Editing Menachem Mendel Schneerson (section)

===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" />