Younger, Greater

Born in 1902 in Ukraine, Menachem Mendel Schneurson was the great grandson of the 3rd Chabad leader (the Tzemach Tzedek), grandson of Yehuda Lieb Schneurson, the elder brother of the 4th Chabad leader, Shmuel (the Maharash).

His wife, Chaya Mushka, was the daughter of the sixth rebbe, the Rayatz...

He started life as a modern man of Chabad of sorts - he was very religious, engaged in all the rabbinical education, but also studied vocationally at the university in Ukraine, and later in Russia, in Leningrad (St. Petersburg). 

They married in 1928 in Warsaw, in 1929 moved to Berlin, where he was active for Chabad and dealt with studying and articles for his father in law, but continued to study at the University of Berlin. In 1933 they moved to Paris - where he graduated as an engineer in 1938, which was his dream come true, finally. 

In Berlin and in Paris it is known that the couple dressed in modern fashionable clothing and intended to settle there. At the same time they also would pray and fast regularly, and wrote articles on religious spiritual matters.

In 1941 they escaped to the United States, straight into the blooming empire of the Rayatz, in Brooklyn.

Authority is Given

He was not the assertive power seeking individual, stepping on others, not an egomaniac and such. He did not seem to seek power, attention, or money. This is a promising indication of a what you want in a true leader. 

When the now middle aged couple arrived in America, Menachem Mendel was immediately appointed to manage the literary enterprise of his father in law, the leader of Chabad.

The Rayatz now had his 2 sons in law functioning at his side - the other older son in law, Shmuel Gur-Ariyeh, oversaw the network of learning institutions. 

But in 1950, the Rayatz passed away, and passed on the leadership to the younger son in law, Menachem Mendel, the seventh leader of Chabad... 

Menachem Mendel was very close to his father in law. His attitude which is expressed consistently and profoundly in his talks and writings if of affinity to his predecessor especially, but to all the predecessors essentially.

Just before he died, the Rayatz wrote an article, a sermon, which is generally considered to be the intentional last words, or last public sermon, to mark his passing on, and it is about the 7th generation, the one following him.

When Menachem Mendel officially accepted the position a year later, he delivered a sermon marking his inauguration, dealing with the same matter, the seventh generation, and it is interpreting that last sermon of his father in law. 

The article relates to Midrash Raba Shir ha’Shirim, to chapter 5 verse 1, which is interpreting creatively Genesis chapter 3 verse 8, G-d is walking in the garden, “I have come to my garden”, meaning G-d has desired to descend to his garden, which is this world.

Just as the sins in the Graden of Eden with the Tree of Knoweldge caused the retreat of the Shekhina 7 levels away, thus 7 shining righteous leaders Tzaddikim, they will help draw the light back to this world, as they are the examples for all in matters of Torah and teaching, and evil cowers to the good. 

This was the pattern created by the Alter Rebbe, Schneur Zalman of Lyadi, who was the first of the seven, and seven Tzaddikim was the figure given to complete the task, like the seven generations between Abraham and Moses.

And the Rayatz was of course completely aware of this tradition and prepared the way for his successor son in law, the seventh. 

Taste and See

Here are excerpts of the article sermon ‘I have come to my garden’:

This is what is demanded of each and every one of us of the seventh generation. “All those who are seventh are cherished.” 

Although the fact that we are in the seventh generation is not the result of our own choice or our own service, and indeed in certain ways it may be contrary to our will, nevertheless, “all those who are seventh are cherished.”

We are now in the era of the footsteps of Mashiach; we are at the conclusion of this period. Our mission is to complete the process of drawing down the Shechinah – indeed, the essence of the Shechinah – into our lowly world.

(in chapter 3)

After explaining at the beginning of the article that the essence of the Shechinah was originally manifest in this lowly world, and that afterwards, Moshe (the seventh) drew it down specifically into this world, the Rebbe Rayatz goes on to say: “G‑dliness was primarily revealed within the Beis HaMikdash,” and he supports this statement with a prooftext, “They shall make Me a Sanctuary and I shall dwell within them.” 

Concerning this verse our Sages comment: “The verse does not state ‘within it,’ but ‘within them,’ thus implying that G‑d dwells ‘within each and every Jew.’”

(in chapter 4)

This itself indicates the dearness of the seventh generation: that so much power has been granted to us and revealed for our sakes. 

Serving in this fashion will draw down the essence of the Shechinah into this physical and material world to an even greater extent than was revealed prior to the sin, as it is written in the verse describing Mashiach (Isaiah 52:13), “And he shall be exalted greatly...,” reaching an even higher level than Adam, and even the level that was before the sin (of the Tree of Knowledge).

And my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, who “bore our ailments and carried our pains” and was “anguished by our sins and crushed by our transgressions,” (Isaiah 53:4,5) just as he saw us in our affliction, so will he speedily in our days and hastily in our time redeem his flock from both spiritual and physical exile, enabling us to stand where we will be exposed to a vector of light.

All of this refers to mere revelations of G‑dliness. Beyond this, he will bind and unite us with the very Essence and Being of the Ein Sof. 

This is the inner objective of the progressive descent of all the worlds, the inner purpose of sin and its rectification, and the inner purpose of the passing of tzaddikim: that through all this, “the glory of G‑d will be revealed”.

(in chapter 9)

Mosaic of References

These are fascinating words. You don’t have to be an expert to understand the whole sermon, but you won’t understand it if you are not familiar with the basic concepts of Chabad. 

It appears we have another mix of Tsaddikism and Messianism. The Rebbe is taking Tsaddikism here to the next level - the seventh generation, led by Moses, leading the people, into the holy land of promise and eternity.

Also notice, very typical of Chabad, terms like redemption seem as traditionally used, and also used spiritualistically, that the redemption and such is a matter of spiritual enlightenment.

The Rebbe praises his predecessor, and describes him as a Moses, and also as a suffering servant of G-d quoting Isaiah 53!

Perhaps a reference to his physical illnesses, partially due to torture during his arrest in Soviet Russia, but the new Rebbe spiritualizes the suffering and death of the former Rebbe, quoting the traditional messianic Isaiah 52-53 verses.

The death itself of the Tsaddik is very significant mystically. We remember this from Shimon bar Yochai in the Zoharic Idra writings. When the Tsaddik carries the burden and then dies there there is a breakthrough in the revelation of esoteric spiritual knowledge.  

Exclusive Perhaps?

He doesn’t say it directly, but Moses in the Bible did not enter the promised land, he led the people unto that point, and then that younger generation entered in.

This is that same generational logic, but this also points at the new Rebbe as a next level messianic Tsaddik… 

What level can there be beyond the advanced level of the Tsaddik-Yesod mystical leader, in messianic terms?

Perhaps the Messiah. Perhaps a Tsaddik that is Tsaddik-Yesod with more manifestation of additional traditional messianic components. Perhaps associated instead with the Malkhut (Kingdom) Sphere, Messiah son of David.

That would make sense with the logic of the article. Entering the land of promise and such. Manifesting the Garden of Eden and Temple level spirituality.

The new Rebbe is setting himself up for a lot. 

But notice there is also explicit reference to what was explained previously, what was typical to the school of Hasidism of the Magid of Mezritch and Schneur Zalman of Lyadi and so forth in Chabad - a democratic type of spirituality, an emphasis on the delegation of the mystical burden from the Tsaddik as leader, to the many followers, taking it upon themselves. 

This is explicit in the words of the Rebbe above, in the context of messianic redemption that is spiritual enlightenment at the least. All the “generation” talk - is about the people, not just him, the Rebbe, as the seventh.