Episode 117: Rochel's Scholarship Is Revealed to Her Husband Shneur Zalman

00:01 This relates to the story Rachel told her daughter Devorah Leah about her life, and to the fact that Rachel was very learned. Her husband, Shneur Zalman, had no idea she knew how to learn, because in his view girls did not need to study. So he married her without knowing how learned she was, and she naturally kept it quiet so as not to upset him. This brings us to a very interesting story. As mentioned, Rabbi Baruch the Batlan was careful that no one should find out how learned his daughter Rachel was. Even her husband, Rabbi Shneur Zalman, did not know the extent of her knowledge when he married her. She was especially careful after discovering that he was among those who held that a woman need not study Torah. In the city of Pozna, the custom, based on Shibbolei Haleket, was not to go out on Shabbos in a place without an eruv wearing gloves, unless they were sewn to the sleeves. Within Pozna there was an eruv, so people naturally went out wearing gloves that were not attached. Once, shortly after Rachel married Shneur Zalman, the whole family was walking home from shul on Shabbos. At the front walked the men: Rabbi Baruch the Batlan, his son Binyamin, and his son-in-law Rabbi Shneur Zalman. Behind them walked the women, including Rachel. The women were wearing unattached gloves. Binyamin was carrying books under his arms when the community’s shamash suddenly came running toward them and announced that the eruv had broken. Everyone was at a loss. What should they do with the gloves? What should they do with the books? The men began debating the halachah on the basis of their knowledge of the Gemara and its commentaries. When they could not reach a clear conclusion, Rabbi Baruch the Batlan said, “We spend too much time studying the Gemara and its commentaries and neglect the clear halachah in the works of the poskim. Then, when a practical halachic question arises, we are at a loss.” As he said this, he turned to his daughter Rachel. “Well, Rachel, you know the Shulchan Aruch well.

02:49 So tell us, what should we do?” Rabbi Shneur Zalman stared in astonishment. He could not believe his ears. On second thought, he assumed his father-in-law was joking with him. Rachel blushed. She knew very well that her husband would be surprised to discover how learned she was, and she feared he would not be pleased. At the same time, her father stood waiting for her answer. Rachel had no choice. She clearly recited all the details of the relevant halachos in Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim, sections 266 and 303, as explained by the Rema. The whole group followed Rachel’s ruling. When they reached home, Rabbi Shneur Zalman and Binyamin hurried to look it up in the Shulchan Aruch and saw that Rachel was right. Rabbi Shneur Zalman remarked, with a note of displeasure, “Our Sages say that the wife of a Torah scholar is like a Torah scholar. But here we have a case of a scholar’s wife who is herself a scholar, quite independently of her husband.” Rabbi Baruch the Batlan replied with a smile, “The Jerusalem Talmud says that the wife of a bandit is also like a bandit. The choice always remains with the husband whether his wife will be the wife of a scholar or the wife of a bandit.” In time, Rabbi Shneur Zalman came to terms with his wife’s learning, which became increasingly apparent to him. His esteem for her grew greatly when he saw that her learning had increased her righteousness and her fear of Heaven, and not the opposite, G-d forbid. Later, Rabbi Shneur Zalman discovered that his daughter Devorah Leah, too, had acquired considerable knowledge from her mother and, over time, had nearly reached her mother’s level of learning. But by then this no longer upset him; on the contrary, it gave him satisfaction. In fact, Rabbi Shneur Zalman—the grandfather of Rabbi Shneur Zalman who founded Chabad Chassidus—and his highly learned wife Rachel represented two different worlds in Judaism, two approaches that existed at the time. And the difference between Rabbi Shneur Zalman and Rachel

05:44 his wife was reflected in their two children, their daughter Devorah Leah and their son Baruch. Baruch and Devorah Leah differed not only in age but also in character. Devorah Leah was warmhearted, engaged with people and easy to get along with. She took an interest in how the neighbors’ families were doing and was always ready to help. Her brother Baruch was reserved, introverted, withdrawn from society and solitary. Devorah Leah resembled her mother Rachel; Baruch resembled his father, Rabbi Shneur Zalman. As you may recall, Devorah Leah was close to her mother not only because of the extraordinary mutual understanding that had developed between them, but also because Devorah Leah studied Torah with her learned mother. Devorah Leah studied eagerly, though she had certain difficulties. Questions and problems arose in her learning, and she could not always burden her mother with them. She could not, of course, ask her father, since his attitude toward his daughter’s studies did not allow it. At first glance, Devorah Leah could have brought her questions to her brother Baruch, who, despite his young age, was already known for his talents and extensive knowledge. But Baruch treated his sister coldly and kept his distance, as though she did not belong to his family at all. Naturally, this hurt Devorah Leah deeply. Rachel knew of Baruch’s distant, estranged attitude toward his sister, and it caused her distress. Many times she thought of speaking to Baruch about it and telling him what she had told Devorah Leah. She thought the family tradition would influence Baruch as it had influenced his sister. But Baruch was still too young for that, and he had also begun to distance himself even from his mother. She did not feel she had the courage to begin an open, heartfelt conversation with him. Rachel put it off from day to day, until it was too late. Rachel felt a weakness that steadily

08:14 grew worse, until one day she took to her bed and never rose again. When Rachel sensed that her hours were numbered, she asked Devorah Leah and Baruch to come to her. She placed her hands on their heads and blessed them. Apparently she had much to say in her final moments, but she had no strength for it. She managed only to say Vidui and Shema Yisroel, and then passed away. Devorah Leah burst into bitter tears. Neighbors came running. Rabbi Shneur Zalman came too and broke down crying. Baruch stood bewildered, his eyes dry. Later, after they took his mother from her bed and laid her on the ground, and wailing filled the house... he too wept from the depths of his heart. He began to cry out, “Mama, don’t touch my mother! Devorah Leah, where are you?” and fainted. After her mother’s passing, Devorah Leah began running the household, which helped take her mind off her grief. She was then sixteen years old, and devoted all her energy and heart to caring for her father and her brother, who continued to treat her very coldly. Her father, Shneur Zalman, was very weak and no longer had the strength to continue working as a teacher. He tried to earn a living by helping a Torah scholar in Vitebsk edit his writings. Devorah Leah decided that she would provide for the family. She knew how to sew well and began taking in sewing work, earning enough to support the household while, of course, continuing to do the housework. Rabbi Shneur Zalman did not live much longer. Day by day his strength ebbed, until he passed away. Before his passing, he instructed his children to conduct themselves as befitted descendants of their distinguished family. Devorah Leah, for her part, was willing to continue bearing the burden of maintaining the household and supporting her brother so that he could devote himself to Torah, while studying a little Torah herself. But Baruch had plans of his own, and he disappeared from Vitebsk. We already know about his wanderings

10:48 Baruch’s trips to Dubrovna, Liozna, and other places. Devorah Leah was left alone. Her grandfather, Rabbi Moshe of Pozna, as we recall, was then living in Minsk and wanted his granddaughter Devorah Leah to move in with him. But Devorah Leah refused to leave Vitebsk, because her parents were buried there. Their graves had become part of her life. She frequently visited the cemetery to pour out her heart at their graves, telling her parents everything as though they were alive. So Devorah Leah preferred to remain in Vitebsk and moved into the home of her uncle, Rabbi Kadish. She arranged with her uncle and aunt that she would continue sewing and thereby cover the cost of living in their home. They cared for her with great devotion. One day, her uncle Kadish came to her with a proposed match: the brilliant young Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Mitcheri[?]. We remember that story about Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Mitcheri[?], yes. Before agreeing to the match, Devorah Leah went to the cemetery and told her parents about the proposal. She prayed that, if the proposed match was indeed right for her, it would succeed. Afterward, she spoke with the prospective groom and told him everything she knew about her family. She also told him that she considered herself among those who followed the path of Kabbalah and Chassidus. Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak listened with great interest. When she finished, he told her about his own family lineage and said that he, too, followed the path of Chassidus, according to the new approach taught by Rabbi Yisroel Baal Shem Tov. Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak told Devorah Leah that one of the Baal Shem Tov’s students had introduced him to the path of Chassidus and guided him in it. Then, to Devorah Leah’s surprise and delight, Yosef Yitzchak revealed that the Baal Shem Tov himself had instructed him, through that student, to seek his

13:26 match in Vitebsk, specifying that she was an orphan who had lost both parents. When Devorah Leah heard this, she had no doubt that he was the right match for her. They then went together to the cemetery, and between the graves of Devorah Leah’s parents, they privately agreed on the following terms. First, after their marriage, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak would set aside time to study Torah with Devorah Leah two or three times a week. Second, Devorah Leah would continue sewing and shoulder the responsibility of supporting them. Third, they would be equal partners in the merits of both their Torah study and mitzvos. Fourth, her Torah study would be kept secret. Fifth, their home would be run according to the path of Chassidus and the Baal Shem Tov’s instructions. Sixth, their connection to Chassidus would remain secret until the time came to reveal it. Seventh, they would raise and educate their children in the path of Chassidus. Eighth, if they had daughters, they would study Torah with them. And ninth, a tenth of their income would be given to tzedakah. After the wedding, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak was appointed head of a yeshivah in Vitebsk. Devorah Leah was happy, but one thing troubled her: she did not know where her brother Baruch had disappeared to.