Menachem Mendel Schneersohn
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The seventh and last Lubavitcher Rebbe was named similarly: Menachem Mendel Schneerson (without the "h" in his last name. He was his great-great grandson.)
Menachem Mendel Schneersohn (or Menachem Mendel or Tzemach Tzedek) (1789 - 1866) was an Orthodox Jewish rabbi of the Chabad Lubavitch Hasidic Judaism movement that was based in the town of Lubavitch in present-day Belarus. He was the third Rebbe of the Chabad dynasty. Since 1940 the movement has had its headquarters in Brooklyn, New York in the United States with branches all over the world, forming an international movement.
Schneersohn was also known as the Tzemach Tzedek ("Righteous Sprout" or "Righteous Scion"), the name for a voluminous compendium of halakha (Jewish law) that he authored. He also authored Derech Mitzvotecha ("Way of Your Commandments"), a mystical exposition of halakha. He compiled major works of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi for publication, including the Siddur Mi'Kol Ha'Shanah (commonly known as Siddur Im Dach), Likutei Torah and Torah Ohr. He also authored a Philosophical text entitled "Sefer Chakira: Derech Emuna" (Book of Philosophy: The way of Faith).
The Tzemach Tzedek was unique among Chabad Rabbis because of his extraordinarily close relationship with other Jewish leaders. Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein spent six months under his tutelage, and told his children that he learned most of his mystical knowledge during that time. Rabbi Moses Sofer the "Chasam Sofer", Rabbi Akiva Eiger and Rabbi Chaim Volozhin were also known to have a close correspondence with the Tzemach Tzedek.
Schneersohn was the grandson of the first Lubavitch Rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, and became the son-in-law of the second Rebbe, Rabbi Dovber Schneuri.
The seventh and last Lubavitch Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson was fifth in a direct paternal line from this prior third Rebbe called "Menachem Mendel", and was named after him.
[edit] External links
- A brief biography of Rabbi Menachem Mendel, the "Tzemach Tzedek"
- The Tsemah Tzedek Family Tree
- The Complete Published Works of the Tzemach Tzedek in Hebrew
[edit] Rebbes of Lubavitch
- Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-1812)
- Dovber Schneuri (1773-1827)
- Menachem Mendel Schneersohn (1789-1866)
- Shmuel Schneersohn (1834-1882)
- Sholom Dovber Schneersohn (1860-1920)
- Joseph Isaac Schneersohn (1880-1950)
- Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994)
[edit] Time-line of Lubavitcher rebbes
Preceded by: Dovber Schneuri |
Rebbe of Lubavitch 1827—1866 |
Succeeded by: Shmuel Schneersohn |