INSIGHT & INSPIRATION
By Rabbi Moishe New
A DATE THAT CHANGED HISTORY
Wednesday the 10th of Shevat, marks a profound milestone in modern Jewish history. It is 76 years since the passing of the Previous Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, and—by consequence—76 years since our Rebbe assumed the leadership of Chabad.
This date is not merely a commemoration of loss or transition. It represents the moment when a new and unprecedented clarity was brought into Jewish consciousness: a clarity about the purpose of creation, the direction of history, and the indispensable role of this generation in bringing it all to completion.
WHAT MAKES A REBBE A REBBE
The Rebbe is the seventh leader in the Chabad dynasty. Each of the Chabad Rebbes was extraordinary, and any attempt to define their uniqueness will inevitably fall short. They were towering scholars, profound mystics, spiritual giants, and visionaries of the highest order. Yet none of these descriptions fully capture who they were.
Perhaps the most fitting word is leader. Not merely a rabbi with followers, nor even a spiritual guide for a select community—but a leader who articulated a global vision. Each Chassidic master re-expressed the purpose of creation for his generation. Their teachings always carried a transparent awareness of the “big picture”: the purpose of history, the destiny of humanity, and the reason the world exists at all.
This perspective—this intensely purposeful, evolutionary understanding of existence—is unique to Chassidus. It views all of life, on both the macro and micro level, as part of a single unfolding objective.
THE REBBE’S INAUGURAL VISION
On the 11th of Shevat, 1951, one year and one day after the passing of the Previous Rebbe, the Rebbe formally accepted the mantle of leadership. His first public discourse, delivered at that farbrengen, is one of the most consequential talks in Jewish history.
In it, the Rebbe articulated—clearly and unambiguously—the vision for our generation: that the world is on the threshold of redemption, and that we are the generation destined to complete the purpose for which G-d created the universe.
Messianic belief has always been a foundational principle of Judaism. We pray for redemption constantly—dozens of times a day. Yet for much of Jewish history, this belief remained abstract. Redemption was something we awaited, not something we understood ourselves to be actively building.
Survival dominated Jewish consciousness for centuries. Jews prayed, hoped, and endured—but history largely felt like something happening to us.
A REVOLUTIONARY CONSCIOUSNESS
Chassidus changed that.
Beginning with the Baal Shem Tov, a revolutionary idea entered Jewish thought: that all of history—biblical events, exile, scientific discovery, cultural upheaval—is part of a deliberate, divinely guided process moving toward redemption. Nothing is random. Nothing is wasted.
With each generation of Chabad leadership, this consciousness became clearer, more developed, and more accessible. And with the Rebbe, it became urgent.
No leader before him spoke with such consistency and transparency about the global historical mandate of our generation. From the very beginning of his leadership, the Rebbe spoke of responsibility, not privilege; of mission, not status.
SHLICHUS: A MISSION FOR EVERY SOUL
Central to this vision is the concept of shlichus—that every Jew is an emissary of G-d. Each of us is placed precisely where we are in order to illuminate that corner of the world.
The task begins with ourselves, extends to our immediate environment, and—especially in today’s interconnected world—can ripple outward globally. The Rebbe instilled a sense of urgency: no one is redundant, no contribution is insignificant, and no soul can be replaced.
This gave birth to a phenomenon without precedent in Jewish history: couples uprooting themselves from established Jewish centers to bring Judaism to the most remote corners of the globe. An army of light, formed not by coercion, but by conviction.
THE SOLDIER AT THE FRONT
To understand why our generation was chosen for this task, we turn to the final discourse/maamor of the Previous Rebbe, published, as it turns out, in connection with his passing on the 10th of Shevat. This twenty-chapter maamar is his spiritual will and testament.
At its core is a powerful metaphor: a kingdom at war.
Strategies are devised by generals and ministers—brilliant, sophisticated figures operating behind the scenes. But victory depends entirely on the simple soldier on the front lines. Without the soldier’s willingness to give everything, all strategy is meaningless.
When the battle challenges and defines the very purpose of the kingdom, something unprecedented happens: the king opens his most guarded storehouses—treasures accumulated since antiquity, never before revealed—and will squander it all without calculation and restraint in order to provide the foot soldiers with whatever is necessary to achieve victory’s
These treasures, the Previous Rebbe explains, are the deepest teachings of Chassidus. They were always present, but never revealed—until now. They are given specifically to our generation, not because we are greater than the former generations, but because we are entrusted with completing the mission.
NETZACH: THE POWER TO ENDURE
What distinguishes the soldier is netzach—the faculty of endurance, perseverance, and unwavering commitment. Netzach means victory, and it also means eternity. Victory belongs to those who refuse to retreat, who stay the course no matter how long or difficult the battle becomes.
This quality runs deeper than intellect or emotion. It is a core strength of the soul: the ability to keep moving forward without calculation, without self-drama, and without giving up.
RESISTANCE IS A SIGN OF MEANING
The final chapters of the Previous Rebbe’s discourse shift the focus inward. Before conquering the world, one must confront the inner enemy—the ego, the evil inclination.
A profound insight emerges: the evil inclination only resists us when we are doing something truly meaningful. When growth comes too easily, it may be because we have not yet reached our real potential. Struggle is not a sign of failure; it is proof that we are engaging in something significant.
The Alter Rebbe addresses this in Tanya: when distractions arise during prayer or Torah study, it is not because those efforts are meaningless, but because they are powerful. The resistance itself is confirmation of value.
DESCENT FOR THE SAKE OF ASCENT
The Rebbe further taught that setbacks are not detours from the path—they are part of it. G-d designed a world in which descent enables ascent. Through teshuvah, failure itself becomes fuel for a deeper connection than was previously possible.
This pattern defines all of history. Humanity began in Eden, but that perfection was shallow. Through concealment, exile, and suffering, we gain the capacity to draw G-d into the world at a depth never known before.
Our generation has experienced the greatest concealment of all: the Holocaust. And yet, to be Jewish afterward—to light a Shabbos candle, to live Jewishly despite everything—is an act of devotion that touches G-d at an immeasurably deeper level than before.
THE FINAL GENERATION, THE GREATEST TASK
And so we arrive at a remarkable conclusion. We are, in one sense, the simplest of all generations—foot soldiers without grandeur. And yet, in another sense, we are the greatest. Fuelled by the accomplishments of all the generations that preceded us, we reveal an unprecedented depth of the Jewish neshama.
The task is simple, though not easy: live by the Torah. Illuminate your life, and you will illuminate your environment. Illuminate the world, and you will draw G-d into it in a way that will never again be concealed.
We have the mission.
We have the means.
And we will complete it.
