Tomchei Temimim
Encyclopedia
Tomchei Temimim is the central Yeshiva
(Talmud
ical academy) of the Chabad
-Lubavitch Hasidic
movement. Founded in 1897 in the town of Lubavitch by Rabbi Sholom Dovber Schneersohn
, it is now a worldwide network of institutions of advanced Torah study
.
was declining. Various new movements eroded the traditional fabric of Jewish life, notably the Haskalah
and Zionism
. Many students were being lured away from a traditional yeshiva education to gymnasiums
and universities. Even within the yeshiva framework, times had changed; no longer was the atmosphere one of exclusive devotion to Judaism, according to which Torah study
has traditionally been not simply an acquisition of another science, but an end in itself. The winds of Enlightenment were blowing; students were reading books considered heretical by the yeshivot, and were for the first time exposed to ideas at odds with Orthodox Judaism. It was not uncommon for students to flagrantly violate basic Jewish laws
, and ultimately join these secular movements.
Against this backdrop, Rabbi Sholom DovBer believed it necessary to found a new type of yeshiva, one which would regularly study Hasidic philosophy
(Chassidus) according to the Chabad tradition, and thereby inoculate its students against the heretical views spreading through the Orthodox Jewish world . Moreover, he expressed his confidence that the students of this yeshiva (whom he termed "temimim" תמימים; sing. "tamim" תמים = pure, perfect) would be suitably prepared to overcome the problems plaguing the yeshiva community and Jewry in general.
; within a short time, virtually any kind of formal Jewish education was outlawed by the new Communist
rulers. The yeshiva took to operating underground, with teachers facing harsh penalties if caught: sentences of ten or more years of hard labor in Siberia
, or a merciful death at the hands of a firing squad. Tens of young rabbis paid the ultimate price for continuing the survival of Judaism in the Soviet Union
, at any cost.
When Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn (the Rebbe Rayatz) exited the Soviet Union in 1927, the yeshiva reestablished itself in Warsaw
and later in Otwock
, Poland
. When in the course of World War II
the Rebbe was safely evacuated to New York. The yeshiva first escaped to Shanghai
, along with some other yeshivot like Mir
, and then was reestablished in America, where it remains to this day.
, with approximately six hundred students. Branches of the yeshiva, formally independent but recognized to be part of one global network, are to be found in major cities in the United States
, Canada
, Europe
, South America
, South Africa
, Australia
, and the former Soviet Union
, and a distinct network of yeshivot in Israel
. Many of the branches also perform the functions necessary to grant ordination
to their students. A significant number of graduates of Tomchei Temimim continue working within Chabad as religious functionaries, whether as shluchim
in Chabad House
s or as teachers in schools.
asserted that the impact of studying in Tomchei Temimim is everlasting:
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
(Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
ical academy) of the Chabad
Chabad
Chabad or Chabad-Lubavitch is a major branch of Hasidic Judaism.Chabad may also refer to:*Chabad-Strashelye, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism*Chabad-Kapust or Kapust, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism...
-Lubavitch Hasidic
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
movement. Founded in 1897 in the town of Lubavitch by Rabbi Sholom Dovber Schneersohn
Sholom Dovber Schneersohn
Sholom Dovber Schneersohn was an Orthodox rabbi and the fifth Rebbe of the Chabad Lubavitch chasidic movement. He is also known as "the Rebbe nishmosei eiden" and as "the Rebbe Rashab" .His teachings represent the emergence of an emphasis on outreach that later Chabad Rebbes would develop...
, it is now a worldwide network of institutions of advanced Torah study
Torah study
Torah study is the study by Jewish people of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature and similar works, all of which are Judaism's religious texts...
.
History
Towards the late 1800s, the position of traditional Orthodox JudaismOrthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
was declining. Various new movements eroded the traditional fabric of Jewish life, notably the Haskalah
Haskalah
Haskalah , the Jewish Enlightenment, was a movement among European Jews in the 18th–19th centuries that advocated adopting enlightenment values, pressing for better integration into European society, and increasing education in secular studies, Hebrew language, and Jewish history...
and Zionism
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
. Many students were being lured away from a traditional yeshiva education to gymnasiums
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
and universities. Even within the yeshiva framework, times had changed; no longer was the atmosphere one of exclusive devotion to Judaism, according to which Torah study
Torah study
Torah study is the study by Jewish people of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature and similar works, all of which are Judaism's religious texts...
has traditionally been not simply an acquisition of another science, but an end in itself. The winds of Enlightenment were blowing; students were reading books considered heretical by the yeshivot, and were for the first time exposed to ideas at odds with Orthodox Judaism. It was not uncommon for students to flagrantly violate basic Jewish laws
Halakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
, and ultimately join these secular movements.
Against this backdrop, Rabbi Sholom DovBer believed it necessary to found a new type of yeshiva, one which would regularly study Hasidic philosophy
Hasidic philosophy
Hasidic philosophy or Hasidus , alternatively transliterated as Hassidism, Chassidism, Chassidut etc. is the teachings, interpretations of Judaism, and mysticism articulated by the modern Hasidic movement...
(Chassidus) according to the Chabad tradition, and thereby inoculate its students against the heretical views spreading through the Orthodox Jewish world . Moreover, he expressed his confidence that the students of this yeshiva (whom he termed "temimim" תמימים; sing. "tamim" תמים = pure, perfect) would be suitably prepared to overcome the problems plaguing the yeshiva community and Jewry in general.
Chaotic times
In 1917, the Bolshevik Revolution took place in RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
; within a short time, virtually any kind of formal Jewish education was outlawed by the new Communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
rulers. The yeshiva took to operating underground, with teachers facing harsh penalties if caught: sentences of ten or more years of hard labor in Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
, or a merciful death at the hands of a firing squad. Tens of young rabbis paid the ultimate price for continuing the survival of Judaism in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, at any cost.
When Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn (the Rebbe Rayatz) exited the Soviet Union in 1927, the yeshiva reestablished itself in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
and later in Otwock
Otwock
Otwock is a town in central Poland, some southeast of Warsaw, with 42,765 inhabitants . It is situated on the right bank of Vistula River below the mouth of Swider River. Otwock is home to a unique architectural style called Swidermajer....
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. When in the course of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the Rebbe was safely evacuated to New York. The yeshiva first escaped to Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, along with some other yeshivot like Mir
Mir yeshiva
Mir Yeshiva or Mirrer Yeshiva may refer to:* Mir yeshiva * Mir yeshiva * Mir yeshiva...
, and then was reestablished in America, where it remains to this day.
Today
The central Yeshiva is housed today in Lubavitch World Headquarters, at 770 Eastern Parkway770 Eastern Parkway
770 Eastern Parkway is the street address of the central headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement, located on Eastern Parkway in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York, in the United States of America...
, with approximately six hundred students. Branches of the yeshiva, formally independent but recognized to be part of one global network, are to be found in major cities in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, and a distinct network of yeshivot in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Many of the branches also perform the functions necessary to grant ordination
Semicha
, also , or is derived from a Hebrew word which means to "rely on" or "to be authorized". It generally refers to the ordination of a rabbi within Judaism. In this sense it is the "transmission" of rabbinic authority to give advice or judgment in Jewish law...
to their students. A significant number of graduates of Tomchei Temimim continue working within Chabad as religious functionaries, whether as shluchim
Shaliach
A shaliaḥ in Halakha is a Jewish legal emissary or agent. Accordingly, a shaliaḥ performs an act of legal significance for the benefit of the sender, as opposed to him or herself...
in Chabad House
Chabad house
A Chabad house is a centre for disseminating Orthodox Judaism by the Chabad movement. Chabad Houses are run by the local Shaliach , who was sent to that place by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who founded all Chabad Houses...
s or as teachers in schools.
About the yeshiva
Rabbi Menachem Mendel SchneersonMenachem Mendel Schneerson
Menachem Mendel Schneerson , known as the Lubavitcher Rebbe or just the Rebbe among his followers, was a prominent Hasidic rabbi who was the seventh and last Rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. He was fifth in a direct paternal line to the third Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe, Menachem Mendel...
asserted that the impact of studying in Tomchei Temimim is everlasting:
Typical schedule
The following is a typical daily schedule for Chabad Yeshiva students:- 7:30 a.m. - Chasidus - Hasidic philosophy (in some locales such as Israel and Australia first classes start at 7:00 a.m.)
- 9:00 a.m. - preparation for prayers, including Mikveh immersion (for those who didn't do so before 7:30 a.m.)
- 9:15 a.m. - Shacharis - Morning prayers
- 10:15 a.m. - Breakfast
- 11:00 a.m. - Iyun - Morning in depth Talmud study
- 1:00 p.m. - shiur (lecture) - more advanced students receive lectures less often
- 2:00 p.m. - MinchaMinchaMincha, מנחה is the afternoon prayer service in Judaism.-Etymology:The name "Mincha" is derived from the meal offering that accompanied each sacrifice.-Origin:...
- afternoon prayers - 2:15 p.m. - Lunch and break period
- 3:30 p.m. - Afternoon TalmudTalmudThe Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
, including review of morning study and less in-depth Talmudic study known as girsa - 6:00 p.m. - Halacha study
- 7:00 p.m. - Dinner and break period
- 8:00 p.m. - Night Seder: Hasidic philosophy - Chasidus
- 9:30 p.m. - Ma'arivJewish servicesJewish prayer are the prayer recitations that form part of the observance of Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book....
- Evening prayers - 9:45 p.m. - Seder Sichos - unofficial study of Rabbi M. M. Schneerson's public addresses
In North America
- Central Branch: Crown HeightsCrown Heights, BrooklynCrown Heights is a neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The main thoroughfare through this neighborhood is Eastern Parkway, a tree-lined boulevard designed by Frederick Law Olmsted extending two miles east-west.Originally, the area was known as Crow Hill....
(BrooklynBrooklynBrooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York) - Oholei TorahOholei TorahOholei Torah is the common name of the Lubavitch schools Educational Institute Oholei Menachem and Talmudical Seminary Oholei Torah...
, Brooklyn, New York - Hadar HatorahHadar HatorahYeshiva Hadar Hatorah is a Chabad men's yeshiva in Brooklyn, New York. It is the world's first yeshiva for baali teshuva.-History:The yeshiva was founded in 1962 by Rabbi Yisroel Jacobson, a Chabad activist, to accommodate baalei teshuva interested in full-time study in a traditional yeshiva...
, Brooklyn, New York - Cincinnati, Ohio.
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Montreal, Quebec, CanadaRabbinical College of CanadaRabbinical College of Canada , is a Chabad rabbinical institution of higher education. It is located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada....
- Morristown, NJRabbinical College of AmericaThe Rabbinical College of America is one of the largest Chabad Lubavitch Chasidic Yeshivas in the world. The Yeshiva is located in Morristown, New Jersey and has trained thousands of Rabbinic students. The Yeshiva is supported by Jewish philanthropists such as David T. Chase, and Ronald Lauder of...
- Miami Beach, Florida (Yeshiva Gedolah Rabbinical College - Lubavitch)
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Los Angeles, California
- Detroit, Michigan. Yeshivas Menachem Mendel Lubavitch
- Monsey, NY
- New Haven, CT
- Pittsburgh, PA
In Israel
- Lod
- Safed
- Kfar Chabad
- Kiryat Gat
- Jerusalem
- Kiryat Malachi
In other locations
- Yeshiva Gedolah in Melbourne, AustraliaYeshivah Gedolah ZalYeshivah Gedolah "Zal" , Yeshivah Gedolah, The Rabbinical College of Australia and New Zealand, or colloquially, Y.G., is a government accredited yeshiva, an academy for young Orthodox Jews to devote themselves to full-time rabbinical studies. It is located in St Kilda East, Victoria, Melbourne,...
- Yeshiva Gedolah in Sydney, Australia
- BrunoyBrunoyBrunoy is a commune in the south-eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.Inhabitants of Brunoy are known as Brunoyens....
, France (suburb of Paris) - London (Hampstead Garden Suburb), England
- Manchester, England
- Moscow, Russia
- Johannesburg, South AfricaLubavitch Yeshiva Gedolah of JohannesburgThe Lubavitch Yeshiva Gedolah of Johannesburg is a Chabad Yeshiva based in Orchards, Johannesburg. It is headed by Rabbi Noam Wagner, with Rabbi Y...
- Pretoria, South AfricaRabbinical College of PretoriaThe Rabbinical College of Pretoria is a Chabad Yeshiva in Pretoria, South Africa. It was established in 2001 under the inspiration of late Chief Rabbi Cyril Harris...
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Sao Paulo, Brazil