Rabbi Shneur Zalman Boruchovitch of Liadi, author of the Tanya and the Shulchan Aruch HaRav, was born on the 18th of Elul 5505 (1745) to his father, Rabbi Baruch and his mother, Rivkah. Even in his childhood, he was known as a prodigy. In 5524 (1764), he became completely devoted to the Maggid of Mezritch, and after the Maggid's passing, was a disciple/colleague of Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk. When Rabbi Menachem Mendel made aliyah to the Land of Israel, in 1777, at his instruction, the Alter Rebbe became the leader of the chasidim in Russia and White Russia. He wrote the Tanya—one of the most foundational works of Chasidut in general—which in Chabad is described as the "Written Torah” of Chasidut. Following denunciations by his opponents, he was imprisoned twice, and the day of his first release, the 19th of Kislev 5559 (1798), was established as a holiday and Rosh HaShanah for Chasidut. On the 24th of Tevet 5573 (1813), while fleeing from Napolean’s advancing armies, he passed away and was buried in the small Ukranian town of Haditch.
Once, the holy Maggid said to his disciples: "In heaven, there are complaints that you are not engaging enough in the revealed aspects of Torah." When the disciples heard these words, each took upon himself to increase his study of the Torah’s revealed dimension. The holy author of the Hafla'ah, Rebbe Pinchas of Horowitz, may his merit protect us, took upon himself to write novellae on Talmudic topics and wrote the book HaMakneh on Tractate Kiddushin. The holy author of the Tanya, the Rebbe Shneur Zalman of Liadi, who was among the younger disciples took upon himself to write a composition on all four parts of the Shulchan Aruch. In the end, what we have published today is primarily from the first part, Orach Chaim. Most of what he wrote on Yoreh De'ah, Choshen Mishpat and Even HaEzer was lost in a fire. Finally, the holy Rabbi Avraham Kalisker, who had a great mind, and in his youth was a friend of the Vilna Gaon, of blessed memory took upon himself to answer anyone who had difficulty with any matter, whatever it may be.
Once, the Ba’al HaTanya approached Rabbi Avraham with a very deep and difficult question he had once heard from a great scholar. Rabbi Avraham immediately resolved his question with clarity and knowledge. When Rabbi Avraham finished speaking to the Ba’al HaTanya, he began to feel ill and weak until he did not have the strength to stand on his feet and needed to be laid in bed.
The holy Maggid went to visit him and asked: "Do you know why you fell ill?" Rabbi Avraham replied: "Because when I answered the Ba’al HaTanya's deep question with clarity and knowledge, a thought of the subtlest pride passed through my mind, and for this I was punished from heaven." And by the power of confessing the Maggid that he knew and recognized his sin, his strength was restored and he rose from his bed. (Avodat Avodah, Vayishlach)
After the collapse of Communism, a precious treasure was discovered in Russia: the original investigation file of the Alter Rebbe, from the time of his first imprisonment. The file documents twenty-three questions, with answers in Hebrew in the Rebbe's own handwriting.
Many details of the story were revealed then for the first time: the Czar's personal involvement in the case, instructions he gave to the team of investigators, and even the name of the informer, Hirsch ben David. One of the most interesting details is the content of the denunciation: contrary to the assumption that prevailed until the file was exposed, the accusation was not only about the Rebbe's connections with the Ottoman government. The Rebbe was indeed required to explain why he sent charity funds to the Land of Israel, but the most significant claim of the informer was actually about France: according to that informer, the Alter Rebbe, and the Chasidic movement in general, supported the French Revolution.
The revolution caused shockwaves throughout all the regimes in Europe, and the Czar himself dealt in his instructions only with this section. He ordered that he be notified immediately if the suspicion was confirmed. If that had happened, they would have, God forbid, immediately sentenced the Alter Rebbe to death. In point of fact, Rebbe Shneur Zalman abhorred the kelipah (impure husk) of French heresy, and even passed away fourteen years later while fleeing Napoleon; but since this was the informer's claim, there must be something to it. Let us also recall the Lubavitcher Rebbe's statement that the primary rectification leading to the Redemption is the rectification of France; its Hebrew name (תַפְרָצ) permutes to spell “you will spread out” (תַּצְרָפּ).
Among the questions that dealt with this subject, was also one that focused on the chasidim traveling to the Rebbe. At that time, the Alter Rebbe had about eighteen thousand. He was asked by the interrogators: “Why do so many people come to you? Doesn't this indicate preparations for a rebellion, or for crowning you as their king?” To this, the Alter Rebbe replied, using the type of arguments the interrogators could relate to: “From all the people who travel to me, I receive no nachas (i.e., satisfaction). All the money they give is for charity, and even the purpose of their coming is not related to me personally, it is not meant to honor me. I receive them, because in our religion there is an obligation on one who knows to teach those who do not."
How is this related to our story? The obligation to teach is illustrated through the way the students chose to remove the accusation made in Heaven regarding the lack of engagement with the Torah’s revealed dimension. They did so by writing compositions and answering questions. Their personal Torah learning was sufficient, and this was not the flaw that the Maggid sensed. The study of the revealed Torah that was requested from Heaven was a call to spread and reveal their learning so that others could make use of it as well.
The Alter Rebbe took another mission upon himself: clarifying the text of the Siddur. The text of our prayers is a complex and tumultuous subject. The Alter Rebbe chose to base the Siddur he wrote on the excurses and kavanot (intentions) of the Arizal, Rabbi Isaac Luria, the great Kabbalist of the 16th century.
The Mitteler Rebbe once asked his father: What is the reason for his special regard for the Arizal to the extent that he composed his Siddur specifically based on the Arizal’s teachings and even subtitled it “according to the Arizal's Nusach [Formulation]?” The Alter Rebbe answered him: “Because I merited to see the Arizal while awake.” The Mitteler Rebbe asked: “How, when, and where did this take place?” But the Alter Rebbe did not respond.
The Mitteler Rebbe very much wanted to know about this, and the question stayed with him. On various occasions, he asked his father to tell him where and when he saw the Arizal, but each time he evaded the question. A few years passed, and the Alter Rebbe asked his son to arrange something for him. The Mitteler Rebbe answered that if he would answer his question about the Arizal, he would do what he asked of him. The Alter Rebbe promised him, and after the matter was arranged, the Alter Rebbe related the following story to his son:
Once the group of the disciples of the Maggid of Mezritch was sitting at the Maggid's table. The Maggid asked them to start singing chasidic melodies so that afterwards he would say words of Torah. The Alter Rebbe was one of the youngest students, and sat at the end of the table. The Maggid sat at the head of the table. His chair was wide, and two people could sit on either side of him—but of course, none of the students sat in the Maggid's chair. After they sang a few melodies, silence fell, and they waited for the Maggid to begin saying Torah. And behold, the door opened, and a young man entered with an exceptionally majestic countenance, whose face radiated light. He immediately went to the head of the table, sat next to the Maggid on his chair, and then the Maggid began to speak Torah. The entire time, the guest looked at the Maggid's face and listened intently. When the Maggid finished speaking, the man stood up with a joyful face and they saw that he agreed with the Maggid’s words. He then exited the room.
Afterwards, the students began to sing until the Maggid also left. When the students began to leave, the Alter Rebbe approached them one by one and asked them if they knew who the man was. Each of the students answered him that they had not seen anyone enter or leave and had not noticed anything out of the ordinary. When the Alter Rebbe heard this , he decided to ask the Maggid himself about it. "Since only you saw,” said the Maggid, “I will tell you that it was the Arizal himself in all his glory." (From Zichronam Livrachah, the Maggid of Mezritch)
