On the 18th of the Hebrew month of Elul (September 18), Hassidic Jews around the world celebrate the birthdays of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov and Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi.
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The Baal Shem Tov, founder of the religious Hassidic movement, was born in 1698 in Poland, and Rabbi Schneur Zalman was born in Belarus in 1745. Rabbi Schneur Zalman (AKA “The Alter Rebbe” Yiddish for "The Old Rebbe") established the Hassidic sect Chabad.
In this segment of the weekly cultural TV magazine Israeli Salad, Rabbi Zev Slavin, chief Executive of the Light and Joy Institute in Kfar Chabad, explains that the name of his Hassidic movement, Chabad, is an acronym for three Hebrew words: Chochmoh, Binah, and Daat [wisdom, understanding, and knowledge]. Chabad emphasizes the importance of studying and understanding the esoteric parts of Torah – the Kaballah - which include concepts such as G-d, the purpose of Torah, and the uniqueness of the Jewish soul.