Editing Menachem Mendel Schneerson (section)

==Biography==
===Early life and education===
{{Chabad (Rebbes and Chasidim)|Rebbes of Chabad}}
Menachem Mendel Schneerson was born on April 5, 1902 ([[Adoption of the Gregorian calendar#Adoption in Eastern Europe|OS]]) (11 [[Nisan]], 5662), in the [[Black Sea]] port of Nikolaev in the [[Russian Empire]] (now [[Mykolaiv]] in [[Ukraine]]).<ref name="Telushkin455">Joseph Telushkin, ''[[Rebbe: The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History]]''. HarperCollins, 2014. Page 455</ref> His father was rabbi [[Levi Yitzchak Schneerson]], a renowned [[Talmudic]] scholar and authority on [[Kabbalah]] and [[Jewish law]].<ref>Introduction to ''Likkutei Levi Yitzchak'', Kehot Publications 1970</ref> His mother was [[Rebbetzin]] [[Chana Schneerson]] ({{née|Yanovski}}). He was named after the third [[Chabad]] rebbe [[Menachem Mendel Schneersohn]], the ''Tzemach Tzedek'', from whom he was a direct patrilineal descendant.

In 1907, when Schneerson was five years old, the family moved to [[Dnipro|Yekatrinoslav]] (today, [[Dnipro]]), where Levi Yitzchak was appointed Chief Rabbi of the city. He served until 1939, when he was exiled by the [[Soviets]] to [[Kazakhstan]].<ref>Shmuel Marcus, [http://www.chabad.org/133640 Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson - A brief biography]</ref> Schneerson had two younger brothers: Dov Ber Schneerson, who was murdered in 1944 by [[Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy|Nazi collaborators]], and Yisroel Aryeh Leib Schneerson, who died in 1952 while completing doctoral studies at [[Liverpool University]].<ref name="Telushkin455"/>

During his youth, he received a private education and was tutored by Zalman Vilenkin from 1909 through 1913. When Schneerson was 11 years old, Vilenkin informed his father that he had nothing more to teach his son.<ref>Chana Vilenkin, Zalman's daughter on "The Early Years Vol I". Jewish Educational Media 2006, segment Nikolaev, Russia 1902. (UPC 874780 000525)</ref> At that point, Levi Yitzchak began teaching his son Talmud and [[rabbinic literature]], as well as Kabbalah. Schneerson proved gifted in both Talmudic and Kabbalistic study and also took exams as an external student of the local Soviet school.<ref name="Adin Steinsaltz page 24">Adin Steinsaltz, ''My Rebbe''. Maggid Books, page 24</ref> He was considered an ''[[illui]]'' and genius, and by the time he was 17, he had mastered the entire [[Talmud]], some 5,422 pages, as well as all [[Rishonim|its early commentaries]].<ref>Slater, Elinor, "Great Jewish Men", {{ISBN|0-8246-0381-8}}, page 277.</ref>

Throughout his childhood, Schneerson was involved in the affairs of his father's office. He was also said to have acted as an interpreter between the Jewish community and the Russian authorities on a number of occasions.<ref>Schneerson, Chana, ''A Mother in Israel'' Kehot Publications, 1983. {{ISBN|0-8266-0099-9}}, page 13.</ref> Levi Yitzchak's courage and principles guided his son for the rest of his life. Many years later, when he once reminisced about his youth, Schneerson said, "I have the education of the first-born son of the rabbi of Yekaterinoslav. When it comes to saving lives, I speak up whatever others may say."<ref>Adin Steinsaltz, ''My Rebbe''. Maggid Books, 2014. Page 25.</ref>

Schneerson went on to receive separate [[Semikhah|rabbinical ordination]]s from the Rogatchover [[Gaon (Hebrew)|Gaon]], [[Joseph Rosen]],<ref>Selegson, Michoel A. Introduction to ''From Day to Day'', English translation of the [[Hayom Yom]], {{ISBN|0-8266-0669-5}}, p. A20.</ref> and [[Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg]], author of ''Sridei Aish''.<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/livingtorah/player_cdo/aid/1264762/jewish/Rabbinic-Ordination.htm |title= Rabbinic Ordination - Program Three Hundred Nine - Living Torah |publisher= Chabad.org |access-date= January 29, 2012 |archive-date= August 29, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120829142034/http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/livingtorah/player_cdo/aid/1264762/jewish/Rabbinic-Ordination.htm |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>Dovid Zaklikowsky, [http://www.chabad.org/news/article_cdo/aid/2112908/ Details of the Rebbes Rabbinical Ordination Authenticated]. January 21, 2013.</ref>

===Marriage and family life===
In 1923, Schneerson visited the sixth Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe, [[Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn]], for the first time. He met the rabbi's middle daughter [[Chaya Mushka Schneerson|Chaya Mushka]]—they were distant cousins. Sometime later, they became engaged but were not married until 1928 in [[Warsaw]], Poland.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ehrlich |first=Avrum M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SZR6ZOS0-KsC&q=%22Chaya+Mousia%22&pg=PA35 |title=The Messiah of Brooklyn: understanding Lubavitch Hasidism past and present |publisher=KTAV Publishing House, Inc. |year=2004 |isbn=9780881257809 |page=35}}</ref> Taking great pride in his son-in-law's outstanding scholarship, Yosef Yitzchak asked him to engage in learned conversation with the great Torah scholars that were present at the wedding, such as [[Meir Shapiro]] and [[Menachem Ziemba]].<ref>Chaim Rapoport ''The Afterlife of Scholarship: A Critical Review of 'The Rebbe' by Samuel Heilman and Menachem Friedman'', Oporto Press, 2011, {{ISBN|9780615538976}}, p. 77.</ref> Menachem Mendel and Chaya Mushka were married for 60 years and were childless.<ref name="Wall Street Journal">Dara Horn, June 13, 2014 [https://online.wsj.com/articles/book-review-rebbe-by-joseph-telushkin-and-my-rebbe-by-adin-steinsaltz-1402696458 "Rebbe of Rebbe's"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141026163324/http://online.wsj.com/articles/book-review-rebbe-by-joseph-telushkin-and-my-rebbe-by-adin-steinsaltz-1402696458 |date=October 26, 2014 }}. ''Book Review 'Rebbe' by Joseph Telushkin and 'My Rebbe' by Adin Steinsaltz'', The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved December 28, 2014.</ref>

Menachem Mendel and Yosef Yitzchak were both descendants of [[Menachem Mendel Schneersohn]], known as the ''Tzemach Tzedek'', the third Rebbe of Chabad.<ref>Chana Schneerson, [http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1881290/jewish/Memoirs-of-Rebbetzin-Chana-Part-34.htm "Memoirs of Rebbetzin Chana - Part 34"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120704233204/http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1881290/jewish/Memoirs-of-Rebbetzin-Chana-Part-34.htm |date=July 4, 2012 }} Kehot, 2011.</ref> Schneerson later commented that the day of his marriage bound the community to him and him to the community.<ref name="chabad.org">Eli Rubin, [http://www.chabad.org/2619803 "High Holidays in Riga: Self and Community"]</ref>

In 1947, Schneerson traveled to Paris to take his mother, [[Chana Schneerson]], back to New York City with him.<ref name="Rebbe 2014. Page 475">''[[Rebbe: The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History]]''. HarperCollins, 2014. Page 475</ref> Schneerson would visit her every day and twice each Friday and prepare her tea.<ref>Chana Schneerson, [http://www.chabad.org/1881290 My Son Visits Every Day].</ref> In 1964, Chana Schneerson died.<ref>Joseph Telushkin, ''[[Rebbe: The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History]]''. HarperCollins, 2014. Page 488.</ref>

On February 10, 1988, Schneerson's wife Chaya died.<ref name="Chaya Schneerson">''The New York Times'' [https://www.nytimes.com/1988/02/11/obituaries/chaya-schneerson-wife-of-the-leader-of-the-lubavitchers.html "Chaya Schneerson"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306062305/http://www.nytimes.com/1988/02/11/obituaries/chaya-schneerson-wife-of-the-leader-of-the-lubavitchers.html |date=March 6, 2016 }}, February 11, 1988</ref> A year after the death of his wife, when the traditional year of [[Jewish mourning]] had passed, Schneerson moved into his study above the [[770 Eastern Parkway|central Lubavitch synagogue]] on Eastern Parkway.<ref>Alan Feuer, January 14, 2009 [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/15/nyregion/15rooms.html "No One There, but This Place Is Far From Empty"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230085840/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/15/nyregion/15rooms.html |date=December 30, 2016 }} ''The New York Times''</ref>

===Berlin===
[[File:Gedenktafel Hansa-Ufer 7 (Moabi) Menachem Mendel Schneerson.jpg|alt=|thumb|403x403px|A monument for Schneerson in Berlin]]
After his wedding to Chaya Mushka in 1928, Schneerson and his wife moved to [[Berlin]] in the [[Weimar Republic]] (now part of [[Germany]]), where he was assigned specific communal tasks by his father-in-law, who also requested that he write scholarly annotations to the ''[[History of responsa in Judaism|responsa]]'' and various Hasidic discourses of the earlier Rebbes of Chabad-Lubavitch. Schneerson studied mathematics, physics, and philosophy at the [[Humboldt University of Berlin|University of Berlin]].<ref name="Volume II 1938 PC">"The Early Years Volume II (1931–1938)" Jewish Educational Media, 2006 (UPC 74780 00058)</ref> He would later recall that he enjoyed [[Erwin Schrödinger]]'s lectures.<ref>Eli Rubin, [http://www.chabad.org/2619782 "Studies in Berlin: Science, Torah & Quantum Theory"]</ref> His father-in-law took great pride in his son-in-law's scholarly attainments and paid for all the tuition expenses and helped facilitate his studies throughout.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Heilman |first1=Samuel |last2=Friedman |first2=Menachem |title=The Rebbe: The Life and Afterlife of Menachem Mendel Schneerson |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=2010 |pages=94, 106 |isbn=978-0-691-13888-6}}</ref>

During his stay in Berlin, his father-in-law encouraged him to become more of a public figure, but Schneerson described himself as an introvert,<ref name="chabad.org"/> and was known to have pleaded with acquaintances not to make a fuss over the fact that he was the son-in-law of Yosef Yitzchak.<ref>Joseph Telushkin, ''[[Rebbe: The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History]]''. HarperCollins, 2014. Page 465.</ref>

While in Berlin, Schneerson met [[Joseph B. Soloveitchik]] and the two formed a friendship that remained between them years later when they emigrated to America.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.uchicagohillel.org/news/blog.aspx?id=428514&blogid=13574 |title=Of God and Man: Some thoughts on the Rebbe |date=June 25, 2014 |publisher=JUF News |access-date=December 27, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018013842/http://www.uchicagohillel.org/news/blog.aspx?id=428514&blogid=13574 |archive-date=October 18, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Rebbe-Rav">
{{Cite web
| url = http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article.htm/aid/529444/jewish/The-Rebbe-and-the-Rav.html
| title = The Rebbe and the Rav
| access-date = October 10, 2007
| last = Kowalsky
| first = Sholem B.
| publisher = [[Chabad.org]]
}}</ref><ref>
{{Cite video
| title      = A Relationship from Berlin to New York
| url        = http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article.htm/aid/527750/jewish/A-Relationship-from-Berlin-to-New-York.html
| format     = [[Windows Media Video]]
| medium     = Documentary
| publisher  = [[Chabad.org]]
| location   = [[Brooklyn, NY]]
| access-date = October 10, 2007
}}</ref><ref name="RebbeInBerlin">{{Cite video
 |title        = The Rebbe in Berlin, Germany
 |url          = http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article.htm/aid/527752/jewish/The-Rebbe-in-Berlin-Germany.html
 |format       = [[Windows Media Video]]
 |medium       = Documentary
 |publisher    = [[Chabad.org]]
 |location     = [[Brooklyn, NY]]
 |access-date  = October 10, 2007
|archive-date = October 11, 2007
|archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20071011104830/http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article.htm/aid/527752/jewish/The-Rebbe-in-Berlin-Germany.html
 |url-status   = live
}}</ref> He wrote hundreds of pages of his own original Torah discourses,<ref>Menachem. M. Schneerson, ''Reshimot''. Kehot Publication Society, 1994–2003</ref> and conducted a serious interchange of ''halachic'' correspondence with many of Eastern Europe's leading rabbinic figures, including the [[Rogachover Gaon]].<ref>Likkutei Levi Yitzchak Igrot Kodesh, Kehot Publication Society, 1972</ref> In 1933, he also met with [[Chaim Elazar Shapiro]], as well as with Talmudist [[Shimon Shkop]].<ref>{{Cite book | title=The Educational Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson |author=Aryeh Solomon |page=310 |date=May 2000 |isbn=0-7657-6092-4 |publisher=Jason Aronson Inc}}</ref> During this time, he kept a diary in which he would carefully document his private conversations with his father-in-law, as well as his kabbalistic correspondence with his father, Levi Yitzchak.<ref>The Rebbe's Early Years Ch. 5, Pg. 326 (Oberlander, 2012)</ref>

===Paris===
In 1933, after the [[Adolf Hitler's rise to power|Nazis took over]] [[Weimar Republic|Germany]], the Schneersons left Berlin and moved to Paris, where Menachem Mendel (known as "RaMash" before accepting the leadership of Chabad)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rubin |first=Mordechai |title=A Year of Uncertainty: 10 Images That Tell the Story of the Rebbe's Reluctant Path to Leadership |url=https://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article_cdo/aid/4254749/jewish/A-Year-of-Uncertainty-10-Images-That-Tell-the-Story-of-the-Rebbes-Reluctant-Path-to-Leadership.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190116115040/https://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article_cdo/aid/4254749/jewish/A-Year-of-Uncertainty-10-Images-That-Tell-the-Story-of-the-Rebbes-Reluctant-Path-to-Leadership.htm |archive-date=January 16, 2019 |access-date=October 21, 2024 |website=Chabad.org}}</ref>continued his religious and communal activities on behalf of his father-in-law.

While in Paris, he took a two-year course in engineering at a vocational college.<ref>https://www.haaretz.com/2007-02-11/ty-article/the-lubavitcher-rebbe-as-a-god/0000017f-dc1a-df9c-a17f-fe1aa9c40000 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230102041753/https://www.haaretz.com/2007-02-11/ty-article/the-lubavitcher-rebbe-as-a-god/0000017f-dc1a-df9c-a17f-fe1aa9c40000?_amp=true |date=January 2, 2023 }} "While in Paris he acquired his only formal education: he took a two year vocational course in electrical engineering at a Montparnase Vocational College where he achieved mediocre grades."</ref>

During that time, Yosef Yitzchak recommended that Professor [[Alexander Barchenko|Alexander Vasilyevitch Barchenko]] consult with Schneerson regarding various religious and mystical matters,<ref>''The Afterlife of Scholarship'' Pg. 76, Fn. 196</ref> and prominent rabbis, such as Yerachmiel Binyaminson and [[Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler]], turned to Schneerson with their rabbinic and kabbalistic queries.<ref>''The Afterlife of Scholarship''. Page 143. {{ISBN|978-0-615-53897-6}}</ref><ref>Schneerson, Menachem M. ''Igrot Kodesh'', vol 1, p 19–23.</ref>

On June 11, 1940, three days before [[German occupation of France during World War II|Paris fell to the Nazis]], the Schneersons fled to [[Vichy]] and later to [[Nice]], where they stayed until their final escape from Europe in 1941.<ref>The Early Years Volume IV, JEM 2008 (ASIN: B001M1Z62I)</ref>

===New York===
[[File:Schneerson kiddushin.jpg|thumb|237x237px|Menachem Mendel Schneerson officiating at a wedding ceremony.]]
In 1941, Schneerson escaped from Europe via [[Lisbon]], Portugal.<ref>''Last Sea Route From Lisbon to U.S. Stops Ticket Sale to Refugees'', ''The New York Times'', March 15, 1941</ref> On the eve of his departure, Schneerson penned a treatise where he revealed his vision for the future of world Jewry and humanity.<ref>Eli Rubin, [http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2236391/jewish/Lisbon-1941-The-Messiah-the-Invalid-and-the-Fish.htm Lisbon, 1941: The Messiah the Invalid and the Fish] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140702194635/http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2236391/jewish/Lisbon-1941-The-Messiah-the-Invalid-and-the-Fish.htm |date=July 2, 2014 }}, Caption: An article that appeared in ''The Argus'' (Melbourne, Australia), Tuesday, May 6, 1941.</ref> He and his wife, Chaya Mushka, arrived in New York on June 23, 1941.<ref>Jewish Educational Media, [http://www.chabad.org/1558408 The Rebbe and Rebbetzin Arrive in America] ''The Early Years'', vol 4.</ref>

Shortly after his arrival, his father-in-law appointed him director and chairman of the three Chabad central organizations, [[Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch]], [[Machneh Israel (Chabad)|Machneh Israel]] and [[Kehot Publication Society]], placing him at the helm of the movement's Jewish educational, social services, and publishing networks. Over the next decade, Yosef Yitzchak referred many of the scholarly questions that had been inquired of him to his son-in-law. He became increasingly known as a personal representative of Yosef Yitzchak.<ref name=rapaport>Rapoport, Chaim. ''The Afterlife of Scholarship''. Page 144. {{ISBN|978-0-615-53897-6}}</ref>

During the 1940s, Schneerson became a naturalized US citizen, and seeking to contribute to the war effort, he volunteered at the [[Brooklyn Navy Yard]], using his electrical engineering background to draw wiring diagrams for the battleship [[USS Missouri (BB-63)|USS ''Missouri'' (BB-63)]],<ref name="army">Fishkoff, Sue. ''The Rebbe's Army'', Schoken, 2003 (08052 11381). Page 73.</ref><ref>Milton Fechtor, [http://www.chabad.org/141185 Wiring the Missouri] ''Jewish Educational Media''.</ref><ref>Yaakov Hardof, [http://www.chabad.org/724789 Rabbi Engineer] ''Jewish Educational Media''</ref> and other classified military work.<ref name=farfromempty/>

In 1942, Schneerson launched the [[Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch#Roving Rabbis|Merkos Shlichus]] program, where he would send pairs of yeshiva students to remote locations across the country during their summer vacations to teach Jews in isolated communities about their heritage and offer education to their children.{{citation needed|date=June 2019}}
[[File:הרב שמריהו גוראריה לצד חותנו הרייצ.jpg|left|thumb|262x262px|A dinner for the [[Tomchei Tmimim|Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva network]] in 1943, from right to left: Menachem Mendel Schneerson, his father-in-law [[Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn]], and his brother-in-law [[Shemaryahu Gurary]].]]
As chairman and editor-in-chief of [[Kehot Publication Society|Kehot]], Schneerson published the works of the earlier Rebbes of Chabad. He also published his own works, including the [[Hayom Yom]] in 1943 and Hagadda in 1946.<ref>Joseph Telushkin, ''[[Rebbe: The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History]]''. HarperCollins, 2014. Page 472.</ref>

On a visit to Paris in 1947, Schneerson established a school for girls and worked with local organizations to assist with housing for refugees and [[Displaced persons camps in post–World War II Europe|displaced persons]].<ref name="Rebbe 2014. Page 475"/> He often explained that his goal was to "make the world a better place" and to do what he could to eliminate all suffering.<ref>Schneerson, Rabbi Menachem Mendel, ''Sefer Hama'amorim Melukot Al Seder Chodshei Hashana Volume 2'' Kehot Publications, 2002. {{ISBN|978-1-56211-602-6}}. page 271.</ref> In a letter to Israeli President [[Yitzhak Ben-Zvi|Yitzchak Ben Tzvi]], Schneerson wrote that when he was a child the vision of the future redemption began to take form in his imagination "a redemption of such magnitude and grandeur through which the purpose of the suffering, the harsh decrees and annihilation of exile will be understood ..."<ref>Menachem M. Schneerson, ''Igrot Kodesh''. Kehot Publications, 1989. {{ISBN|0-8266-5812-1}}. Volume 12, page 404.</ref>

In 1991, a car in convoy with Schneerson's motorcade accidentally struck two [[Guyanese Americans|Guyanese American]] children while running a red light. One of the children was killed. The incident triggered the [[Crown Heights riot]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C06EFDF1E3AF930A25755C0A962958260&scp=4&sq=schneerson&st=nyt|work=The New York Times|title=Rabbi Schneerson Led A Small Hasidic Sect To World Prominence|first=Ari L.|last=Goldman|date=June 13, 1994|access-date=April 30, 2010|archive-date=January 11, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111075234/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/13/nyregion/rabbi-schneerson-led-a-small-hasidic-sect-to-world-prominence.html?scp=4&sq=schneerson&st=nyt|url-status=live}}</ref> <!-- these sentences added as a result of an Rfc over the question of where to mention the Crown Heights riot in the article. please do not move this content or turn it into a subsection without discussion on the Talk page -->

===Seventh Chabad Rebbe===
[[File:יב-1הרבי מחבד יחד עם הרב שפירא.jpg|thumb|244x244px|The [[Ashkenazi]] [[Chief Rabbi of Israel|Chief Rabbis of Israel]], [[Avraham Shapira|Avraham Elkana Kahana Shapira]] and [[Mordechai Eliyahu]] at the Lubavitcher rebbe on the 11th of Iyar 5749 (May 16, 1989)]]
After the death of Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn in 1950, [[Chabad]] followers began persuading Schneerson to succeed his father-in-law as Rebbe based on his scholarship, piety, and dynasty.<ref name=":0">Adin Steinsaltz, ''My Rebbe''. Maggid Books, 2014. Page 106.</ref><ref name="chabad">Shenker, Israel. ''The New York Times'', Monday, March 27, 1972, reprinted on [http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article_cdo/aid/1170653/jewish/Lubavitch-Rabbi-Marks-His-70th-Year-With-Call-for-Kindness.htm Chabad.org] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130207035910/http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article_cdo/aid/1170653/jewish/Lubavitch-Rabbi-Marks-His-70th-Year-With-Call-for-Kindness.htm |date=February 7, 2013 }}</ref> Schneerson was reluctant, and actively refused to accept leadership of the movement. He continued, however, all the communal activities he had previously headed. It would take a full year until the elders persuaded him of the movement to accept the post.<ref>Joseph Telushkin, ''[[Rebbe: The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History]]''. HarperCollins, 2014. Page 161</ref>

On the first anniversary of his father-in-law's passing, 10 [[Shevat]] 1951, in a ceremony attended by several hundred rabbis and Jewish leaders from all parts of the United States and Canada, Schneerson delivered a Hasidic discourse ''(Ma'amar)'', the equivalent to a President-elect taking the oath of office, and formally became the Rebbe.<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.chabad.org/library/article.asp?AID=108303 |title= Shevat 10: A Day of Two Rebbes |publisher= Chabad.org |access-date= May 12, 2010 |archive-date= February 11, 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070211092539/http://www.chabad.org/library/article.asp?AID=108303 |url-status= live }}</ref> On the night of his acceptance, members of the Israeli Cabinet and Israel's Chief Rabbi [[Yitzhak Herzog]] sent him congratulatory messages.<ref>JTA, [http://www.jta.org/1951/01/23/archive/new-lubavitcher-rebbe-installed-rabbis-and-orthodox-leaders-attend-ceremony "New Rebbe Installed"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140928080350/http://www.jta.org/1951/01/23/archive/new-lubavitcher-rebbe-installed-rabbis-and-orthodox-leaders-attend-ceremony |date=September 28, 2014 }}. January 23, 1951</ref>

Reiterating a longstanding core Chabad principle at his inaugural talk, he demanded that each individual exert themselves in advancing spiritually and ''not'' rely on the Rebbe to do it for them, saying:<ref>Toras Menachem, Hisva'aduyos vol.2 p.212-213</ref> "Now listen, Jews. Generally, in Chabad it has been demanded that each individual work on themselves, and not rely on the Rebbes. One must, ''on their own'', transform the folly of materialism and the passion of the 'animal soul' to holiness. I do not, God Forbid, recuse myself from assisting as much as possible, however; if one does not work on ''themselves'', what good will submitting notes, singing songs, and saying lechayim do?" At the same talk, Schneerson said, "one must go to a place where nothing is known of Godliness, nothing is known of Judaism, nothing is even known of the Hebrew alphabet, and while there to put oneself aside and ensure that the other calls out to God."<ref>Joseph Telushkin, ''[[Rebbe: The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History]]''. HarperCollins, 2014. Page 39.</ref> When he spoke to ''[[The Forward|Forward]]'' journalist Asher Penn that year, he said, "...we must stop insisting that Judaism is in danger, an assertion that does little but place Jewry on the defensive. We need to go on the offensive."<ref>Kranzler, Gershon, ''Jewish Life'', Sept.–Oct. 1951.</ref>
[[File:Ahron Daum Schneerson.jpg|left|thumb|246x246px|[[Ahron Daum|Aharon Daum]] (center) talks with the Rebbe (right) during the distribution of dollars for charity.]]
As Rebbe, Schneerson would receive visitors for private meetings, known as ''yechidus'', on Sunday and Thursday evenings. Those meetings would begin at 8 pm and often continue until 5 or 6 in the morning and were open to everyone.<ref name="chabad" /><ref name="Weiner, Herbert page 158">Weiner, Herbert. Nine and 1/2 Mystics, page 158</ref> Schneerson, who spoke several languages including English, Yiddish, Hebrew, Aramaic, French, Russian, German, and Italian, would converse with people on all issues and offer his advice on both spiritual and mundane matters.<ref name="worldof237">{{Cite book |title=The World of Hasidism |author=H. Rabinowicz |page=237 |year=1970 |isbn=978-0-85303-035-5 |publisher=Hartmore House}}</ref> Politicians and leaders from across the globe came to meet him, but Schneerson showed no preference for one person over another. His secretary once even declined to admit [[John F. Kennedy]] because Schneerson was already meeting 'ordinary' people who had requested appointments months previously.<ref name="observer.com" /> Those meetings were discontinued in 1982 when it became impossible to accommodate many people. Meetings were then held only for those who had a special occasion, such as a bride and groom for their wedding or a boy and his family on the occasion of a bar mitzvah.<ref name="worldof237" />

During his four decades as Rebbe, Schneerson would deliver regular addresses centered on the weekly Torah portion and on various tractates of the Talmud. These talks, delivered without text or notes, would last for several hours,<ref name="The Depth p.201">"Out of The Depth's", [[Israel Meir Lau]], p.201</ref><ref>{{Cite book | title=Despite All Odds: The Story of Lubavitch |author=Edward Hoffman |page=32 |date=May 1991 |isbn=0-671-67703-9 |publisher=Simon & Schuster}}</ref> and sometimes went for eight or nine hours without a break. During the talks, Schneerson demonstrated a unique approach in explaining seemingly different concepts by analysis of the fundamental principle common to the entire tractate,<ref>Jonathan Sacks, [http://www.chabad.org/110249 Introduction]. ''Torah Studies''. Kehot Publication Society, 1986.</ref><ref>"Hamodia" newspaper Vol.12944, June 13, 1994,</ref> and referenced both classic and esoteric sources from all periods, citing entire sections by heart.<ref name="The Depth p.201" />

===Outreach, spiritual campaigns===

====Women and girls====
In 1951, Schneerson established a Chabad women's and girl's organization and a youth organization in Israel. Their mission was to engage in outreach exclusively directed at women and teens. In 1953, he opened branches of these organizations in New York, London, and Toronto. Schneerson equally addressed his teachings to both genders in a marked departure from an entrenched tendency to limit high-level Torah education to men and boys.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Heilman |first1=Samuel |last2=Friedman |first2=Menachem |title=The Rebbe: The Life and Afterlife of Menachem Mendel Schneerson |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=2010 |page=176 |isbn=978-0-691-13888-6}}</ref> He addressed meetings of the organizations and led gatherings exclusively for women. Schneerson would describe the increase in Torah study by women as one of the "positive innovations of the later generations".<ref>Susan Handelman, [http://www.chabad.org/161694 The Rebbe's Views on Women Today]</ref>

====International outreach====
[[File:Electric_hanukkah_menora_van.jpg|right|thumb|215x215px|Local [[Chabad house]] drives around [[Paris France]] promote interest in [[Hanukkah]] services]]
That same year, Schneerson sent his first emissary to [[Morocco]] and established schools and a synagogue for the [[Moroccan Jews|Moroccan Jewish community]]. In 1958, Schneerson established schools and synagogues in [[Detroit, Michigan]], in [[Milan, Italy]], and in London. Beginning in the 1960s, Schneerson instituted a system of [[Chabad mitzvah campaigns|"mitzvah campaigns"]] to encourage the observance of ten basic Jewish practices, such as [[tefillin]] for men, [[Shabbat candles]] for women, and loving your fellow for all people.<ref name="commentarymagazine.com">{{Citation |author=Ruth R. Wisse |url=http://www.commentarymagazine.com/article/the-rebbe-twenty-years-after/ |title=The Rebbe, Twenty Years After |journal=Commentary Magazine |date=June 1, 2014 |access-date=October 15, 2014 |archive-date=October 19, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019205850/http://www.commentarymagazine.com/article/the-rebbe-twenty-years-after/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Schneersohn's campaign brought the concept of tefillin to Jewish men everywhere, and he has been referred to as "the great modern popularizer of tefillin". Until his campaign, tefillin was largely the domain of the meticulously observant.<ref>Liel Leibovitz, [http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-and-religion/196231/tefillin-the-love Tefillin The Love.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205091505/http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-and-religion/196231/tefillin-the-love |date=February 5, 2016 }} Tablet Magazine. December 30, 2015.</ref>

Following the death of his mother Chana Schneerson in 1964, Schneerson began to offer an additional weekly sermon in her memory. These sermons consisted of original insights and unprecedented analysis of Rashi's Torah commentary, delivered at regular public gatherings. Schneerson gave these sermons each week until 1992.<ref>Chaim Miller, [http://www.chabad.org/476620 Rashi's Method of Biblical Commentary].</ref>

==== Chanukah campaign ====
[[File:The Israeli pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai.jpg|left|thumb|216x216px|Public Menorah lighting in [[Dubai]]]]
In 1973, Schneerson started a [[Hanukkah|Chanukah]] campaign to encourage all Jews worldwide to light their own menorah. After all-tin menorahs were given out that year, a military manufacturer was commissioned to distribute tens of thousands of additional menorahs. In 1974, a public lighting of a Chanukah menorah was held by the [[Liberty Bell]] in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and in years following, menorah lightings on public grounds were conducted in cities worldwide. Legal challenges to the lighting on public grounds reached the [[Supreme Court of the United States]], and it was ruled that public lighting did not violate the [[Constitution of the United States|Constitution]]. Public lightings continue in thousands of cities today.<ref>Joseph Telushkin, Rebbe: The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History. HarperCollins, 2014. Page 498</ref>

====Lag BaOmer parade====
[[File:Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson3.jpg|thumb|The Rebbe waving to children at a [[Lag BaOmer]] parade|225x225px]]Chabad established an annual [[Lag BaOmer]] parade at '770', one of the largest celebrations of its kind, where thousands of Jews celebrate the holiday.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.chabadneworleans.com/templates/blog/post.asp?aid=1203266&PostID=54258&p=1 |title=The Little Drummer Boy |publisher=CHABAD-LUBAVITCH OF LOUISIANA |access-date=July 5, 2020 |quote=Over the years (mostly when Lag B’omer fell on a Sunday) big parades were staged on Eastern Parkway (a major Brooklyn thoroughfare on which Chabad HQ – 770 – is located). Thousands, sometimes tens of thousands of Jewish children and their parents, teachers etc. would rally and then march in honor of Lag B’omer. |archive-date=July 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706165054/https://www.chabadneworleans.com/templates/blog/post.asp?aid=1203266&PostID=54258&p=1 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehebrewacademy.org/news-events/itemlist/tag/Lag+Baomer.html|title=The Hebrew Academy - A Yeshiva Day School serving Toddler through Eighth Grade - Lag Baomer|website=thehebrewacademy.org|access-date=February 20, 2021|archive-date=May 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509005239/https://www.thehebrewacademy.org/news-events/itemlist/tag/Lag+Baomer.html|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=July 2020}}

====Iran youth immigration====
In 1979, during the [[Iranian Revolution]] and [[Iran hostage crisis|Iranian hostage crisis]], Schneerson directed arrangements to rescue Jewish youth and teenagers from Iran and bring them to safety in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.chabadnews.us/Old%20Aricles/AT%2000009.htm |title="Exodus" from Iran |publisher=Lubavitch Archives |access-date=November 13, 2013 |archive-date=July 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725050546/http://www.chabadnews.us/Old%20Aricles/AT%2000009.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The Iranian government's hostility towards the United States was seen by Schneerson as behavior that could threaten the country's status as an "untouchable" superpower, and that would cause it to try to appease Arab countries, thus "endanger[ing] the security of Israel".<ref>Shlomo Shamir, August 24, 2013 [http://www.chabad.org/2320574 "The Israeli Journalist, Iran and the Rebbes Vision"]</ref> As a result of Schneerson's efforts, several thousand Iranian children were flown from Iran to the safety of New York.<ref>Joseph Telushkin, ''[[Rebbe: The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History]]''. HarperCollins, 2014. Pages 289–290</ref>

====Noahidism and Jewish outreach====
[[File:Chabad5.jpg|left|thumb|Chabad followers wrapping [[Tefillin|Teffilin]] with Jewish strangers on the street]]
In 1983, Schneerson launched a global campaign to promote awareness of the Supreme Being and observance of the [[Noahide Laws]] among all people,<ref>[http://www.chabad.org/62221 Universal Morality - The Seven Noahide Laws], chabad.org, 2006.</ref> arguing that this was the basis for human rights for all civilization.<ref>[http://www.chabad.org/62180 1983: Mankind - Life & Times], chabad.org</ref> Several times each year his addresses were broadcast on national television. On these occasions, Schneerson would address the public on general communal affairs and issues relating to world peace, such as a [[moment of silence]] in U.S. public schools, increased government funding for solar energy research, U.S. foreign aid to developing countries, and nuclear disarmament.<ref>Shmuley Boteach, April 13, 2014. [http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/rebbe-to-the-non-jews/ Rebbe to the non-Jews] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910195801/http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/rebbe-to-the-non-jews/ |date=September 10, 2014 }}, ''The Times of Israel''.</ref>

In 1984, Schneerson initiated a campaign for the [[Daily Rambam Study|daily study]] of [[Maimonides]]'s [[Mishneh Torah]].<ref>Torat Menachem Hitvaduyot 5744 [http://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=16056&st=&pgnum=160 vol.3 pg. 1544] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429230720/http://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=16056&st=&pgnum=160 |date=April 29, 2014 }}</ref> Each year after the learning cycle there is Siyum celebration marking the end of the cycle and beginning of the new one. Many Jewish leaders have attended these events.<ref>Tekufat Limud HaRambam, Merkos L'Inyonei Chunuch, Brooklyn, 1987</ref>

====Sunday office hours for charity====
In 1986, Schneerson began a custom where, each Sunday, he would stand outside his office, greet people briefly, give them a dollar bill, and encourage them to donate to the charity of their choice.<ref name="Hoff47">Hoffman 1991, p. 47</ref> Explaining his reason for encouraging charitable giving among all people, Schneerson quoted his father-in-law, who said that "when two people meet, it should bring benefit to a third."<ref>Joseph Telushkin, ''[[Rebbe: The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History]]''. HarperCollins, 2014. Pages 506–507.</ref> People in line would often take this opportunity to ask Schneerson for advice or request a blessing. Thousands of people attended this event each week, which lasted up to six hours, and is often referred to as "Sunday Dollars".<ref>Eliezer Zalmanov, [http://www.chabad.org/1714766 What Does A Dollar from the Rebbe Represent]</ref>

Schneerson's wife, Chaya Mushka Schneerson, died in 1988.<ref name="Chaya Schneerson" /> During the week of [[Shiva (Judaism)|shiva]], Schneerson wrote a will in which he bequeathed his entire estate to [[Agudas Chasidei Chabad]], the Chabad umbrella organization.<ref>The Baltimore Sun, June 15, 1994 [https://www.baltimoresun.com/1994/06/15/rabbi-schneerson-names-no-successor-in-will/ "Rabbi Schneerson names no successor in will"] </ref>

During a talk in 1991, Schneerson spoke passionately about Moshiach (the [[Messiah]]) and told his followers that he had done all that he could bring world peace and redemption but that it was now up to them to continue this task: "I have done my part, from now on you do all that you can." A few months later, when a reporter from [[CNN]] came to meet him at Dollars, he said, "Moshiach is ready to come now; it is only on our part to do something additional in the realm of goodness and kindness."<ref>[http://www.chabad.org/132931 "CNN with the Rebbe."] (October 20, 1991) ''Eye to Eye: Acts of Goodness and Kindness''. Jewish Educational Media (JEM). Retrieved December 28, 2014 ([http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/MediaPlayer/play.asp?id=1245197 Media Player w/captions] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228114252/http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/MediaPlayer/play.asp?id=1245197 |date=December 28, 2014 }}) [[Gary Tuchman]] and his CNN crew were also given dollars.</ref>

====His message: become righteous====
On Sunday, March 1, 1992, Gabriel Erem, the editor of ''Lifestyles Magazine'', told Schneerson that on his ninetieth birthday, they would be publishing a special issue and wanted to know his message to the world. Schneerson replied that "'Ninety', in [[Hebrew Language|Hebrew]], is '[[tzaddik]]'; which means 'righteous.' And that is a direct indication for every person to become a real tzaddik—a righteous person, and to do so for many years, until 120. "This message", Schneerson added, "applies equally to Jews and non-Jews".<ref>Eli Rubin [http://www.chabad.org/2619824 "Everyone A Tzaddik: Miracles, Transmission and Ascent"]</ref>

===Work habits===
During his decades of leadership, Schneerson worked over 18 hours a day and never took a day of vacation.<ref>Shmully Hecht, 2014/06/29. [https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/29/opinion/sunday/remembering-rabbi-menachem-mendel-schneerson.html "Remembering Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125030222/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/29/opinion/sunday/remembering-rabbi-menachem-mendel-schneerson.html |date=November 25, 2020 }}. ''The New York Times''.</ref> He rarely left Brooklyn except for visits to his father-in-law's gravesite in [[Queens]], New York. Schneerson opposed retirement, seeing it as a waste of precious years.<ref>Shmuley Boteach, ''Judaism for Everyone''. Page 209. {{ISBN|0-465-00794-5}}</ref> In 1972, on the occasion of his 70th birthday, instead of announcing a retirement plan, Schneerson proposed the establishment of 71 new institutions to mark the beginning of the 71st year of his life.<ref>[http://www.chabad.org/372585/ 70 Years, 71 New Institutions], The Living Archive, March 26, 1972. Jewish Educational Media (JEM).</ref> The only other time he left Brooklyn was when he visited [[Camp Gan Israel]] [[Parksville, New York]] in 1956, 1957 and 1960.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=August 2019 |title=Third Visit to Gan Yisroel |url=https://derher.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Derher-Tammuz-5779.pdf |url-status=live |journal=A Chassidishe Derher |issue=83 |pages=6–10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230618021956/https://derher.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Derher-Tammuz-5779.pdf |archive-date=June 18, 2023}}</ref>

=== Illness and death ===

In 1977, during the ''[[hakafot]]'' ceremony on [[Shemini Atzeret]], Schneerson suffered a [[heart attack]]. At his request, rather than transporting him to a hospital, the doctors set up a mini-hospital at his office where he was treated for the next four weeks by doctors [[Bernard Lown]], Ira Weiss, and Larry Resnick.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/livingtorah/default.asp?searchword=weiss&LocalSearchImg.x=0&LocalSearchImg.y=0 |title=Living Torah Archive - Living Torah |publisher=Chabad.org |access-date=September 9, 2012 |archive-date=October 13, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013065528/http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/livingtorah/default.asp?searchword=weiss&LocalSearchImg.x=0&LocalSearchImg.y=0 |url-status=live }}</ref>
He made a full recovery from the heart attack with few, if any, noticeable lasting effects or changes to his work habits. 
Fifteen years later, Schneerson suffered a serious [[stroke]] while praying at the [[Ohel (Chabad-Lubavitch)|grave of his father-in-law]]. The stroke left him unable to speak and paralyzed on the right side of his body. The hope that Schneerson could be revealed as the Messiah (Moshiach) became more widespread during this time.<ref name="wp06201999">''[[The Washington Post]]'', June 20, 1999. 5 Years After Death, Messiah Question Divides Lubavitchers. Leyden, Liz.</ref><ref name="Gonzalez">{{Cite web |last=Gonzalez |first=David |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01E0D6133EF93BA35752C1A962958260 |title=Lubavitchers Learn to Sustain Themselves Without the Rebbe |work=The New York Times |date=November 8, 1994 |access-date=May 12, 2010 |archive-date=January 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111075740/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/11/08/nyregion/lubavitchers-learn-to-sustain-themselves-without-the-rebbe.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
 
On the morning of June 12, 1994 ([[3 Tammuz]] 5754), Schneerson died at the [[Beth Israel Medical Center]] and was buried at the [[Ohel (Chabad-Lubavitch)|Ohel]] next to his father-in-law, Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, at [[Montefiore Cemetery]] in Queens, New York.<ref>The Encyclopedia of Hasidism, by Tzvi Rabinowicz p. 432 {{ISBN|1-56821-123-6}}.</ref><ref name="NYT19940613A1">{{cite news |last1=Firestone |first1=David |title=Thousands Gather in Crown Hts. To Grieve for Their Grand Rabbi |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/13/nyregion/thousands-gather-in-crown-hts-to-grieve-for-their-grand-rabbi.html |access-date=November 14, 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=June 13, 1994}}</ref> Shortly after Schneerson's death, the executors of his will discovered several notebooks in a drawer in his office, in which Schneerson had written his scholarly thoughts and religious musings from his earliest years.<ref name="Gonzalez" /> The majority of entries in these journals date between the years 1928 and 1950 and were subsequently published.<ref>[http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article_cdo/aid/1210901/jewish/The-Rebbes-Notebook.htm The Rebbe's Notebook - The Reshimot] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924045031/http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article_cdo/aid/1210901/jewish/The-Rebbes-Notebook.htm |date=September 24, 2014 }}, chabad.org</ref>
[[File:פתקים בתוך אוהל הרבי מליובאוויטש.jpg|thumb|The Rebbe's Tomb: Schneerson's [[Ohel (Chabad-Lubavitch)|burial place]] next to his [[Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn|father-in-law]] and predecessor in [[Queens]], New York]]
Following age-old Jewish tradition that the resting place of a [[tzadik]] is holy, Schneerson's gravesite is viewed by many as a sacred site. It has been described by ''[[Yedioth Ahronoth]]'' as "the American Western Wall", where thousands of Jews<ref name="observer.com" /> go to pray each week.<ref name="tabletmag.com" /><ref>{{Cite book |author=David M. Gitlitz & Linda Kay Davidson |title=Pilgrimage and the Jews |publisher=Praeger |year=2005 |pages=118–120 |isbn=978-0-275-98763-3}}</ref><ref name="Sarah Maslin Nir 2013" /> Many more send faxes and e-mails with requests for prayers to be read at the gravesite.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ohelchabad.org/templates/articlecco_cdo/aid/78446/jewish/Sending-a-letter.htm |title=How to Send a letter - Ohel Chabad-Lubavitch |publisher=Ohelchabad.org |access-date=September 9, 2012 |archive-date=August 14, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100814142240/http://www.ohelchabad.org/templates/articlecco_cdo/aid/78446/jewish/Sending-a-letter.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

U.S. President [[Donald Trump]] visited the Ohel of the Rebbe in 2024.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx4pexT6pks “Trump visits grave of Chabad Lubavitch rebbe to mark anniversary of October 7 attack on Israel” (New York Post Official Channel - YouTube)]</ref>

==== Wills ====
Schneerson died without naming a successor as leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch dynasty, causing controversy within Chabad about Schneerson's will. He did, however, write one legal will, which was signed before witnesses, whereby he transferred stewardship of all the major Chabad institutions as well as all his possessions to Agudas Chassidei Chabad.<ref name="willis">''The Messiah of Brooklyn: Understanding Lubavitch Hasidim Past and Present'', M. Avrum Ehrlich, Chapter 20, KTAV Publishing, {{ISBN|0-88125-836-9}}</ref>

Another will, no executed copies of which are known to be in existence, named three senior Chabad rabbis as directors of Agudas Chassidei Chabad.<ref name="willis" />

==== Messianism ====
{{Main|Chabad messianism}}

Schneerson had a passion and desire to raise awareness of the coming of the Messiah. Many of his admirers hoped he would be revealed as the Messiah during his life.<ref name="Susan" /><ref name="commentarymagazine.com" /> They pointed to traditional Jewish theology, which teaches that in every generation, there is one person who is worthy of being the Messiah, and if God deems the time right, he will be revealed by God as such.<ref>J. Immanuel Schochet, [http://www.chabad.org/101679 The Personality of Mashiach]. 1991.</ref><ref name="JTMessiah">Joseph Telushkin, ''[[Rebbe: The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History]]''. HarperCollins, 2014. Page 431</ref><ref>Aharon Lichtenstein, [https://www.scribd.com/doc/111005773/Rav-Aharon-Lichtenstein-s-Hesped-for-the-Lubavitcher-Rebbe-English Eulogy for the Rebbe] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307065113/https://www.scribd.com/doc/111005773/Rav-Aharon-Lichtenstein-s-Hesped-for-the-Lubavitcher-Rebbe-English |date=March 7, 2016 }}. June 16, 1994.</ref>
Schneerson's supporters have claimed that many Jews felt that if there was indeed a person worthy of such stature, it was Schneerson.<ref name="Susan" /><ref>The Rebbe's Army. Page 320.</ref> Although Schneerson constantly objected to any talk that he could be the Messiah, this notion sparked controversy, particularly among those unfamiliar with these traditional teachings.<ref name="Susan" /><ref name="Wall Street Journal" /><ref name="Adin Steinsaltz page 24" /> Detractors criticized a children's song with the words "We want ''moshiach'' (the messiah) now / We don't want to wait", that Schneerson commended.<ref name="JTMessiah" /> Since Schneerson's passing, the Messianic movement has largely shrunk, although some followers still believe him to be the Messiah.<ref name="JTMessiah" /> The Chabad umbrella organization, [[Agudas Chasidei Chabad]], has condemned Messianic behavior, stating that it defies the expressed wishes of Schneerson.<ref>{{cite news |title=Statement by Agudas Chassidei Chabad-Lubavitch |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1996/02/09/issue.html |access-date=March 16, 2025 |work=The New York Times |volume=CXLV |issue=50332 |location=New York |date=February 9, 1996 |language=English}}</ref>