Chabad Hasidism was established by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi in the third generation of the hasidic movement. The word “Chabad” is an acronym for hokhma, bina, and da’at, which are the intellectual powers of humankind: wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. Chabad Hasidism sees the intellect as the means through which an individual can effect change in his soul. If, for example, one wants to instill love of God in his heart, he must learn about God’s greatness, eternity, and constant providence over all of creation. As a result of this learning, he will begin to experience love of God.

Chabad Hasidism developed the notion of hitbonenut, i.e., deep contemplation or meditation. Through hitbonenut, one internalizes ideas that he has learned and understood, and as a result, these ideas are able to influence his spiritual experience. Without hitbonenut, such concepts can remain theoretical and disconnected from real life. According to Chabad Hasidism, the assimilation of an idea and the connection to it is the most significant stage of the learning process.

The ideas of Chabad span hundreds of books. All are based on the Tanya, which was written by Rabbi Shneur Zalman. He, as well as his successors, then expanded on and deepened the ideas of Chabad, which now touch upon every aspect of Torah and Jewish life.

Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1745–1812) was the founder of Chabad Hasidism. He was born in Liozna, Belarus, was active in Belarus, and died in Liadi, Ukraine. He was part of the third generation of the hasidic movement. He wrote the Tanya, the first work that systematically presented the ideas of Hasidism. He was one of the prominent students of Rabbi Dov Ber, the Maggid of Mezeritch. Rabbi Shneur Zalman’s associates called him “the Litvak,” because he came from the scholarly region of Lithuania and Belarus.

He was considered a genius and extremely knowledgeable in all Torah subjects, and the Maggid charged him with writing a new version of the Shulĥan Arukh, which is known as Shulĥan Arukh HaRav. Rabbi Shneur Zalman’s Torah discourses are found in a number of works, chiefly the Tanya, Torah Or, and Likutei Torah. According to the Tanya, not every individual can reach the level of a saintly person, but everyone has the potential to be a beinoni, his term for one who has full control over his actions, speech, and thoughts, although the evil inclination is still present within him, enticing him toward wrongdoing. Not long after the Tanya was printed, Rabbi Shneur Zalman’s opponents accused him of treason against the czarist government, and he was imprisoned for almost two months. After his release he increased his dissemination of hasidic ideas.

From Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi:

The brain rules over the heart by nature. This is how the human being is created from birth; every individual can, with his will, which is part of his brain, restrain himself and subdue the drive of lust in his heart so that it will not fulfill his desires through action, speech, or thought.

Rabbi Dovber Schneuri (1773–1827), known as the Mitteler (middle) Rebbe, was the son of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi. He was born in Liozna, served as the rebbe of Lubavitch, Russia, and died in Nizhyn, Ukraine.

He wrote many hasidic works, including Bi’urei HaZohar, a hasidic commentary on the Zohar; Torat Ĥayyim on the Torah; Ateret Rosh on Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur; Sha’ar HaEmuna on Passover; and Shaarei Ora on Hanukkah and Purim. His Torah discourses are based on the ideas of his father, and he explains and expands upon them at length. It may be said that Rabbi Dovber developed hasidic thought into a distinct field of study. He also wrote a tract called Kuntres HaHitpaalut, which describes how to reflect on hasidic concepts. It emphasizes the importance of hitbonenut as an essential method of serving God. Hitbonenut is when a person studies and focuses his thoughts on one matter until he has a spiritual experience in connection with that matter. The essential element of hitbonenut is the combination of intellectual study and inner passion.

Rabbi Dovber assigned his followers different books for different types of hasidim: Abstract analyses for the intellectuals and rousing sermons for more emotional individuals. Nevertheless, he required seriousness and depth of all his followers.

He worked to establish Jewish farming communities in Russia and to support the Jewish settlement in Hebron. He worked with the authorities on various matters. On one occasion he was suspected of planning a revolution and was imprisoned.

From Rabbi Dovber Schneuri:

It is clear that the masses become enthused due to an illusory experience in their souls and hearts during prayer, which is manifested in the external cry of their hearts of flesh…. Although this, too, is called connection to God, or inspiration, it is false connection…. It is the opposite of divine enthusiasm.

The Tzemaĥ Tzedek (1789–1866) was born in Liozna, Belarus. He was the grandson of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi and the son-in-law of Rabbi Dovber Schneuri. He served as the rebbe in Lubavitch, which is where he died. He wrote many works of halakha and Hasidism. His main halakhic work was the book of responsa Tzemaĥ Tzedek, which contains novellae on the Talmud, as well as halakhic rulings. His works of Hasidism include Derekh Mitzvotekha on the mitzvot; Or HaTorah on the Torah; and Sefer HaĤakira, a work of philosophy about Hasidism.

In his youth, he made his living as a carpenter and by making wax seals for letters, and later by making sacks. Only after many attempts to persuade him did he agree to be appointed as rebbe. He had contact with many great rabbis, and he organized gatherings and conventions to address contemporary issues. In particular, he resisted the attempts of the Russian authorities to make changes to the curricula of Jewish educational institutions. He was punished for this with house arrest.

He encouraged Jews to farm the land, and he worked to support the cantonists, Jewish youths who were kidnapped and forced to join the Russian army and who consequently became disconnected from Judaism. Eventually, the Tzemaĥ Tzedek was awarded the title “honored citizen for posterity” by the Russian government for his life’s work. He would write down his Torah novellae and ideas on Hasidism every day, and it is told that these writings amounted to tens of thousands of pages, but most of them were lost in a great fire that broke out in Lubavitch.

From Rabbi Menaĥem Mendel Schneersohn:

All Jewish souls together constitute one complete entity, the soul of Adam the first man, which is their general, all-embracing identity. Although the soul contains 248 individual elements, they are interrelated, each containing the others. This is just like the human body; although it is divided into separate organs, e.g., the head, legs, arms, and fingernails, each one incorporates all the others. Within the arm, there is something of the leg’s life force, due to the interconnecting veins. The same is true for all the other organs as well.

Rabbi Shmuel Schneersohn (1834–1882) was the youngest son of the Tzemaĥ Tzedek. He was born in Lubavitch, served as the rebbe there, and died there. His hasidic discourses on the Torah, festivals, and various other subjects are collected in the series Torat Shmuel. His writings are concise, deep, and clear, and they can be grasped by all readers. He would divide up his long discourses into series so that his followers could study one topic over a period of time.

He suffered from poor health and engaged in exercise and woodwork on the advice of his doctors. He worked to support the Jews of Russia, and to this end he traveled all over Europe, learning many languages. He also acquired knowledge of the sciences. He fought to prevent the Russian pogroms that began in 1881, but was unable to do so.

From Rabbi Shmuel Schneersohn:

The world believes: When you cannot go under an obstacle, you must go over it. But I believe that from the outset, one must go over it. One should act with strength and not be deterred by anything; rather, one must do what needs to be done. When we begin in this way, the Holy One, blessed be He, assists us.

Rabbi Shalom Dovber Schneersohn (1860–1920) was the son of Rabbi Shmuel Schneersohn. He was born in Lubavitch and served as the rebbe there, and died in Rostov, Russia. His writings consist in the main of discourses he gave over the years, as well as pamphlets on specific topics. Many of his discourses, such as Yom Tov Shel Rosh HaShana 5666 and BeSha’a Shehikdimu 5672, are intended for the advanced scholar of Hasidism, but he also wrote discourses and tracts addressing the wider hasidic community: Kuntres HaAvoda, Kuntres HaTefilla, and Kuntres Etz HaĤayyim. In his discourses, he shaped theoretical hasidic thought into a complete, orderly, and comprehensive framework.

He established the Tomkhei Temimim Yeshiva in Lubavitch and the Torat Emet Yeshiva in Hebron (which later moved to Jerusalem). He instilled in the yeshiva students seriousness, depth, self-discipline, and self-sacrifice for the sake of Torah and mitzvot. Although this was not the practice in other yeshivas, he instituted set times in his yeshiva for studying Hasidism, reviewing hasidic discourses, and engaging in farbrengens (gatherings of Chabad hasidim that may include the teaching of hasidic ideas, the telling of stories, and the singing of songs, as well as eating refreshments).

He worked hard for the sake of Russian Jewry, struggling both against Jews who sought to encourage secularization and against the Russian government, whose laws were designed to restrict religious education. He worked to help the Jewish soldiers who were conscripted into the army during the Russo-Japanese War. During the blood libel trial of Menaĥem Mendel Beilis, he came to the defense of the accused.

From Rabbi Shalom Dovber Schneersohn:

The excuse of uncontrollable passion is not a real one, for natural passion comes from the natural, animal soul, and this is why we were given the godly soul, in order to overcome the natural soul. This is why a person is created: To increase the power of the godly soul and to restrain the power of the natural soul. Were it not for this task of restraining the natural soul, the person would not have been created at all.

Rabbi Yosef Yitzĥak Schneersohn (1880–1950), Rabbi Shalom Dovber’s only son, was born in Lubavitch, served as the rebbe in Rostov and Leningrad, was exiled to Riga, Latvia; Otwock, Poland; and Warsaw, and finally arrived in New York, which is where he died. He left behind collections of discourses explaining the ideas of Hasidism, talks on various topics, and records and stories that vividly and beautifully describe life in the court of Chabad. He instituted the daily study of portions of Torah, Psalms, and Tanya, according to a yearly cycle.

He strongly opposed the Communist Party’s prohibition against living an actively religious life. He ensured the continuity of Jewish life in the Soviet Union by building mikvaot (ritual baths) and religious schools, printing religious books, and distributing ritual items. He required that his hasidim be prepared to sacrifice themselves for the sake of Jewish continuity.

He was saved from death twice: The first time, he was arrested by the Communist secret police and sentenced to death. His sentence was commuted due to immense pressure placed on the authorities. Eventually he was released but was compelled to leave Russia. The second time his life was saved was when he was rescued from Nazi-occupied Warsaw and managed to escape to New York.

Rabbi Yosef Yitzĥak led campaigns to strengthen Orthodox Judaism in communities throughout the United States, and opened a study hall and international center of Chabad Hasidism at 770 Eastern Parkway, in Brooklyn, which is known as “770.” He founded many other Chabad institutions and supported the establishment of the Kfar Chabad village in the Land of Israel.

From Rabbi Yosef Yitzĥak Schneersohn:

We will not be saved with sighing alone. A sigh is merely the key that opens the heart and eyes so that one does not sit idle, but rather sets up endeavors and activity. Each individual must do what he can to strengthen Torah, spreading Torah and mitzva observance widely. One individual does this through writing, another through speaking, and another through his wealth.

Rabbi Menaĥem Mendel Schneerson (1902–1994), son-in-law of Rabbi Yosef Yitzĥak, was born in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, studied Torah with his father, and studied mathematics and engineering at universities in Berlin and Paris. He escaped the Nazis and came to the United States. He served as rebbe for over forty years in New York, where he died. His Torah discourses encompass all fields of Torah, and are published in the form of talks, articles, and letters.

His fundamental message, which was also taught by his father-in-law, Yosef Yitzĥak, concerns the preparation of the world for the arrival of the messiah and the redemption. He believed that the messianic era was near, and that it was therefore essential to spread the ideas of the Ba’al Shem Tov and to prepare the people. He sent out emissaries to communities throughout the Jewish world and instructed them to increase Torah study, mitzva observance, and awareness of the redemption in these communities. He instituted mitzva campaigns to increase the observance of mitzvot, and in particular the mitzvot of tefillin (phylacteries), Torah study, family purity, Jewish education, loving one’s fellow Jews, affixing a mezuza scroll to one’s doorpost, giving charity, keeping the dietary halakhot, lighting Shabbat candles, and possessing Jewish books in the home. Additionally, he instituted the daily study of a portion of Rambam’s Mishneh Torah according to a set cycle, giving every Jew the opportunity to study “the entire Torah.” He was fluent in many languages and devoted much time to advising politicians and leaders, both Jewish and non-Jewish, about contemporary issues.

From Rabbi Menaĥem Mendel Schneerson:

In our time especially, there are many infants and children who, for one reason or another, have “fallen from their cradle.” They have been cut off from the true Jewish “cradle” (or they were never in it in the first place), and they are crying…because of the distress of their soul, which is truly a part of God above; it is hungry and thirsty for the word of God and for His Torah and mitzvot. But there is no one to care for them and fulfill their need with education about purity and holiness…. It is forbidden to ignore the cry of these Jewish children, whether they are children according to their age or children according to their knowledge of Torah and mitzvot. Every man and woman is commanded: Do not sin against the child. Stop all your other activities and care for the child. Return him to his Father, our Father, the compassionate Father. He will learn the Torah of our Father and fulfill the mitzvot, and he will thereby attain eternal life, a life that is full, complete, and good.

Rabbi Hillel Paritcher (1794–1864) was a kabbalist and mashpia (spiritual mentor and teacher of Hasidism). He was born in Khmilnyk, Ukraine, but grew up in Chemtz (in the vicinity of Minsk, Belarus), served as the rabbi of Paritch and Babruysk, and died in Kherson. His written works include Pelaĥ HaRimon, a hasidic commentary on the Torah and festivals, and BeReish Hormanuta deMalka, an essay on the Zohar. He was a follower of Rabbi Dovber Schneuri and the Tzemaĥ Tzedek, and even heard Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi speak, although he did not meet him face-to-face. He devoted himself to spreading hasidic ideas, particularly in the remote rural areas of Ukraine. He endeavored to serve God by praying with all his heart, and he emphasized self-nullification before God like a slave before his owner.

From Rabbi Hillel Paritcher:

The Torah’s powers were given to each and every Jew, who can evoke, through their words of Torah and their observance of mitzvot, the revelation of “I am who I am.” This is, his nature and essence, which He imbues into a person’s soul…. This is the meaning of “[God] spoke…saying…I am” (Exodus 20:1–2). He instilled these words into all Jewish souls so that through them, every Jew could say, “I am,” and evoke the revelation of “I am who I am” that is in his soul.