This coming week contains two special dates in the Jewish calendar: Sunday, 20 Tevet - the anniversary of passing of Rabbi Moshe Maimonides (Rambam) and Thursday, 24 Tevet - the anniversary of passing of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi. Rabbi Shneur Zalman was the author of the Tanya and compiler of the Shulchan Aruch HaRav. He established what later become known as Chabad Chasidut. The goal of Chabad Chasidut - an acronym standing for chachma (wisdom), bina (understanding) and daat (knowledge) - is to bring the Jew to an intellectual understanding of G-d through the contemplation of G-ds exalted nature and His relationship with the world and the Jewish people. It brings the loftiest concepts down into a framework the human mind can readily comprehend and assimilate. For generations prior to the writing of the Tanya, the rarefied secrets of the Kabala were beyond the true grasp of the intellect. G-d sent the holy soul of Rabbi Shneur Zalman down into the world for the purpose of creating a body of teachings that would once and for all break through the barrier between the infinite light of the Creator and the limited intellect of His creatures. Chabad Chasidut thus forged an entirely new path in fulfilling Moshiachs promise to the Baal Shem Tov to come when the wellsprings of your teachings will be disseminated. Over the next seven generations, this new path in mans service of G-d was developed and broadened by the leaders of the Chabad movement. Each successive Rebbe added new insights, drawing from the bottomless well of Divine wisdom and bringing us closer to the Messianic era, when, as G-d has promised, The world will be filled with G-dly knowledge like the waters cover the sea. May it commence immediately. Moshiach NOW!!!
Posted on: Sat, 03 Jan 2015 20:08:32 +0000