כ"ט אלול תקמ"ט - יום הולדת כ"ק אדמו"ר הצ"צ

1. The Birth of the Tzemach Tzedek

The 29th day of Elul, in the year תקמ"ט (5549 — 1789), marks the birth of the Tzemach Tzedek, the third Lubavitcher Rebbe. This date is significant as it is Erev Rosh Hashanah, the final entry in the Hasidic Yimei Chabad calendar for the year. The Tzemach Tzedek was born right before the year תק"נ (5550) began. His father was Rebbe Shalom Shachna, and his mother was Rebbetzin Devorah Leah, who was the second daughter of the Alter Rebbe, Reb Shneur Zalman. This made the Tzemach Tzedek a direct grandson of the Alter Rebbe.

2. Family Connections and Marriage

The family relationships within Chabad leadership were deeply intertwined. The Tzemach Tzedek eventually married his first cousin—the daughter of the Mitteler Rebbe, Dov Ber, who was himself a son of the Alter Rebbe and brother to Devorah Leah, the mother of the Tzemach Tzedek. This means that both his mother and his father-in-law were children of the Alter Rebbe. There is sometimes confusion regarding whether the Mitteler Rebbe had daughters or sons; he did have children, including a daughter whom the Tzemach Tzedek married. These close familial ties further strengthened leadership continuity within Chabad.

3. Relationship with His Grandfather, the Alter Rebbe

It is well known that there was a unique closeness between the Tzemach Tzedek and his grandfather, the Alter Rebbe. This bond was especially deepened by a dramatic story: Devorah Leah, his mother, gave up her life so that her father—the Alter Rebbe—could continue to lead and teach Hasidus to Klal Yisrael. After her passing at a young age (not in childbirth), the Alter Rebbe undertook to raise her son personally. This special relationship is also reflected in Torah sources: sometimes a connection passes from father to daughter to grandson in a particularly meaningful way. As seen in the verse isha ki sazria in Parshas Tazria—which the Chassidic commentaries apply to the bond between parents and children—a man may have a unique bond with his daughter and a woman with her son.

4. Naming and Early Childhood Customs

The Tzemach Tzedek’s given name was Menachem Mendel, named after Reb Menachem Mendel of Horodok (Haradok). After the passing of the Magid of Mezritch, Reb Menachem Mendel Haradok became an unofficial leader among Chassidim before moving to Eretz Yisrael; he passed away shortly before the birth of the Tzemach Tzedek. At his birth, it is said that his grandfather, the Alter Rebbe, gave a special cloth he had kept for many years to be used as Menachem Mendel’s first diaper after bathing—a custom he also followed when his own son (the Mitteler Rebbe) was born.

5. Celebrations Surrounding His Birth

On Shabbos Tshuva—the Shabbos between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur—of that following year (תק"נ, 5550), there was a shalom zachar celebration for Menachem Mendel’s birth. On Friday afternoon before Shabbos, the Alter Rebbe invited all townspeople and guests for a feast marking this occasion. He instructed that his sons, sons-in-law, and about thirty select elder Chassidim should wash for bread at this meal; others were invited to join after eating but before birkat hamazon. Beans and lentils were served as customary foods for such events. The meal took place in a large shul located in an open courtyard to accommodate many people. During these celebrations—both at night and during Shabbos day—the Alter Rebbe displayed extraordinary joy, more openly than ever witnessed before by those present.

6. The Alter Rebbe’s Teachings at the Celebration

At this festive meal, the Alter Rebbe shared some of his final teachings received from his own teacher and mentor, the Magid of Mezritch—specifically those relating to Lel Shimurim, “the night of protection,” before bringing a child into bris Avraham Avinu. He delivered a discourse on Hasidus and then instructed those present to sing together. Afterward, they recited birkat hamazon over a cup (Kos Shel Beracha), from which he distributed wine to all participants—a sign of blessing and unity among those gathered.

7. The Legacy and Achievements of the Tzemach Tzedek

The Tzemach Tzedek played an essential role in publishing many works authored by his grandfather—the Alter Rebbe—in both Nigleh (revealed Torah) and Hasidus (Chassidic teachings). According to entries in Hayom Yom, he endured 22 arrests over his lifetime but attributed his miraculous survival and protection to spending approximately 22,000 hours immersed in studying his grandfather’s teachings. One famous story recounts how an official decree meant to keep him imprisoned in Petersburg was accidentally destroyed when an intoxicated official tried burning it—resulting instead in burning only that decree and thus securing his release through clear Divine providence.