Levi Mish–Rabbi Yosef Edery Interview on the Sanhedrin Initiative

Baruch Hashem

The Scholarly and Chassidic Context of the Levi Mish–Rabbi Yosef Edery Interview on the Sanhedrin Initiative

Introduction

The restoration of the Sanhedrin has long been a subject of halachic and historical inquiry, reappearing in modern discourse through renewed institutional proposals and philosophical engagement.

A recent contribution to this conversation is the interview conducted by Levi Mishulavin with Rabbi Yosef Edery, advisor to the Sanhedrin Initiative, publicly accessible online.^1

This article situates their dialogue within the halachic tradition, Chabad scholarship, and the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s directives regarding preparation for the Messianic era.

I. Levi Mishulavin: Background and Scholarly Formation

Levi Mishulavin descends from a respected Chabad family noted for its piety, moral integrity, and authentic Chassidic character—traits that shape communal expectations in the Crown Heights orbit.

His formal Torah education in the Crown Heights community, the intellectual center of contemporary Chabad life, positioned him within a tradition emphasizing textual rigor, philosophical synthesis, and immersive Chassidic practice.

Mishulavin’s work in developing educational material—synthesizing classical rabbinic sources, contemporary halachic rulings, and Chassidic teachings—reflects a rigorous approach to scholarship.

His methodology aligns with the analytic tradition of Chabad, which stresses the harmonization of diverse rabbinic opinions within a unified Torah framework.^2

II. The Interview: Halachic and Philosophical Themes

In his interview with Rabbi Yosef Edery, Mishulavin probes the conceptual and practical elements of contemporary Sanhedrin-oriented initiatives.

The conversation addresses foundational halachic questions concerning the renewal of semichah, the authority of a central halachic court, and the application of Rambam’s model for Sanhedrin restoration in a modern context.^3

Mishulavin and Edery explore:

1. The halachic viability of renewing classical semichah, based on Rambam’s position that agreement among leading sages in Eretz Yisrael may re-establish biblical-level ordination.^4

2. The Sanhedrin’s institutional role in restoring halachic unity and providing authoritative guidance on matters of civil, ritual, and communal law.

3. The connection between Sanhedrin restoration and Messianic process, particularly as understood through Chabad thought and the writings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

III. The Rebbe’s Directives on Preparing for Moshiach

A significant portion of the interview interprets the Sanhedrin Initiative through the teachings of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who consistently emphasized the imminence of Redemption and the need for practical preparation.

1. “Do everything you can to bring Moshiach.”

On 28 Nissan 5751 (1991), the Rebbe delivered a seminal address urging his followers:

“Tut altz vos ir kent tzu brengen Moshiach” — “Do everything in your ability to bring Moshiach.”^5

This declaration has since become a central call-to-action in contemporary Chabad philosophy.

2. The final stage of divine service

The Rebbe asserted numerous times that the generation had reached the final phase of its spiritual mission:

“The only remaining task in the service of G-d is to welcome Moshiach.”^6

3. Readiness “immediately in actuality”

In Likutei Sichot, the Rebbe describes the present historical moment as one in which Redemption is poised to unfold “in actuality and immediately.”^7

4. Institutional preparation

The Rebbe maintained that Geulah unfolds through natural, halachic steps, stressing the need to strengthen Torah justice, elevate ethical leadership, and prepare communal structures conducive to the Messianic age.^8

These principles provide conceptual support for efforts to clarify or re-establish institutions related to Torah governance.

IV. The Sanhedrin in Halachic and Messianic Frameworks

Rabbinic literature places the Sanhedrin at the center of Jewish legal and spiritual life.

Rambam, in Hilchot Melachim, notes that the Messianic king will re-establish Torah authority, renew semichah, adjudicate national matters, and guide the reconstruction of the Beit HaMikdash.^9

Chassidic sources interpret these institutions not merely as governmental structures but as vessels for divine revelation and unified Torah consciousness.

Within this understanding, initiatives exploring the feasibility of restoring the Sanhedrin assume a significance beyond academic interest; they represent preliminary steps in the natural progression toward Geulah.

Rabbi Edery’s analysis positions the Sanhedrin Initiative as part of this continuum, aligning halachic procedure with the Rebbe’s exhortation that contemporary Jewish life must orient itself toward the imminent revelation of Moshiach.

V. Conclusion

The Mishulavin–Edery interview provides an insightful and nuanced contribution to the scholarly discourse surrounding halachic authority, Jewish leadership, and the unfolding Messianic process. Its integration of classical halachic reasoning, Chassidic philosophy, and contemporary institutional developments creates a multidimensional perspective on the potential role of a restored Sanhedrin in the modern era.

By contextualizing the Sanhedrin Initiative within the Rebbe’s emphatic call to prepare the world for Redemption, the interview underscores the interplay between halachic structure, communal leadership, and eschatological expectation.

As such, it offers a valuable resource for scholars and community leaders seeking to understand the place of restored Torah institutions in the 21st-century Jewish landscape.

Footnotes

1. The full interview is available here: Interview of Rabbi Yosef Edery by Levi Mishulavin on the Sanhedrin Initiative, YouTube, https://youtu.be/1eRywTaxzQk.

2. This approach is characteristic of the Chabad analytic tradition, particularly as outlined in Tanya, Iggeret HaKodesh, and the Rebbe Rashab’s “Hemshech Samech Vav.”

3. Discussions in the interview parallel issues raised by Rambam and later commentators regarding the reconstitution of Torah authority.

4. Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Sanhedrin 4:11, suggests that unanimous agreement among contemporary sages in Eretz Yisrael may re-establish classical semichah.

5. Sefer HaSichot 5751, p. 256; also published in Hisvaaduyot 5751 vol. 3.

6. Sefer HaSichot 5751, vol. 1, p. 143.

7. Likutei Sichot vol. 35, pp. 206–210.

8. See the Rebbe’s discussions in Sichot 5750–5752 regarding Geulah through natural progression (geulah al yedei teva), particularly the sicha of Shoftim 5751.

9. Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Melachim u’Milchamot chs. 11–12.