Chabad-Lubavitch
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chabad-Lubavitch (or Chabad Lubavitch) also known as Chabad, Habad or Lubavitch, is one of the largest branches of Hasidic Judaism and one of the largest Jewish movements worldwide, especially in the United States and Israel. Chabad (חב"ד ) is a Hebrew acronym for "חכמה Chochmah, בינה Binah, דעת Da'at" ("Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge").[1] Lubavitch, taken from the Russian Любавичи, Lyubavichi, is the name of the town that served as the movement's headquarters for over a century. Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson interpreted the name of the town to mean "city of love," and taught that this name symbolises the warm, loving approach of the movement.[2] Today there are over 200,000 adherents to the movement.[3]
Its adherents, known as "Lubavitchers", or "Chabadniks", are Orthodox Jews belonging to Hasidic Judaism as defined by the Chabad traditions. Like all Hasidim they follow the teachings and customs of "Chasidut" (see Hasidic philosophy) as taught by Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer (1698-1760). Their customs are based on the earlier Kabbalistic works of Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534-1572) Chabad-Lubavitch's prayer book also goes according to the Lurianic tradition and is entitled Tehillat HaShem.[4]
Founded by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi in the late 18th century, it has had seven leaders or rebbes. Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994) succeeded his father-in-law, Rabbi Joseph Isaac Schneersohn (1880-1950), becoming the seventh leader of the movement.
Contents |
[edit] Philosophy of Chabad
Chabad was unique in the early history of hasidism. Properly the name Chabad refers not to a dynasty at all but merely to the philosophical system delineated by Shneur Zalman of Liadi during his lifetime. known as the Alter Rebbe, he had been exposed to secular thought and traditional Jewish learning, and consciously attempted to bring Hasidism closer to the Misnagdim.[5] He aimed to mellow some of the excesses of hasidic exuberance that the opponents found most troubling thereby healing the rift that had divided European Jewry since the Besht and the Vilna Gaon.[5] The philosophy of the Chabad movement was a major break with the rest of the Hasidic movement in its focus on the mind rather that the heart. Chabad philosophy thus represents a partial fusion between emotionalism of hasidim and the intellectualism of the Mitnagdim.[5]
Chabad philosophy bridges the Polish-Lithuanian approach which places a special emphasis on intellectual study and understanding of Judaism and general chassidic approach which places the emphasis on the emotion in service of a Jew. Of special significance is the role of Torah's commandments. They are not only rules of behavior, but channels of connection between the physical world the spiritual worlds, and the Creator himself.[6]
[edit] "Chabad"
According to Liadi, the intellect consists of three interconnected processes - Chochma (wisdom_, Bina' (understanding), and Da'at (knowledge). While Hasidism focused on the idea that "God desires the heart" Liadi argued that he also desires the mind, and that the heart without the mind was useless. With the Chabad philosophy he elevated the mind above the heart. He argued that:
-
- ". .understanding is the mother of. . .fear and love of God. These are born of knowledge and profound contemplation of the greatness of God."[7]
According to Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, in Liadi's system Chochma represents "the creation in its earliest potentiality; the idea of a finite world as was first born in the divine mind. Binah is the idea conceived in its details, he result of contemplation. Da'at is, as it were, the commitment to creation, the stage at which the idea becomes an active intention."[8] While in Kabala, there are clearly delineated levels of holiness, in Chabad philosophy these are grounded in the mundanities of peoples inner lives. So in reality - according to the Chabad analogy - Chochma is the birth of an idea in the mind, Bina is the contemplation, and Da'at is the beginning of the actualisation of an idea. Sacks argues that this provided a psychological formulation that enabled hasid to substantiate his mystical thoughts. "This was an important advance because bridging the gap between spiritual insight and daily behaviour had always been a problem for Jewish mysticism."[8]
Chabad philosophy argues that man is neither static nor passive nor dependant on others to connect to God.[8] Liadi rejected all ideas of aristocratic birth and elitism - he argued for meritocracy where all were capable of growth, every Jew - in his view - was capable of becoming a Tzaddik.[5]
Chabad can be contrasted with the Chagat school of hasidism. While all hasidim have a certain focus on the emotions, Chagat saw emotions as a reaction to physical stimuli, such as dancing singing or beauty. Liadi argued that this was wrong - the emotions must be led by the mind, thus Torah study and prayer rather than esotercism and song were to be the focus of Chabad thought.[8]
[edit] The Tanya
The Tanya, Liadi's moral magnum opus, is "the first schematic treatment of Hasidic moral philosophy and its metaphysical foundations. but Liadi made a point of grounding the esotericism associated with the early movement to practical issues - illustrating the meaning of complex kabbalistic thoughts by using everyday analogues.[8]
[edit] Torah study
Liadi raged against the tendency of some Hasidim to neglect the traditional study of Torah by focusing to heavily on mysticism and obscurantism. He argued that mysticism without Torah study was worthless - even dangerous.[5] Without Torah, he argued, the mind could never be elevated - if the mind is not elevated the soul will starve. On the other hand he argued that while Torah was to be focus of all study, it was also important to integrate Torah into one's life. In a letter to Rabbi Joshua Zeitin of Shklow: "The hasidim, too, set aside time for study. The difference between them and the mitnagdim is this: the latter set time for study and they are limited by time, whereas the former make the Torah their path of life."[5]
Torah must be studied joyously though - studying without joy is frowned upon. Liadi provided a metaphor: when a mitzvah is fulfilled an angel is created. But if the mitzvah was joyless then the angel too will be dispirited. Thus while Liadi renewed Hasidism, returning it to a focus on traditional Jewish scholarship rather than mysticism, he was emphatic that this must be done with the zeal and joy that Hasidism brought to Judaism.[5]
[edit] Role of a Rebbe
In Chabad thought, as formulated by the Alter Rebbe the Rebbe was not an intermediary. The role of the rebbe was closer to that of a traditional community Rabbi, a supervisor rather than a superior. The Alter Rebbe's focus was on training his followers to become spiritually self-sufficient and to turn to their Rebbe for instructions rather than intercession with God, miracles or blessings.[5]
Hasidic thought had elevated the Rebbe to a level above that of typical hasid. A rebbe was closer to God, his prayers were more amenable to Him, and a hasid should satisfy himself with attachment to the Rebbe and hence indirectly to God. A rebbe was to be a living example of perfection and would concern himself with intellectualism on behalf of the followers.[8] According to Sacks, Chabad stressed the individual responsibilities of every Jew: "The rebbe. . .became more of a teacher and adviser, recognising the vocation of each of his followers, guiding them towards it, uncovering their strengths, and rejoicing in their achievements."[8]
[edit] M. M. Schneerson's philosophy
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson took the Chabad movement in a radically different direction following his accession to become the seventh Rebbe. His views on the role of the Rebbe were drastically different from both normative hasidic thought and particularly with those of the originator of the Habad movement Shneur Zalman of Liadi.[8]
While one of the primary strands of Liadi's Chabad philosophy had been to shift the focus of Hasidim away from the idea of a Rebbe as an intermediary, Schneerson reversed that position. Famously in his first sermon as the Rebbe he described his father-in-law, and Rebbes in general, the sixth rebbe, as being "the essence and content of God, clothed in a body". This is brought down in his collected sermons Likutei Sichos[9] He asks rhetorically: "How can one make a request of a rebbe - isn't that surely a problem of speaking to God through an intermediary?" (Which is anethmatic to Judaism.) He notes that while this answer is novel, and not found in other Hasidic sources one must answer that in truth "One cannot ask [this] question. . . since Atzmus u'mehus alein vi er hat zich areingeshtalt in a guf" or "the essence and substance of God enclothed in a body".
Schneerson writes many similar things elsewhere, arguing that the corollary of this is that it is permitted to pray to God through the medium of a Rebbe, something he terms hiskashrut - meaning connecting. He writes:[10]
- "A person must, from time to time, think about himself and his position and situation, but the rest of the time it's better to think about the Rebbe, and how he is constantly with his mekusharim [those with whom the Rebbe is bound, i.e. his followers], and how he leads them through every step."
Thus Schneerson had reversed a central aspect of Chabad philosophy. Whereas before it alone amongst hasidism had deemphasized the centrality of the Rebbe in the lives of the hasidism that the movements opponents had most objected to - Schneerson had elevated the role of the Rebbe to a new level,[8] which by his own admission was not seen before in Judaism or hasidism.
Schneerson continued the path of the path of Chabad philosophy in other areas, avoiding exesive obscurantism and emphasising the study of Torah.[8]
[edit] Bringing the messiah
Schneerson became infused with a drive to "accelerate the coming of the messiah". he instructed his follwers to become active in kiruv - the conversion of non-orthodox Jews to Orthodoxy.[5] To this end he stressed his slogan became Ufaratzta (from from Genesis 28:14) a hebrew word meaning "you shall spread out" to implore his followerd to bring the messianic times closer by "saving" Jewish souls from secularism.[8]
Some have described Schneerson's messianic drive as a reaction to the holocaust. Rachel Elior argues that the Schneerson was attempting to offer an explanation and purpose in the face of such destruction. He sought a philosophical response that offered "eschatological certainty and messianic purpose - what appeared to be the only rational response from a theological point of view."[11]
[edit] The leaders of Chabad-Lubavitch
The movement originated in Belarus in Eastern Europe, then part of Imperial Russia under the Tsars. Chabad traces its roots back to the beginnings of Hasidic Judaism. The founder of Hasidism, Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer (1698-1760), known as the Baal Shem Tov, started his nascent movement in Medzhybizh, Ukraine. His successor was Rabbi Dovber of Mezeritch (d. 1772), his leading disciple, who was well-versed in the Lurianic Kabbalah and developed the movement further.
- Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1745–1812), was the youngest student of Rabbi Dovber of Mezeritch and founded the Chabad dynasty (he is known as the Alter Rebbe). He defined the direction of his movement and influenced Hasidic Judaism through his two most famous works the Tanya and the Shulchan Aruch HaRav. Tanya is primarily mystical and expounds upon the Zohar. The Shulchan Aruch HaRav is an authoritative work on Jewish law amongst hasidim. The names "Schneersohn" and "Schneerson" began as patronymics by Rabbi Shneur Zalman's descendants. The first form of this name was "Shneuri" (Hebrew for "of Shneur"). This was later changed to "Schneersohn".
- Rabbi Dovber Schneuri 1773–1827, son of Rabbi Shneur Zalman. Known as the Mitteler Rebbe. His most famous works codified and categorized mystical pursuits such as the various states of meditation within prayer. His magnum opus Sha'ar HaYichud aims to systematically explain the concept of God's unity with the the Universe.
- Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn 1789–1866, grandson of Rabbi Shneur Zalman and son-in-law of Dovber, known for his responsa named Tzemach Tzedek. He was a major hasidic poskim of his time. He also edited and annotated many of the Alter Rebbe's works as well as authoring his own mystical works. He was politically active in resisting the Haskalah in Russia, and to this end forged an alliance with Rabbi Yitzchok of Volozhin, a major leader of the misnagdim.
- Rabbi Shmuel Schneersohn 1834–1882, youngest son of Rabbi Menachem Mendel, known as "the rebbe Maharash".[citation needed] His most famous saying is Lechatchile ariber — don't bother trying to go around or under obstacles, go right over them.[citation needed] He was politically active in defending Jewish interests against antisemitic elements in the Tsar's government.[citation needed]
- Rabbi Sholom Dovber Schneersohn 1860–1920, son of Shmuel, known as "the rebbe Rashab". He is known for founding the Tomchei Temimim yeshiva network and his opposition to secular political Zionism. His long essays on Chasidus (Ma'amorim) are classical Chassidic works studied in all Chabad yeshivas as introduction into Chasidus.
- Rabbi Joseph Isaac Schneersohn 1880–1950, only son of Sholom Dovber, known as der frierdiker rebbe (previous rebbe) or "the Rebbe Rayatz". He was the first Lubavitcher Rebbe in the United States. Following tradition of his father, he wrote classical comprehensive ma'amorim, but also dedicated much time to shorter ma'amorim applicable to everyday situations. He also kept a diary in which he recorded stories he had heard; many excerpts of this diary have been published, and these are a major source for our knowledge of Chabad history.
- Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson[12] 1902–1994, sixth in paternal line from Menachem Mendel and son-in-law of Joseph Isaac. He was successful in expanding the ranks of Chabad and spreading Hasidic Orthodox Judaism in general. Even after his death his personality occupies a central place in the movement's philosophy.
[edit] Naming
In the seminal Hasidic work, Tanya, Rabbi Shneur Zalman defines "Chabad Hasidism" as "מוח שולט על הלב" ("mind ruling over the heart/emotions"). Lubavitchers consider Chabad Chasidism to be different from other forms of Hasidism which they refer to as "Chagat" which refers to the emotional attributes of Chesed ("kindness"), Gevurah ("power"), and Tifereth ("beauty").
[edit] Chabad
Chabad is sometimes written as Habad in English and in all the phonetic equivalents of the name in all the countries they operate in. Thus, as an example, Jabad is the Spanish form, particularly important to the Jews of Latin America, most notably Argentina, which has the largest concentration of Spanish-speaking Jews anywhere in the world and therefore has a large Lubavitch presence as well.
[edit] Lubavitch
Lubavitch is a small town now in Smolensk Oblast, Russia, (then Imperial Russia). According to Schneerson, there si a tradition that the name means "town of love" in Belarussian.[13] The movement was founded in Liozna, and then moved to Liadi, but it moved to Lubavitch after the Napoleonic War, and was based there for 102 years. In Hasidic Judaism, a dynasty normally takes its name from the town in Eastern Europe where it was based.
[edit] History of the movement
 |
Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. This article has been tagged since March 2007. |
In 19th and 20th century Imperial Russia, Chabad had a large following and had a sizeable network of yeshivoth called Tomchei Temimim.[citation needed] Most of this system was destroyed by Bolshevik governments and the Nazi invasion in 1941.[citation needed] Rabbi Joseph Isaac Schneersohn, who was the Rebbe then, was arrested and sentenced to death penalty. After tremendous political pressure from outside (mainly, US, Germany, Latvia and France), as well as from the inside of the Soviet Union, his sentence was changed to exile in the town of Kostroma, where he left after a short period in prison.[citation needed] Later, he was allowed to leave the country and settled in Riga and then in Warsaw, Poland. With the lobbying of many world leaders, Jewish and non-Jewish (among them the U.S. Department of State) on his behalf, and reputedly with the help of Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, head of the Abwehr,[14] he was finally granted diplomatic immunity and given safe conduct to go via Berlin to Riga. He eventually moved on to New York City where he arrived on March 19, 1940.[15]
Rabbi Joseph Isaac Schneersohn's son-in-law and second-cousin Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who had been living in Berlin and Paris, France, since 1933, escaped from Paris via Nice in 1941 and joined his father-in-law in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York City. The worldwide headquarters of the Chabad movement is at 770 Eastern Parkway in the neighborhood of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and is referred to as "770" by Chabad adherents.
[edit] Chabad today
[edit] Emissaries
Following the initiative of the previous Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson spurred on the movement to what has become known as shlichus ("being emissaries [performing outreach]") after becoming Rebbe in 1950-1951. As a result, Chabad shluchim ("emissaries", sing. shliach) have moved all over the world with the stated mission of helping all Jews, regardless of denomination or affiliation. They assist Jews with all their religious needs, as well as with physical assistance and spiritual guidance and teaching. The ultimate goal is to encourage Jews to learn more about their Jewish heritage and to practice Judaism.[citation needed]
The movement, motivated by Rabbi Schneerson, trained and ordained thousands of rabbis, educators, ritual slaughterers, and ritual circumcisers, who are then accompanied by their spouses to many locations arounf the world Typically a young Lubavitch rabbi and his wife, in their early twenties, with one or two children, will move to a new location, and as they settle in will raise a large family who as a family unit, will aim to fulfill their mandate of bringing Jewish people closer to Orthodox Judaism and encouraging gentiles to adhere to the Seven noahide laws. They will carefully seek out and search for and recruit Jews they have identified and contact them and start the process of encouraging them to observe Judaism, encourage Jews to strengthen their commitment to Judaism.[citation needed] All over the world Lubavitchers assist and support the religious needs of tens of thousands of Jews.
[edit] Chabad Houses
A Chabad House or Center is a form of Jewish community center under their own religious auspices, often serving as the nerve center of all the educational and outreach activities of a shliach (emissary) rabbi and his colleagues or allies in any given community. Often until the community can support the building of its own building for a Chabad house, the "Chabad House" is located in the shliach's home, with the living room being used as the "synagogue". The term "Chabad House" originated in California with the creation of the first such outreach center on the campus of UCLA by Rabbi Shlomo Cunin.[citation needed]
According to the Chabad-Lubavitch movement there are presently over 4,000 Chabad centers[16] when Chabad synagogues as well as non-Chabad synagogues that have hired Chabad rabbis and included in the count. They are active in 70 countries serving the needs of the local Jewish communities.[17][18]
[edit] Mitzvot campaigns
Chabad is open to non-Orthodox Jews aiming to attract them to become Orthodox and believes this part of the process to bring the Messiah. This practice is called "mivtzoim" - meaning "campaigns" or "endeavors". At one time, Schneerson issued a call to every Jew: "Even if you are not fully committed to a Torah life, do something. Begin with a mitzvah - any mitzvah - its value will not be diminished by the fact that there are others which you are not prepared to do". Schneerson also suggested ten specific mitzvot - that he beleived were ideally suited for the emmisiaries to first introduce to secuar Jews.[citation needed] These were: lighting candles before Shabbat and the Jewish holidays by Jewish women; putting on tefillin; affixing a mezuzah; regularTorah study; giving charity; purchasing Jewish books; keeping kosher; kindness to others; Jewish education and keeping the Jewish family purity laws
In addition Schneerson emphasized spreading awareness of preparing for and the coming of the Jewish messiah, in line with his philosophy. He wrote on the responsibility to reach out to (love) every fellow Jew, and implored that followers believe in the imminent coming of the Messiah as explained by Maimonides. He argued that redemption was predicated on Jews doing good deeds, and that genties shoud be educated about the Noahide Laws. Chabad has been a prime force in the dissemination of awareness of these laws.
He was emphatic about the need to encourage and provide strong education for every child
He was politically right-wing particularly in regard to the Israeli-Arab confict. He argued that it was important to oppose even discussion concerning concession of territories in the Land of Israel, or what he saw as otherwise strategically vital territories to Jews. He argued that such concessions endanger the lives of all the Jews in Israel.
[edit] Outreach activities
[edit] Camps
- Chabad has set up an extensive network of camps around the world, most using the name Gan Israel, a name chosen by Rabbi Schneerson for the first overnight camp. There are 1,200 sites serving 210,000 children—most of whom do not come from Orthodox homes. Of these, 500 camps are in the United States.
[edit] Campus
- In recent years Chabad has greatly expanded its reach on university and college campuses. Chabad Student Centers are active on over 100 campuses, and Chabad offers varied activities at an additional 150 universities worldwide.[19] Professor Alan Dershowitz has said that "Chabad’s presence on college campuses today is absolutely crucial", and "We cannot rest until Chabad is on every major college campus in the world".[20]
[edit] Publishing
- Distribution of Jewish religious literature. Kehot Publication Society (the Chabad publishing house) has incited this by translating books into 12 languages and giving discounts.
[edit] Customs of Chabad
Chabad has specific minhagim ("customs") that distinguish it from other Hasidic groups. For example, they do not wear the fur hats common among other hasidim. Until the 1950s, most wore the Russian kasket; now most wear a black fedora. (The old Chabad community which was established in Israel in the early 19th century developed its own customs, and its members do wear shtreimels.)[citation needed]
Almost all American Chabad Hasidim pronounce Hebrew according to the Lithuanian dialect, with, for example, the Hebrew vowel cholam sounding somewhat closer to /ei/ than the Modern Israeli Hebrew /o/ and the common [Polish/Southeastern] Ashkenazi /oi/. However, many native Israeli Chabad Hasidim pronounce Hebrew according to the Modern Israeli Hebrew dialect.
Like many other Hasidic groups, Chabad attaches importance to singing Hasidic nigunim ("tunes"), usually without words, and following precise customs of their leaders. [21][22]
Chabad customs are often in accordance with the traditions of Kabbalah and specifically to the Kabbalist Rabbi Isaac Luria (also known as the Ari Zal) upon whose prayer book the Lubavitch prayer book, Tehillat HaShem, formulated by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, is based.[citation needed] Their customs are also similar to the customs of other Hasidim and many Sephardic Jews. Many examples of this can be found in the wordings of the daily prayers, as printed in the popular Chabad Siddur Tehillat HaShem.
[edit] Influence on the Jewish world
Chabad pioneered the post-World War II outreach movement which spread their belief of "authentic Judaism" to many assimilated Jews worldwide, leading to a substantial number of baalei teshuva ("returnees" to Judaism").[23] The very first Yeshiva/Rabbinical College for such "baalei teshuva", Hadar Hatorah was established by the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Chabad was one of the first Jewish outreach organizations to use the World Wide Web as an outreach tool.[24]
Chabad has had a notable influence on Jewish entertainment. Singing Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach began his outreach work as a representative of Chabad (he later moved away from the formal movement) and popular singers such as Avraham Fried, reggae artist Matisyahu and children's entertainer Uncle Moishy attract sizable crowds on their tours and have popularized many melodies for various Jewish occasions. However, of all Chabad-affiliated entertainers, only Avraham Fried managed to attract large numbers of non-Chabad Haredim.
Chabad's ideology, according to some scholars, has dramatically influenced non-Hasidic Jews' practice as well, specifically with regard to Jewish outreach issues.[25]
[edit] Controversies
Chabad zeal for religiosity in public caused a backlash from both liberal and traditional factions of the Jewish establishment, who, for example, sometimes questioned and challenged the need for public displays of the Hanukkah menorah. Some of the comments by Schneerson about the relationship between the Jews and God, and the role of a "Rebbe" also lead to discord and controversy. The theft of books from the Schneerson's library by the grandson of the sixth rebbe Barry Gurary culminated in a legal case against Gurray that determined that the library was the property of the Chabad community as a whole. (See: Chabad library controversy.) Chabad's emissaries are often involved in territorial disputes with both non-Chabad and Chabad Rabbis, and often face opposition from established Orthodox and non-Orthodox rabbis when they move into a town and establish a rival synagogue.
[edit] Chabad Messianism
The views of Lubavitch adherents regarding their Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson have been a source of controversy within the Jewish world over the past 20 years. Some followers have taken to describing Menachem Mendel Schneerson as the Jewish Messiah and claiming that his death in 1994 does not preclude him returning to life to be the Messiah. These views and the opposition to them have led to a fundamental fracture within the movement.
[edit] References
- ^ About Chabad-Lubavitch on Chabad.org
- ^ Sichos in English 11th Day of Nissan, 5744
- ^ Wertheimer, Jack. A People Divided: Judaism in Contemporary America. New York: Basic Books (A Division of Harper Collins) (1993); pg. xiv-xv
- ^ Siddurim & Explanations
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Hasidism: The movement and its masters, Harry M. Rabinowicz, 1988, pp.83-92, Jason Aronson, London ISBN 0876689985
- ^ Chabad article explaining the centrality of Mitzvot
- ^ The Tanya', Liadi, Chapter 13.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k The encyclopedia of hasidism, entry: Habad, pp.161-164
- ^ Likutei Sichos VOl II, pp.510-511
- ^ in Igros Kodesh, vol. 3 pp. 419-420
- ^ "The Lubavitch Messianic Resurgence: The Historical and Mystical Background 1939-1996", Rachel Elior in Toward the Millennium: Messianic Expectations from the Bible to Waco ed. Peter Schäfer and Mark Cohen, 383-408. (Leiden: Brill, 1998)
- ^ He dropped the second 'H' from his name.
- ^ Sefer Hazichronot, chapter 1
- ^ Altein, R, Zaklikofsky, E, Jacobson, I: "Out of the Inferno: The Efforts That Led to the Rescue of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn of Lubavitch from War Torn Europe in 1939-40", page 160. Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch, 2002 ISBN 0826606830
- ^ Altein, R, Zaklikofsky, E, Jacobson, I: "Out of the Inferno: The Efforts That Led to the Rescue of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn of Lubavitch from War Torn Europe in 1939-40", page 270. Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch, 2002 ISBN 0826606830
- ^ [1]
- ^ "the number of Chabad centers worldwide – now hovering around 4,000"
- ^ Mark, J, Kress, M: "Against All Odds", Jewish Week, June 2004
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3]
- ^ Pinson, D: "Kabbalistic Music - The Niggun"
- ^ Freeman, T: "Nigun"
- ^ [4]
- ^ [5] [6]
- ^ [7]
[edit] Further reading
- A Faith Grows in Brooklyn, photographs and text by Carolyn Drake. National Geographic February, 2006. For the online version click here..
- Fishkoff, Sue. The Rebbe's Army: Inside the World of Chabad-Lubavitch, Schocken, 2003 (ISBN 0-8052-4189-2)
- Hoffman, Edward. Despite All Odds: The Story of Lubavitch. Simon & Schuster, 1991 (ISBN 0-671-67703-9)
- Jacobson, Simon. Toward A Meaningful Life: The Wisdom of the Rebbe, William Morrow, 2002 (ISBN 0-06-051190-7)
- Lessons in Tanya chabad.org
- Mindel, Nissan. The philosophy of Chabad. Chabad Research Center, 1973
- Schneerson, Menachem Mendel. On the Essence of Chasidus: A Chasidic Discourse by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson of Chabad-Lubavitch. Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch, 2003 (ISBN 0-8266-0466-8)
- Weiss, Steven I. "Orthodox Rethinking Campus Outreach", The Forward Jan. 20, 2006.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Chabad Lubavitch Headquarters Online
- Chabad Lubavitch on the web
- Chabad on Campus
- The philosophy behind Chabad's outreach.
- Virtual library of Chabad books
- Lubavitch Archives - Chabad history on the web
- Chabad Website about Moshiach
- Ruling by approximately 200 Rabbis that the Lubavitcher Rebbe is the Messiah.
