19 Kislev: The "New Year" of Chassidism
The 19th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev is celebrated as the “Rosh Hashanah of Chassidism.” It was on this date, in the year 1798, that the founder of Chabad Chassidism, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi (1745–1812), was freed from his imprisonment in czarist Russia. More than a personal liberation, this was a watershed event in Jewish history, heralding a new era in the revelation of the “inner soul” of Torah. On this day in 1772, 26 years prior, the “Maggid of Mezeritch” returned his soul to his Maker. Before his passing, he said to his disciple, Rabbi Schneur Zalman: “This day is our yom tov (festival). Read more . . .
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Eruvin 21b:8 says, “My son, be careful to fulfill the words of the Sages [soferim] even more than the words of the Torah. For the words of the Torah include positive and negative commandments, and even with regard to the negative commandments, the violation of many of them is punishable only by lashes. Whereas with respect to the words of the Sages, anyone who transgresses the words of the Sages is liable to receive the death penalty…”
Forget God and Torah
I think... We are inherently good; the evil inclination is merely an interruption the Torah can heal.
my birthday is tomorrow the 20th Happy I'm still on this planet
happy & healthy birthday & many more. Shalom.
Dear Joey.... many more happy & healthy birthdays. You are 20 and I am 93. I wish you a life of happiness, success, and much pleasure.
Why was Rabbi Schneur Zalman imprisoned? Didn't Hashem promise to give the covenant people a land filled with peace, milk, and honey upon entering Canaan? Did the Jewish people stray and follow false gods in our midst, triggering G-d's anger and resulting in wars, holocausts, antisemitism, and the desire to wipe Israel off the map from the river to the sea?
In Devarim 31:16-18, it states, "In the land that they are about to enter, they will forsake Me and break My covenant that I made with them. Then My anger will flare up against them, and I will abandon them and hide My countenance from them. They shall be ready prey, and many evils and troubles shall befall them."
Is this the reason for the imprisonment of Rabbi Zalman?
The reason was that it was felt in Heaven that he was revealing secrets that were meant to be hidden. Below is an excerpt from our website about this:
"Rabbi Schneur Zalman saw these events as a reflection of what was transpiring Above. He regarded his arrest as but the earthly echo of a heavenly indictment against his revelation of the most intimate secrets of the Torah. And he saw his release as signifying his vindication in the heavenly court. Following his liberation on 19 Kislev, he redoubled his efforts, disseminating his teachings on a far broader scale, and with more detailed and “down-to-earth” explanations, than before."
Please watch chabad.org/2051592/ The Heavenly Court Case - What Really Happened on 19 Kislev for a full treatment of this subject.
“A wonderful, informative article about a towering figure. I wonder if many Americans realize how rare it was that a Jew was released from a Russian prison -- no matter what the crime. Usually a Jew would either be executed or would die in prison. Such an inspiring story!”
The above is a reply from a reader below. Today, insert “… how rare it is that ANYONE including a female US basketball star, an American veteran/businessmen AND Russian oligarchs, was released from a Russian prison”.
Great article..G-d bless Chabad
May Hashem continue to bless Chabad
As ever
Alon Shmuel
JHB, ZA
Other chassidic groups do in fact consider it to be a special day.
They do not necessarily celebrate it the same but they do in fact hold it to be special.
Jew Understand that from Abraham we became the children of the Almighty. We have survived by his will and to teach and to save. Rabbi's must realize all the different paths are just but one.
Does this mean to teach and save all we can, or does it specific apply. to Jews?
7 noahide laws to the world
613 plus 7 rabbinic mitzvos to israel all jews
A wonderful, informative article about a towering figure. I wonder if many Americans realize how rare it was that a Jew was released from a Russian prison -- no matter what the crime. Usually a Jew would either be executed or would die in prison. Such an inspiring story!
Why keep reminding yourselves of the misguided on?
Why do you celebrate this date rather than the date of the completion of the Tanya (surely you recognise how it creates attrition rather than achdus)?
Why do you call it the birth (or Rosh Hashanah) of Chassidus when no other Chassids celebrate this day or consider the Rabbi Zalman much to do with Chassidism other than Chabad?
I think Chabad are great and I prey that you will become like the rest of us so we can herald the messianic age together.
from the womb of mysticism
There's no doubt in my mind, that the ecstatic joy of the Chassid is part of what we're supposed to experience, whether we are Chassid's or not. Life has this amalgam of the oy in joy, and it's so obvious to me that language itself carries the story.
I like to study the development of ways of being in terms of how we are religious because surely there is an evolution to this story, as there is in anything we study.
As there is love in the word evolution itself, just look, read backwards, I see that the Eve story, and all stories, seem deeply coded, wisely, within our very words. And that's why I feel we are moving towards something major in terms of human consciousness. As in dovetail the split, there is a story that fits together perfectly that's about love itself. Because to dovetail is to fit pieces together perfectly as in, carpentry.
yes, I can do this with English. Why not?
thank you for such a good work keeping us informed of the holy things and events.
Shalom!!!!!
Two ammendments
Hi Great article, two additions come to mind. Firstly it appears from the article that the Government had him arrested, rather as he was slandered by some of the misguided Rabbis of the time; the Government looked into their libel and found it to be false.
Secondly the reason he continued a new paradigm of teachings was more than just the "sign" that his vindication was a message from above, but he was visited in the cell by the apparitions of both the Baal Shem Tov and Maggid whom you refer to, whom he specifically asked, what his subsequent behavior should be and they told him that his vindication indicates the dissemination is correct, and furthermore he should increase it. It is for this reason that his style became lengthier more understandable and he promoted the unique Chabad philosophical approach.
Keep up the good work
it was a beautiful story
you can be realy proud of your website-it's a good job!
how did you make it?
full of great information!
thanks!
My Story started exactly 2 years ago on Yud Tes (19 ) Kislev
I left my Manhattan office on 7th Ave . I see a fellow Jew with a beard and Kippa . I randomly asked him , I want to take you to lunch . He asks where to ? I said to Chabad of Midtown on 5th Ave Rabbi Metzger is having a Fabrengen for Yud Tes Kislev (19 )
He happened to know some of the people attending . The Fabrengen was very lively and informative with Stories , L ‘Chaim’s , food and songs .
Going back to my office he says I am inviting you to my Real Estate office .
Every Tuesday we have a Rabbi giving a Halacha Shiur with catered Lunch also on Thursdays we have a Chabad Rabbi giving a Tanya Class also with catered lunch .
I have been going to these. 2 Lunch ‘ Learns for the past 2 years
HaShem repays you hundreds of time for
your random acts of kindness
Yosef Mordechai Gati , Queens , N.Y