M.robin at 21:29, 18 June 2026

2026-06-18T21:29:55Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:29, 18 June 2026
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	[[File:הכהן.jpg~~\|left~~\|thumb\|250px\|The resting place of Rabbi Yehuda Leib HaKohen]]		[[File:הכהן.jpg\|thumb\|250px\|The resting place of Rabbi Yehuda Leib HaKohen]]
	'''~~Rabbi~~ Yehuda Leib HaKohen of [[Anipoli]]''' was one of the leading disciples of [[the Maggid of Mezeritch]] and the author of two works: ''[[Ohr HaGanuz]]'' and ''[[V'Zos LiYehuda]]''.		Rabbi '''Yehuda Leib HaKohen of [[Anipoli]]''' was one of the leading disciples of [[the Maggid of Mezeritch]] and the author of two works: ''[[Ohr HaGanuz]]'' and ''[[V'Zos LiYehuda]]''.

	== Life ==		== Life ==
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	''Ohr HaGanuz'' is among the very few works — and possibly the only one — to have received an approbation from the [[Tzemach Tzedek]] (Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, the third Rebbe of Chabad).		''Ohr HaGanuz'' is among the very few works — and possibly the only one — to have received an approbation from the [[Tzemach Tzedek]] (Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, the third Rebbe of Chabad).

	== ~~Notes~~ ==		==References==
	~~<references/>~~		{{reflist}}

	[[Category:Disciples of the Maggid of Mezeritch]]		[[Category:Disciples of the Maggid of Mezeritch]]
	[[Category:Maggidim]]		[[Category:Maggidim]]
	[[he:יהודה לייב הכהן מאניפולי]]		[[he:יהודה לייב הכהן מאניפולי]]

Raphaelwilmowsky: Created page with "The resting place of Rabbi Yehuda Leib HaKohen '''Rabbi Yehuda Leib HaKohen of Anipoli''' was one of the leading disciples of the Maggid of Mezeritch and the author of two works: ''Ohr HaGanuz'' and ''V'Zos LiYehuda''. == Life == Rabbi Yehuda Leib was born to Rabbi Yosef Gershon, who had been a student of the Vilna Gaon before drawing close to the Baal Shem Tov and the world of Chassidus. He passed away..."

2026-06-18T20:09:01Z

Created page with "left|thumb|250px|The resting place of Rabbi Yehuda Leib HaKohen '''Rabbi Yehuda Leib HaKohen of Anipoli''' was one of the leading disciples of the Maggid of Mezeritch and the author of two works: ''Ohr HaGanuz'' and ''V'Zos LiYehuda''. == Life == Rabbi Yehuda Leib was born to Rabbi Yosef Gershon, who had been a student of the Vilna Gaon before drawing close to the Baal Shem Tov and the world of Chassidus. He passed away..."

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[[File:הכהן.jpg|left|thumb|250px|The resting place of Rabbi Yehuda Leib HaKohen]]
'''Rabbi Yehuda Leib HaKohen of [[Anipoli]]''' was one of the leading disciples of [[the Maggid of Mezeritch]] and the author of two works: ''[[Ohr HaGanuz]]'' and ''[[V'Zos LiYehuda]]''.

== Life ==
Rabbi Yehuda Leib was born to Rabbi Yosef Gershon, who had been a student of the [[Vilna Gaon]] before drawing close to the [[Baal Shem Tov]] and the world of [[Chassidus]].

He passed away on the 14th of Tishrei 5567 (1806) and was buried in Anipoli, near the resting places of the Maggid of Mezeritch and Rabbi [[Zusha of Anipoli]].

== Closeness to the Maggid ==
When the [[Maggid of Mezeritch]] passed from this world, only four of his disciples were present: Rabbi [[Avraham HaMalach]] (the Maggid's son), the [[Alter Rebbe]] (Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad), Rabbi Yehuda Leib HaKohen, and Rabbi Zusha of Anipoli.

During those final moments, the Maggid asked whether Rabbi Yehuda Leib was present. When told that he was, the Maggid looked at his face and said in his holy tongue: "You too will be in my company — for the lips of a '''kohen''' (priest) preserve '''da'as''', and I am entirely of the world of [[da'as]] (deep, intimate knowledge of the Divine)."<ref>From a letter of Rabbi Avraham HaMalach, [[Genizas Cherson]], letter 246.</ref>

In the Maggid's own ethical will, he instructed his son, Rabbi Avraham, to cleave to the holy qualities of Rabbi Yehuda Leib HaKohen.

== Friendship with the Alter Rebbe ==
The [[Alter Rebbe]] once said: "There are three people for whom I have a love of the soul — Rabbi Zusha, Rabbi Nachum [of Chernobyl], and Rabbi '''Leib HaKohen'''."<ref>From the stories of the [[mashpia]] R' Shmuel Gronam — ''Remazei Osios'' and ''Lema'an Yeda'u''.</ref>

== His approbation on the Tanya ==
Rabbi Yehuda Leib HaKohen's [[haskama]] (rabbinic approbation) on the [[Tanya]] — the foundational text of Chabad Chassidus authored by the Alter Rebbe — is one of only two such approbations the Tanya received, the other being that of Rabbi Zusha of Anipoli.

The story behind it: At a certain gathering at the home of Rabbi Zusha of Anipoli, attended by disciples of the Maggid, the Alter Rebbe appeared and presented his written manuscripts. Rabbi Zusha and Rabbi Yehuda Leib studied the writings together through the night. Both were deeply stirred by what they read, and in the morning they urged the Alter Rebbe to have the work published.

The Alter Rebbe broke into tears and said: "The great ones have no need of this book, and the simple ones will not benefit from it." They replied: "The great ones do need it — and the simple ones will benefit as well!"<ref>R' Meir Abtzin heard this from the Chassidim R' Yosef Mitamid and R' [[Berel Yafeh]]. Recorded in ''Ben L'Ashari''.</ref>

In his approbation, Rabbi Yehuda Leib describes the Alter Rebbe in the most exalted terms: "the rabbi, the gaon, the man of G‑d, holy and pure, devout and humble."

== Family ==
* His son: Rabbi Yosef.
* His son-in-law: Rabbi Moshe Eliakim Briah of [[Kozhnitz]].

== Works ==
Rabbi Yehuda Leib's writings engage deeply with the wisdom of [[Kabbalah]] — the mystical tradition of Jewish thought — exploring the holy divine names and the spiritual dimensions known as the [[sefiros]] (emanations through which the infinite Divine light is channeled into creation).

His first work, ''[[Ohr HaGanuz]]'' (The Hidden Light), is a commentary on the Torah. His second, ''[[V'Zos LiYehuda]]'' (And This is for Yehuda), is a commentary on the [[Mishnah]], the foundational compilation of Jewish oral law.

''Ohr HaGanuz'' is among the very few works — and possibly the only one — to have received an approbation from the [[Tzemach Tzedek]] (Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, the third Rebbe of Chabad).

== Notes ==
<references/>

[[Category:Disciples of the Maggid of Mezeritch]]
[[Category:Maggidim]]
[[he:יהודה לייב הכהן מאניפולי]]

Yehuda Leib of Anipoli - Revision history

M.robin at 21:29, 18 June 2026