Alter rebbe biography of martin

When Itamar Ben-Avi grew up, he was fascinated by. Zamenhof, his would-be universal language, and those who still speak it inspired Stuart Schoffman to revisit the oddly parallel careers of Ben-Yehuda and Zamenhof. Fall Samantha Rose Hill. Interested in full access to the magazine? Already a magazine subscriber? Sign in. Sign up for our terrific newsletter to get immediate access to two additional free articles, subscribe below to receive unlimited access, or sign in to your existing account.

Login or hit the subscribe button below for immediate unlimited digital access at a low monthly rate. Toggle Search Toggle navigation. Sign In Facebook Twitter. About Toggle Nav. Donate Advertise Contact Privacy Policy. Archive Toggle Nav. Web-Exclusive Authors Issues Articles. Jaffee Jews, Muslims, and Christians all revere Abraham. But is it the same Abraham?

Wolpe Can liberal Judaism survive and thrive in the digital age? Subscribe Already a magazine subscriber? With the aid of his followers behind enemy lines, some of whom were employed by the French Military Command, the Rebbe was able to render valuable intelligence service to the Russian generals…. When the French armies approached Liadi, Russian generals advised the Rebbe to flee.

In August, he hastily left Liadi, leaving everything behind, and fled with his family towards Smolensk. For five months the Rebbe and his family suffered hardships and perils of the road and unusually inclement winter. Here the Rebbe succumbed to a severe illness in the final stages of the harrowing journey… [He] passed on at the age of sixty-eight.

From an account by Rabbi Nachum, grandson of the Rebbe, relating his personal experiences, we learn the following details. On Friday, 29th of Menachem Av, the Rebbe fled Liadi on the advice of generals commanding the Russian armies in that area. Armed troops were assigned to accompany and protect the caravan. In view of the rapid advance of the French army, the generals suggested that the best route for the Rebbe would be through the town of Bayev.

But the Rebbe decided to head for Krasna, urging the caravan to make utmost haste, to cross the river Dnieper at the earliest possible time. After a short distance, the Rebbe suddenly requested the troops to let him go back to Liozna. At his house, he ordered his men to search the house carefully to make sure that nothing had been overlooked.

The only things found were a pair of worn-out slippers, a rolling pin and a sieve, which had been left in the attic. He ordered these to be altered rebbe biography of martin along, and to set the house on fire before the enemy arrived, first removing the sacred Torah scrolls from the adjacent synagogue. Then he blessed those of the townspeople who remained, and speedily departed again.

Presently, Napoleon himself with his entourage entered the town on their galloping steeds. Napoleon inquired after the house of the Rebbe, but when he reached it, he found it ablaze, burning beyond control. Napoleon wished to have something which belonged to the Rebbe and offered a rich reward to anyone who could bring him anything. But nothing was there.

During the long and arduous journey the Rebbe kept in touch with the situation of Russian Jewry caught in the gigantic Franco-Russian war.

Alter rebbe biography of martin

The retreating Russian armies [were] using the scorched earth policy in order to deprive the enemy of vitally needed supplies… [This] exacted a tremendous sacrifice from its own people. At the same time the invading armies plundered everything. Arriving in Piena, the Rebbe embarked upon a relief campaign to aid the Jewish victims of the war, including resettlement plans, fund raising, and relief distribution.

Inwhen Napoleon's army invaded Russia, many Jewish leaders, attracted by Napoleon's promises of equality and freedom, and particularly his stated intention to grant the Jews all the rights and freedoms they had yearned for, prayed for the victory of the French. However, the Rebbe could foresee the consequences of this freedom. The Rebbe therefore supported the czar, doing everything in his power to bring about Napoleon's defeat, for he feared that if Napoleon were victorious, the consequent emancipation of the Jews would lead to mass assimilation.

The Alter Rebbe emphasized that in ethics and in politics, and in everything pertaining to the performance of commandments, reason must rule the heart. Rabbi Shneur Zalman's followers strove to nurture this rational faculty, fostering the power of reason over the emotions, yearnings, and impulses of the heart. One of the youngest disciples of the Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Moshe Maizels, was a person of phenomenal erudition.

The matter reached the attention of Napoleon himself. The furious emperor burst into a meeting of the General Staff, and rushed at Rabbi Maizels, shouting, "You are a Russian spy! Napoleon was forced to apologize. Rabbi Maizels later told Rabbi Eizel of Gomel, "Reason's ability to rule the alter rebbe biography of martin saved me from certain death.

The Chassidim say that Napoleon was aware of the Alter Rebbe's spiritual battle against him, which caused him great concern. He was tom between fear of the Rebbe's spiritual power, and an inexplicable fascination with the Rebbe. When the French army reached Liady in August ofNapoleon showed up in person at the Rebbe's home and gave orders to conduct a search.

Infuriated and disappointed, Napoleon left the house empty-handed and had it burnt to the ground. The Rebbe later told his family that in the Musaf prayer read on Rosh Hashanah he saw clear signs of the eventual downfall of Napoleon. The Rebbe and his family spent five months on the run, escaping the French army as it advanced into Russia.

Thus they found themselves in the village of Peny in the Kursk district. The battlefields were left behind. The Alter Rebbe passed from this world on Shabbat evening, the 24 th of Tevet, December 27, About us Donate Contact us. The Rebbe. Weekly Torah Portion. Torah Study. Ask The Rabbi. Jewish Calendar. Upcoming Events. Find a Chabad Center. Photo Gallery.

Event Hall. Schneerson — Moshe Schneersohn ca. Fradkin Yaakov Schwei Yehuda K. Medalia Shmarya Y. Medalia Sholom Rivkin. Mashpiim and scholars. Jacobson Yoel Kahn Abraham Y. Khein Yehoshua Mondshine Avraham C. Mazkirus and other leaders. Leib Groner Jacob J. Hecht Chaim M. Posner Menachem S. Raichik Aaron Raskin Arie Z. Other notable figures.

Category Media on Commons. Children and succession [ edit ]. Dov Ber Shneuri [ edit ]. Main article: Dov Ber Schneuri. Strashelye [ edit ]. Main article: Strashelye Hasidic dynasty. Moshe Schneersohn [ edit ]. Main article: Moshe Schneersohn. Lithuania [ edit ]. Philosophy: Chabad [ edit ]. Opposition to Napoleon and support for the Tsar [ edit ].

Arrests [ edit ]. Main article: 19 Kislev. Liadi [ edit ]. Subsequent history of Chabad [ edit ]. Works [ edit ]. This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Tanya [ edit ]. Main article: Tanya Judaism.

Shulchan Aruch HaRav [ edit ]. Main article: Shulchan Aruch HaRav. Siddur [ edit ]. Music [ edit ]. Other [ edit ]. References [ edit ]. This first Schneur Zalman married a woman named Rachel and they had a son named Baruch. Retrieved Retrieved 2 December X, ISBN Naftali Lowenthal. Aronson, London The Jewish Daily Forward. Archived from the original on October 18, Rabinowicz p.

Archived from the original on Marcus, HaChasiduth, p. Wrapped in a holy flame: teachings and tales of the Hasidic masters. Jossey-Bass, a Wiley Imprint. ISBN Understanding the Tanya: Volume Three. External links [ edit ].