded Russia,
and the invasion route led through White Russia. Rabbi Schneur Zalman,
who had twice been accused of high treason, turned out to be a loyal
patriot. He saw that if the French conqueror would conquer Russia, the
economic position of the Jews might improve, but their spiritual
position would suffer. He therefore opposed Napoleon and urged his
numerous followers to give their all-out support to the Russian war
effort against the invaders. Indeed, his followers, many of whom found
themselves behind the enemy's lines, were able to bring very useful
intelligence to the Russian generals. The Russians were grateful to
Rabbi Schneur Zalman for it. When Napoleon approached Liady, the
Russian generals provided horses and wagons to evacuate the aging Rabbi
and his family and many followers. It was in the middle of one of
Russia's winters that the Rabbi and his family found themselves on the
open roads, suffering hardships and perils. In a village in the
district of Kursk, the Rabbi became seriously ill, and he died at the
age of sixty-eight. His body was laid to rest in Hadiacz, in the
district of Poltava. The Hebrew inscription on his tomb reads as
follows:
Here is concealed the
Holy Ark
The great and divine Rav, pious and humble
Holy and pure, diadem of Ariel Crown of the Torah, wellspring of wisdom
He practiced the righteousness of G-d and His judgments with Israel
And many did he turn away from sin;
Our master and teacher Schneur Zalman, son of Baruch, his soul rest in
Eden
Longing for holiness, his soul returned to G-d
On the First Day of the week, 24th of Teveth,
In the year 5573 of Creation.
Footnotes:
- (Back
to text) The two episodes were related in greater detail in the
Shmuessen, Nos. 223 and 224.
- (Back
to text) A section of it was published in his lifetime; others
later. The entire Shulchan Aruch, including 43 responsa, was published
in Kopust, in 1816, and many times since.
- (Back
to text) The Tanya was first published by the author anonymously
(without the author's name) in 1797, and his sons published it in their
father's name after his passing. It was published more than fifty times
ever since. In 1956 it was published in Yiddish, and in 1962 in English
translation (first part, Tanya proper).
- (Back
to text) The story of Yud-Tes Kislev is told in a special
publication bearing this name.
- (Back
to text) The Derzhavil, Affair is related in greater detail in
Talk." No. 232.
