1) Opposition from Within: Rabbi Avraham of Kalisk
In the summer of 1772, leading members of the chassidic movement gathered in Rovno, Ukraine, to formulate a response to the fierce opposition from some sectors of the Jewish community. In a letter penned three decades later, Rabbi Schneur Zalman described how his colleague, Rabbi Avraham of Kalisk, remained on the outskirts of the town. It had been the overenthusiastic conduct of Rabbi Avraham’s students that had incited the opposition, and he was afraid of the wrath of their master, Rabbi DovBer, the famed Maggid of Mezeritch.
This enthusiasm marked the difference between the approach of Rabbi Avraham and that of Rabbi Schneur Zalman. Though they hailed from similar backgrounds and were both giants of Torah learning and Divine worship, the former emphasized spontaneous enthusiasm, while the latter developed a systematic method beginning with intellectual effort and proceeding to emotional experience and inspired action. In later years Rabbi Avraham would become the leader of the chassidic community in the Holy Land, while Rabbi Schneur Zalman would become the foremost chassidic leader in the Russian Empire. The differences between them emerged as a major issue of contention, shaping the trajectories of chassidic history till the present day.
For more on Rabbi Avraham’s impact on the emergence of Chabad as a distinct movement within Chassidism, click here.
For more on Rabbi Schneur Zalman’s methodological path and its accessibility, click here.
2) Comrades in Arms: Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev
Of all Rabbi Schneur Zalman’s colleagues, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak was perhaps his closest friend and ally. Both of them suffered bitterly at the hands of the mitnagdim (“opponents” of Chassidism), who ousted Rabbi Levi Yitzchak from the rabbinate in Pinsk and later engineered the arrest and imprisonment of Rabbi Schneur Zalman. When the Tanya was first published in 1797, the response from some chassidic leaders was critical, but Rabbi Levi Yitzchak expressed his wholehearted support, exclaiming, “It is a wonder that he concealed such a great G‑d in such a small book!”
In an 1805 letter responding to the criticisms leveled by Rabbi Avraham of Kalisk, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak passionately defended Rabbi Schneur Zalman, writing that “anyone who does not follow in this way [of Rabbi Schneur Zalman] is not following in the ways of our master [Rabbi DovBer of Mezeritch], and anyone who protests against this is protesting against our master. . . . It is indeed wondrous in my eyes that to you who were in good faith with us when we were together with our master, this path should now be a wonder . . .”
Two years later, in the spring of 1807, the deep friendship of Rabbi Schneur Zalman and Rabbi Levi Yitzchak would be cemented through the marriage of their grandchildren. Many hundreds of chassidim gathered in the town of Zhlobin, Belarus—midway between Liadi to the north and Berditchev to the south—to celebrate an event that would go down in chassidic history as “the great wedding” or “the wedding in Zhlobin.”
Many stories have been told of the awesome revelations, encounters and festivities that occurred. But one in particular captures something of the power of these two greats and of the loving respect they each held for each other. Approaching a narrow doorway, each insisted that the other walk ahead. When it became clear that neither would dishonor the other by taking the lead, the chassidim broke the walls on either side, widening the doorway so they could pass through together. Said Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, “Why break the wall? We have the power to simply walk through it!” Responded Rabbi Schneur Zalman, “Not everything that is within one’s ability does one need to act on.”
For more on Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, click here.
3) Opposition from Without: Rabbi Eliyahu, the Gaon of Vilna
Rabbi Eliyahu, famed as the Gaon (genius) of Vilna, was one of the most authoritative voices to denounce the chassidic movement as heretical. Recognizing his immense stature both as a Talmudist and Kabbalist, in the winter of 1771–1772 Rabbi Schneur Zalman traveled to Vilna together with Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Horodok in an attempt to meet with the Gaon in person. They were certain that his denunciations were based on misinformation and hearsay, and that if he would only meet with them in person, they would be able to demonstrate the validity of the chassidic beliefs and practices. In a letter recalling his visit to Vilna, Rabbi Schneur Zalman wrote that the Gaon “twice locked the door before us.” In the face of increasing pressure to meet with the visiting chassidic representatives, the Gaon “traveled from the city” and waited till they had left before returning. Despite this, Rabbi Schneur Zalman never gave up hope of engaging in an open dialogue with Rabbi Eliyahu, and in a letter penned in 1797 proposed that the Gaon “clearly explain all his reservations against us . . . and I will follow after him . . . to respond to all his reservations, likewise written and signed in my own handwriting, and the two letters will be published together and sent to all the wise men of Israel who are near and far, so that they may offer their opinion on this matter . . . and by the majority we shall rule, and so there will be peace upon Israel, amen.” Unfortunately, this suggestion never came to fruition. By the time this letter arrived in Vilna, the Gaon was already ailing, and he passed away not long after.
For more on the debate between Rabbi Schneur Zalman and the Gaon of Vilna, with particular reference to their respective understandings of tzimtzum (Divine contraction), click here.
4) A Brother at His Side: Rabbi Yehudah Leib of Yanovitch
Rabbi Yehudah Leib was Rabbi Schneur Zalman’s younger brother. Though an accomplished scholar and chassid in his own right, Rabbi Yehudah Leib spent many years as a dedicated aide to his older brother. The story is told that when Rabbi Schneur Zalman first set out to travel to Mezeritch to explore the new path of Chassidism, he was accompanied by Rabbi Yehudah Leib. But when their horse died en route, Rabbi Schneur Zalman determined that this occurred because his brother had not asked his wife’s permission to make the trip. Encouraging him to return home, he assured Rabbi Yehudah Leib that “all that I achieve there, I will share with you.” Rabbi Schneur Zalman then continued alone, on foot. When Rabbi Schneur Zalman emerged as an increasingly sought-after tzaddik (righteous individual) and exponent of chassidic teachings, Rabbi Yehudah Leib stood at his side, faithfully transcribing his words, overseeing the running of his court, aiding him in the composition of halachic responsa and editing his halachic code. When the third Chabad Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek, edited and published the two foundational compendia of Rabbi Schneur Zalman’s oral teachings, Torah Ohr and Likkutei Torah, he relied primarily on Rabbi Yehudah Leib’s transcripts, prizing them for their accuracy. In later years Rabbi Yehudah Leib served as rabbi in Yanovitch, and his own halachic work and collection of responsa was published under the title She’erit Yehudah in 1841.
For more on Rabbi Yehudah Leib and the oral discourses of Rabbi Schneur Zalman, click here.
5) Emotional Exuberance and Intellectual Integrity: Rabbi Yekusiel of Liepli and Rabbi Moshe Vilenker
In the memoirs of the sixth rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, two of Rabbi Schneur Zalman’s disciples are singled out as exemplifying two poles within the Chabad school: “Rabbi Yekusiel of Liepli and Rabbi Moshe Vilenker were both disciples of my great-grandfather [Rabbi Schneur Zalman]; both attained the loftiest peak of the pleasurable experience of divinity. . . . Yet the chassidic character of Rabbi Moshe Vilenker was expressed through inner integrity, while that of Rabbi Yekusiel of Liepli was expressed through transcendent exuberance . . .” Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak goes on to describe the first encounter of each of these legendary chassidim with Rabbi Schneur Zalman:
So excited was Rabbi Yekusiel that he simply could not follow the normal protocol, which required a lengthy process of preparation and refinement before the first audience with the rebbe. Barred from entering by the custodians, he climbed a wall and burst through the rebbe’s window, exclaiming, “Rebbe! Hack off my left side, where the evil inclination resides!” Rabbi Schneur Zalman responded, “Master of the World! It is written, ‘And You enliven all things!’”—meaning that even the mundane side of human experience has Divine purpose and should never be rejected outright. Rabbi Yekusiel’s passionate cry of anguish was met with empathy and reassurance, which would inspire him for the rest of his life. He was known for his sudden spurts of transcendent joy, and once grabbed a postman in the street for a spontaneous dance.
Rabbi Moshe Vilenker, by contrast, was characterized by the orderly integrity of a refined intellect. He spent three years preparing for his first audience with Rabbi Schneur Zalman, and then stayed in Liozna a further seven years to internalize what he had been taught. For two weeks following that first audience, he was so intellectually preoccupied that he felt compelled to ask two junior chassidim to aid him in his prayer and ensure that he concentrated sufficiently. Commenting on the extreme rigor with which Rabbi Moshe absorbed even the loftiest of concepts, Rabbi Schneur Zalman remarked, “With Reb Moshe, even his feet are capable of understanding G‑dliness!”
To listen to Rabbi Moshe Vilenker’s melody, click here.
To read more about Rabbi Moshe and his brother, Rabbi Zev Wolf, click here.
6) Rabbinic Excellence: Rabbi Shmuel Shmelke Horowitz and Rabbi Pinchas Horowitz
In the spring or summer of 1771 the two brothers Rabbi Shmuel Shmelke and Rabbi Pinchas Horowitz travelled to Rovno, Ukraine, to take leave of their master Rabbi DovBer, the famed Maggid of Mezeritch, before going west to take up the prestigious rabbinic posts of Nikolsburg and Frankfurt am Main, respectively. There they met their junior colleague, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, and eagerly examined two sections of the new halachic code that he was working on, expressing their great approval and encouraging him with the prediction that “the merit of the Torah shall stand for you, for your children and for the entire nation of Israel.” Rabbi Schneur Zalman’s code was not simply a new commentary on existing works, nor was it just one among the innumerable works of Jewish law that have been authored over the centuries. As the 20th-century scholar Rabbi Shlomo Yosef Zevin has explained, it was unique in its combination of three fundamentals in a single comprehensive code: systemization, explanation and arbitration. From a letter addressed by Rabbi Schneur Zalman to Rabbi Pinchas nearly two decades later, it is clear that despite the physical distance between them, their connection remained strong.
To read more about Rabbi Schneur Zalman’s unique legislative style, click here.
7) Kings of the Earth: Alexander I, Czar of Russia, and Napoleon, Emperor of France
On June 24, 1812, Napoleon’s Grande Armée crossed the Neman River, invading Russia. Rabbi Schneur Zalman, despite having been twice imprisoned by czarist decree, had a remarkably favorable view of Alexander I, which stands in stark contrast to his view of Napoleon. Accordingly, he enlisted his chassidim as scouts on behalf of the Russian army, and fled together with Russian troops as the French army advanced on his hometown of Liadi. The events that followed are described in a long letter by his son and successor, Rabbi DovBer, which reveals that Rabbi Schneur Zalman saw the earthly struggle of these two great imperial powers as the embodiment of the cosmic struggle between good and evil:
“This [Napoleon’s victory] would be a tragedy for the Jews. Not a single Jew would retain his Judaism or his wealth, for he [Napoleon] is hated with ultimate hatred, he is the Satan who fights good with all his might. He is the very embodiment of evil and harshness, and the polar opposite of kindness and goodness, only death and evil. . . . The entire being and essence of the hater [Napoleon] is in two things, anger and murder . . . and supremacy and domination . . .
“The exact opposite of this is kindness and good . . . to have pity and affection for the abject just as for the virtuous. For the nature of kindness and good is to lower itself from every station, and to feel the pain and difficulties of the lowly and the abject more than its own. Accordingly, from this extends the attribute of modesty and utter humility. . . . This attribute is seen very readily to the eye of anyone who has a little knowledge of our master the Czar and all his advisors and officials, as we have seen his great trust in G‑d and his great modesty and humility . . .
“Rosh Hashanah . . . was the time of the battle of Mozhaysk [commonly called the Battle of Borodino], and on the day before Rosh Hashanah he [Rabbi Schneur Zalman] called me [Rabbi DovBer] and said to me, ‘I am very pained . . . for the hater becomes stronger, and in my opinion will take Moscow.’ He cried profusely, and I too cried. . . . On Rosh Hashanah day he called us and said to us with cheer and solace, ‘Today I saw in my prayer that a change for the better has occurred, and our side shall be victorious. Though they shall take Moscow, it will not be sustained . . . so it has been decreed Above today . . .”
Mi-Beit ha-Genazim, Rabbi Shalom DovBer Levine
Toldot Chabad be-Russia ha-Tzarit, Rabbi Shalom DovBer Levine
Ha-Masa ha-Acharon, Rabbi Yehoshua Mondshine
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