Дух над матерією: Ребе Раяц у Шпалерці

At midnight on 15 Sivan 5687 (1927), GPU agents burst into the home of the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe — Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn (the Rebbe Rayatz) — and arrested him. He was sentenced to death, later commuted to exile. Yet even within the walls of Shpalernaya Prison, the Rebbe displayed superhuman calm, uttering words that became a motto for generations: "Only bodies are in exile, not souls."

Hunger Strike for Tefillin

Finding himself in a cell, the Rebbe Rayatz immediately declared a hunger strike, demanding the return of his tefillin. The prison authorities, accustomed to breaking prisoners' wills, faced the resolve of a man for whom connection to God was more important than physical survival. Eventually the tefillin were returned. The Rebbe refused to take walks in the prison yard, unwilling to submit to a routine imposed by enemies of Torah.

Photographers and Maamarim

When prison authorities sent photographers to create a "case file," the Rebbe firmly stopped them, refusing to allow a single photograph on their terms. Even in confinement he continued writing Chassidic maamarim (profound teachings), transforming his cell into a place for spreading the light of Torah. Every action he took was an act of spiritual resistance.

Liberation: A Victory for Every Jew

On 3 Tammuz the Rebbe was released from prison, and on 12–13 Tammuz he was fully freed from exile. This date became a symbol of the triumph of spirit over matter, of faith over tyranny. The Rebbe Rayatz later explained that his liberation was not a personal victory but a victory for every Jew — proof that no earthly power can suppress a Jewish soul and its bond with God.