Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn of Lubavitch (the Rayatz) was born to his father Rebbe Shalom Dov Ber (the Rashab) on the 12th of Tammuz, 5640 (1880). When he was fifteen, his father appointed him as his secretary for public affairs, and at seventeen he married his wife Rebbetzin Nechamah Dinah and became the director of the Tomchei Temimim Yeshivah, which his father had just founded. In 5680 (1920), the Rebbe Rashab passed away, shortly after the beginning of the Communist Revolution. The Rebbe Rayatz filled his place and worked extensively for Judaism in Russia. As a result, the Rebbe was arrested on the 15th of Sivan 5687 (1927) by the GPU and sentenced to death, but under international pressure, the sentence was commuted to exile in the city of Kostroma, and finally to a full release. On the 2nd of Tevet, 5700 (1939), he was rescued from Nazi-occupied Warsaw and was able to make it to the United States. After a short period of time, he acquired 770 Eastern Parkway, the famous building that was both his home and the world Chabad headquarters. Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson passed away on Shabbat Parashat Bo, the 10th of Shevat, 5710 (1950). Exactly one year later, he was succeeded by his son-in-law, Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneersohn.
In the years 5665-5666 (1905-1906), during the Russian Revolution, Russians rebelled against the Czar and committed acts of folly. Anyone who did not agree with the rebels was sentenced to death.
In Lubavitch too, there was a group of thugs, and they caused much suffering for the Rebbe’s chasidim in Lubavitch. They would ambush the yeshivah students, and set traps to convince or force them to become members of their evildoers gang. Almost all their efforts were in vain and managed to draw only one boy to their group. His name was Berel Tchernigover.
At that time, the Rebbe Rayatz was the director of the Tomchei Temimim Yeshivah. He called for the yeshivah students who were physically strong and intelligent to lie in wait for Berel as he walked in the street and bring him to him. They ambushed Berel and forcibly brought him to the Rebbe Rayatz, and locked him in the yeshivah office.
When the thugs who had enticed Berel to join them learned that the “fat fish” they had caught had escaped their trap, they came to the Rebbe Rayatz, complaining that the boy belonged to them, and how dare he take him from their company by force? They showed the Rebbe that they had weapons in their possession.
"Regarding weapons, I am not afraid of you,” said the Rebbe. “And as for your claim that the boy belongs to you, I took him from his parents under my responsibility. I am obligated to bring him back to his father, and I am responsible for both his physical and spiritual well-being. I will return him to his parents.” The bullies left with angry and empty faces, and within days Berel’s father came and took him home.
A few days later, the thugs returned, this time with pistols, and the Rebbe Rashab and his son the Rayatz locked the doors and windows of the yeshivah. The thugs fired their pistols, and thank God no one was harmed, although one or more bullets did lodge in the wall.
The yeshivah students took beams of iron that supported their beds and went out to meet the thugs. Fear fell upon the thugs, and they fled.
In their book of memories, the leaders of the group of thugs wrote that between themselves, they had sentenced the Rebbe Rayatz and a yeshivah student by the name of Shmuel Katsman, who was then studying in Lubavitch, to death. It was Shmuel Katsman who was instrumental both in capturing Berel and in chasing the thugs from the courtyard.
The chasid Reb Menachem Mendel Axelrod, may his blood be avenged, was engaged to the daughter of the chasid Reb Yitzchak Rubinstein who lived in Moscow. The engagement ceremony took place in Moscow around 5662 (1902). The Rebbe Rayatz was also in Moscow at that time, and he attended the engagement ceremony.
The day after the engagement, the holy Rebbe said to him: "Mendel, this is your first time in Moscow, come and I'll show you the city." When they reached the large store then in Moscow, called "Muir et Myrales," the Rebbe said to him: "Here you can find anything in the world, let's go in and see." As they walked through the department store, they came to the where pocket knives were on display. The Rebbe showed the seller his pocket knife and said that he wanted to purchase another one just like it. The vendor showed him several different pocket knives, but none was exactly like the Rebbe's knife.
[From the writings of Rabbi Yehuda Chitrik]
