View source for Shneur Zalman of Liadi

{{short description|Founder of Chabad Hasidism, author of Tanya, with teachings on Jewish and non-Jewish souls sparking supremacy debates}}

{{Infobox person
| name = Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi
| image = 
| caption = 
| birth_date = 15 September 1745
| birth_place = [[Liozna]], [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]]
| death_date = 27 December 1812
| death_place = [[Peny]], [[Russian Empire]]
| occupation = Rabbi, mystic, philosopher, halachist
| known_for = Founding [[Chabad]] Hasidism, authoring ''[[Tanya]]''
| organisation = [[Chabad-Lubavitch]]
}}
{{Chabad sidebar}}
'''Rabbi '''Schneur Zalman of Liadi''''' (Hebrew: שניאור זלמן מליאדי; 15 September 1745 – 27 December 1812), known as the Alter Rebbe or Baal HaTanya, was a rabbi, mystic, and the founder of the [[Chabad]] movement, a branch of [[Hasidism]].<ref name="ChabadBio">Chabad.org, [https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/77049/jewish/The-Alter-Rebbe.htm The Alter Rebbe] ''Chabad.org'', accessed June 2026.</ref><ref name="Hakirah">Yitzchak Balk, [https://hakirah.org/Vol%2016%20Balk.pdf The Soul of a Jew and the Soul of a Non-Jew] ''Hakirah'', accessed June 2026.</ref>

He authored the foundational text ''[[Tanya]]'' (Likkutei Amarim), which systematises Hasidic philosophy with Kabbalistic and rational elements, serving as a practical guide for Jewish spiritual life.<ref name="ChabadBio" />

== Biography ==
Born in Liozna to a scholarly family, Schneur Zalman studied extensively under prominent rabbis before becoming a disciple of [[Dov Ber of Mezeritch]]. He established his court in Liadi and emphasised intellectual understanding (Chochmah, Binah, Da'at) in Hasidic practice.<ref name="ChabadBio" />

He faced opposition from Misnagdim, was imprisoned by Russian authorities in 1798 on false charges, and was released on 19 Kislev, a date celebrated by Chabad.<ref name="ChabadBio" />

== Works ==
His major works include ''[[Tanya]]'', ''Shulchan Aruch HaRav'' (a code of Jewish law), and various discourses collected in ''Torah Or'' and ''Likutei Torah''.<ref name="ChabadBio" />

== Teachings on Jewish and Non-Jewish Souls ==
In Chapter 1 of ''Likutei Amarim'' (Tanya), Schneur Zalman teaches that Jewish souls derive from the realm of holiness, containing a divine spark, while "the souls of the nations of the world... emanate from the other, unclean kelipot which contain no good whatsoever."<ref name="TanyaCh1">Chabad.org, [https://www.chabad.org/library/tanya/tanya_cdo/aid/7880/jewish/Chapter-1.htm Chapter 1] ''Chabad.org'', accessed June 2026.</ref>

This Lurianic Kabbalah-derived distinction has been interpreted by critics as promoting spiritual supremacy or metaphysical racism toward non-Jews.<ref name="Merrimack">Merrimack Valley Havurah, [https://merrimackvalleyhavurah.wordpress.com/2022/11/07/the-tanyas-view-of-non-jewish-people/ The Tanya’s view of non-Jewish people] ''Merrimack Valley Havurah'', 7 November 2022.</ref><ref name="VIN2008">VIN News, [https://vinnews.com/2008/10/23/london-british-shul-bans-tanya-saying-its-a-racist-sefer/ British Shul Bans 'Tanya' Saying It's A Racist Sefer] ''VIN News'', 23 October 2008.</ref>

== Controversy on Jewish Supremacism ==
The Tanya's soul doctrine has drawn accusations of fostering Jewish supremacism, with some viewing it as morally objectionable or racist due to the hierarchical distinction between Jewish and gentile souls.<ref name="VIN2008" /><ref name="Merrimack" />

Defenders argue it reflects mystical cosmology rather than empirical racism, applies to historical idolaters, and does not negate non-Jews' moral capacity or Chabad's promotion of the Seven Noahide Laws for gentiles.<ref name="Hakirah" /><ref name="Merrimack" />

Schneur Zalman himself lived under persecution and his teachings emphasise ethical conduct and divine service without recorded calls for political supremacy over non-Jews.<ref name="ChabadBio" />

== Legacy ==
Schneur Zalman profoundly influenced Hasidism through Chabad, which became a global movement. His descendants and successors continued his intellectual-mystical approach.<ref name="ChabadBio" />

== See also ==
* [[Tanya]]
* [[Chabad-Lubavitch]]
* [[Berel Lazar]]

== External links ==
[https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/77049/jewish/The-Alter-Rebbe.htm Biography at Chabad.org]

==Notes==
<references/>

[[Category:1745 births]]
[[Category:1812 deaths]]
[[Category:Chabad-Lubavitch]]
[[Category:Hasidic rebbes]]
[[Category:Rabbis]]