Tzemach Tzedek

Menachem Mendel Schneersohn
Lubavitcher Rebbe
The Tzemach Tzedek
Term	May 5, 1831 – March 17, 1866 OS
Full name	Menachem Mendel Schneersohn
Main work	Shut Tzemach Tzedek
Born	September 9, 1789 OS Liozna, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Died	March 17, 1866 OS Lyubavichi, Russian Empire
Buried	Lyubavichi
Dynasty	Chabad Lubavitch
Predecessor	Dovber Schneuri
Successor	Shmuel Schneersohn
Father	Shalom Shachna
Mother	Devorah Leah (daughter of Shneur Zalman of Liadi)
Wife	Chaya Mushka Schneersohn (daughter of Dovber Schneuri)
Children	Baruch Shalom Yehudah Leib of Kopys Chaim Shneur Zalman of Liadi Yisroel Noach of Nizhyn Yosef Yitzchak of Ovruch Yaacov Shmuel Schneersohn of Lubavitch Rada Freida Devorah Leah

Menachem Mendel Schneersohn (September 9, 1789 – March 17, 1866 OS) also known as the Tzemach Tzedek was an Orthodox rabbi, leading 19th century posek, and the third Rebbe (spiritual leader) of the Chabad Lubavitch chasidic movement.

The Tzemach Tzedek was born in Liozna, on 29 Elul 5549. His mother Devorah Leah died just three years later, and her father Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi raised him as his own son. He married his first cousin Chaya Mushka Schneersohn, daughter of Rabbi Dovber Schneuri. After his father-in-law/uncle's death, and a three-year interregnum during which he tried to persuade the hasidim to accept his brother-in-law Menachem-Nachum Schneuri or his uncle Chaim-Avraham as their leader, he assumed the leadership of Lubavitch on the eve of Shavuot 5591 (May 5, 1831 OS).

He was known as the Tzemach Tzedek ("Righteous Sprout" or "Righteous Scion"), after the title of a voluminous compendium of halakha (Jewish law) that he authored. He also authored Derech Mitzvotecha ("Way of Your Commandments"), a mystical exposition of the Mitzvos. He compiled major works of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi for publication, including the Siddur L'Kol Ha'Shanah (commonly known as Siddur Im Dach), Likutei Torah and Torah Ohr. He also authored a philosophical text entitled "Sefer Chakira: Derech Emuna" (Book of Philosophy: The way of Faith).

The Tzemach Tzedek enjoyed close ties with other Jewish leaders. In the course of his battle against the Haskalah in Russia, he forged a close alliance with Rabbi Yitzchak of Valozhyn, a major leader of the misnagdim, which led to warmer relations between them and the hasidim.