Mordechai Yosef Leiner
Encyclopedia
Mordechai Yosef Leiner of Izbica (1801-1854) was a rabbi
nic Hasidic thinker and founder of the Izhbitza-Radzyn dynasty of Hasidic Judaism
.
Rabbi Mordechai Yosef was born in Tomashov
in 1801 to his father Reb Yaakov the son of Reb
Mordechai of Sekul, a descendant of Rabbi Shoul Wahl. At the age two he became orphaned of his father. He became a disciple of Reb Simcha Bunim of Peshischa
where he joined Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk
and Rabbi Yosef of Yartshev; both were also born in Tomashov. When Rabbi Menachem Mendel became Rebbe in Kotzk, Reb Morechai Yosef became his disciple there; then in 1839 became himself a rebbe in Tomaszów, moving subsequently to Izbica
.
His leading disciple was Rabbi Yehuda Leib Eiger (1816-1888), grandson of Rabbi Akiva Eiger. His students included Rabbi Zadok HaKohen
of Lublin
(1823–1900), his son, Rabbi Yaakov Leiner (1828–1878) and his son Rabbi Gershon Henoch of Radzyn
.
's rebellion, Pinchas's zealotry, and Judah's incident with Tamar.
One of his most cited comments is on Leviticus
21:1
None shall defile himself for any [dead] person among his kin.
Rabbi Leiner read the verse as a warning against the defilement of the soul. The soul is defiled when it is infected with the bitterness and rage that comes with senseless suffering and tragedy. Those who — like the Kohanim— would serve God, are commanded to find the resources to resist the defilements of despair and darkness. Despair is the ultimate denial of God, and surrender to darkness is the ultimate blasphemy.
The publication of Mei Hashiloach was met with controversy and some burned copies of the work.
Alan Brill of Seton Hall University
has suggested that the teachings of Rabbi Jonathan Eybeschutz
may have influenced Rabbi Leiner's thinking.
, by whom he was charged with overseeing the Hasidim. In 1839 Leiner had a public and dramatic falling out with the Kotzker Rebbe. On the day after Simchat Torah
of that year, Leiner left Kotzk with many of his followers to form his own hasidic circle.
The reasons given for the break are varied.
Leiner's thought continues to have influence in the twentieth century, especially on Neo-Hasidism
, and the teachings of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach (the "singing rabbi").
Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach is credited with the recent popularization of Rabbi Leiner's teachings. He apparently came across Rabbi Leiner's work in an old Jewish book store. He is quoted as saying that after initially being perplexed as to the peculiar nature of the teachings he quickly realized that in it lay the "secret for turning Jews on to the deeper meanings of Judaism".
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...
nic Hasidic thinker and founder of the Izhbitza-Radzyn dynasty 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...
.
Rabbi Mordechai Yosef was born in Tomashov
Tomaszów Lubelski
Tomaszów Lubelski is a town in south-eastern Poland with 20,261 inhabitants . Situated in the Lublin Voivodeship , previously in Zamość Voivodeship . It is the capital of Tomaszów Lubelski County.-History:...
in 1801 to his father Reb Yaakov the son of Reb
Reb
Reb is a Yiddish honorific traditionally used for Orthodox Jewish men. It is not a rabbinic title; it is the equivalent of the English "mister"...
Mordechai of Sekul, a descendant of Rabbi Shoul Wahl. At the age two he became orphaned of his father. He became a disciple of Reb Simcha Bunim of Peshischa
Simcha Bunim of Peshischa
Rabbi Simcha Bunim Bonhart of Peshischa was one of the main leaders of Hasidic Judaism in Poland. After studying Torah at yeshivas in Mattersdorf and Nikolsburg, he was introduced to the world of Hasidism by his father-in-law, and became a chasid of Rabbi Yisroel Hopsztajn , and then Rabbi...
where he joined Rabbi Menachem Mendel 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...
and Rabbi Yosef of Yartshev; both were also born in Tomashov. When Rabbi Menachem Mendel became Rebbe in Kotzk, Reb Morechai Yosef became his disciple there; then in 1839 became himself a rebbe in Tomaszów, moving subsequently to Izbica
Izbica
Izbica is a village in Krasnystaw County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Izbica. It lies approximately south of Krasnystaw and south-east of the regional capital Lublin...
.
His leading disciple was Rabbi Yehuda Leib Eiger (1816-1888), grandson of Rabbi Akiva Eiger. His students included Rabbi Zadok HaKohen
Zadok HaKohen
Rabbi Zadok HaKohen Rabinowitz of Lublin , also spelled Tzadok Hacohen, Tsadok Hakohen, Tsadok Hacohen and Tzadok Hakohen, was a Hasidic Rebbe.-Biography:...
of Lublin
Lublin
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...
(1823–1900), his son, Rabbi Yaakov Leiner (1828–1878) and his son Rabbi Gershon Henoch of Radzyn
Radzyn
There are two cities in Poland known as Radzyń:* Radzyń Chełmiński, a town in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodship* Radzyń Podlaski, a town in the Lublin Voivodship*Radzyń, Łódź Voivodeship, a village in central Poland...
.
Thought
Rabbi Leiner is best known for his work Mei Hashiloach in which he expressed the doctrine that all events, including human actions, are absolutely under God's control, or as Rabbinic discourse would phrase it, by "hashgacha pratis." His second most famous idea is that if everything is determined by God, then even sin is done because God determines it. He presents defenses of various Biblical sins, such as KorachKorach
Korach may refer to:* Ken Korach , play-by-play announcer for the Oakland Athletics* Kórach, two Biblical villains* Korach , the 38th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading...
's rebellion, Pinchas's zealotry, and Judah's incident with Tamar.
One of his most cited comments is on Leviticus
Leviticus
The Book of Leviticus is the third book of the Hebrew Bible, and the third of five books of the Torah ....
21:1
None shall defile himself for any [dead] person among his kin.
Rabbi Leiner read the verse as a warning against the defilement of the soul. The soul is defiled when it is infected with the bitterness and rage that comes with senseless suffering and tragedy. Those who — like the Kohanim— would serve God, are commanded to find the resources to resist the defilements of despair and darkness. Despair is the ultimate denial of God, and surrender to darkness is the ultimate blasphemy.
The publication of Mei Hashiloach was met with controversy and some burned copies of the work.
Alan Brill of Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University is a private Roman Catholic university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan university in the United States. Seton Hall is also the oldest and largest Catholic university in the...
has suggested that the teachings of Rabbi Jonathan Eybeschutz
Jonathan Eybeschutz
Jonathan Eybeschutz , was a Talmudist, Halachist, Kabbalist, holding positions as Dayan of Prague, and later as Rabbi of the "Three Communities": Altona, Hamburg and Wandsbek. With Jacob Emden, he is well known as a protagonist in the Emden-Eybeschütz Controversy.-Biography:Eybeschütz's father was...
may have influenced Rabbi Leiner's thinking.
Relationship with the Kotzker Rebbe
Rabbi Leiner was the right-hand man of the Kotzker rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel of KotzkMenachem 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...
, by whom he was charged with overseeing the Hasidim. In 1839 Leiner had a public and dramatic falling out with the Kotzker Rebbe. On the day after Simchat Torah
Simchat Torah
Simchat Torah or Simḥath Torah is a celebration marking the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings, and the beginning of a new cycle...
of that year, Leiner left Kotzk with many of his followers to form his own hasidic circle.
The reasons given for the break are varied.
Influence
His thought influenced, (mostly indirectly, through the work of Leiner's student, Reb Tzadok Hakohen) the mussar of Rabbi Isaac Hutner and Rabbi Moshe Wolfson.Leiner's thought continues to have influence in the twentieth century, especially on Neo-Hasidism
Neo-Hasidism
Neo-Hasidism is a name frequently given to the significant revival of interest in Hasidic Judaism on the part of non-Orthodox Jews in different decades due to the writings of non-Orthodox teachers of Hasidic Judaism like Martin Buber, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Lawrence Kushner, Zalman...
, and the teachings of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach (the "singing rabbi").
Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach is credited with the recent popularization of Rabbi Leiner's teachings. He apparently came across Rabbi Leiner's work in an old Jewish book store. He is quoted as saying that after initially being perplexed as to the peculiar nature of the teachings he quickly realized that in it lay the "secret for turning Jews on to the deeper meanings of Judaism".
Works
- Mei Hashiloach 2 volumes
- Living Waters : The Mei HaShilo'ach translated by Betsalel Philip Edwards