CHAYEI SARAH

The Rebbe was born in the year 1902, Nisan 11, in Nikolaiev, Russia. He is the son of the famous Kabbalist and Talmudic sage, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, and Rebetzn Jana, aristocratic daughter of a prestigious family of rabbis. He is also the great-great-grandson of the third Lubavitcher Rebbe, who bore the same name, Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch. At the age of five he moved with his parents to the Ukrainian city of Iekaterinoslav, today Dnepropetrovsk, where his father was appointed Superior Rabbi.

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To Save A Life:  A story is told of the Rebbe's first years of life that seems like a symbol of all that would follow. When he was nine years old, little Menachem Mendel bravely swam in the Black Sea and saved the life of a boy who had fallen from the deck of an anchored ship. That feeling of "other lives in danger" seems to have dominated his consciousness ever since. Jews drowning in assimilation, ignorance, or alienation without anyone hearing their cries for help. Jews on university campuses, in isolated communities, under repressive regimes. From childhood he showed prodigious mental acuity. When he came to the Bar Mitzvah, the Rebbe was considered an "Ilui", a prodigy of the Torah. He spent his adolescence immersed in the study of Torah.

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Wedding in Warsaw:  In 1929 Rabbi Menachem Mendel married the Previous Rebbe's daughter, the Rabbanit Jaia Mussia, in Warsaw. (The Rabbanit was born in 1901, she was chosen by her father, the Previous Rebbe, to accompany him in his forced exile in Kostroma in 1927. For almost sixty years she was the Rebbe's wife and passed away on Shevat 22, 5748 (February 10, 1988) He then studied at the University of Berlin and later at the Sorbonne in Paris, and it seems that during those years his formidable knowledge of mathematics, medicine and science began to flourish.

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Arrival to the US:  On Monday, Sivan 28, 5701 (June 23, 1941) the Rebbe and the Rabbanit arrived in the United States, having been miraculously rescued, by the grace of Gd Almighty, from the European Holocaust. The day marks the beginning of new and widespread efforts to reinforce and disseminate the Torah and Judaism in general, and the Hasidic teachings in particular, through the establishment of three central Lubavitch organizations under the leadership of the Rebbe: Merkos Leinionei Jinuj (“ Central Organization for Jewish Education ”), Kehot Publication Society and Machne Israel, a social service agency. Shortly after his arrival the Rebbe began writing his notes on various Hasidic and Kabbalistic treatises, as well as a wide range of answers on Torah topics. With the publication of these works his genius was soon recognized throughout the world.

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Leadership:  Following the disappearance of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, on Shvat 10, 1950, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson assumed leadership of the burgeoning movement. Lubavitch's activities and institutions soon took on new dimensions. The Chabad philosophy of reaching out, based on the biblical "and you will expand west and east, north and south" (Genesis 28:14), was immediately translated into action as Chabad Centers opened in dozens of cities across the US

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Singularity:  Using the Rebbe's teachings and example as a role model, Lubavitch has quickly grown to be a worldwide presence, and all of his various activities are the hallmark of his vision. It's no wonder then, that many wonder, “What is your leadership about that was - and, in many ways, still is - so special? Why do the prominent personalities of the day maintain such deep respect and admiration for him? "

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Past, present and future:  Many leaders recognize the need of the moment and respond with courage and direction. This is his forte - and it is admirable. Others, although their strength is not in the "instant answer" to current problems, are blessed with the perceptual ability of foresight - knowing what tomorrow will bring and the best way to prepare for it. However, there are other leaders who excel in a third, different domain, with a keen sense of history and tradition, their advice and leadership shaped by a great sensitivity to the past.

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But one who possessed all three qualities is truly unique, standing alone in leadership. So was the Lubavitcher Rebbe - the inspiration and driving force behind Lubavitch's success today. Conveying a deep sense of urgency, demanded by many of his followers, and even more from himself. The Rebbe is led, above the others, as an example.

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Revolutionary thinker:  The Rebbe was a systematic and conceptual thinker of the highest order. His unique style of analytical thinking has been a monumental contribution to Jewish scholarship. His brilliant approach to understanding Rashi's classic commentary, for example, has revolutionized the study of the Bible.

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More than 125 volumes of his talks, writings, correspondence, and responsa have been published to date.

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Despite this scholarship, he constantly exhorted that intellectual understanding must lead to action and good deeds.

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Letters and correspondence:  The Igrot Kodesh Series is a chronological collection of the Rebbe's correspondence.

The writings of the Igrot Kodesh shed light on the Rebbe's genius and Lubavitch's success under his leadership. These letters were addressed to Talmudic scholars and statesmen, educators, rabbis, Bar / Bat Mitzvah children, scientists and professionals, activists, men and women of all walks of life. The topics addressed in these letters cover all spheres of interest, every area of human behavior.

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They range from mysticism to the Talmud to Hasidic philosophy, radiating encouragement, inspiration and advice, reflecting the Rebbe's remarkable insight into human nature. Probably his fame as a leader and innovator of mass campaigns and community projects is a result of his originality as a thinker, and his ability to unite the conceptual with the pragmatic.

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​ taken from chabad.org