Modzitz (Hasidic dynasty)
Encyclopedia
Modzitz or Modzhitz is the name of a Hasidic
group within Orthodox Judaism
that derives its name from Modrzyce, one of the boroughs of the town of Dęblin
, Poland
, located on the Vistula River. The rabbi
s of this dynasty have the family name of "Taub".
Followers of this group are known as Modzitzer Hasidim and are now based mainly in Bnei Brak, where their Rebbe lives, and Jerusalem in Israel
. They also have a smaller following in Brooklyn
, Monsey, New York
, and Far Rockaway, Queens
, Los Angeles, California
and Toronto, Canada.
, (1755–1856), who established yeshiva
s and a type of Hasidic
teaching that was similar to that of his rebbes, the Seer of Lublin
and the Kozhnitser Magid, and distinct from the Hasidism of Kotzk
.
for "[a] wondrous musical talent". When he died in 1888, his first son Rabbi Moshe Aharon (1837 - March 17, 1918) succeeded him as Rebbe of Zvolin, while his second son, Rebbe Yisrael, went on to found the actual Modzitz Chasidic dynasty.
of the Zvoliner chasidim. In 1891 he settled in Modrzyc, a village near the town of Demblin
, Poland
. He became known as the Modzhitzer Rebbe (after his place of residence), thus establishing the dynasty of Modzhitz. He composed many melodies that are still sung by Chasidim and others today. He suffered from diabetes and in 1913 he travelled to Professor Israel in Berlin
. The only way to save his life was by amputating his gangrenous leg (a consequence of diabetes). Before the operation, the rebbe observed the beautiful Berlin architecture which upset him by comparison with the desolation of the holy city of Jerusalem. During the operation he composed his epic masterpiece based on the words of Ezkero (recited on Yom Kipur). Modzhitzer chasidim sing this tune each year when they gather to commemorate his yortseit
.
His teachings on Breishis, Shemos and Vayikra
have been collected in his work Divrei Yisrael. Unfortunately, the writings on Bamidbar
and Devarim
were lost.
When he died on 24 November 1920, he was succeeded by his son Rebbe Shaul Yedidya Elazar Taub.
due to Nazi
persecution. He travelled to Vilna
, Lithuania
, Russia
and from there made his way to Japan
. Eventually, with the help of some Modzitzer Chassidim, he and some family members reached the shores of San Francisco and then moved to Brooklyn, New York in 1940. It was during his stay in Brooklyn that Rebbe Shaul Yedidya Elazar became popular and helped rebuild Modzitz. He was a gifted songwriter and wrote over 1,000 Chassidic melodies. He had an intense love for the Land of Israel, and even foresaw the coming of the State of Israel. He was unable to see the realization of his prediction, and he died on November 29, 1947, the day the UN
voted to create the State of Israel
. He was the last person to buried on the Mount of Olives
until it was liberated in 1967. His teachings have been collected in the volumes of Imrei Shaul and Yisa Bracha. He was succeeded by his oldest son, Rebbe Shmuel Eliyahu Taub.
, Poland on 9 February 1905. In 1935, Rebbe Shaul Yedidya Elazar and his son Rabbi Shmuel went on a pilgrimage to the then British Mandate of Palestine. While they were there R. Shmuel fell in love with the Land of Israel and asked his father if he could stay there. His father agreed and within a year Rabbi Shmuel's wife and their child came over to Israel. After his father's death in 1947 he succeeded his father as the Modzitzer Rebbe, to be known later as the Imrei Eish ("Words of Fire"). He continued the traditions of Modzitz both as a composer and Torah scholar. He died on 6 May 1984 (4 Iyar 5784), when he was succeeded by his only son, Rebbe Yisrael Dan Taub. His teachings have been recently published in a sefer under the title Imrei Eish.
, Poland, and died on 16 June 2006 (20 Sivan
5766). He came with his mother to Palestine in 1936 to meet up with his father, Rebbe Shmuel Eliyahu. For a number of years he headed the Modzitz Chassidim in the city of Tel-Aviv where his father had lived. On Lag Ba'omer
5755 (18 May 1995) he moved the headquarters of Modzitz to a new building in Bnei Brak, Israel. Like his predecessors he composed numerous Chassidic melodies and many of them are sung regularly in Chassidic synagogues. His opinion was highly regarded, and he was a member of the Council of Torah Sages of Agudat Israel
. Rebbe Yisrael Dan was survived by two sons and two daughters. At his funeral, his elder son, Grand Rabbi Chaim Shaul Taub Shlita, was crowned as the new Modzitzer Rebbe. His other son, Rabbi Pinchas Moshe Taub Shlita was later crowned as the Kuzmirer Rebbe.
of Yeshivas Imrei Shaul and Darkei Torah in Bnei Brak. In keeping with the long-standing tradition of Modzitz, the Rebbe composed ten new niggunim for Rosh Hashana of 5767 and twelve new niggunim for 5768 (corresponding to September 2006 and 2007), some of which have become popular among chareidi Jews in Israel.
The Modzitzer Rebbes and their Chasidim are well known for their uniquely inspiring melodies and their devotion to serious learning of Torah
and Talmud
.
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...
group within Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
that derives its name from Modrzyce, one of the boroughs of the town of Dęblin
Deblin
Dęblin is a town, population 19,500 , at the confluence of Vistula and Wieprz rivers, in Lublin Voivodeship, Poland. Dęblin is the part of the agglomeration with adjacent towns of Ryki and Puławy, which altogether has over 100 000 inhabitants....
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, located on the Vistula River. The rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
s of this dynasty have the family name of "Taub".
Followers of this group are known as Modzitzer Hasidim and are now based mainly in Bnei Brak, where their Rebbe lives, and Jerusalem in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. They also have a smaller following in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, Monsey, New York
Monsey, New York
Monsey is a hamlet , in the Town of Ramapo, Rockland County, New York, United States located north of the state of New Jersey; east of Suffern; south of Airmont and west of Nanuet...
, and Far Rockaway, Queens
Far Rockaway, Queens
Far Rockaway is a neighborhood on the Rockaway Peninsula in the New York City borough of Queens in the United States. It is the easternmost section of the Rockaways. The neighborhood starts at the Nassau County line and extends west to Beach 32nd Street. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community...
, Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and Toronto, Canada.
Rebbe Yechezkel Taub of Kuzmir (1755-1856)
The dynasty started with Rebbe Yechezkel Taub of KuzmirKazimierz Dolny
Kazimierz Dolny is a small town in Central Poland, on the right bank of the Vistula river in Puławy County, Lublin Province.It is a considerable tourist attraction as one of the most beautifully situated little towns in Poland. It enjoyed its greatest prosperity in the 16th and the first half of...
, (1755–1856), who established yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
s and a type of Hasidic
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...
teaching that was similar to that of his rebbes, the Seer of Lublin
Yaakov Yitzchak of Lublin
Yaakov Yitzchak of Lublin, also Jacob Isaac of Lublin, or Y. Y. Horowitz , known as "The Chozeh of Lublin" , or simply as the "Chozeh", was a Hasidic rebbe from Poland....
and the Kozhnitser Magid, and distinct from the Hasidism of Kotzk
Menachem Mendel of Kotzk
Menachem Mendel Morgensztern of Kotzk, better known as the Kotzker Rebbe was a Hasidic rabbi and leader.-Life:Born to a non-Hasidic family in Goraj near Lublin, Poland, he became attracted to Hasidim in his youth. He was known for having acquired impressive Talmudic and Kabbalistic knowledge at a...
.
Rebbe Shmuel Eliyahu Taub of Zvolin
Upon the death of Rebbe Yechezkel Taub of Kuzmir in 1856, his son, Rebbe Shmuel Eliyahu Taub of Zvolin, Poland, succeeded him. He excelled in Torah scholarship and creating Hasidic songs. He was called Menagen mafli pla'os HebrewHebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
for "[a] wondrous musical talent". When he died in 1888, his first son Rabbi Moshe Aharon (1837 - March 17, 1918) succeeded him as Rebbe of Zvolin, while his second son, Rebbe Yisrael, went on to found the actual Modzitz Chasidic dynasty.
Rebbe Yisrael Taub (1849-1920)
Rebbe Yisrael Taub, second son of Rebbe Shmuel Eliyahu Taub of Zvolin, was born in 1849. In 1888 he succeeded his father as a rebbeRebbe
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...
of the Zvoliner chasidim. In 1891 he settled in Modrzyc, a village near the town of Demblin
Deblin
Dęblin is a town, population 19,500 , at the confluence of Vistula and Wieprz rivers, in Lublin Voivodeship, Poland. Dęblin is the part of the agglomeration with adjacent towns of Ryki and Puławy, which altogether has over 100 000 inhabitants....
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. He became known as the Modzhitzer Rebbe (after his place of residence), thus establishing the dynasty of Modzhitz. He composed many melodies that are still sung by Chasidim and others today. He suffered from diabetes and in 1913 he travelled to Professor Israel in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. The only way to save his life was by amputating his gangrenous leg (a consequence of diabetes). Before the operation, the rebbe observed the beautiful Berlin architecture which upset him by comparison with the desolation of the holy city of Jerusalem. During the operation he composed his epic masterpiece based on the words of Ezkero (recited on Yom Kipur). Modzhitzer chasidim sing this tune each year when they gather to commemorate his yortseit
Bereavement in Judaism
Bereavement in Judaism is a combination of minhag and mitzvah derived from Judaism's classical Torah and rabbinic texts...
.
His teachings on Breishis, Shemos and Vayikra
Leviticus
The Book of Leviticus is the third book of the Hebrew Bible, and the third of five books of the Torah ....
have been collected in his work Divrei Yisrael. Unfortunately, the writings on Bamidbar
Book of Numbers
The Book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible, and the fourth of five books of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch....
and Devarim
Deuteronomy
The Book of Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Hebrew Bible, and of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch...
were lost.
When he died on 24 November 1920, he was succeeded by his son Rebbe Shaul Yedidya Elazar Taub.
Rebbe Shaul Yedidya Elazar Taub (1886-1947)
Rebbe Shaul Yedidya Elazar Taub was born on 20 October 1886. He guided his Chassidim in Poland until 1938 when he fled PolandPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
due to Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
persecution. He travelled to Vilna
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and from there made his way to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Eventually, with the help of some Modzitzer Chassidim, he and some family members reached the shores of San Francisco and then moved to Brooklyn, New York in 1940. It was during his stay in Brooklyn that Rebbe Shaul Yedidya Elazar became popular and helped rebuild Modzitz. He was a gifted songwriter and wrote over 1,000 Chassidic melodies. He had an intense love for the Land of Israel, and even foresaw the coming of the State of Israel. He was unable to see the realization of his prediction, and he died on November 29, 1947, the day the UN
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
voted to create the State of Israel
1947 UN Partition Plan
The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine was created by the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine in 1947 to replace the British Mandate for Palestine with "Independent Arab and Jewish States" and a "Special International Regime for the City of Jerusalem" administered by the United...
. He was the last person to buried on the Mount of Olives
Mount of Olives
The Mount of Olives is a mountain ridge in East Jerusalem with three peaks running from north to south. The highest, at-Tur, rises to 818 meters . It is named for the olive groves that once covered its slopes...
until it was liberated in 1967. His teachings have been collected in the volumes of Imrei Shaul and Yisa Bracha. He was succeeded by his oldest son, Rebbe Shmuel Eliyahu Taub.
Rebbe Shmuel Eliyahu Taub (1905-1984)
Rebbe Shmuel Eliyahu was born in LublinLublin
Lublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
, Poland on 9 February 1905. In 1935, Rebbe Shaul Yedidya Elazar and his son Rabbi Shmuel went on a pilgrimage to the then British Mandate of Palestine. While they were there R. Shmuel fell in love with the Land of Israel and asked his father if he could stay there. His father agreed and within a year Rabbi Shmuel's wife and their child came over to Israel. After his father's death in 1947 he succeeded his father as the Modzitzer Rebbe, to be known later as the Imrei Eish ("Words of Fire"). He continued the traditions of Modzitz both as a composer and Torah scholar. He died on 6 May 1984 (4 Iyar 5784), when he was succeeded by his only son, Rebbe Yisrael Dan Taub. His teachings have been recently published in a sefer under the title Imrei Eish.
Rebbe Yisrael Dan Taub (1928-2006)
Rebbe Yisrael Dan was born in 1928 in WarsawWarsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Poland, and died on 16 June 2006 (20 Sivan
Sivan
Sivan is the ninth month of the civil year and the third month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a spring month of 30 days...
5766). He came with his mother to Palestine in 1936 to meet up with his father, Rebbe Shmuel Eliyahu. For a number of years he headed the Modzitz Chassidim in the city of Tel-Aviv where his father had lived. On Lag Ba'omer
Lag Ba'omer
Lag BaOmer , also known as Lag LaOmer amongst Sephardi Jews, is a Jewish holiday celebrated on the thirty-third day of the Counting of the Omer, which occurs on the 18th day of Iyar. One reason given for the holiday is as the day of passing of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. Modern Jewish tradition links...
5755 (18 May 1995) he moved the headquarters of Modzitz to a new building in Bnei Brak, Israel. Like his predecessors he composed numerous Chassidic melodies and many of them are sung regularly in Chassidic synagogues. His opinion was highly regarded, and he was a member of the Council of Torah Sages of Agudat Israel
Agudat Israel
Agudat Yisrael began as the original political party representing the ultra-Orthodox population of Israel. It was the umbrella party for almost all ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel, and before that in the British Mandate of Palestine...
. Rebbe Yisrael Dan was survived by two sons and two daughters. At his funeral, his elder son, Grand Rabbi Chaim Shaul Taub Shlita, was crowned as the new Modzitzer Rebbe. His other son, Rabbi Pinchas Moshe Taub Shlita was later crowned as the Kuzmirer Rebbe.
Rebbe Chaim Shaul Taub
Rebbe Chaim Shaul served for many years as rosh yeshivaRosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...
of Yeshivas Imrei Shaul and Darkei Torah in Bnei Brak. In keeping with the long-standing tradition of Modzitz, the Rebbe composed ten new niggunim for Rosh Hashana of 5767 and twelve new niggunim for 5768 (corresponding to September 2006 and 2007), some of which have become popular among chareidi Jews in Israel.
The Modzitzer Rebbes and their Chasidim are well known for their uniquely inspiring melodies and their devotion to serious learning of Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
and Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
.
Lineage
- Grand Rabbi Yechezkel Taub of Kuzmir (d. 1856)
- Grand Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu Taub of Zvolin (d. 1888), son of the Kuzmirer.
- Grand Rabbi Yisrael Taub of Modzitz, (1849–1920), author of Divrei Yisrael, son of the Zvoliner.
- Grand Rabbi Shaul Yedidya Elazar Taub of Modzitz (1886–1947), author of Imrei Shaul and Yisa Bracha, son of the Divrei Yisrael.
- Grand Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu Taub of Modzitz, (1905–1984), author of Imrei Aish, son of the Imrei Shaul.
- Grand Rabbi Yisrael Dan Taub of Modzitz (1928–2006), previous Modzitzer Rebbe, author of Nachalas Dan, son of the Imrei Aish.
- Grand Rabbi Chaim Shaul Taub of Modzitz, present Modzitzer Rebbe, son of the Nachalas Dan.
External links
- Modzitz.org (Despite the domain, this is not an official site of Modzitz Chassidus. The flags on the homepage are the sole responsibility of the Webmaster).
- The Modzitzer Rebbe passes away
- Modzitz.co.il - The center for the Documentation and Preservation of Modzitzer Nigunim