The Lubavitcher Rabbi Schneerson (1902-1994) is a phenomenal spiritual Jewish thinker and leader of the modern era. Many works of a Jewish leader have been published, he has crowds of messengers all over the planet who bring the light of his teachings to his fellow men, thousands of followers, millions of admirers and supporters who consider him a mentor, teacher, leader and role model. This is a man whose efforts stirred the conscience of a generation, and the spiritual awakening of the nation began.
Childhood
The Lubavitcher Rebbe, whose photo is presented in this article, was born in the city of Nikolaev (in the Russian Empire). The father of the boy Levi-Yitzhok Schneerson was one of the most famous rabbis. The scholar, who had extensive knowledge of Jewish law, the Talmud, Hasidic thought, turned out to be an implacable opponent of the new winds brought by the Bolsheviks. Khan (his wife, daughter of Meyer-Shloimo Yanovsky - the Nikolaev rabbi) was a faithful friend and like-minded person of her husband.
The father named his son in honor of Rabbi Menachem Mendl, his great-grandfather, the 3rd Lubavitcher Rebbe, known in Jewish circles as the work “Tzemach tsedek”. A well-known paternal relative, Rabbi Rashab, provided the child with a series of instructions. For example, the mother had to perform obligatory ritual hand washing before feeding the baby.
Training
When the child was five years old, his parents took him out of a header because of his amazing academic success, after which he hired teachers for individual lessons. The Heder teacher believed that this child was born to become great.
In the memoirs of his childhood, the Rebbe Lubavitcher did not say anything about children's games. The child did not play, he constantly studied. It should be noted that many are proud of meeting him, but no one will dare to call him friend. He probably had no friends at all: for children, the child was too smart. Father understood early that his son could not be a simple yeshiva student. The boy was 9 years old when he sent his works in Jewish jurisdiction to the children's newspaper Ah, which was published in Lubavichy. The prodigy's essay has been published.
He was not only fascinated by the Torah, he was also interested in secular sciences. Dad allowed him to study science in his free time. Within six months, little Menahem-Mendl externally graduated from high school, receiving a state certificate and a gold medal.
Brothers
The Rebbe Lubavitcher had two brothers, whose name was Isroel - Arie - Leib and Dovber . The fate of the latter was tragic . He had health problems since childhood , so he spent most of his life in hospitals. Most likely, because of this, the family could not, if possible, go abroad. When Levy-Yitzhok was arrested and sent to Kazakhstan, in which Dovber could not receive the necessary medical care, and the road seemed too difficult, it was decided that the child would stay in Dnepropetrovsk. During the war, he shared the fate of many Jews - He was shot by the Nazis .
But Isroel-Arie-Leib became a mathematician. After the revolution, he moved to Palestine, after which he moved to England, where he lived until the end of his years.
Rostov
In 1923 Menachem Mendl went to Rostov, where perhaps the most important meeting in his life took place. He met Joseph-Yitzchock Schneerson (Rebbe Lubavitcher 6th). Together with his family, the Rebbe left Russia in 1927, and two years later he married his daughter in Warsaw Hae Muse. The newlyweds moved from Warsaw to Berlin.
Berlin
The subsequent period of life of the Rebbe Lubavitcher studies at the University of Berlin. With the Nazis coming to power, Schneerson was forced to leave Heidelberg University, where he studied philosophy and at the same time mathematics.
Paris
Spouses in 1933 moved from Germany to Paris. The young man continued his studies at the faculty of shipbuilding in the Sorbonne, where he received a diploma.
USA
Today, many are familiar with the video of how the Lubavitcher Rebbe sings. Then the young man was just trying to survive. After a series of truly detective circumstances and adventures in 1941, the Schneerson couple managed to escape to the United States from occupied France, where by then his father-in-law, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchock, had already settled.
Here, the rabbi hoped to engage in shipbuilding - his professional activity. For some time he actually took part in the construction of submarines at a military base. His secretary says that the Rebbe until the end of his life received payments due to him for innovations in the field of shipbuilding. Although his famous father-in-law insisted that the Rebbe lead large Lubavitcan organizations - Center for Educational Institutions of HaBaDa, Merkaz Leignani Hinuh , Kegot Publishing House and Mahane Israel Charitable Organization.
In 1950, Yosef-Yitzhok Schneerson (6th Lubavitcher Rebbe) died. Accordingly, the question arose of a successor. Interestingly, before the Hasidim there was a choice between the two Rabbi's sons-in-law. The husband of Rabbi Shmarya Gurarii, the eldest daughter, was the head of the Lubavitcher yeshiva. All years he spent near his father-in-law and could become his successor. Rabbi Menachem-Mendl did not seek to take on such a great responsibility. He represented another generation: a scientist, a graduate of the Sorbonne, who speaks European languages. Yosef Yitzhok did not leave clear instructions on this matter. Although he hinted several times that he would prefer to see the younger son-in-law as a successor.
Becoming a Rebbe
The future rabbi was categorically against the proposal to get a father-in-law's place. He even told the Hasidim, who were annoying him, that he would be forced to leave here to get rid of these absurd offers. He couldn’t refuse Jews only one thing. - in support and advice. Hasidim flocked to the elder son-in-law and to him with requests and questions. This turned out to be a good exam for applicants. After the next advice, Rabbi Shmaria said that he wants to become a brother-in-law Hasid, while he asked him to accept the duties of the rebbe. But this was not enough for the young man. On the first anniversary of the departure of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok from this world, his younger son-in-law became in fact a new rabbi.
During the period of his leadership, he managed to bring more people closer to Jewry than all the leaders of the current generation combined. The latter (7) The Lubavitcher Rebbe used methods completely innovative, unprecedented in Jewish organizations. He seemed to use all the technologies, opportunities, social influence, the press in order to succeed. The bloodless, dying Hasidic movement has become a powerful force whose influence has been felt by millions of people. The Rebbe was able to build a huge network of Chabad branches around the world.
Israel
Many were interested in why the Rebbe did not move to Israel for permanent residence. This question was obvious because of his love for the country, interest in the events taking place there.
This question was asked more than once by the Rebbe himself. He once said that he knew that some were talking about the simplicity of reasoning about the unity of Jerusalem while on Eastern Parkway. Only every Jew has a destiny in the land of Israel. All the faith of the Jews is connected with this country.
The second question: why not everyone goes there to live. Israelis constantly come to the Jews of the diaspora, where they ask for help to resolve various issues with a specific senator or to influence a specific government official in order to make him feel better about the country. The Rebbe sought that maximum benefits for families with a large number of children appear in Israel. At the same time, everyone could personally write a letter to the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
Message to the Rebbe
If you try to describe in a few words the main message to the Rebbe to the world, this will probably be the responsibility for every Jew of the entire Jewish people. It does not matter at the same time who this person is and in what spiritual condition he is. There is no person about whom it can be said: "porcelain," or "missing." Jews have no right to ignore a single person. For this, the Rebbe created the Chabad empire, and even sent emissaries to places where there were very few Jews.