In Defense of Chassidus: The Written Depositions

In 5659 (1798), the Imperial Czarist government detained the Alter Rebbe — Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi — on charges of a treason libel intended to stop the rapid spread of the Chassidic movement. A royal commission investigated the matter and found the accusation to be baseless, leading to the release of the Rebbe — an event cerebrated worldwide to this very day. After the fall of the Iron curtain, the archives of the Czarist Attorney General containing all the inter-governmental correspondence involving the case became available. Within it was found what is arguably the most important document of the entire file: the original deposition of the Alter Rebbe in which he answered in writing most of the twenty-two points of contention on which he was interrogated. Principles Press brings a first-time free translation into English of this fascinating historical document which is sure to draw you in to the Jewish world Chassidus set out to correct and enliven.