Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk
Encyclopedia
Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk
(1730–1788), also known as Menachem Mendel of Horodok
, was an early leader of Hasidic Judaism
. Part of the third generation of Hasidic leaders, he was the primary disciple of the Maggid of Mezeritch. From his base in Minsk
Menachem Mendel was instrumental in spreading Hasidism throughout Belarus
.
In the winter of 1772 (1774) he, along with Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi
(who regarded Rabbi Menachem Mendel as his Rebbe
after the Maggid's passing) went to the Vilna Gaon
with the aim of convincing him to rescind his ban
on Hasidism, but the Vilna Gaon would not receive them.
After the Maggid's death, Rabbi Menachem Mendel, along with fellow disciple Rabbi Abraham Kalisker
("Kalisker") settled in Horodok. In 1777 the two, along with 300 followers, emigrated
to Palestine
settling in Safed
. In 1783 they were forced out of Safed, and moved to Tiberias. The synagogue they built there is 1786 still stands among the Ancient synagogues of Tiberias.
The Tanya
(see "Compiler's Preface") is partially based on the works of Rabbi Menachem Mendel.
Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk is the subject of 15 of the stories in Martin Buber
's Tales of the Hasidim.
Vitebsk
Vitebsk, also known as Viciebsk or Vitsyebsk , is a city in Belarus, near the border with Russia. The capital of the Vitebsk Oblast, in 2004 it had 342,381 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth largest city...
(1730–1788), also known as Menachem Mendel of Horodok
Horodok
Horodok may refer to:*Horodok, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Ukraine*Horodok, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine*Horodok -See also:*Gorodok, name of several rural localities in Russia*Haradok, a town in Vitebsk Region, Belarus...
, was an early leader of Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
. Part of the third generation of Hasidic leaders, he was the primary disciple of the Maggid of Mezeritch. From his base in Minsk
Minsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
Menachem Mendel was instrumental in spreading Hasidism throughout Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
.
In the winter of 1772 (1774) he, along with Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi
Shneur Zalman of Liadi
Shneur Zalman of Liadi , also known as the Baal HaTanya, , was an Orthodox Rabbi, and the founder and first Rebbe of Chabad, a branch of Hasidic Judaism, then based in Liadi, Imperial Russia...
(who regarded Rabbi Menachem Mendel as his Rebbe
Rebbe
Rebbe , which means master, teacher, or mentor, is a Yiddish word derived from the Hebrew word Rabbi. It often refers to the leader of a Hasidic Jewish movement...
after the Maggid's passing) went to the Vilna Gaon
Vilna Gaon
Elijah ben Shlomo Zalman Kramer, known as the Vilna Gaon or Elijah of Vilna and simply by his Hebrew acronym Gra or Elijah Ben Solomon, , was a Talmudist, halachist, kabbalist, and the foremost leader of non-hasidic Jewry of the past few centuries...
with the aim of convincing him to rescind his ban
Cherem
Cherem , is the highest ecclesiastical censure in the Jewish community. It is the total exclusion of a person from the Jewish community. It is a form of shunning, and is similar to excommunication in the Catholic Church...
on Hasidism, but the Vilna Gaon would not receive them.
After the Maggid's death, Rabbi Menachem Mendel, along with fellow disciple Rabbi Abraham Kalisker
Abraham Kalisker
Rabbi Abraham Ben Alexander Ha-Kohen of Kalisk was a prominent Chassidic Rebbe of the 3rd generation of Chassidic leaders. He was a disciple of Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezeritch who was the successor of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov.-Biography:...
("Kalisker") settled in Horodok. In 1777 the two, along with 300 followers, emigrated
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
to Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
settling in Safed
Safed
Safed , is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Located at an elevation of , Safed is the highest city in the Galilee and of Israel. Due to its high elevation, Safed experiences warm summers and cold, often snowy, winters...
. In 1783 they were forced out of Safed, and moved to Tiberias. The synagogue they built there is 1786 still stands among the Ancient synagogues of Tiberias.
The Tanya
Tanya
The Tanya is an early work of Hasidic philosophy, by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad Hasidism, first published in 1797. Its formal title is Likkutei Amarim , but is more commonly known by its opening word, Tanya, which means "it was taught in a beraita"...
(see "Compiler's Preface") is partially based on the works of Rabbi Menachem Mendel.
Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk is the subject of 15 of the stories in Martin Buber
Martin Buber
Martin Buber was an Austrian-born Jewish philosopher best known for his philosophy of dialogue, a form of religious existentialism centered on the distinction between the I-Thou relationship and the I-It relationship....
's Tales of the Hasidim.
External links
- Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk: The Pioneering Rebbe by Rabbi Eliezer Melamed
- KALISKER, ABRAHAM BEN ALEXANDER HA-KOHEN, the Jewish EncyclopediaJewish EncyclopediaThe Jewish Encyclopedia is an encyclopedia originally published in New York between 1901 and 1906 by Funk and Wagnalls. It contained over 15,000 articles in 12 volumes on the history and then-current state of Judaism and the Jews as of 1901...