Dear Reader sh’yichyeh,
This Shabbos (VaYikra) is the first Shabbos of the month of Nissan the חודש הנשיאים – month of princes. The simple reason for this title is because the first 12 days of Nissan we read about the Korbanos that the נשיא of each shevet brought in honor of the dedication of the Mishkan.
By Chassidei Chabad, this title takes on a whole new meaning: It is a month that is connected to many of our נשיאים. The 13th of Nissan is the Yahrtzait of the Tzemach Tzedek and beginning of the Nesius of the Rebbe Maharash. Beis Nissan is the Yahrtzait of the Rebbe Rashab and the beginning of the Nesius of the Frierdike Rebbe. The 18th of Nissan is the birth of Reb Levik, the Rebbe’s father and of course the 11th of Nissan is the birthday of our Rebbe.
In the HaYom Yom of 7 Nissan the Rebbe brings down the history of the family name of משפחת בית הרב, the royal family: “The Alter Rebbe’s family name was Baruchovitch. The Mitteler Rebbe’s family name was Shneuri. The Tzemach Tzedek’s family name was Schneersohn.”
In Italy, during the Middle Ages, family names came into use, especially by the nobles, who wanted to separate themselves from the common people. The nobles then passed these family names down to their children. This custom then spread to other European countries. The Jews were the last people to adopt family names, since they often lived apart from other people and didn’t feel they needed them. However, in the 1800s, laws required everyone to have family names, and Jewish people chose family names.
There is a long letter of the Frierdike Rebbe (Igros Vol. 4 page 503), which is the source of the above-quoted HaYom Yom, in which he describes the events that led up to the selecting of the family name of the Rebbeim. He also points out, that although the Mitteler Rebbe picked the name Shneuri, his children all went with the surname Schneersohn.
It should be pointed out, that not until the passing of the Alter Rebbe, which was when the surname was chosen, was it clear that there would be chassidic dynasties. On the contrary: It was the Mezritcher Maggid who took over after the passing of the Baal Shem tov and the Alter Rebbe who took over after the passing of the Maggid. It was assumed that the spiritual son (i.e., the greatest disciple) would take over the spiritual movement of Chassidus.
In the HaYom Yom of 27 Iyar, the Rebbe quotes from the Frierdike Rebbe: My father related that he heard from his father quoting his father (the Tzemach Tzedek), who heard the Alter Rebbe refer to himself as the son of the Maggid (his Rebbe), and as the grandson of the Baal Shem Tov.
While the Gemara [Sanhedrin 19a] says, “For anyone who teaches his friend’s children Torah, is considered as if he gave birth to them,” it is only “as if.” The Alter Rebbe felt that it was deeper than “as if”; it was like his father and grandfather. Moreover, he told R. Baruch of Mezhibuzh, who was the Baal Shem Tov’s biological grandson (the son of his daughter, which is even a closer connection than a son’s son), that R. Baruch may have been a grandson in the material sense, but that he — the Alter Rebbe — was the Baal Shem Tov’s grandson in a spiritual sense. He thus implied that he had received an inner dimension of the Baal Shem Tov, a link deeper than that conveyed through birth.
It was only after the passing of the Alter Rebbe, then succeeded by his son, and then his grandson the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek, that the dynasty and Malchus of Chabad Chassidus was born. The Tzemach Tzedek was connected to the Alter Rebbe in his essence, as is evident from the story quoted in of HaYom Yom of 28 Iyar: In one of the night-time visions in which the Tzemach Tzedek saw [his maternal grandfather,] the Alter Rebbe, within thirty days of the latter’s passing, [the Alter Rebbe] delivered a maamer [based on the teaching of the Mishna], “The world stands on three things….” After delivering the maamer, the Alter Rebbe [quoted and interpreted a Talmudic teaching]: “‘When a man gives seed first, a female is conceived.’ This alludes to your mother. ‘When a woman gives seed first, a male is conceived.’ This refers to you.”
The Mitteler Rebbe, the eldest son and successor of the Alter Rebbe, passed away on 9 Kislev 5588 (1827). Before the following Shavuos, the elder Chassidim gathered in Lubavitch. Their goal was to persuade the Mitteler Rebbe’s nephew and son-in-law, the Tzemach Tzedek, who was then 38 years old, to accept the mantle of leadership. Among them was R. Peretz Chein, who declared that he could prove from a teaching of the Sages that the Tzemach Tzedek should become the next Rebbe. He thereupon repeated the above teaching. Hearing it, the Tzemach Tzedek became very serious and replied, “I accept.”
The esteemed R. Hillel of Paritch then spoke up: “The chassidim want to hear Chassidus!”
The Tzemach Tzedek withdrew to his room. He soon reappeared, wearing the white robe that he had inherited from his grandfather, the Alter Rebbe, and delivered the above maamer, beginning with the words, “Al Shelosha D’varim Ha’olam Omed —The world stands on three things.”
These words suddenly reminded some of the prominent elder Chassidim of what had seemed to be a mere passing comment of the Alter Rebbe a few decades earlier. They recalled that in 5553 (1793), they had been invited to his study to hear him deliver a maamer. At that time, they noticed that his three-year-old grandson was running around the room and playing with toy t’fillin that he had made out of potatoes. Whenever the cords that served for toy straps got caught in the legs of the table and chairs of the Alter Rebbe, he would unscramble them for him. One of the elder Chassidim, seeing that the toddler was edging towards the Alter Rebbe while he was in the midst of delivering his discourse, intended to help the little fellow untie his straps.
Catching sight of the elder Chassid, the Alter Rebbe said, “Let him be: he’s listening. You will yet know that he’s listening.” That comment was completely forgotten. But the maamer that the Tzemach Tzedek was now repeating some 35 years later was the very maamer that they had heard long ago from the lips of the Alter Rebbe — together with a little boy of three…
As we are talking about the royal family, I want to address a question that I have heard many people ask: We know that the Alter Rebbe is a direct descendant (son-after-son) of Dovid HaMelech (see introduction to HaYom yom) and that the Rebbe is a direct descendant of the Tzemach Tzedek. Yet, the Tzemach Tzedek is a son of the daughter of the Alter Rebbe – thus seemingly breaking the chain of direct descendant from Dovid HaMelech. So the question is asked, how can a descendant of the Tzemach Tzedek be Moshiach if he is not a direct descendant of Dovid HaMelech?
This question is addressed at length in the seifer Yechi HaMelech HaMoshiach (by Rabbi Shalom D. Volpo). In brief, he suggests three points:
The Rebbe Rashab, also a direct descendant of the Tzemach Tzedek, says clearly (Toras Shalom pg. 176): At a farbrengen on Motzaei Shabbos, 21 Kislev 5673, “‘His candle will never be extinguished;’ the light of the Baal Shem Tov will constantly illuminate. Chassidus will, without a doubt, exist until the coming of Moshiach, for ‘Dovid Melech Yisroel chai v’kayam’ – this was the Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid and the Rebbe, and so on, for we are of the seed of Dovid and we will continue until Moshiach. The Rebbe will take us all out.”
There are many reasons to believe that the father of the Tzemach Tzedek, Reb Shalom Shachna, was a direct descendant of Dovid HaMelech.
There are many proofs that to be Moshiach, one does not actually have to be a direct descendant – son after son – from Dovid HaMelech, and one who is a matrilineal descendant of Dovid HaMelech can also qualify to be Moshiach. One proof is from רבינו הקדוש. We all know that the Gemara (Sanhedrin 98b) says, “Says Rav: If Moshiach is among the living, he is, for example, Rabbeinu HaKadosh.” This is despite the fact that Tosafos (Sanhedrin 5a) brings down that Rabbeinu HaKadosh says that he is a descendant of the daughter of Dovid.
The main thing is that as we prepare for 11 Nissan, which, being the birthday of the Rebbe, makes it our birthday too, we must reflect – as “On one’s birthday one should spend some time in seclusion, bringing to mind recollections from the past and pondering over them. As to those [of his bygone actions] that call for rectification or repentance, one should repent and rectify them” (HaYom yom 11 Nissan) – on our Hiskashrus to the Rebbe and our dedication to “The most recent innovation in the work of shlichus: To receive our righteous Moshiach in the true and complete Redemption.”
Rabbi Avtzon is the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Lubavitch Cincinnati and a well sought after speaker and lecturer. Recordings of his in-depth shiurim on Inyanei Geula u’Moshiach can be accessed at http://www.ylcrecording.com