Rabbi Elazar said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and a Torah of kindness is on her tongue”?1 Is there, then, a Torah of kindness and a Torah that is not of kindness? Rather—Torah [studied] for its own sake is a Torah of kindness; and Torah studied not for its own sake is a Torah that is not of kindness. Others say: Torah [studied in order] to teach it is a Torah of kindness, Torah studied with the intent of not teaching it to others is a Torah that is not of kindness.2
The sentiments expressed in the above section of the Talmud seem to have deeply resonated with Rabbi Schneur Zalman Fradkin of Lublin (the “Lubliner Gaon,” also known as “Schneur Zalman Liadier” after his birth town of Liadi, or the “Torat Chesed” after his work of halachic responsa by that name). As we shall see, he dedicated his life to the study and teaching of Torah, exemplified by care and dedication to his students and his lifelong pursuit of Torah study lishmah (for its own sake).
A Prodigy From Liadi
The city of Liadi (Lyady in present-day Belarus) has been closely associated with Chabad since 1801, when Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the Alter Rebbe, founder of Chabad, settled there. Prior to the Rebbe’s arrival, however, a chassid named Rabbi Dovber had already settled there. In the early years of the Alter Rebbe’s leadership, when his court was situated in the city of Liozna, Rabbi Dovber would travel with his family to the Rebbe periodically. On one such occasion, when the family entered for a private audience, the Rebbe asked if all the children were present. Upon hearing that a daughter named Aidel had stayed behind in Liadi, the Rebbe responded: “Why did you not bring her to receive a blessing? I see that she will merit a son who will light up the world with his Torah and whose name will be like mine.”
After settling in Liadi, the Rebbe inquired after Aidel—whose father, Rabbi Dovber, had since passed—and personally delivered the blessing he had sought to give her some years earlier.3
Soon a match was arranged between the orphan girl and a respected Torah scholar, Rabbi Shlomo. Shlomo was a chassid of the Alter Rebbe who had lived in Liozna and—with great personal sacrifice—had moved to Liadi together with his teacher.4 While his occupation is not known for certain, it seems that he was a ritual slaughterer5 who owned gardens and orchards6 and was also involved in construction.7
Sure enough, in 1830 Aidel gave birth to a son whom they named Schneur Zalman, after the Alter Rebbe, who had passed away in 1812.
From a very early age, it was apparent that this child had exceptional ability. By age three, he had earned the nickname the “prodigy from Liadi.” At age five,8 Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch, the third Chabad Rebbe, known as the Tzemach Tzedek, visited Liadi and asked to see the wonder child. After their exchange, the Rebbe gifted the boy a coin. The boy reacted in surprise, saying that the Book of Samuel states that after receiving a blessing from the Prophet Samuel, King Saul gave a coin,9 but here he received a coin!?10
Soon, a match was arranged11 for the young scholar with the daughter of a man named Glinternik, a resident of the town of Chashniki. Apparently, this Glinternik had won 200,000 rubles in the Russian lottery and promised the couple a 20,000 ruble dowry.12
Shortly after their betrothal, Schneur Zalman journeyed to the town of Ulla to study under the esteemed Chabad scholar Rabbi Eliyahu Yosef Rivlin (also known as Eliyahu Yosef M’Dribin). He dedicated several years to his studies there, until his bar mitzvah. At 13, he returned to Chashniki to wed his betrothed and lived with his in-laws until the age of 20.13
During this period, he spent considerable time in the court of the Tzemach Tzedek in Lubavitch, visiting two or three times a year. He was particularly cherished by the Tzemach Tzedek and considered one of the household. According to one source, already from age 11, the Tzemach Tzedek showed him complex halachic questions that had been sent to him for adjudication.14
In Polatsk
![Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch, known as the "Tzemach Tzedek."](https://w2.chabad.org/media/images/1095/mOtT10955230.jpg?_i=_n30696E19151676E0981D7166F8024F02 "Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch, known as the "Tzemach Tzedek."")
Around this time, Rabbi Schneur Zalman moved to Polatsk to join his teacher, Rabbi Eliyahu Yosef Rivlin, who had become the town's rabbi. The Tzemach Tzedek would send promising young scholars to study under Rabbi Eliyahu’s tutelage, and a small but gifted group of Chabad scholars gathered in Polatsk.
Although Rabbi Schneur Zalman was reluctant to benefit financially from his Torah study, the Tzemach Tzedek’s encouragement, combined with numerous petitions from various towns as well as the loss of his dowry, ultimately led him to accept the rabbinical seat of Polatsk in 1856, succeeding his former teacher.15
Already during this period, when Rabbi Schneur was still relatively young, the Tzemach Tzedek trusted his halachic rulings completely, often sending him difficult halachic quandaries16 and referring individuals directly to him.17 In a short note dating to this period, he writes:
Since I am well-acquainted with the rabbis who have signed above, particularly Rabbi [Schneur] Zalman, the son of R’ Sholmo from Liadi—who is of the stature of a gaon (genius)—you can confidently rely on their decision without any doubt.18
Although the Tzemach Tzedek relied on Rabbi Schneur Zalman, he also recognized and respected his wish to stay out of the limelight and, as much as possible, took measures not to disturb him.
As a number of anecdotes clearly depict, nothing was more precious to Rabbi Schneur Zalman than uninterrupted Torah study simply for its own sake. It is clear that this ideal—Torah for no ulterior motives—was Rabbi Schneur Zalman’s lifelong pursuit.19
In his introduction to his responsa titled Torat Chesed (a Torah of kindness), he gives no less than three reasons for the name.
1. To express gratitude to G‑d for His kindness: “I know in my heart that my portion in G‑d's Torah and my limited understanding of it are not the result of my righteousness or my paltry good deeds. Rather, it is purely G‑d’s kindness that has bestowed this unearned gift upon me.”20
2. “As the Talmud states in Tractate Sukkah: ‘Others say: Torah [studied in order] to teach it—that is a Torah of kindness.’21 I have already made it known that the main reason for preparing this work for print is for the benefit of my students.”
3. “In line with the age-old custom for authors to record their names with their works. Torat Chesed equals the numeric value of my own name in no less than three ways.”22
Interestingly, while he does cite the Talmud’s reference to Torah taught primarily for the benefit of students as a “Torah of Chesed,” he omits the preceding passage, which describes Torah studied for its own sake as a “Torah of Chesed.” Perhaps he felt it too presumptuous to suggest that this lifelong aspiration—to study Torah purely for its own sake—was the inspiration behind the name of his work.23
What Is Torah for Its Own Sake?
Perhaps the most famous story about Rabbi Schnur Zalman pertains to this very point. Although this anecdote is told in various places with slight differences in the details, the main point remains unchanged. This is the version heard by the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, from his father-in-law, the Sixth Rebbe, of righteous memory, as recorded in Reshimat Hayoman:
Each time Rabbi Schneur Zalman visited his Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek, he would bring a gift: a Torah teaching he had developed since his last visit. During his private audience with the Rebbe, he would present his pilpul (in-depth Talmudic analysis) and discuss it with the Rebbe. On one such occasion, after the delivery of the pilpul, the Rebbe’s only response was, “Nu, nu, nu.” Feeling unsettled by what seemed to be less than enthusiastic approval, Rabbi Schneur Zalman asked the Tzemach Tzedek what was troubling him. The Tzemach Tzedek replied that his thesis appeared to contradict a clear mishnah. Given Rabbi Schneur Zalman’s mastery of the entire Mishnah, this remark took him by surprise. He reviewed each tractate (in his mind) but couldn't identify the issue. Even when the Tzemach Tzedek pointed out the exact mishnah and began reciting it, Rabbi Schneur Zalman still did not recognize the error. Only after some time did he finally realize his mistake.
When Rabbi Schneur Zalman retold this episode, he remarked, “This is what it means to study Torah for its own sake.” He then burst into inconsolable sobs and added, “If 40 years ago one felt a hint of pride from one’s Torah study, it is impossible to truly study Torah for its own sake in this lifetime.”24
What is not clear from this somewhat cryptic episode is what exactly Rabbi Schneur Zalman meant by his comment, “This is what it means to study Torah for its own sake.”
One possible explanation is that witnessing the Rebbe point out a basic flaw in his argument—based on a simple mishnah—made him realize that the manner in which a rebbe studies is on an entirely different plane. A rebbe has the unique ability to study with absolutely no ulterior motive. He is therefore able to extract the essential point without effort. Most individuals—even those who are extremely learned and pious—do not possess this unique ability. This is what Rabbi Schneur Zalman was alluding to; his mistake stemmed from the fact that he was missing the unique quality of Torah solely for its own sake—Torah lishmah. And this lack led him to misinterpret a mishnah.
The Sixth Rebbe added an addendum, recorded by his son-in-law, the Rebbe: After the Tzemach Tzedek revealed the mishnah, he added, “This is how my grandfather (the Alter Rebbe) taught me this mishnah when I was 16 years old.”25 This seems to support the theory that there is something unique about the manner of study of a rebbe.
It does not, however, explain the last line. What did the Torat Chesed mean by his anguished cry about feeling pride in one’s study? What does that have to do with the story and the unique method of study of a rebbe? If only a rebbe has this unique ability, why blame his (supposed) inability to attain the level of Torah study for its sake, on a feeling of pride he may have felt 40 years ago?
It can therefore be suggested that Rabbi Schneur Zalman meant something entirely different with his comment about Torah lishmah. We know that Rabbi Schneur Zalman would take great pleasure in preparing and presenting his Torah thoughts to the Rebbe.26 On this occasion, everything that he had spent months developing for the Rebbe had disintegrated based on the Rebbe's comment. Now, he had nothing to show for all of his toil—was it all in vain?
When he looked back, however, he recognized that the motive of giving the Rebbe satisfaction, while noble, was not Torah for its own sake. Now that that rationale was no longer relevant, the study was indeed study with no motive, just study for the sake of study—Torah lishmah.
He then added, bitterly, that despite this, one who had once felt pride in his study—even if that pride had since evaporated—cannot reach the true level of Torah for its own sake.
In any case, it is clear that the Torah study of Rabbi Schneur Zalman was otherworldly. To illustrate the point:
After his teacher, former rabbi of Polatsk Rabbi Eliyahu Yosef Rivlin, moved to the Holy Land in 1847, Rabbi Eliyahu Yosef returned for a brief visit to his Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek, in Lubavitch. The Rebbe asked about the route he planned to take back to Israel. Rabbi Eliyahu Yosef mentioned that he intended to pass through Polatsk to visit his student, the current rabbi of the city, Schneur Zalman Fradkin. The Tzemach Tzedek advised against this, explaining that since Rabbi Schneur Zalman would undoubtedly devote considerable time and effort to hosting and attending to his teacher, as is the proper respect a student must show, it would detract significantly from his Torah study which is especially cherished on High.27
On another occasion, an individual arrived in Polatsk bearing a note written by the Tzemech Tzedek requesting the community donate to help the individual marry off his daughters. Rabbi Schneur Zalman personally went door-to-door collecting on his behalf. When the Tzemach Tzedek heard about this, he remarked, “What have you done?! You've caused him to interrupt his Torah study for its own sake (lishmah)!”28
A third anecdote is told regarding the second Rebbe of the Belz dynasty, Rabbi Yehoshua Rokeach, who was once in the spa town of Carlsbad alongside Rabbi Schneur Zalman. The Belzer Rebbe would stand by his open window simply, “to hear the sound of Torah study for its own sake.”29
The Gaon From Lublin
After the Tzemach Tzedek’s passing in 1866, there was some controversy within Chabad as to who would succeed him. Some of his sons set up chassidic courts outside the town of Lubavitch, with the youngest son, Rabbi Shmuel—known as the Rebbe Mahrash—continuing as Rebbe in Lubavitch.30
The dispute did not spare the chassidim in Polatsk, many of whom felt an affinity for the Kopust branch of Chabad. Rabbi Schneur Zalman, however, was steadfast in his loyalty to the Rebbe Mahrash in Lubavitch, to whom he would regularly travel. In a letter to the philanthropist R’ Yeshaya Berlin, written some 30 years after these events, he describes what led him to leave his rabbinic position in Polatsk:
With G‑d’s help, I was among the pioneers of the Lubavitch movement [referring to the branch of Chabad that remained in the town of Lubavitch] after the passing of the Rebbe, of blessed memory, may his merit protect us. I made significant sacrifices during my time in Polatsk, enduring great hardships in my efforts to persuade the chassidim to journey to Lubavitch. Several towns sent special emissaries to seek my guidance on whom they should align with [i.e., which of the Rebbe’s sons should be appointed as the new leader]. I became deeply involved in this matter and in the ensuing struggles, which ultimately compelled me to uproot my residence and relocate to Poland.31
Two important points emerge from this letter: 1. He was a chassid of the Rebbe Mahrash from the outset, even when other respected figures were undecided. 2. This dispute caused him to leave his seat in Polatsk and Russia entirely, to take up a rabbinical post in the Polish town of Lublin.
After the passing of Rabbi Joshua Heschel the son of Meshullam Ashkenazi, on Feb. 10, 1867, the town of Lublin was left without a senior rabbi. Historically, the seat of Lublin was one of the most coveted rabbinical positions in Eastern Europe. Luminaries like Rabbi Sholom Luria, the “Maharshal” (1510 -1573); Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe, the “Levush” (1530–1612); and Rabbi Shmuel Eliezer Edels, “the Maharsha” (1555–1631), had occupied the position.
Though the town of Lublin boasted its own giants in Torah and piety—including the esteemed Chassidic Rebbes, Rabbi Zadok ha-Kohen Rabinowitz (1823–1900) and Rabbi Yehuda Leib Eiger (1817–1888)—the search for a rabbi befitting such an illustrious town extended over 600 kilometers, reaching all the way to the town of Polatsk in the Russian Empire. Rabbi Schneur Zalman’s reputation was such that even though his Russian-Chabad background was different from those of the Polish city, he was selected to be their rabbi.
Rabbi Schneur Zalman arrived in Lublin on the 13th of Kislev, 1867, joining the ranks of some of the most eminent rabbis in Jewish history. The townsfolk, including the rabbis of the various communities, greeted him with great honor and fanfare.32 They gathered in the famed synagogue of the Maharshal which was the largest in the city and capable of seating some 3,000 people. His inaugural sermon was later published in a pamphlet titled Derashat Torat Chesed.
A vivid portrayal of Rabbi Schneur Zalman during this era is offered by his grandson, Mendel Berlin, who penned his childhood memories of Lublin for the benefit of his son, the renowned 20th-century philosopher, Sir Isaiah Berlin:
I curiously still remember my very early childhood in Lublin, although I must have been not older than 4 years when my parents moved to Vitebsk. I can remember exactly the apartment of my grandfather, and himself as well.
He was a very beautiful, tall, erect, full figure with a white full beard, dark shining eyes, a straight well-formed nose and very soft-spoken, dressed in a long black coat with a broad silk girdle. He was very gentle.
He loved and played with me often. His room, though large, could not accommodate all his books, and some bookcases were placed in the adjacent room. I used to love to play with them, drop them with a noise on the floor, the way children behave; my mother used to run after me to remove me and the noise I made from the immediate neighborhood of grandfather’s sanctum; he often used to open the door and tell my mother to let me play and do as I like, which was a triumph for me.33
Responsa Torat Chesed
It was during this period, in 1883, that Rabbi Schneur Zalman published the first volume of his responsa Torat Chesed. The second volume was printed in Jerusalem, a number of years after his passing. Already as Rabbi of Polatsk, he had gained a reputation as a halachic authority who could issue rulings on the most complex issues.
His complete mastery of the Talmud and its commentaries enabled him to approach the issues with a birdseye, all-encompassing approach. Although many of the issues dealt with in Torat Chesed are complex practical queries, there are a good number of responsa that seem to have been simply to investigate and provide theoretical solutions to thorny Talmudic passages and problems with little direct application. For example, there is a series of four responsa in Orach Chayim that deal with complex issues relating to the Pascal Sacrifice, which had not been offered since the destruction of the Holy Temple nearly two millennia prior.34 In these responsa he tackles some of the most abstract issues of halachic legal theory, including doubts, double doubts, and how such doubts can be weighed against various kinds of precedent.35
He himself took great satisfaction in the sound reasoning found in his published responsa, commenting:
Other books are like mountains hanging by a thread, and if you remove the thread, the mountains will fall away. But my books are like threads hanging on mountains, where every matter is based on solid foundations.36
He was known for balancing strict adherence to Jewish law with thoughtfulness and compassion. In a complex marriage case, he was asked whether a wife could remarry after her husband's passing, given that they had no children and the husband had one brother who was not observant. This situation made it impossible to perform either Yibum (Levirate marriage, where the brother marries the widow to continue the deceased’s lineage) or Chalitzah (a ceremony to release the widow from this obligation), complicating her ability to remarry.
After uncharacteristically not receiving a response from Rabbi Schneur Zalman, the questioner asked again. This time, he received the response that for such a complex inquiry it would take some time for him to respond. Meanwhile, the questioner asked another rabbi who ruled leniently.
A few months later, Rabbi Schneur Zalman penned an extensive response. After analyzing the situation and all the possible leniencies, he concluded that in the first instance, this woman should not remarry, but if she had remarried in the interim, she was permitted to stay in that marriage.37
One can not help but surmise that Rabbi Schneur Zalman knew that another rabbi would permit marriage and therefore delayed his response so a young woman could remarry.
In Jerusalem
During his 20 years as rabbi and head of the Rabbinical Court of Lublin, Rabbi Schneur Zalman had a burning desire to settle in the Holy Land. Despite the best efforts of his community to retain his presence, in 1892 he decided to make the move. He traveled to the spa town of Carlsbad and penned a letter of goodbye. He arrived in Jerusalem on the 19th of Tammuz of that year.38
Upon arrival, the city rejoiced; it was a rare and momentous occasion for such an illustrious scholar to join the fledgling Jewish community in the Holy Land. The entire community came out to greet him, including the rabbis of Jerusalem, Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Diskin, former rabbi of Brisk; and Chief Rabbi Shmuel Salant.39
Although he finally had realized his lifelong dream of settling in the Holy Land, he deeply missed the “old country” and especially the town of Lubavitch. In his letters to R’ Yeshaya Berlin, he constantly asked after the health of the fifth Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Shalom Dovber Schneerson, the Rebbe Rashab40—and the goings on in Lubavitch. For example, after the wedding of the Rebbe Rashab’s son, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak, in Elul of 1897, he inquired, “Were you in Lubavitch for the wedding that took place last month and did you mention me at the resting place of the Tzemach Tzedek, of blessed memory?”41
Despite his best efforts to avoid a leadership role, he was compelled to accept the position of head of the chassidic community, and any matter of great importance was brought to him.
In a letter written just four days before what would be the final Rosh Hashanah of his life, he acknowledged receipt of R’ Yeshaya Berlin’s pidyon nefesh (soul redemption letter), offering blessings for the upcoming new year. He concluded with an apology for the brevity of his letter, stating, in his unique style, that during these days of reckoning one accounts with one’s Creator, and he had therefore kept the letter brief.42
After approximately 10 years in Jerusalem—and a brief stint in the city of Hebron—Rabbi Schneur Zalman passed away on 5 Nissan, 1902, at the age of 72.
Rabbi Yaakov Ornstein, who was present at the time, described the events leading to his passing:
The news that I bring to your honor is not good, as the great and righteous scholar from Lublin, of blessed memory, has passed away. He was ill with pneumonia for eight days, and on the fourth day of his illness, signs of his impending death were evident. Nevertheless, his mind remained clear until his final moment. When he was asked if he agreed to send a messenger to pray at the gravesite of the Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek, of blessed memory, he replied that the Rebbe was already aware of his illness.
On Friday, the doctors allowed everyone standing in the house, outside, and in the garden to come into his room to be by his side, and recite the Shema. The house filled with droves of people standing close together. In front of everyone, the tzaddik awoke and signaled to have his tefillin put on, and he himself wrapped the strap around his finger with true self-sacrifice. After removing the tefillin, it was observed that his lips were moving … he was reciting the Idra Kaddisha (a section of the Zohar) by heart. And thus, everyone stood until the onset of Shabbat, and then his soul departed in exceptional holiness. As a sign, there suddenly appeared thunder and lightning in quick succession, unlike anything seen in many years, and a great rain began to fall.43
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