10 Shevat is the day in 1950 that the Sixth Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, of righteous memory, passed away, and the day one year later that his son-in-law, the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, formally assumed leadership of the Chabad-Lubavitch Chassidic movement. This date marks something more, as well. Building on the foundation laid by his father-in-law and the previous generations of Chabad’s spiritual leaders, the Rebbe would go on to transform the Chabad movement into a global organization with branches on all continents, engineer a worldwide renaissance of Jewish life, and become known as the “most influential rabbi in modern history.”
But what is Chabad, and what is its philosophy?
To answer these questions—and many others!—Rabbis Nissan Dovid Dubov and Naftali Hertz Pewzner set out to produce a series titled The Basics of Chassidus. Working with Sichos in English, they’ve already published the first volume, Chabad: Its Origins, Principles, and Purpose.
Inspired by the Rebbe’s own efforts to index his predecessors’ teachings, as well as the encouragement he gave to those who previously set out to codify the teachings of Chabad, they wrote a highly readable work they expect will provide readers with an in-depth perspective on the origins and themes of Chassidism, and the contribution of Chabad in particular.
The book has been flying off store shelves since its release in 2022, and its publisher—Sichos in English—has now made it available to our readers online.
On behalf of our readers, Chabad.org thanks our longtime partners at Sichos in English—true pioneers of sharing Jewish wisdom both in print and online—for sharing this treasure, which we trust will enlighten and educate so many.
Click here to read the book online
