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Saturday, December 24, 2005

The Alter Rebbe: Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi

Review: The Alter Rebbe: Rabbi Schneur Zalman Of Liadi
Posted 12/21/2005
By R.C. Schilder
Title: The Alter Rebbe: Rabbi Schneur Zalman Of Liadi
Author: Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon
Hardcover, 2005
Reviewed by R.C. Schilder

Jews all over the world celebrated Yud Tes Kislev this past Tuesday. On a historical level, it marks the date in 1798 that the Baal HaTanya and Shulchan Aruch, the Alter Rebbe, was released from a harsh prison sentence and the clutches of the czar. It also celebrated the deeper meaning of his liberation: the heavenly decree to allow every Jew from all walks of life, to have access to these "wellsprings" of Torah.

Once the exclusive domain of Torah giants, the deepest mystical secrets of Torah known as Chassidus — have spread to further reaches of the Jewish world. This began in earnest when the Alter Rebbe, the father of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement published the Tanya over 200 years ago.

Successor to the title of Rebbe from the Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid of Mezritch, much of his life remained a mystery to the majority of the Jewish world. This includes his miraculous birth to his otherworldly knowledge of Torah, his mesiras nefesh for the well-being of every Jew, his legendary ruach hakodesh and ahavas Yisroel.

Our best attempts to understand his role as Rebbe and grasp his effect on the course of Jewish history, are through retelling the story of his life, his accomplishment, and his teachings.

The Alter Rebbe: Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi
tells the fascinating story of the Alter Rebbe for the first time in simple-to-read English.


This book will inevitably inspire young and mature readers alike to emulate the ways of the Rebbe. It is in his love of a fellow Jew, meticulousness in the performance of every mitzvah, avodas Hashem, steadfastness in the face of challenge and desire to bring other Jews closer to Yiddishkeit.

This book is a must for anyone who desires an in-depth view of Jewish life in the 18th century, the roots of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement and misconceptions and opposition that accompanied it.

Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon is a prolific writer and noted Lubavitch historian.

The Alter Rebbe: Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi is available at your local bookstore or from Sichos in English at SIE100@aol.com or 718-778-5436.

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