A COMMUNITY ROOTED IN PRAYER

Day 4: A Culture of Radical Hospitality

“I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:24-26)

Who Are the Chabad-Lubavitch?
Chabad-Lubavitch is one of the most far-reaching and most recognizable Hasidic Jewish movements in the world. The name “Chabad” is a Hebrew acronym for Chochmah, Binah, and Da’at— meaning wisdom, understanding, and knowledge—which reflects the movement’s emphasis on intellectual engagement with Jewish mysticism and Torah study. “Lubavitch” refers to the small town in what is now Belarus where the movement was historically centered. 

Unlike the more insular Haredi world, Chabad is remarkably outward-facing, operating an estimated 5,000 or more institutions across 100 countries, from major world capitals to remote corners of the globe. They are perhaps best known for their Mitzvah (good deed) Mobiles and their warmth toward all Jewish people, regardless of observance level. Chabad-Lubavitch also reaches out to non-Jews, encouraging them to follow the Noahide Laws; a universal moral code for living an ethical, peaceful life. Instead of trying to convert people, Chabad invites non-Jews to find purpose in their own traditions by recognizing one Creator and upholding basic human values. The goal is simply to work together to build a more just, compassionate, and harmonious world.

A Brief History
Chabad roots can be traced back to 18th-century Eastern Europe and the broader Hasidic revival sparked by Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, who emphasized joyful worship, personal devotion, and the nearness of God to every person. The distinct Chabad branch was founded by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-1812), known as the Alter Rebbe, who gave the movement its unique intellectual character. He authored the foundational Chabad text, the Tanya, which remains central to Chabad theology and devotional life to this day.

The movement passed through a succession of seven Rebbes, each shaping and expanding its reach. The sixth Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, led the community through the horrors of Soviet persecution and eventually relocated the movement’s headquarters to Brooklyn, New York, in 1940. His successor and son-in-law, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994), known simply as “the Rebbe,” transformed Chabad into the global powerhouse it is today. Under his leadership, Chabad’s outreach mission became its defining characteristic, sending young couples as messengers or emissaries (shluchim) to Jewish communities around the world. The Rebbe’s passing in 1994 left a profound theological tension within the movement, as many followers had come to believe he was the long-awaited Messiah. That belief still persists quietly, and sometimes not so quietly, among segments of the community.

Daily Life
Life in a Chabad community is rooted in prayer, study, and purposeful outreach. Men pray three times daily, adhering to the Chabad liturgical tradition. Their mornings begin with the study of Chasidus, the mystical teachings that are the heartbeat of Chabad philosophy. The Tanya is studied on a daily cycle, and many Chabad men engage in ongoing learning throughout the day.

The shliach (emissary) lifestyle is central to Chabad identity. Young couples are sent, often to places far from established Jewish life, to open Chabad Houses that serve as synagogue, community center, Shabbat dining room, and counseling resource all in one. These emissary couples often live and work with remarkable sacrifice, funding their missions largely through donations while serving Jewish travelers, students, and locals with extraordinary warmth and hospitality.

Shabbat and Jewish holidays are celebrated with great joy and intention. The Chabad table is famously open, welcoming Jewish people of every background without judgment. This culture of radical hospitality is one of Chabad’s most distinctive and admirable qualities, and it creates deep bonds of loyalty among the many Jewish people they serve.

WAYS TO PRAY FOR THE CHABAD LUBAVITCH COMMUNITY

• Pray that their search for the Messiah would lead them to Yeshua
  The longing for Mashiach (Messiah) is alive and urgent in Chabad life. Many within the movement still actively await the return of the Rebbe as the Messiah. Pray that this deep messianic expectation would be redirected toward Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah who has already come, who died and rose again, and who is coming once more. Ask God to use their own longing as a gateway to truth (John 5:39-40).

• Pray for the shluchim (emissaries) and their families 
  The thousands of emissary couples serving around the world carry enormous burdens. Many are isolated, far from family, and stretched thin financially and emotionally. Pray that in the midst of their service, God would reveal Himself to them personally. Ask that their pursuit of bringing both Jews and Gentiles closer to God would ultimately bring them closer to the God of Israel as revealed fully in Yeshua.

• Pray for those wrestling with the identity of the Rebbe
  The unresolved tension over whether the Rebbe was or is the Messiah has created real spiritual searching within the community. Pray for those who are secretly disillusioned, confused, or asking hard questions. Ask God to meet them in that honest searching and to make the claims of Yeshua known to them at their greatest moment of openness.

• Pray that the mystical texts they love would point them to ultimate truth
  Chabad is deeply engaged with Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism, seeking intimacy with God and understanding of the divine. Pray that their hunger for the deep things of God would not be satisfied by mysticism but that the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) would illuminate the Scriptures and lead them to the fullness of truth found in Yeshua.

• Pray for Messianic and believing Jews who have relationships with Chabad
  Because of Chabad’s unusually open and relational culture, there are more points of contact between Chabad individuals and Messianic Jews than in almost any other Haredi-adjacent community. Pray for wisdom, love, and boldness for those who have earned trust within Chabad circles. Ask God to use those relationships as bridges, and that conversations about Yeshua would be received with curiosity rather than hostility.