The Maggid of Mezeritch: Difference between revisions

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[[File:מצבת המגיד ממזריטש.jpg~~|left~~|thumb~~|250px~~|The old tombstone at the gravesite of the Maggid of Mezritch and his disciples Rabbi [[Zusha of Anipoli]] and Rabbi [[Yehuda Leib HaKohen]] in Anipoli]]

[[File:מצבת המגיד ממזריטש.jpg|thumb|The old tombstone at the gravesite of the Maggid of Mezritch and his disciples Rabbi [[Zusha of Anipoli]] and Rabbi [[Yehuda Leib HaKohen]] in Anipoli]]

The '''Maggid of Mezritch''' (also known as the Mezritcher Maggid, or simply, the Maggid) was the foremost disciple of the [[Baal Shem Tov]], the founder of the Chassidic movement. One year after the Baal Shem Tov's passing, he was appointed as his successor and leader of the Chassidic movement as a whole. During his tenure, opposition to Chassidic teachings grew — yet at the same time, many of the greatest Torah scholars of the generation joined the movement. After the Maggid's passing, the leadership of Chassidus (the Chassidic movement) was distributed among his many disciples. The [[Alter Rebbe]] — Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of Chabad — was among the most distinguished and beloved of his students, and regarded the Maggid as his "spiritual father."

== Life History ==

Rabbi DovBer was born to Rabbi Avraham and Rebbetzin Chava in the town of Lukatch, near Rovno, Ukraine. There is no Chabad tradition regarding his exact birth date.<ref>There are various traditions and conjectures regarding his year of birth, but within the Chabad tradition the year remains unknown. See the following footnote for further detail.</ref><ref name="birth year">Many claim he was born in 5464 [1704] (see [https://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=5695&st=&pgnum=40&hilite= Ohalei Tzaddikim and the writings of Rabbi Yaakov Darbermadiker]). Some say he was born around 5470 [1710], and according to an early tradition of Rabbi Avraham Yaakov of Sadigura (the first), he was born in 5458 [1698]. According to this latter tradition, he was nearly the same age as his teacher the Baal Shem Tov — and some say he may have even been older. Others say (in the book ''Rosh Bnei Yisrael'', p. 28) that he was born in 5448 [1688]. The Rebbe explained that the Maggid's disciples were so deeply immersed in his teachings that they paid little attention to the biographical details of his life — this based on the words of the Previous Rebbe (Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn), who stated that the Maggid's year of birth is simply not known.</ref>

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-[[File:מצבת המגיד ממזריטש.jpg|left|thumb|250px|The old tombstone at the gravesite of the Maggid of Mezritch and his disciples Rabbi [[Zusha of Anipoli]] and Rabbi [[Yehuda Leib HaKohen]] in Anipoli]]
+[[File:מצבת המגיד ממזריטש.jpg|thumb|The old tombstone at the gravesite of the Maggid of Mezritch and his disciples Rabbi [[Zusha of Anipoli]] and Rabbi [[Yehuda Leib HaKohen]] in Anipoli]]
 The '''Maggid of Mezritch''' (also known as the Mezritcher Maggid, or simply, the Maggid) was the foremost disciple of the [[Baal Shem Tov]], the founder of the Chassidic movement. One year after the Baal Shem Tov's passing, he was appointed as his successor and leader of the Chassidic movement as a whole. During his tenure, opposition to Chassidic teachings grew — yet at the same time, many of the greatest Torah scholars of the generation joined the movement. After the Maggid's passing, the leadership of Chassidus (the Chassidic movement) was distributed among his many disciples. The [[Alter Rebbe]] — Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of Chabad — was among the most distinguished and beloved of his students, and regarded the Maggid as his "spiritual father."
 == Life History ==
 Rabbi DovBer was born to Rabbi Avraham and Rebbetzin Chava in the town of Lukatch, near Rovno, Ukraine. There is no Chabad tradition regarding his exact birth date.<ref>There are various traditions and conjectures regarding his year of birth, but within the Chabad tradition the year remains unknown. See the following footnote for further detail.</ref><ref name="birth year">Many claim he was born in 5464 [1704] (see [https://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=5695&st=&pgnum=40&hilite= Ohalei Tzaddikim and the writings of Rabbi Yaakov Darbermadiker]). Some say he was born around 5470 [1710], and according to an early tradition of Rabbi Avraham Yaakov of Sadigura (the first), he was born in 5458 [1698]. According to this latter tradition, he was nearly the same age as his teacher the Baal Shem Tov — and some say he may have even been older. Others say (in the book ''Rosh Bnei Yisrael'', p. 28) that he was born in 5448 [1688]. The Rebbe explained that the Maggid's disciples were so deeply immersed in his teachings that they paid little attention to the biographical details of his life — this based on the words of the Previous Rebbe (Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn), who stated that the Maggid's year of birth is simply not known.</ref>