1. Introduction to the Rebbe Rashab
Today we will discuss Yemei Chabad for the 20th day of Cheshvan, known as Chof Cheshvan. This day marks the birthday of the Rebbe Rashab, Rabbi Sholom Dovber. "Rashab" is an acronym for Rabbi Sholom Ber; his full name is Sholom Dovber. The Rebbe Rashab was the fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe and the son of the fourth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Shmuel, known as the Rebbe Maharash. His lineage traces back to the Tzemach Tzedek, Rabbi Menachem Mendel, the third Lubavitcher Rebbe, and further back to the Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Schneur Zalman.
2. The Birth of the Rebbe Rashab
The birth of the Rebbe Rashab was preceded by significant spiritual events, conveyed through dreams experienced by his mother, Rebbetzin Rivkah. On a Monday morning at 9 o'clock in Lubavitch, she had a dream in which great tzaddikim told her about the child she would have and instructed that a Sefer Torah be written in connection with it. This dream was not merely a personal vision but a message that included guidance from revered ancestors.
3. The Importance of Dreams
Rebbetzin Rivkah's dreams played a crucial role in understanding her son's future significance. In one dream, on Yud Kislev, she saw her mother and her grandfather, the Mitteler Rebbe, who told her that she and her husband should write a Sefer Torah and foretold that they would have a good son. The emphasis on not forgetting his name hints at deeper spiritual connections within the family.
4. The Sefer Torah and Its Significance
The writing of the Sefer Torah became an important event leading up to the birth of the Rebbe Rashab. It was written on special parchment, and the Tzemach Tzedek instructed that the writing be done quietly and privately, within the family, to avoid the negative effects that can come from public attention.
5. Spiritual Leadership and Anointing
When the Rebbe Rashab turned three years old, he had his first haircut (upsherin)—a milestone that marks the beginning of a child's formal Torah education in cheder. On that occasion his grandfather, the Tzemach Tzedek, passed on to his grandson the spiritual inheritance of the Rebbes, speaking of it as a jug of oil of anointing handed down through the generations.
6. The Role of Dreams in Jewish Tradition
Dreams hold a prominent place in Jewish tradition, as seen throughout Tanach with figures like Yosef and Pharaoh. In the Talmud there are differing opinions regarding their significance—some affirming their importance, while others treat them as meaningless.
7. Conclusion: Quiet Beginnings
The quiet surrounding these events is a reminder that not every spiritual milestone requires public acknowledgment or fanfare; sometimes modesty ensures longevity and success. This principle appears in many contexts in Chabad history and highlights the role humility plays in the transitions of leadership among tzaddikim throughout the generations.
Notes
The year of his birth – 5621 (1860). The letters of the year, תרכ"א, hint at the word keser—crown (כתר), plus alef.
The dreams – Rebbetzin Rivkah first dreamed on Yud Kislev, the day the Mitteler Rebbe was freed from prison: her mother and her grandfather, the Mitteler Rebbe, told her to write a Sefer Torah, that she would have a son, and not to forget his name. The Tzemach Tzedek told her the Talmud holds two views on dreams, and ruled that a good dream should be followed; this led her to reveal her dreams to her husband. On 19 Kislev she dreamed again, and the Alter Rebbe was also there and said: "You will have a good son." She answered Amen loudly, and her husband, the Rebbe Maharash, heard it and came into the room.
The Sefer Torah – written on special parchment in the Tzemach Tzedek's room, begun after Yom Kippur and completed quietly on Monday, 13 Cheshvan, in the Tzemach Tzedek's room. Rebbetzin Rivkah sewed its mantle. The quiet was deliberate: the first Luchos were given with great noise and were broken, while the second were given quietly. See also 14 Cheshvan.
The upsherin – also held quietly, in the Tzemach Tzedek's room. The attendant Reb Chaim Leib washed the child's hands; the Tzemach Tzedek said he was passing on to the Rebbe Rashab the jug of oil with which he himself had been anointed—the chain that began with the Baal Shem Tov. The same day the Rebbe Rashab was brought into cheder, and when candies were thrown to him the Tzemach Tzedek said the angel Michael was throwing them; the child took it seriously and ate them all.
His birthday in 5624 – on 20 Cheshvan 5624 the Tzemach Tzedek instructed that the upsherin be held in his own room.
The Rebbe Maharash – his father. See 13 Tishrei – his yahrtzeit.
The Rebbe Rashab – see 16 Tishrei – accepting the leadership, 11 Elul – his wedding and 16 Cheshvan – leaving Lubavitch for Rostov.