In the second lesson on the chain of lineage that appears in the introduction to "Hayom Yom", we will study the first two lines.
"The Nesi'im of Chabad and the Princes of Beis Rebbi" In the first line it states that the chain of lineage includes the nesi'im of Chabad and the princes of Beis Rebbi. The title "Nasi" is the appellation of each one of our Rebbeim, in line with Rashi's words in Parshas Shoftim: "The Nasi is everything", and "nesi'ei Chabad" is in the plural. And to whom does "the princes of Beis Rebbi" refer? There is a place where the Rebbe writes that the brothers and sons of our Rebbeim are referred to in the writings of the Rebbe Rayatz by the title "nesichei Beis Rebbi", and that is their designation.
We begin with the Alter Rebbe, and we will look at the first line, which describes his name: "Hod Kvod Kedushas Admur Marana ve'Rabbana Shneur Zalman". The word "Hod" comes in the sense of splendor and glory, as in the phrase "hod ve'hadar", and this is the opening title used for each one of our Rebbeim.
What is the meaning of the name Shneur Zalman? And after whom was he named? As we already saw in the previous lesson, his grandfather, who was a descendant of the Maharal of Prague, was named Shneur Zalman, and the Alter Rebbe was named after him.
In the sefer "Yam Shel Shlomo" on Maseches Gittin, the Maharshal relates that this name was given by one of the Rishonim whose name was Rabbi Menachem Tzion. A son was born to him, mazal tov, and both of his grandfathers had already passed away - one named Meir and the other named Uri - and he was in a quandary as to after whom to name his son. The compromise was to call him "Shneur", two lights, which would include both grandfather Meir and grandfather Uri. And in the sefer "Shem HaGedolim" of the Chida it is brought that the name Shneur appears even earlier, by one of the Baalei HaTosafos.
It is further related that when the Alter Rebbe was a child of about three, his father, Rabbi Baruch, brought him to the Baal Shem Tov for the upsherenish. Afterward the Baal Shem Tov said to the students who were sitting together: "A great neshamah has descended into our world, and its name is Shneur" - two lights. And he elaborated: he will illuminate in the Torah of nigleh, and he will illuminate in the Torah of nistar.
Rabbi Nachum of Chernobyl also referred to the Alter Rebbe's name, and said that the name Shneur alludes to two aspects of light. And he specified what they are: "Or yashar and or chozer, Torah shebichsav and Torah shebe'al peh, galya and sasim". And from here comes the Alter Rebbe's widespread appellation - "Baal HaTanya ve'HaShulchan Aruch"; for the Tanya and the Shulchan Aruch include both nigleh and pnimiyus haTorah.
In the writings of the Tzemach Tzedek he writes about the Alter Rebbe: "Shneur - two lights", corresponding to the gematria of "ve'ahavta", which is twice "or". And from that writing it is understood that he means Torah and tefillah, which are the two lights. It emerges that there are many meanings to the two types of lights included in the name Shneur.
And interestingly, there are those who maintain that the name Shneur is entirely a title of honor, coming from the term "senior" - a title of honor that became "Shneur".
The name "Zalman": the Rebbe writes that the name Zalman has the same letters as "lizman" (to time), for one of the components of the world is time. And the meaning of the allusion in the name "Shneur Zalman" is that one must draw down the loftiest lights into the world - "shnei or" must descend into "zman". This is the allusion in the word Shneur that joins with "Zalman".
And in continuation of what we said, that some say Shneur is from the word "senior", an expression of honor - it is very interesting that the same thing is alluded to in the name Zalman as well. Some say that Shlomo in Greek is "Salman", and Salman is Zalman; in other words: King Shlomo. It emerges that "Senior Salman" is "HaMelech Shlomo", and this is the allusion in the name of the Alter Rebbe, Shneur Zalman.
This much regarding the name of the Alter Rebbe. And afterward we will examine, with Hashem's help, each and every detail of the order of the days of his life, as the Rebbe details further on.