Shmuel Schneersohn

Shmuel Schneersohn
Shmuel Schneersohn
	Stamp of Shmuel Schneerson
Title	Lubavitcher Rebbe
Personal
Born	Shmuel Schneersohn; 29 April 1834 OS; Lyubavichi, Russian Empire
Died	14 September 1882 OS; Lyubavichi, Russian Empire
Religion	Judaism
Spouse	Sterna (daughter of his brother Chaim Shneur Zalman), Rivkah (granddaughter of Dovber Schneuri)
Parents	Menachem Mendel Schneersohn (father); Chaya Mushka (daughter of Dovber Schneuri) (mother);
Jewish leader
Predecessor	Menachem Mendel Schneersohn
Successor	Sholom Dovber Schneersohn
Began	17 March 1866
Ended	14 September 1882 OS
Main work	Likutei Torah - Toras Shmuel
Dynasty	Chabad Lubavitch

Shmuel Schneersohn (or Rabbi Shmuel of Lubavitch or The Rebbe Maharash) (29 April 1834 – 14 September 1882 OS) was an Orthodox rabbi and the fourth Rebbe (spiritual leader) of the Chabad Lubavitch Chasidic movement.

Biography

Shmuel Schneersohn was born in Lyubavichi, on 2 Iyar 5594 (1834), the seventh son of Menachem Mendel Schneersohn. He faced competition from three of his brothers, primarily from Yehuda Leib Schneersohn who established a dynasty in Kapust upon their father's death. Other brothers also established dynasties in Lyady, Nizhyn, and Ovruch.^[1]

In 1848, Schneersohn was married to the daughter of his brother, Chaim Shneur Zalman Schneersohn. After several months she died, and he then married Rivkah, a granddaughter of his own grandfather Dovber Schneuri. He had three sons, Zalman Aharon, Shalom Dovber, and Menachem Mendel, as well as one daughter, Devorah Leah.^{[citation needed]}

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 died in Lyubavichi, on 13 Tishrei 5643 (1882), leaving three sons and two daughters, and was succeeded by his son Sholom Dovber.^[3]

Schneersohn urged the study of Kabbalah as a prerequisite for one's humanity:

A person who is capable of comprehending the seder hishtalshelus (kabbalistic secrets concerning the coming-into-being of all existence every moment) - 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.^[4]

Works

"Likkutei Torah L'Sholosh Parshiyos" - Discourses based on the first three parshiyos in Torah Ohr of the Alter Rebbe
"Likkutei Torah - Toras Shmuel 5626-5642" 35 volumes - discourses in order of the parshiyos and festivals
"Sefer hasichos Toras Shmuel"
"Igros Kodesh" A collection of over 70 surviving letters and Halachik responsa

Aphorisms

"The world says, 'If you can't crawl under, climb over.' But I say, Lechatchilah Ariber--'At the outset, one should climb over.'"^[5]

"You cannot fool God; ultimately, you cannot fool others either. The only one you can fool is yourself. And to fool a fool is no great achievement."^[6]

"because better is better, is good not good? rather good is good, and better is better!"^[7]

"Why are you demanding of me?^[8] Demand of yourself! If you toil and fill your mind with Torah there won't be any space for foreign thoughts! break your desires and you will feel great pleasure in prayer!"^[9]

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 0-88125-836-9
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Encyclopedia of Hasidism, entry: Schneersohn, Shmuel. Naftali Lowenthal. Aronson, London 1996. ISBN 1-56821-123-6
^ Sefer HaToldos Admur Maharash Archived 2007-05-14 at the Wayback Machine
^ See footnote number "[58]", of "The Blessings Of The Lubavitcher Rebbe Shlita / After Minchah Erev Yom Kippur, 5752". Chabad.org. Archived from the original on March 27, 2002. [As the Rebbe Maharash himself explained, this approach runs contrary to the approach of the world at large. "The world says, 'If you can't crawl under, climb over.' But I say, LeChatchilah Ariber, 'At the outset, one should climb over.' "]
^ The Nechama Greisman Anthology Archived 2003-11-04 at the Wayback Machine
^ "אגרות קודש אדמו"ר מוהריי"צ ד - שניאורסון, יוסף יצחק, 1880-1950 (Page 205 of 623)".
^ To rid you of evil thoughts
^ "אגרות קודש אדמו"ר מוהריי"צ ד - שניאורסון, יוסף יצחק, 1880-1950 (Page 111 of 623)".

External links

Preceded by Menachem Mendel Schneersohn	Rebbe of Lubavitch 1866—1882	Succeeded by Sholom Dovber Schneersohn

Shneur Zalman^[i]
(1745–1812)

Shterna

Shalom Shachna^[ii]

Devorah Leah
(d. 1792)

Dovber^[iii]
(1773–1827)

Sheina

Menachem Mendel^[iv]
(1789–1866)

Chaya Mushka
(d. 1860)

Baruch Shalom
(1805–1869)

Shmuel^[v]
(1834–1882)

Yosef Yizchak^[vi]
(1822–1876)

Yisroel Noah^[vii]
(1815–1883)

Chaim Schneur Zalman^[viii]
(d. 1879)

Yehuda Leib^[ix]
(1811–1866)

Levi Yitzchak
(1834–1878)

Shalom Dovber^[x]
(1860–1920)

Shterna Sara
(1860–1942)

Avraham
(1860–1937)

Yitzchak Dovber^[xi]
(1833–1910)

Shlomo Zalman^[xii]
(1830–1900)

Shalom Dovber^[xiii]
(d. 1908)

Shmaryahu Noah^[xiv]
(1842–1924)

Baruch Schneur
(d. 1926)

Yosef Yitzchak^[xv]
(1880–1950)

Nechama Dina
(1881–1971)

Levi Yitzchak^[xvi]
(d. 1904)

Levi Yitzchak
(1878–1944)

Chana
(1880–1964)

Menachem Mendel^[xvii]
(1902–1994)

Chaya Mushka
(1901–1988)

Light green indicates a Hasidic Rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch dynasty

Light purple indicates a Hasidic Rebbe of the Chabad-Kapust dynasty

Light orange indicates a Hasidic Rebbe of the Chabad-Niezhin dynasty

Light blue indicates a Hasidic Rebbe of the Chabad-Liadi dynasty

Light yellow indicates a Hasidic Rebbe of Avrutch dynasty

Solid lines indicate parents/children, dashed lines show marriages, dotted lines show in-laws. Additional members of Schneersohn family are not listed here

Notes:

^ Founder and first Rebbe of Chabad, known as Shneur Zalman of Liady
^ Surname Altschuler
^ 2nd Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, known as Dovber Schneuri and the Middle Rebbe
^ 3rd Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, known as Tzemach Tzedek, first to assume the surname "Schneersohn"
^ 4th Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, known as Maharash
^ Rebbe in Avrutch
^ 1st Rebbe of Chabad-Niezhin
^ 1st Rebbe of Chabad-Liadi
^ 1st Rebbe of Chabad-Kapust, known as Maharil of Kapust
^ 5th Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, known as Rashab
^ 2nd Rebbe of Chabad-Liadi, known as Maharid
^ 2rd Rebbe of Chabad-Kapust
^ 3rd Rebbe of Chabad-Kapust, known as Rashab of Rechitsa
^ 4th Rebbe of Chabad-Kapust
^ 6th Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, known as Rayatz
^ 3rd Rebbe of Chabad-Liadi, Levi Yitzchak Guterman, son-in-law of Chaim Schneur Zalman Schneersohn
^ 7th Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, uses the spelling of "Schneerson"

References:

Schneersohn, Yosef Yitzchak; Schneerson, Menachem Mendel (2005). Hayom Yom: Bilingual Edition. Brooklyn, NY: Kehot Publication Society. ISBN 0-8266-0669-5.

[1] Sefer HaToldot Rav Shmuel, Admor Maharash, Glitzenstein, A. H.

[2] The Messiah of Brooklyn: Understanding Lubavitch Hasidim Past and Present, M. Avrum Ehrlich, ch.16 note.12, KTAV Publishing, ISBN 0-88125-836-9

[ilo-3] Encyclopedia of Hasidism, entry: Schneersohn, Shmuel. Naftali Lowenthal. Aronson, London 1996. ISBN 1-56821-123-6

[4] Sefer HaToldos Admur Maharash Archived 2007-05-14 at the Wayback Machine

[5] See footnote number "[58]", of "The Blessings Of The Lubavitcher Rebbe Shlita / After Minchah Erev Yom Kippur, 5752". Chabad.org. Archived from the original on March 27, 2002. [As the Rebbe Maharash himself explained, this approach runs contrary to the approach of the world at large. "The world says, 'If you can't crawl under, climb over.' But I say, LeChatchilah Ariber, 'At the outset, one should climb over.' "]

[6] The Nechama Greisman Anthology Archived 2003-11-04 at the Wayback Machine

[7] "אגרות קודש אדמו"ר מוהריי"צ ד - שניאורסון, יוסף יצחק, 1880-1950 (Page 205 of 623)".

[8] To rid you of evil thoughts

[9] "אגרות קודש אדמו"ר מוהריי"צ ד - שניאורסון, יוסף יצחק, 1880-1950 (Page 111 of 623)".

[10] Founder and first Rebbe of Chabad, known as Shneur Zalman of Liady

[11] Surname Altschuler

[12] 2nd Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, known as Dovber Schneuri and the Middle Rebbe

[13] 3rd Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, known as Tzemach Tzedek, first to assume the surname "Schneersohn"

[14] 4th Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, known as Maharash

[15] Rebbe in Avrutch

[16] 1st Rebbe of Chabad-Niezhin

[17] 1st Rebbe of Chabad-Liadi

[18] 1st Rebbe of Chabad-Kapust, known as Maharil of Kapust

[19] 5th Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, known as Rashab

[20] 2nd Rebbe of Chabad-Liadi, known as Maharid

[21] 2rd Rebbe of Chabad-Kapust

[22] 3rd Rebbe of Chabad-Kapust, known as Rashab of Rechitsa

[23] 4th Rebbe of Chabad-Kapust

[24] 6th Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, known as Rayatz

[25] 3rd Rebbe of Chabad-Liadi, Levi Yitzchak Guterman, son-in-law of Chaim Schneur Zalman Schneersohn

[26] 7th Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, uses the spelling of "Schneerson"

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