Menachem Mendel of

Vitebsk Vitebsk or Viciebsk (russian: Витебск, ; be, Ві́цебск, ; , ''Vitebsk'', lt, Vitebskas, pl, Witebsk), is a city in Belarus. The capital of the Vitebsk Region, it has 366,299 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-largest c ...

(1730?–1788), also known as Menachem Mendel of Horodok, was an early leader of

Hasidic Judaism Hasidism, sometimes spelled Chassidism, and also known as Hasidic Judaism (Ashkenazi Hebrew: חסידות ''Ḥăsīdus'', ; originally, "piety"), is a Judaism, Jewish religious group that arose as a spiritual revival movement in the territory ...

. Part of the third generation of Hassidic leaders, he was the primary disciple of the

Maggid of Mezeritch Dov Ber ben Avraham of Mezeritch ( yi, דֹּב בֶּער מִמֶּזְרִיטְשְׁ; died December 1772 OS), also known as the '' Maggid of Mezeritch'', was a disciple of Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer (the Baal Shem Tov), the founder of Hasidi ...

. From his base in

Minsk Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...

Menachem Mendel was instrumental in spreading Hasidism throughout

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...

. In the winter of 1772, he - along with Rabbi

Shneur Zalman of Liadi Shneur Zalman of Liadi ( he, שניאור זלמן מליאדי, September 4, 1745 – December 15, 1812 O.S. / 18 Elul 5505 – 24 Tevet 5573) was an influential Lithuanian Jewish rabbi and the founder and first Rebbe of Chabad, a branch of ...

(who regarded Rabbi Menachem Mendel as his ''

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 ...

'' 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

Eretz Israel The Land of Israel () is the traditional Jewish name for an area of the Southern Levant. Related biblical, religious and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land, the Holy Land, and Palestine (see also Isra ...

, settling in Safed, Ottoman Syria. In 1783 they were forced out of Safed, and moved to

Tiberias Tiberias ( ; he, טְבֶרְיָה, ; ar, طبريا, Ṭabariyyā) is an Israeli city on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. A major Jewish center during Late Antiquity, it has been considered since the 16th century one of Judaism's F ...

. The synagogue they built there in 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 Martin Buber ( he, מרטין בובר; german: Martin Buber; yi, מארטין בובער; February 8, 1878 – June 13, 1965) was an Austrian Jewish and Israeli philosopher best known for his philosophy of dialogue, a form of existentialism ...

's ''Tales of the Hasidim''.

Works

*''P'ri Ha'Aretz'' *''P'ri Ha'Eitz'' *''Likkutei Amarim''

References

External links

Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk: The Pioneering Rebbe
by Rabbi

Eliezer Melamed Eliezer Melamed ( he, אליעזר מלמד, born 28 June 1961) is an Israeli Orthodox Zionist rabbi and the rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Har Bracha, rabbi of the community Har Bracha, and author of the book series '' Peninei Halakha''. Biography ...

KALISKER, ABRAHAM BEN ALEXANDER HA-KOHEN
the Jewish Encyclopedia 1730s births 1788 deaths People from Vitebsk Belarusian Hasidic rabbis Hasidic rabbis in Ottoman Palestine 18th-century rabbis from the Ottoman Empire Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the Ottoman Empire 18th-century rabbis from the Russian Empire Hasidic rebbes Burials at the Old Jewish Cemetery, Tiberias Students of Dov Ber of Mezeritch {{MEast-rabbi-stub