Avraham Sender Schneerson

From - Sefer Hatoldos Admur Maharash. Translated from the writings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson:

The child prodigy, gaon and tzaddik R. Avraham Sender:

[Regarding him,] my father (the Rebbe Rashab) related to me: "My saintly father the Rebbe [Maharash] told me that my older brother, the gaon and tzaddik R. Avraham Sender, possessed outstanding talents and was a master of both intellect and character. He passed away at the age of eight years."

Among the sacred letters written by our saintly an­cestors the Rebbeim there is a note written by my grandfather the Rebbe Maharash to the Tzemach Tzedek in which he ascribes the death of his saintly son Avra­ham Sender to a certain cause. The Tzemach Tzedek replied to him that it was not so. The Rebbe also said there that the young child Avraham Sender possessed the soul of the Alter Rebbe.

When the young child Avraham Sender was four years old, the Tzemach Tzedek studied Mishnayos with him. While learning a Mishnah he was able to state everything that is written in the Gemara [about that Mishnah]. He possessed great innocence, and had no idea what it meant to play; he was constantly occupied with Torah study and davening.

When he passed away, [his grandfather] the Tzemach Tzedek was present, as well as his father [the Rebbe Maharash] and his brothers. They witnessed won­drous things concerning him: His mental state was totally composed at the time of his passing; everyone was amazed by his great control of his intellectual fac­ulties. On the day that he passed away he declared that the Alter Rebbe had promised to visit him, and so he requested that they dress him in his Shabbos clothes. He davened Minchah joyfully; after Aleinu he recited Shema Yisrael, and his soul departed as he was saying Havayah Echad.