As a unique Gaon, the Alter Rebbe endeavored to place Chassidus and Kabbalah on an intellectual basis. In his seminal work, Tanya, he defines his approach as “mind ruling over the heart/emotions.” The Alter Rebbe chose the name “Chabad” for this philosophy – the Hebrew acronym for the intellectual attributes chochma (“wisdom”), bina (“understanding”), and daas (“knowledge”). According to the Alter Rebbe, a man is neither a static nor a passive entity. He is a dynamic being who must work to develop his potential talent and perfect himself.
Both in his works and in his talks, the Alter Rebbe supported “an intelligent and not a blind faith,” and explained the intellectual accessibility to mystical teachings of the Kabbalah. This intellectual basis differentiates Chabad from other forms of Chassidim, which in this context referred to as “chagas” – the “emotional” attributes of chesed (“kindness”), gevurah (“strength/power”), and tiferes (“beauty”).
During the Napoleonic invasion of Russia, while some Chassidic leaders supported Napoleon or remained quiet about their support, the Alter Rebbe openly and vigorously supported the Tsar.
While fleeing from the advancing French army, the Alter Rebbe wrote a letter explaining his opposition to Napoleon to Reb Moshe Meizels:
“Should Napoleon be victorious, wealth among the Jews will be abundant . . . but the hearts of Israel will be separated and distant from their Father in heaven. But if our master Alexander will triumph, though poverty will be abundant . . . the heart of Israel will be bound and joined with their Father in heaven.”
Arrests
In 1797, following the passing of the Vilna Gaon, leaders of the Vilna community accused the Chassidim of subversive activities, with the charge of supporting the Ottoman Empire. (The Alter Rebbe advocated sending tzedaka to support Jews living in Eretz Yisrael, then under Ottoman rule.) In 1798, the Alter Rebbe was arrested on suspicion of treason and brought to St. Petersburg where he was held in the Petropavlovski fortress for 53 days, at which time he was subjected to examination by a secret commission. Ultimately, he was released by order of Paul I of Russia. Yud Tes Kislev, the date of his release, is celebrated annually by Jews the world over.
In 1800, the Alter Rebbe was again arrested and transported to St. Petersburg, this time along with his son Moshe, who served as interpreter as his father spoke no Russian or French. The Rebbe was released after several weeks but banned from leaving St. Petersburg. The accession of Tsar Alexander I (Alexander I of Russia) to the throne a few weeks later led to his release; he was then “given full liberty to proclaim his religious teachings” by the Russian government.
After his release, the Alter Rebbe moved his base to Liadi, Vitebsk Region, Imperial Russia, rather than returning to Liozna. He took up his residence in the town at the invitation of Prince Stanisław Lubomirski and settled in Liadi for the rest of his years.
Tanya
The Alter Rebbe is probably best known for his systematic exposition of Chassidic Jewish philosophy as set forth in the Tanya. The Tanya deals with Jewish spirituality and psychology from a Kabbalistic point of view, and philosophically expounds on such themes as the Oneness of G-d, tzimtzum, the Sefirot, simcha, and bitachon (confidence), among many other mystical concepts.
Shulchan Aruch HaRav
The Alter Rebbe is also known for the Shulchan Aruch HaRav. The Mezritcher Maggid asked the Alter Rebbe to write the Shulchan Aruch at the remarkably young age of twenty-one.
Siddur
The Alter Rebbe also edited the first Chabad siddur, based on the siddur of the Arizal, altering it for general use, and correcting its textual errors. Today’s Siddur Tehillat HaShem is a later printing of the Alter Rebbe’s siddur.
