Shmuel Schneersohn
Shmuel Schneersohn | |
|---|---|
| Title | Lubavitcher Rebbe |
| Personal | |
| Religion | Judaism |
| Parents |
|
| Jewish leader | |
| Predecessor | Menachem Mendel Schneersohn |
| Successor | Sholom Dovber Schneersohn |
| Dynasty | Chabad Lubavitch |
Shmuel Schneersohn (or Rabbi Shmuel of Lubavitch or The Rebbe Maharash) (1834-04-29–1882-09-14 OS) was an Orthodox rabbi and the fourth Rebbe (spiritual leader) of the Chabad Lubavitch chasidic movement.
Biography
Schneersohn was born in Lubavitch, on 2 Iyar 1834, the seventh son of the Tzemach Tzedek. He faced competition from three of his brothers, primarily from Rabbi Yehuda Leib Schneersohn who established a dynasty in Kapust upon their father's death. Other brothers also established dynasties in Lyady, Bobruisk, and Nezhin. He did all he could to improve the lot of persecuted Jewry.[1]
Schneersohn was said to have had chariots on call for the evacuation of books in time of fire.[2]
Besides his communal activism, he had wide intellectual interests. He spoke several languages, including Latin.[3] He wrote widely on a range of religious and secular topics, and much of his writing has never been published and remains in manuscript form alone.[3] His discourses began to be published for the first time under the title Likkutei Torat Shmuel in 1945 by Kehot, and 12 volumes have so far been printed.[3]
He passed away in Lubavitch, on 13 Tishrei 1882, leaving four sons and two daughters, and was succeeded by his son Sholom Dovber.[3]
Schneersohn urged the study of kabbala as a prerequisite for one's humanity:
A person who is capable of comprehending the Seder hishtalshelus (kabbalistic secrets concerning the higher spiritual spheres) - and fails to do so - cannot be considered a human being. At every moment and time one must know where his soul stands. It is a mitzvah (commandment) and an obligation to know the seder hishtalshelus.[1]
Aphorisms
"The world says, 'If you can't crawl under, climb over.' But I say, Lechatchilah Ariber--'At the outset, one should climb over.'"[4]
"You cannot fool G-d; ultimately, you cannot fool others either. The only one you can fool is yourself. And to fool a fool is no great achievement."[5]
References
- ^ Sefer HaToldot Rav Shmuel, Admor Maharash, Glitzenstein, A. H.
- ^ The Messiah of Brooklyn: Understanding Lubavitch Hasidim Past and Present, M. Avrum Ehrlich, ch.16 note.12, KTAV Publishing, ISBN 0881258369
- ^ a b c d Encyclopedia of Hasidism, entry: Schneersohn, Shmuel. Naftali Lowenthal. Aronson, London 1996. ISBN 1568211236
- ^ Explanation of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
- ^ The Nechama Greisman Anthology
External links
- A biography of The Rebbe Maharash - Rabbi Shmuel Schneersohn
- Family Tree
- Sefer Toras Shmuel by Rabbi Shmuel Schneersohn
