Shneur Zalman Fradkin of Lublin (; 1830–1902), also known as the Toras Chessed (after his main work; תורת חסד "Kindly teaching") or The Liader (after his place of birth), was a famous

Chabad Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (; ; ), is a dynasty in Hasidic Judaism. Belonging to the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) branch of Orthodox Judaism, it is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, as well as one of ...

posek In Jewish law, a ''posek'' ( , pl. ''poskim'', ) is a legal scholar who determines the application of ''halakha'', the Jewish religious laws derived from the written and Oral Torah, in cases of Jewish law where previous authorities are incon ...

'' and '' gaon''. He was a disciple of the third Chabad-Lubavitch

Rebbe A Rebbe () or Admor () is the spiritual leader in the Hasidic movement, and the personalities of its dynasties.Heilman, Samuel"The Rebbe and the Resurgence of Orthodox Judaism."''Religion and Spirituality (Audio)''. UCTV, 20 Oct 2011. web. ...

, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn (also known as the ''Tzemach Tzedek'').

Early life

Fradkin was born in Liadi, Vitebsk Region,

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

(today

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

), the city of the founder of the Chabad movement, Rabbi

Shneur Zalman of Liadi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, (; September 4, 1745 – December 15, 1812 O.S. / 18 Elul 5505 – 24 Tevet 5573) commonly known as the Alter Rebbe or Baal Hatanya, was a rabbi and the founder and first Rebbe of Chabad, a branch of Hasidic Judaism. He ...

, after whom Rabbi Fradkin was named. The sixth Chabad Rebbe, Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn, recalled that the local book dealer in Lubavitch would not let Fradkin see the books before purchasing them, because after flipping through the pages he had already memorized the whole book. After marrying, Fradkin traveled to study from Rabbi Eliyahu Yosef of Dribin, where he became a great scholar. He resolved not to be sustained from the position of rabbi, but after losing all his possessions, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn instructed him to apply for the position of rabbi in Polotzk,

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

, to which Fradkin was later appointed in 1855.

Rabbi Fradkin and the Rebbes of Chabad

Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn gave Fradkin an honored position among his followers, calling him a ''gaon'', and having him take part in matters of the Beth din. He said that Rabbi Fradkin was so knowledgeable that he knew how many times the letter vav appears in the Talmud. The fifth Rebbe of Lubavitch, Rabbi Sholom Dovber Schneersohn, also held Fradkin in high esteem, and said of him, "even in the earlier generations he would have been considered a ''gaon''!"

In Lublin

After staying in Polotzk for thirteen years, in November 1867 Fradkin was appointed as rabbi of

Lublin Lublin is List of cities and towns in Poland, the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the centre of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin i ...

. This was a great honor, for only very few were allowed to be appointed as rabbis there.

''Toras Chessed''

Fradkin was a great ''posek'', as can be seen from the testimony of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn: "I am busy and unable to respond ... pose the question to Rabbi Zalman of Polotzk (i.e., Rabbi Fradkin); you can rely on him." Fradkin gathered the thousands of his responsa into his monumental work, ''Toras Chessed'', published in two volumes (Warsaw, 1883, Jerusalem, 1909).

Demise

In the month of

Adar Adar (Hebrew: , ; from Akkadian ''adaru'') is the sixth month of the civil year and the twelfth month of the religious year on the Hebrew calendar, roughly corresponding to the month of March in the Gregorian calendar. It is a month of 29 days. ...

, 5662, he declared to the astonishment of his students: "I can no longer tolerate this world of falsehood!" He died soon after, on 5 Nissan 5662 (1902), and is buried in the Chabad section of the Mount of Olives.

References

* "The Gaon of Lublin", Chananel, Kollel Chabad of Jerusalem. * Promoters of Torah in the World of Chassidus, vol. 2, Rabbi Aharon Soroski, Pe’er. * ''Chassidim Ha’Rishonim'' vol. 1, Yisrael Alfenbein, Kfar Chabad.

External links

''Toras Chessed'' Vol. 1

''Toras Chessed'' Vol. 2
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fradkin, Shneur Zalman Chabad-Lubavitch poskim Polish Hasidic rabbis Belarusian Hasidic rabbis 19th-century rabbis from the Russian Empire Hasidic rabbis in Israel Burials at the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives Belarusian Jews 1902 deaths 1830 births 20th-century rabbis in Jerusalem Rabbis from Lublin