Letter From the Tzemach Tzedek with Notes from the Previous Rebbe

Letter from
the Tzemach Tzedek
with remarks by
the Previous Rebbe,
and excerpts from his diary1

Excerpt from the Diary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, shlita:

Monday, 16 Teves, 5688 [January 9, 1928], Riga.

Today, I received by post a gift from the estate of the late renowned chassid Reb Avraham Abba Persan of Königsberg: some holy handwritten letters and chassidic discourses.

As soon as I arrived in Riga I began to inquire about the estate of the gracious chassid mentioned above. Today (thank G‑d), I have succeeded in obtaining handwritten manuscripts by: my great-grandfather the holy Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek; the holy rabbis and tzaddikim, my great-uncles, sons of the Tzemach Tzedek; my grandfather, the holy Rebbe Reb Yosef Yitzchak;2 my grandfather, the holy Rebbe Reb Shmuel,3 and my saintly father the holy Rebbe [Rashab]. A detailed list is attached.

Bibliographic Remarks

Wednesday, 25 Teves, 5688 [January 18, 1828].

A letter written in the holy handwriting of my saintly great-grandfather the Tzemach Tzedek. He wrote it to the well-known chassidic magnate, Reb Zev Volf Vilenkes. The chassid Reb Zev Volf once ran many business enterprises in the city of Vitebsk, and owned a very large store. He was also involved in the forestry business. The entire managerial staff of his commercial establishment was made up of chassidim and men of good deeds.

The chassidic magnate Reb Zev Volf was very involved in communal affairs, and his name was familiar to the most important civic leaders. He was very wise, and strong-willed. He was frequently summoned to the government offices by the governor-general [of Vitebsk], who would reprimand him and warn him about the conduct of the Jews who resided in the city, or in the whole district.

I first learned of the existence of this letter from Reb Avraham Abba Persan during the summer of 5661 [1901], when we happened to meet in Warsaw (as described in my diary of 5661). He told me that the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek wrote the letter in the year 5605 [1845], two years after his first summons to a Rabbinical Convention in Petersburg in 1843 5603. The letter was written in great secrecy, because they were very afraid of the government officials. That was the fourth year that a high-ranking police official had been stationed in Lubavitch (which was, after all, only a small hamlet among other rural villages). His orders were to keep an eye on the activities of the Rebbe and those who visited him.

In the year 5602 [1842], the governor-general of Vitebsk was informed by Yisrael Yosef, the snatcher of Bichev that my holy great-grandfather the Rebbe had sent the outstanding young scholar Reb Aharon of Bilinycz as his agent to all communities in the counties of Mohilev and Vitebsk. Most of the leaders of these communities were chassidim. He instructed them that they were to expel the snatchers from their midst and excommunicate them, for they had resumed their child snatching after a two-year interruption.

The governor of Vitebsk informed the Minister of Internal Affairs about this, and for that reason the Rebbe was summoned to Petersburg for the first time, during the summer of 5603. Their intention was to indict him for high treason. But in order to disguise their intentions, they resorted to a ruse, summoning three others in addition: the gaon Reb Y. of Volozhin, Reb Y. Halperin, and the Maskil Betzalel Stern. The proceedings of that Rabbinical convention are well known, and are recorded elsewhere. From that time on, the government kept a closer watch over the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek.

All this did not affect the Rebbe, who simply ignored it. He continued his practice of sending his emissaries to encourage those who were in military service to observe the Torah and its mitzvos, and he sent his agents to ransom the cantonists.4 He also took part in a plot to eradicate the snatchers. Alas, during the year 5605 a misfortune occurred: the chassid Reb Chayim Yehoshua of Kalisk was caught red-handed, ransoming a few cantonists for a large sum of money in the village of Kastoreve, near Kazan, in central Russia.

The present letter was sent by my great-grandfather, the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek, to the chassid Reb Zev Volf. It refers to the matter of Reb Chayim Yehoshua, and his rescue. I saw the letter in the possession of the chassid Reb Avraham Abba Persan, when my family and I were living in Königsberg during the summer of 5668 [1908], as mentioned in my diary.

The following is what Reb Avraham Abba related to me in connection with this holy letter:

“When we happened to meet in Warsaw during the summer of 5661, I told you about this letter. It was written by the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek to my father-in-law’s father-in-law (that is how he always referred to his wife’s maternal grandfather), the chassid Reb Zev Volf Vilenkes. Now that we have it in our possession, I will explain it word by word, exactly as I heard it and as [the commentary] was transmitted to me.”

A collection of sacred handwritten letters by my saintly great-grandfather, the Rebbe
the Tzemach Tzedek (of holy and blessed memory)

Translator’s note: As mentioned previously, “The letter was written in great secrecy, because they were very afraid of the government officials…” Therefore, the letter does not mention Reb Chayim Yehoshua by name, nor does it refer specifically to his arrest or rescue. On its surface, the letter seems to be an appeal for financial assistance in behalf of “the bearer,” Reb Sender Yechiel. Thus, if the letter were to fall into the wrong hands, it contains nothing to implicate the Tzemach Tzedek (or anyone else) in a plot to rescue an accused traitor.

Text of the Tzemach Tzedek’sletter (footnotesto this text represent the Previous Rebbe’s commentary,as he heard it from Reb Avraham Abba Persan):

To my beloved staunch and intimate comrade,5 namely the outstanding rabbinic personality, the veteran man of intellect…, the honorable Rabbi Zev Volf (may your brilliance shine forth):

I make a great request of you, and beg you [to act] in behalf of one whom I love as my own soul,6 as a friend and brother, the bearer of this note7 (may his brilliance shine forth). Look after him with an open eye,8 with all your heart9 and soul. Come to his aid with acts of charity.10 Do this for my sake…11 remembering the friendship of our youth.12 May the Father of Mercy13 invoke His mercy upon us, and may the Source14 of All Blessings bestow upon you the blessing of the three-stranded thread:15 children, long life, and sustenance; as you yourself desire, and as I desire, who have loved you from the very beginning, seeking your welfare as the desire of my own heart and soul. I beg this favor of you from the depths of my being.

[signed]: MenachemMy saintly great-grandfather the Tzemach Tzedek used five different forms of his signature: i) “Menachem Mendel ben Devorah Leah”; ii) “Menachem Mendel ben Devorah Leah, grandson of my saintly grandfather, the G‑dly gaon, of blessed memory”; iii) “Menachem Mendel”; iv) “Menachem Mendel,” with loops appended to the signature; v) “Menachem,” with loops appended to the signature. My saintly grandfather Reb Shmuel [the Rebbe Maharash] explained the significance of these different forms of his signature, as I have written in detail in my diary. Here, there are five loops, consisting of ten half-circles.

[P.S.]: Please convey my greetings to one whom I love as my own soul, the outstanding rabbinic personality, the wealthy, prominent, and philanthropic Reb Gavriel, (may his brilliance shine forth).

Footnotes

From HaTamim, Issue No 6, pp. 6-12, published in conjunction with the stories of Reb Chayim Yehoshua, Reb Gavriel Nossai Chein, and the Vilenker Brothers. The editors of HaTamim inserted the following introductory remarks at the beginning of this article:We herewith present a facsimile of a letter written by the saintly Lubavitcher Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek, that we were fortunate enough to receive from the office of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Shlita ’s personal library. The original of this letter is deposited in a special collection of holy letters written by the Tzemach Tzedek. Attached to it are an excerpt from the Rebbe’s diary describing the history of this handwritten manuscript, and a detailed analysis of the authenticity and contents of the letter, entitled “Bibliographic Remarks.”

The following are, in order, the excerpt from the diary, the bibliographic remarks, as they were given to us, and the facsimile.

[Of Avruch, son of the Tzemach Tzedek. He was the Previous Rebbe’s maternal grandfather, after whom the Previous Rebbe was named.]

[The Rebbe Maharash.]

Jewish children who were handed over by the snatchers for twenty-five years’ military service were called “Cantonists”.

The Rebbe [the Tzemach Tzedek] knew thousands of chassidim of his grandfather, the Alter Rebbe, and his father-in-law, the Mitteler Rebbe. Of these, there were only a very few individuals upon whom he conferred the title “my beloved staunch and intimate comrade.” Commenting on the verse, “G‑d gives strength to His people,” the Rabbis of blessed memory say that the term “strength” refers exclusively to Torah [translator’s note : the Hebrew term for “staunch” in this letter, is the same word used in this verse for “strength”].I have heard six stories, all based on the same theme: during the first eighteen years that the Mitteler Rebbe and the Tzemach Tzedek lived in Lubavitch beginning in 5574 [1814] the chassid Reb Zev Volf bought and sold merchandise as the Tzemach Tzedek’s business partner. The Tzemach Tzedek lent him a sum of money, and received a share of the profits. Thus, the Tzemach Tzedek was able to devote himself to Torah and avodah, and to support his sons, the saintly tzaddikim, with affluence. This income was in addition to the allowance he received from his saintly father-in-law, the Mitteler Rebbe.

All these titles refer to the chassid Reb Chayim Yehoshua (whose soul is in Gan Eden), who risked his life to ransom the cantonists in various localities. He occupied himself with this mission for eight years, securing the release of hundreds of children, until he was caught in a trap by the wicked spy from Vohlynia.

The messenger was Reb Sender Yechiel of Dubravna, who was an agent of my saintly great-grandfather the Tzemach Tzedek. He was sent to encourage those in military service to remain steadfast in their faith and to observe the precepts of their religion. He would also give financial aid to those who needed it. The Rebbe sent Reb Sender Yechiel to Reb Zev Volf with instructions as to how he should proceed with the rescue of Reb Chayim Yehoshua.

The chassid Reb Chayim Yehoshua was imprisoned under very harsh conditions. At first the governor wanted him tried for treason by a military court, and he boasted that he would execute Reb Chayim Yehoshua by hanging. It took a great deal of persuasion to influence him to hold the trial in civil court. Therefore, the Rebbe urged him to “Look after him with an open eye,” and remain alert to prevent the governor from carrying out his wicked intent.

The chassid Reb Zev Volf was highly intellectual and strong-willed, avoiding emotion at all costs. Therefore, the Rebbe hinted to him that on occasion one’s emotions must take precedence over the intellect.

10.

In reward for Reb Chayim Yehoshua’s charitable act of risking his life for pidyon sh’vuyim; the same charity must now be shown to him attempting his rescue.

11.

At the secret meeting convened by my great-grandfather the Tzemach Tzedek in 5594 [1834] to discuss ways of dealing with the problem of the cantonists and the snatchers, Reb Zev Volf was one of those who recommended that the Rebbe not be involved in the affair. He was afraid that it would eventually be discovered, and much trouble would come of it. But the Rebbe insisted that he was obligated by law to involve himself personally. He cited several proofs from cases where his grandfather the Alter Rebbe, and his father-in-law the Mitteler Rebbe, had done so. Therefore, he now wrote, “Do this for my sake” for Reb Chayim Yehoshua was not the only one in prison; in fact, the Rebbe himself was at risk of being imprisoned.

12.

When the chassid Reb Zev Volf had his first yechidus with the Alter Rebbe, he requested a program whereby he could atone for the sins of his youth. To this, the Alter Rebbe had replied, “Your atonement for the sins of your youth may be achieved by doing a mitzvah, based simply on accepting the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven, even when it is contrary to the dictates of your own intellect.” The Rebbe was reminding him of this by his reference to “the friendship of our youth.”

13.

The difference between “Father of Mercy” and “Merciful Father” is well known. The former belongs to the sefirah of chochmah, which is the first stage in the evolutionary progression of creation. The latter belongs to the sefirah of kesser, which is higher than the progression of creation; i.e., it is derived from the Infinite Luminary (blessed be He), Who is higher than all worlds, and is the “Source of all Blessings.” This is explained in a [chassidic] commentary on the expression “May it be Your Will”; [this expression] draws down a newly-conceived will [of G‑d] to grant all our requests.

14.

It is drawn down from the level of kesser, which is higher than the evolutionary progression of creation [see previous note]. Consequently, it is derived from “the Source of All Blessings.”

15.

This is a synonym for “drawing down,” like the “ray and strand” [referred to in Kabbalah]. It is called the “three-stranded thread” because the drawing down of the Source of All Blessings which is the level of kesser is achieved through the three columns upon which the world stands. This is true for the world in general, and also for each individual person: his personal “world” stands upon the three columns of children, long life, and sustenance.

16.

My saintly great-grandfather the Tzemach Tzedek used five different forms of his signature: i) “Menachem Mendel ben Devorah Leah”; ii) “Menachem Mendel ben Devorah Leah, grandson of my saintly grandfather, the G‑dly gaon, of blessed memory”; iii) “Menachem Mendel”; iv) “Menachem Mendel,” with loops appended to the signature; v) “Menachem,” with loops appended to the signature. My saintly grandfather Reb Shmuel [the Rebbe Maharash] explained the significance of these different forms of his signature, as I have written in detail in my diary. Here, there are five loops, consisting of ten half-circles.

Translated by Shimon Neubort; from the writings of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn of Lubavitch

Translated from the classic columns of HaTamim by Shimon Neubort

Appendix to the book 'Links in the Chassidic Legacy'

Excerpt from the Diary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, shlita:

Monday, 16 Teves, 5688 [January 9, 1928], Riga.

Bibliographic Remarks

Wednesday, 25 Teves, 5688 [January 18, 1828].

Text of the Tzemach Tzedek’sletter (footnotesto this text represent the Previous Rebbe’s commentary,as he heard it from Reb Avraham Abba Persan):

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Excerpt from the Diary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, shlita:

Monday, 16 Teves, 5688 [January 9, 1928], Riga.

Bibliographic Remarks

Wednesday, 25 Teves, 5688 [January 18, 1828].

Text of the Tzemach Tzedek’sletter (footnotesto this text represent the Previous Rebbe’s commentary,as he heard it from Reb Avraham Abba Persan):

More in this section

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Start a Discussion