Rebbe

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Rabbi Yisroel Hopstein of Kozienice

A Rebbe (

its dynasties.[1] The titles of Rebbe and Admor, which used to be a general honor title even before the beginning of the movement, became, over time, almost exclusively identified with its Tzadikim
.

Usage

Today, rebbe is used in the following ways:

  1. Rabbi, a teacher of Torah – Yeshiva students or cheder (elementary school) students, when talking to their teacher, would address him with the honorific Rebbe, as the Yiddish-German equivalent to the Hebrew word rabbi (רַבִּיrabi [ˈʁabi]).
  2. Personal mentor and teacher—A person's main
    Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshiva teacher, or mentor, who teaches him or her Talmud and Torah and gives religious guidance, is referred to as rebbe (/ˈrɛbə/),[2]
    also as an equivalent to the term "rabbi".
  3. Spiritual leader—The spiritual head of a Hasidic movement is called a rebbe (
    Children of Israel
    ".

An ordinary communal rabbi, or rebbe in Yiddish, is sometimes distinct from a rav (/ˈræv/, also pronounced rov /ˈrɒv/ by Jews of Eastern European or Russian origin), who is a more authoritative halakhic decider. A significant function of a rav is to answer questions of halakha (the corpus of Jewish law), but he is not as authoritative as a posek. The short form reb is an honorific for Orthodox Jewish men, who are most likely to have profound knowledge of the Talmud and Torah, as opposed to Reconstructionist, Reform or Conservative Judaism. Originally, this title was added to the names of Jews at the time of the schism with the Karaite sect, as a sign of loyalty to the original rabbinic tradition, known today as Orthodox Judaism.[3]

Hasidism

As a rule, among hasidim, rebbe (

Hebrew adoneinu moreinu v'rabeinu (Hebrew
: אדמו"ר acronym for אדוננו מורנו ורבנו), meaning 'our master, our teacher, and our rabbi', which is now the modern Hebrew word in Israel for rebbe.

Hasidim use the term rebbe also in a more elevated manner, to denote someone that they perceive not only as the religious leader or

Hasid
has a rebbe as his spiritual guide and an additional rav for rulings on issues of halakha.

Hasidim use the concept of a (non-Hasidic) rebbe in the simple sense of rabbi, as the Yiddish-German equivalent to the

Ploni
(so-and-so), for advice about this personal matter."

The Hasidic rebbe

A Hasidic rebbe (

dynasty, also referred to as "Grand Rabbi" in English or an ADMOR, a Hebrew acronym for Adoneinu-Moreinu-veRabbeinu ("our lord/master, teacher, and rabbi"). Outside of Hasidic circles, the term "Grand Rabbi" has been used to refer to a rabbi with a higher spiritual status. The practice became widespread in America in the early 1900s when Hasidic rebbes began to emigrate to the United States and was derived from the German
Grossrabbiner.

Rabbi

Magid of Mezritch
.

The first "rebbe" to be known as such was the Baal Shem Tov's grandson, Rabbi Boruch of

Mezhibozh
, who was referred to as "The Rebbe" during his lifetime. After him, those who rose to positions of leadership and their successors began to be called rebbe. The title gradually came to suggest a higher spiritual status.

Each Hasidic group refers to its leader as "the rebbe".

Hannah Rachel Verbermacher, also known as the Maiden of Ludmir or the "Ludmirer Moyd", was the only female rebbe in the history of the Hasidic movement; she lived in the 19th century in Ukraine and Israel.[5][6]

Relationship of Hasidim to their rebbe

Rebbe as tzadik

According to Maimonides,[7] a tzadik is "one whose merit surpasses [his/her] iniquity", and every person can reach the level of a Tzadik. According to the Tanya, a tzadik has no evil inclination, and only a select few predestined to attain this level can attain it. According to Kabbalah (and particularly the Hasidic understanding of Kabbalah), the world is sustained on the "shoulders" of Tzadikim Nistarim, divinely predestined exceptionally righteous people in a generation. Nobody knows who was such a tzaddik, even one of these exceptionally righteous people would not know that they are such a tzadik. These people are understood to have perfected their service of God to such an extent that they become literally and physically aware of God. These righteous people's perception (of both spiritual and physical, not to mention temporal matters) transcends the apparent boundaries of existence.

However, a Hasidic rebbe is generally said to be a righteous person, called a "

tzaddik".[1]
Furthermore, a rebbe is said to be able to affect divine providence, and a rebbe is said to be able to "see the future", or at least have strong insight into the life and trials of another.

As a result, Hasidim in some Hasidic circles seek their rebbe's advice for a variety of concerns: spiritual, physical, and even business concerns. Furthermore, many people seek the blessing (bracha) of a rebbe (and a Hasid will specifically seek the blessing of his rebbe) for anything, from minor (and all the more so major) physical troubles, to grand spiritual concerns.

Tzadik HaDor

In some movements the Hasidim believe that their rebbe is the "tzadik hador" (

tzaddik or Nasi HaDor (although others might have greater spiritual stature) connects best with one's soul. For example, the Kosover Rebbe makes yearly pilgrimages to the Tosher
Rebbe. Nonetheless, his followers remain very loyal to him.

Rebbe as conduit

Unlike rabbis or non-Hasidic rebbes in other Jewish movements,

deveikut, a Jewish concept referring to closeness to God, to the Hasidic rebbe, embodying and channeling the Divine flow of blessing to the world, because Creation is dependent on the continuous flow of Divine lifeforce, without which it would revert to nothingness.[8]

Hasidic followers of a rebbe

Given a rebbe's physical awareness of God and the rebbe's transcendent perception of Godliness, many Hasidim take special care to observe their rebbe's specific and sometimes minute practices. Even things that seem mundane may nonetheless be seen by Hasidim as incredibly significant. For example,

peyos
identical to those of the Skverer Rebbe.

While Hasidim do not always follow the specific practices of their rebbe, the rebbe can create practices that may be specific and unique to his Hasidim. For example, Rabbi Aaron Roth (Reb Areleh, as he was called) the first rebbe of Shomer Emunim, told his Hasidim to pause frequently while eating their meals to keep them from overindulging. A Hasid will usually display love and admiration for their rebbe as they would a close family member, if not more so. However, the degree and nature of this belief vary depending on the movement.

Functions of a Hasidic rebbe

The Bostoner Rebbe feert tish, lit. "runs [a] table" in his synagogue in Beitar Illit

There are some functions that are exclusively the domain of Hasidic rebbes:

A rebbe conducts a

Yiddish: פֿירט טיש: feert tish, literally, "to run [a] table") or a farbrengen—a communal festive meal with highly mystical overtones—on Shabbat and other occasions. At a tish, the rebbe distributes shirayim (lit. remnants) to the Hasidim seated at or gathered around the table. When a gathering similar to a tish is led by a rabbi who is not a rebbe (i.e. a Mashpia
), it can be referred to as a botte (esp. amongst groups from Romania) or sheves Achim.

A rebbe has times when Hasidim (and other petitioners) may come for a private audience. A kvitel (Yiddish for "note", plural kvitlach) is a note with the name of the petitioner and a short request for which the rebbe is asked to pray. The formula in which a person's name is written is one's own Hebrew name, the son/daughter of one's mother's Hebrew name, such as Shimon ben Rivkah (Simeon the son of Rebecca). Hasidim believes that rebbes read supernaturally "between the lines" of a kvitel, and in every Hasidic movement there are numerous anecdotes relating how the rebbe saw things that were not written in the kvitel.

In most Hasidic groups, the kvitel is written by the rebbe's

conduit
through which the blessing is given, and a redemption for the soul of the petitioner. ("A gift makes its receiver glad" is given as an explanation: a blessing only comes from a joyous heart.) It is also customary to tip the gabbai, although this too is not obligatory.

Other tasks are not exclusive to Hasidic rebbes but are important roles they play in their community similar to other

brit milahs, and other events. Hasidic rebbes also play a central role in the intellectual and social life of their communities, delivering sermons and dialogues and building educational and religious institutions.[9]

Typology of Hasidic rebbes

Zalman Schachter-Shalomi theorized that the historical Hasidic Rebbes may be viewed as occupying one or several of the following roles or functions about their support of their followers:[10]: 59–71 

See also

  • List of Hasidic dynasties

References

  1. ^ a b c d Heilman, Samuel. "The Rebbe and the Resurgence of Orthodox Judaism." Religion and Spirituality (Audio). UCTV, 20 Oct 2011. web. 31 Jul 2013.
  2. ^ a b c Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary
  3. ^ Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, Halikhot Shlomo 1:370–373;
    Salo Wittmayer Baron, A Social and Religious History of the Jews, vol. 5 p. 283
  4. ^ Schneerson, Rabbi Menachem Mendel. "The Head". Kabbalah and the Mystical. Chabad-Lubavitch Media Center. Archived from the original on 19 June 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  5. ^ "YIVO - Maiden of Ludmir". www.yivoencyclopedia.org. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  6. . Retrieved 1 May 2018 – via Google Books.
  7. Babylonian Talmud 49b–50a: "One whose merit surpasses his iniquity is a tzadik". Mishneh Torah, Sefer Madda, Laws of Repentance
    3:1
  8. ^ God and the Zaddik as the two focal points of Hasidic worship Ada Rapoport-Albert, in Essential Papers on Hasidism edited by Gershon Hundert, NYU Press 1991
  9. ^ "Vienna Celebrates 'the Most Influential Rabbi of Modern History'". Alexandria, VA. Connection Newspapers. May 7, 2014. Chabad Tysons Jewish Center will present Paradigm Shift: Transformational Life Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, a new six-session course by the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute. The course will be offered as part of a series of local activities in Northern Virginia marking 20 years since the passing of "the Rebbe", Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson of righteous memory. The Rebbe was a visionary religious leader who inspired countless individuals during his lifetime and established a global network of educational, social, and religious institutions to revive the post-holocaust Jewish landscape.
  10. ^ Schachter-Shalomi, Zalman Meshullam (1991). Spiritual Intimacy: A Study of Counseling in Hasidism. Jason Aronson.

External links

This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article: Rebbe. Articles is available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license; additional terms may apply.Privacy Policy