Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi – Founder of Chabad and Pioneer of Jewish Spiritual Thought

On the 18th of Elul, 5505 (1745), Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi was born in the town of Lyozna, Russia, to his father Rabbi Baruch, a member of the mystical circle known as “the Hidden Ones” (HaNistarim) and one of the devoted disciples of the Baal Shem Tov, founder of the Chassidic movement.

It is told that even before Rabbi Schneur Zalman was born, the Baal Shem Tov personally gave his parents detailed instructions on how to raise and educate the child.

A Child Prodigy Under Divine Guidance

From his earliest years, Rabbi Schneur Zalman displayed extraordinary genius. The Baal Shem Tov warned his parents to conceal his brilliance from public attention and to refrain from speaking of his wisdom.

According to the historical records of the Lyozna community, at the age of just five, Rabbi Schneur Zalman was already recognized as one of the city’s outstanding young men who took part in public decision-making. When he reached bar mitzvah, he was officially listed among the city’s distinguished citizens — a title that even great scholars of old did not receive easily.

He was not only a Talmudic prodigy and halachic genius, but also deeply knowledgeable in science and mathematics. In fact, he solved two complex scientific problems that had baffled professors in his region, earning their astonishment and respect.

Discipleship Under the Maggid of Mezeritch

At around age 18–20, Rabbi Schneur Zalman traveled to Mezeritch, where Rabbi Dov Ber, the Maggid of Mezeritch, had succeeded the Baal Shem Tov as leader of the Chassidic movement. He quickly became one of the Maggid’s foremost and most trusted disciples.

The Maggid himself wrote words of high praise for his young student: “The judgment and discernment of my devoted disciple, Rabbi Zalmina, author of the Shulchan Aruch (Code of Law), are as a form of small prophecy, and whatever issues from his mouth shall come to pass. Had he lived in the days of our master, the Baal Shem Tov of blessed memory, he too would have been outstanding.”

Leadership and Imprisonment

After the passing of the Maggid of Mezeritch in 1773, Rabbi Schneur Zalman was appointed to oversee the organization and spiritual work of the Chassidim. Three years later, he became the recognized leader of the Chassidic movement in Lithuania, guiding thousands with his profound wisdom and spiritual depth.

In 1799, during a wave of Tsarist persecution of Jews in Europe, Rabbi Schneur Zalman was imprisoned by the Russian authorities on false charges of treason — accused of “rebellion against the crown.” He was held in solitary confinement for 53 days, facing a death sentence.

On the 19th of Kislev that same year, he was proven innocent and released with great honor. This day is celebrated by Chabad communities worldwide as “Yud-Tes Kislev – The Festival of Liberation,” marking not only his personal freedom but also a spiritual victory for Chassidism itself.

The Final Journey and Passing

In 1812, as Napoleon Bonaparte’s army advanced into Russia, Rabbi Schneur Zalman opposed Napoleon’s campaign, fearing that a French victory would harm Jewish spiritual life. On the eve of Rosh Chodesh Elul 5572 (1812), he and his family fled their home in Liadi.

For several months they wandered across the harsh Russian winter, accompanied by a group of devoted Chassidim, until they reached the village of Piena in the month of Tevet. There, the Rebbe fell ill, and on Saturday night, the eve of the 24th of Tevet, 5573 (January 3, 1813), his pure soul ascended to heaven. He was laid to rest in the small town of Haditch, where his resting place remains a site of prayer and pilgrimage.

Legacy: A Day of Blessing and Salvation

The anniversary of Rabbi Schneur Zalman’s passing — the 24th of Tevet, is revered as a holy day, known as a time when he “works salvations in the midst of the earth.”

His life’s mission — to unite profound Torah scholarship with inner spiritual awareness, gave rise to Chabad Chassidism, a movement that continues to illuminate Jewish life across the world with wisdom, depth, and joy.