Chaim Avraham Dov Ber Levine (1859/1860 – 1938), known as "the Malach" (lit. "the angel"), was a

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

and founder of the

Malachim (Hasidic group) The Malachim (Malochim or Malukhim) ( he, מלאכים, lit. "angels") is a small Hasidic group. It adheres to the Chabad school of Hasidic thought which emphasizes in-depth Torah study, uses the Chabad nusach of prayer, and focuses on the study ...

Biography

Levine was one of the closest followers of Sholom Dovber Schneersohn, the fifth

rebbe A Rebbe ( yi, רבי, translit=rebe) or Admor ( he, אדמו״ר) is the spiritual leader in the Hasidic movement, and the personalities of its dynasties.Heilman, Samuel"The Rebbe and the Resurgence of Orthodox Judaism."''Religion and Spiritua ...

of Lubavitch, and was the tutor of his son,

Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn Yosef Yitzchak (Joseph Isaac) Schneersohn ( yi, יוסף יצחק שניאורסאהן; 21 June 1880 – 28 January 1950) was an Orthodox rabbi and the sixth Rebbe (spiritual leader) of the Chabad Lubavitch Chasidic movement. He is also known ...

. Upon his arrival in New York in 1923, he was welcomed by Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz, the '' rosh yeshiva'' (dean) of Yeshiva Torah Vodaath in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

. Levine parted ways with the Lubavitch group, and the Malachim became separate from the Lubavitch movement. However, he continued to teach Chabad works from the first generations of the movement, and subscribed to the core theosophy of Chabad. After Levine's death, Yankev Schorr led the group.Hasidic people: a place in the new world, p. 26, Jerome R. Mintz - 1992 "They were too conscious of the Malach's sense of rejection from Lubavitch. Instead, new leadership of the M'lochim came from within the group. Rabbi Yankev Schor, one of the early students, was named as rabbi, but he shared..."

References

External links

"The Malach" by Dr. Yitzchak Levine, ''Jewish Press'', August 6, 2015
Biographical sketch of the Malach and his son Zalman.
Rabbi Chaim Avroham Dover Levine (Cohen) at kevarim.com

Rabbi Raphael Zalman Levine at kevarim.com
Includes a scan of biographical sketch of R' Zalman on his fifteenth yartzeit, by Prof. Reuven Sugarman, ''Yated Neeman'', July 13, 2007 p. 38-39. {{DEFAULTSORT:Levine, Chaim Avraham Dov Ber 1938 deaths American Hasidic rabbis Year of birth uncertain People from Williamsburg, Brooklyn Chabad-Lubavitch related controversies he:מלאכים (קבוצה חסידית) 1859 births