From the Archives
This Shabbat we will be commemorating the birthday of the fourth Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Sholom Ber, who was known as the Rebbe Rashab. It is said that on a person's birthday, the "spiritual source of the soul shines powerfully." Therefore, it is important to understand what the central point of the Rebbe Rashab's leadership was, and how it differed from the other Chabad Rebbes.
The Rebbe explains how each of the Rebbes was characterized by a particular dimension which reflected his individual nature.
Chabad Chasidut is characterized by the ability to make the esoteric teachings of the Torah, which remained hidden from the majority of the Jewish community, accessible to every single Jew. The Rebbe Rashab was able to bring the teachings of Chabad Chasidut to an even more comprehensible level than his predecessors.
The Rebbe Rashab's teachings put a great emphasis on summarizing subject matter so that it could be more easily implemented into daily life. For this he is referred to by many as the "Rambam [Maimonides] of Chasidut," because he summarized Chasidut in the same way the Rambam summarized the Oral Law, making it comprehensible and giving it clear directions for every aspect of our conduct. The lessons of the Rebbe Rashab are easily understood and are concluded with directions for the practical application of those lessons.
In 1897 the Rebbe Rashab established a yeshiva, Tomchei Tmimim, and he was personally involved in every aspect of it, designing the curriculum, and asking for a detailed progress report on each student. He strove to raise both their standard of learning and their standard of behavior. It was a great honor to be accepted into the yeshiva, and its students were highly respected by the community.
The Rebbe Rashab published many of his teachings, which deal with improving one's character, how to prepare for prayer and the importance of prayer, and of studying Chasidut. May we all benefit from his teachings.