Time in the Teachings of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi

3.
 
Overview of the dissertation. 
The thesis is divided into five chapters. The first sets out the conceptual framework 
for analysing Rashaz’s idea of time. In it I explore the various contexts in which time 
features in Rashaz’s works, focusing first on the relation between God and time, and 
the place of time in the process of creation. I discuss the location of time within the 
sefirotic 
structure, and the discourse on divine names, contextualising Rashaz’s 
treatment of time within the worldview which he inherited from earlier strands of the 
Jewish mystical tradition. In what follows I demonstrate how Rashaz’s attempts to 
conceptualise time intertwine with his kabbalistic mind-set, this resulting in the 
notion of continuous cycles of creation and annihilation by way of 
ratso va-shov
– 
the perpetual rhythm of
 
descent and ascent by which the life-giving energy of the 
divine illuminates the creation and sustains it in existence. 
The second chapter discusses the historiosophical underpinnings of Rashaz’s 
teachings. I present his idea that cosmic history is the product of the dynamic tension 
between creation, identified with exile, and the redemption, perceived as the 
telos
of 
the creation. This leads to a detailed analysis of Rashaz’s interpretation of Israel’s 
historical exiles, which he transforms into spiritual states of enslavement as a 
punishment for sin, impurity and Gentile wisdom, all amounting to detachment from 
God. The main focus is placed on the Egyptian exile, which – echoing a common 
wordplay in Rashaz’s teachings, whereby the Hebrew name for Egypt, 
Mitsrayim
, is 

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read as 
metsarim
in the sense of constraints – is taken to represent the limitations of 
materiality and corporeality. I discuss the exile in Egypt as the paradigm of both, the 
enslavements experienced by the Jewish people throughout history, and the personal 
enslavement of each and every individual within the material world. As I argue, the 
hard labour performed by the Israelites during their enslavement in Egypt becomes 
an allegory for worship in the state of ontological exile, namely during life in the 
material world. This is followed by discussion of Rashaz’s presentation of the 
biblical exodus as the paradigm of redemption. I analyse his concept of worship 
within the material world by means of prayer, Torah study and the performance of 
the commandments as the only means of attaining the redemption by way of building 
God’s “dwelling place in the lower worlds” [
dirah ba-tahtonim
].
While the second chapter discusses cosmic history as the process that 
ultimately leads to the redemption, the third chapter focuses on Rashaz’s 
eschatology. In this chapter I highlight the distinction Rashaz makes between the 
messianic days and the time of the resurrection of the dead, exploring the place and 
role of the Gentile nations in the world-to-come in view of Rashaz’s conviction that 
the end of days will bring about the ultimate eradication of evil and impurity, which 
are clearly associated with the Gentile nations throughout his writings. I also explore 
the role of the Messiah in Rashaz’s teachings, especially against the background of 
the scope he allows for individual redemption within the unredeemed world, which 
takes place irrespectively of time and place, and is achievable by means of the daily 
ritual. I conclude the chapter with an examination of the future-to-come as the end of 
history, namely, as the era in which the dynamics of 
ratso va-shov
– the continuous 
creation and annihilation of worlds by the descent and ascent of the life-giving 
divine energy – will be replaced by a state of permanent 
shov
, the overflowing 
abundance of godliness. I present the two paradigms of this everlasting future that 
are discernable in Rashaz’s teachings: the future-to-come as the everlasting Sabbath, 
and as the eighth day that is “entirely long and good”, which is connected to the 
ritual of circumcision, and the abundance of God’s blessings related to this 
commandment. 
In the fourth chapter I discuss the temporal experience in everyday life of 
Shneur Zalman’s followers. I concentrate on the rituals of prayer and Torah study (in 
particular on the praxis of studying Torah at set times) as a means of transcending 

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temporal limitations. Two aspects of these rituals are of particular interest. Firstly, 
both rituals are time-bound: the times of prayer are determined by Jewish law, and 
the times for Torah study are set by the student. Secondly, the significance of the 
ritual of setting times for Torah study in the doctrine of Rashaz tells us much about 
his target audience and his idea of Hasidism in general. I unpack the various ways in 
which he reinterpreted this seemingly minor halakhic precept in order to empower 
and enrich the religious experience of middle-class businessmen, who were hardly as 
spiritually and intellectually accomplished as the elite core of the Habad movement. 
This chapter bridges the gap between Rashaz’s concepts of time and history on the 
one hand, and the everyday experience of his followers on the other hand. It shows 
how the emphasis he placed on the power of time-bound rituals to enhance the 
spiritual experience of each and every one of his Hasidim helped turn Habad into a 
broad-based movement without ever compromising its intellectual and spiritual 
ideals. 
The last chapter deals with the nexus of time and gender. It investigates some 
hagiographical traditions about Rashaz’s unique attitude toward women, in an 
attempt to show that there is hardly any convincing evidence to show that he shared 
the more inclusive attitude to women of the last two Lubavitcher Rebbes. I take as 
my starting point the fact that Rashaz locates the source of time within the 
sefirotic 
tree in the feminine constellation of 
Nukba. 
I then discuss the functionality of 
gender categories in Rashaz’s thought inasmuch as these categories relate to the 
opposition of giver - recipient in the 
sefirotic 
structure. I analyse the 
ma’amarim
in 
which gender imagery is employed to depict the present time of exile and the 
envisioned future time of redemption, including those that feature the elevation of 
the feminine aspect of the divine in the future-to-come. In relation to these, I attempt 
to determine whether there is any correlation between the elevation of the cosmic 
female and the status of flesh-and-blood women on earth. The correlation Rashaz 
establishes between women and time thus helps determine his attitude to feminine 
spirituality, for which I look closely at his attitude to the exemption of women from 
the time-bound commandments, and to the commandments generally considered 
feminine, such as the lighting of the Sabbath candles. 

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