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50-646: The town's name in Yiddish is Amdur, which lends its name to the Amdur Hasidic dynasty founded by Chaim Chaykl of Amdur . The first mention of Indura appears in the 16th century, when the settlement was under the rule of Jan Dovojnovich, who, in 1522, built a wooden church of the Holy Trinity in Indura. Between the 16th and 17th century, Indura was under the rule of Radziwiłł , Pac , and Kiszka families, later being owned by

100-573: A leading disciple. After the death of Dov Ber of Mezeritch in 1772, Chaim Chaykl soon settled in Indura, where he established his own Hasidic court a year later in 1773. In the following years, he soon became the most ardent and uncompromising proponent of Hasidism in Lithuania-Belarus. He sent out several emissaries to spread the world of Amdur Hasidism, which led to thousands of young Lithuanian Hasids flocking to his court, leaving their Misnagdic backgrounds. This enraged local Misnagdim, leading to

150-498: A second time, he went outside again and cried: "Let all happiness come to the children of Israel—but they shall give their money to thorn bushes and stones!" The baby was too weak to cry, and the Maggid sighed rather than "cursing". Immediately the answer came, and a voice said: "You have lost your share in the coming world." The Maggid replied: "Well, then, the reward has been done away with. Now I can begin to serve in good earnest." He

200-522: A synagogue was built which also stands to this day. According to the Riga Peace Treaty of 1921, Indura fell into the interwar Polish Republic , within which it was administratively located in the Białystok Voivodeship . In the 1921 census, 64.9% people declared Jewish nationality, 33.1% people declared Polish nationality, and 1.8% declared Belarusian nationality. On 17 September 1939, after

250-408: Is able to remove all his thoughts from earthly things and concentrate completely on God. Because of his union with God, he is the connecting link between God and creation, and thus the channel of blessing and mercy. The love that men have for the tzadik provides a path to God. The duty of the ordinary mortal is therefore to love the tzadik and be a student of his. In this connection Hasidim cite

300-479: Is attained. Thus the vegetable kingdom serves as food for the animal kingdom, in order that the lower manifestation of divinity, existing in the former, may be developed into a higher one. Man being the highest manifestation has a duty to attain the highest pinnacle in order to be united with God. The way to achieve this, he argued, is through prayer, in which man forgets himself and his surroundings, and concentrates all his thought and feeling upon union with God. Like

350-602: Is buried in Hannopil , beside Zusha of Hanipol . Dov Ber was originally a student of the Pnei Yehoshua later became an admirer of Isaac Luria 's system of Kabbalah , which was becoming popular at that time, and was aware of Moshe Chaim Luzzatto , whose writings, then only in manuscript, were well known among the Polish mystics of the period. Dov Ber followed the Lurian school, living

400-418: Is follow" The elite group of disciples, the "Chevraya Kaddisha" ("Holy Society"), included Rabbis Aharon of Karlin , Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk , Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev , Elimelech of Lizhensk , Zusha of Hanipol , Shmelka (later Chief Rabbi of Nikolsburg), Pinchas Horowitz (later Chief Rabbi of Frankfurt-am-Main and author of profound Talmudic commentaries), and Shneur Zalman of Liadi (author of

450-447: Is in annotated edition by Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kohn (Jerusalem, 1974). For the Maggid , God manifests Himself in creation, which is only one aspect of His activity, and which is therefore in reality a self-limitation. Just as God in His goodness limited Himself, and thus descended to the level of the world and man, so it is the duty of the latter to strive to unite with God. The removal of

500-477: Is infinite and men cannot comprehend Him. He concluded that the observance of a mitzvah can be interpreted as an act desired by God, and it is only this desire of God's which imparts validity to the mitzvah. Thus, according to Chaim Chaykl, it was thus forbidden to serve god for the purpose of personal interest. He believed that when a man stands before God and evil thoughts enter his mind, one should not repel them, but rather elevate these thoughts to their source. In

550-586: Is traced to King David by way of Rabbi Yohanan, the sandal-maker and master in the Talmud . The boy replied: "And what does that matter! I shall get you a new family tree which begins with me!" When he was young, he reportedly lived in great poverty with his wife. One legend relates that when a child was born, they had no money to pay the midwife. His wife complained and the Maggid went outside to "curse" Israel. He went outside and said: "O children of Israel, may abundant blessings come upon you!" When his wife complained

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600-463: Is unknown and some sources place it around 1700. Little is known about him before he became a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov . A Hasidic legend states that, when he was five years old, his family home burst into flames. On hearing his mother weeping, he asked: "Mother, do we have to be so unhappy because we have lost a house?" She replied that she was mourning the family tree , which was destroyed, and

650-507: The Maggid of Mezeritch or Mezeritcher Maggid , was a disciple of Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer (the Baal Shem Tov ), the founder of Hasidic Judaism , and was chosen as his successor to lead the early movement. Dov Ber is regarded as the first systematic exponent of the mystical philosophy underlying the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov, and through his teaching and leadership, the main architect of

700-676: The Tanya , and by instructions of his master, author of an updated version of the Shulchan Aruch code of Jewish Law for the new movement). These disciples, being themselves great Talmudic authorities and well-versed in Kabbalah and Hasidic philosophy , were successful in turning Hasidus into a vast movement. Hasidism spread rapidly as a result of Dov Ber's powerful personality, gaining footholds in Volhynia , Lithuania , and Ukraine . The dissolution of

750-529: The Amdurer Rebbe , was an 18th-century Hasidic rebbe and author who is amongst the earliest founders of Lithuanian Hasidism . A leading disciple of Dov Ber of Mezeritch , in 1773 he founded the Amdur Hasidic dynasty in Indura , Belarus where he faced fierce opposition from local Misnagdim . Despite this, Chaim Chaykl would go on to lay the foundation for several important Hasidic principles. His Divrei Torah

800-520: The Baal Shem Tov . Dov Ber is reported to have learned from the Baal Shem Tov to value everyday things and events, and to emphasize the proper attitude with which to study Torah . The mystical philosophy of the Baal Shem Tov rejected the emphasis on mortification of the body in Musar and Kabbalistic traditions, seeing the greater spiritual advantage in transforming the material into a vehicle for holiness, rather than breaking it. This could be achieved by

850-508: The Mashiach (Messiah) would have come. The ban issued at Vilna drew the eyes of the world toward Hasidism. Rabbi Dov Ber ignored the opposition, but it is blamed in part for his death in Mezhirichi on December 15, 1772. The Maggid left no writings of his own. Many of his teachings were recorded by his disciples and appeared in anthologies "Maggi D Debara V le-Ya'ako V " (מגיד דבריו ליעקב

900-573: The National Library of the Hebrew University . They consist of excerpts from his sermons, transcribed and compiled by his students. The first to be published ( Likkutei Amarim ) was collated by his relative, Rabbi Shlomo Flam of Lutzk, who, as he himself notes, was unhappy with the manuscript but did not have time to edit it properly. There is a great deal of overlapping between all these texts, but each contains teachings that do not appear in

950-467: The Neo-Platonists , he said that when a man becomes so absorbed in the contemplation of an object that his whole power of thought is concentrated upon one point, his self becomes unified with that point. So prayer in such a state of real ecstasy, effecting a union between God and man, is extremely important, and may even be able to overcome the laws of nature. Rabbi Dov Ber taught that only the tzadik

1000-542: The Noam Elimelech and thus huge portions of Polish Hasidism and well as the teachings of Karlin-Stolin. Chaim Chaykl emphasized the importance of prioritizing the divine will over any human will, by abjuring physical reality and stripping the commandments of their physical nature. He once famously stated that one should aspire to make himself into nothingness by means of adopting indifference to this world and its pleasures. Above all else, Chaim Chaykl taught that God

1050-748: The Ogiński and Massalski families in the 18th century. Following the third partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795, Indura became a part of the Russian Empire in the Grodno district and was under the rule of the Brzhostovsky family. In 1815, a stone church was built in the town and in 1881 the Orthodox church of St Alexander Nevsky was built, which still stands to this day. In 1885,

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1100-604: The Soviet invasion of Poland at the start of World War II , Indura became part of the USSR , since 1940 it has been the center of the village council. From June 1941 to 21 July 1944 it was under German occupation . The Jews of the village (about 2,000 people) were herded into a ghetto , and in 1942 they were sent to death camps . Amdur (Hasidic dynasty) Chaim Chaykl (Chaika) Levin of Amdur ( Hebrew : חיים חייקל (חייקא) לוין מאמדור; c.  1730 - March 13, 1787), also known as

1150-537: The "Four-Lands" synod in 1764 proved favorable to its spread. The local rabbis were annoyed by the growth of the movement, but could not easily do anything about it. The Gaon of Vilna was the only rabbi whose reputation extended beyond the borders of Lithuania. When Hasidism appeared in Vilna , the Vilna Gaon enacted the first major excommunication against Hasidism, which was issued on April 11, 1772. The Vilna Gaon believed

1200-698: The Baal Shem Tov's residence in Medzhybizh . This move benefited the growth of the movement, as it was closer to new territories in Galicia , Poland and Belarus to reach. It was also nearer to the centre of Rabbinic opposition in Lithuania , who perceived of the new movement as a spiritual threat. The disciples of Dov Ber related that: With the move of Rabbi Dov Ber, the Shechina (Divine Presence) "Packed up Her belongings and moved from Medzhybizh to Mezeritch, and all we can do

1250-504: The Bible. These served as texts for the Maggid's subsequent sermon. Solomon Maimon wrote: "He was such a master in his craft that he combined these disjointed verses into an harmonious whole." He attracted a remarkable group of scholarly and saintly disciples, including most of his fellow students of the Baal Shem Tov. The Baal Shem Tov had travelled across Jewish areas, reaching out to and inspiring

1300-564: The Maggid in his memoirs, in which he passes a strong negative judgement on the Hasidic movement. He relates that the Maggid passed the entire week in his room, permitting only a few confidants to enter. He appeared in public only on Shabbat , dressed in white satin. On those occasions he prayed with people , and kept open house for anyone who wanted to dine with him. After the meal he would reportedly begin to chant, and placing his hand upon his forehead, would ask those present to quote any verse from

1350-550: The Yeshiva of the Vilna Gaon , where he became one of the Vilna Gaon's closest disciples. In his mid-twenties, Chaim Chaykl was introduced to Hasidism by Aharon of Karlin who noticed the young Chaim Chaykl sitting and engaging in Torah. Aharon of Karlin asked Chaim Chaykl why he didn’t learn Torah using the teachings of Rabbi Meir , Chaim Chaykl responded stating that to his understanding he

1400-516: The author of the first Hasidic book published ( " Toldos Yaacov Yosef " in 1780), one of the most direct records of the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov. By collective consent, the Maggid assumed the leadership of Hasidism. In effect he became the architect of the Hasidic movement and is responsible for its successful dissemination. The Maggid was housebound because of his poor physical condition. Jewish philosopher Solomon Maimon records an encounter with

1450-556: The common folk, whose sincerity he cherished. He sought to revive the broken spirit of the simple Jews. At the same time, he would also seek out the great scholars of Talmud and Kabbalah , to win them over to Hasidism, to whom he taught the inner meaning of his teachings. Many Hasidic tales relate the stories of the Baal Shem Tov's travels, accompanied by his close disciples, and led by his non-Jewish wagon driver. Dov Ber, in contrast, set up his court in Mezhirichi , where his lameness restricted him, and devoted his main focus to articulating

1500-462: The court of Amdur, if one has sinned, he should unite himself to the soul of the tzadik above all else. The ideals of religious ecstasy and joy were fundamental to Amdur Hasidism and Chaim Chaykl clearly taught that a life of joy arises from religious awe, devotion, and the proximity to God one achieves by minimizing preoccupation with the physicalness. He was known to have prayed with intense Kavanah , allegedly even doing somersaults during prayer, which

1550-780: The last letters of which title spell "Dov"), known also under the title of Likkutei Amarim ("Collected Sayings"), published at Korets in 1780 (second edition with additions Korets, 1784), and frequently reprinted; Likkutim Yekarim ("Precious Collections"), published at Lemberg in 1792; Or Torah (the largest collection) published in Korets, 1804; Or Ha'emet published in Husiatin, 1899; Kitvei Kodesh (small collection) published in Lemberg. 1862; Shemu'ah Tovah (small collection) published in Warsaw. 1938. A number of manuscripts with additional teachings are in

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1600-453: The latter's everyday life. Hearing only similar stories at each subsequent visit, Dov Ber decided to return home. Just as he was about to leave, he was summoned again to the Baal Shem Tov's house. The Baal Shem Tov opened an "Eitz Chaim" of Rabbi Chaim Vital (Rabbi Isaac Luria's chief disciple), and asked him to explain a certain passage. Dov Ber did so to the best of his ability, but the Baal Shem Tov declared that he had not understood

1650-601: The laws of Kashrut . Chaim Chaykl ultimately believed that the role of the tzadik was that of a miracle worker and that the tzadik was to serve as the imputes of God by embodying and channelling the Ayin-Yesh , through a process of mystical leadership based in Kabbalah and the philosophy of the Baal Shem Tov. He believed that the tzaddik should serve as a metaphysical figure mediating between heaven and earth, stating that his Hasidim could only communicate with God through him. This belief would later go on to influence figures like

1700-411: The life of an ascetic , fasting a great deal, praying intensely, and living in poverty. He is reported to have become a cripple as a result of poor nourishment. One account has it that on account of his poor health he was persuaded to seek out the Baal Shem Tov for a cure. He arrived at the Baal Shem Tov's house, expecting to hear expositions of profound mysteries, but instead was told stories of

1750-470: The movement was antagonistic to Talmudic rabbinism and was suspicious that it was a remnant of the recent Sabbatean movement. See Hasidim and Mitnagdim . The Maggid's pupils Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk and Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi tried to visit the Vilna Gaon to bring about reconciliation, but the Vilna Gaon declined to meet them. Lubavitch legend has it that had the Gaon met with these two Rabbis,

1800-707: The movement. He established his base in Mezhirichi (in Volhynia ), which moved the centre of Hasidism from Medzhybizh (in Podolia ), where he focused his attention on raising a close circle of disciples to spread the movement. After his death the third generation of leadership took their different interpretations and disseminated across appointed regions of Eastern Europe, rapidly spreading Hasidism beyond Ukraine , to Poland , Galicia and Russia . His teachings appear in Magid Devarav L'Yaakov , Or Torah , Likutim Yekarim , Or Ha'emet , Kitvei Kodesh , Shemuah Tovah , and in

1850-481: The mystical-philosophical system within the Baal Shem Tov's teachings to his close circle of disciples, who would lead the future movement. The simple folk were also able to visit during the Sabbath public attendancies of Dov Ber, and receive spiritual encouragement and comfort. The Maggid's court became the spiritual seat and place of pilgrimage of the second generation of the Hasidic movement, and moved its centre north from

1900-604: The others. Work and editing has been done on them: Maggid Devarav Layaakov was edited by Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kohn (Jerusalem, 1961). Later, a critical edition was edited by Prof. Rivkah Shatz-Uffenheimer (Hebrew University, Jerusalem, 1976). Kehot Publishing of Chabad put out another edition edited by Rabbi Jacob Immanuel Schochet (Brooklyn, NY, 2008). These editions all contain introductions, annotations and indices. Or Torah has appeared in an annotated edition with introduction, commentaries, cross-references and indices, authored by Schochet (Brooklyn, NY, 2006). Likkutim Yekarim

1950-471: The outbreak of the second round of polemics between the two factions in 1781. He is described in detail by the Misnagdic writer, David of Makova in his work "Shever Poshe'im" , in which he heavily criticizes Chaim Chaykl's proponency of popular tzadikism , especially his beliefs sounding Pidyonim. Some Misnagdim went as far as to spread rumours that Chaim Chaykl would eat milk and meat together , thus defying

2000-405: The outer shell of mundane things, or "the ascension of the [divine] spark," being a recognition of the presence of God in all earthly things, it is the duty of man, should he experience pleasure, to receive it as a divine manifestation, for God is the source of all pleasure. Rabbi Dov Ber's view of prayer was that it is the purpose of the life on earth to advance until the perfect union with God

2050-416: The perception of the omnipresent Divine immanence in all things, from understanding the inner mystical Torah teachings of Hasidic thought . Under the guidance of the Baal Shem Tov , Dov Ber abandoned his ascetic lifestyle, and recovered his health, though his left foot remained lame. The Baal Shem Tov said that "before Dov Ber came to me, he was already a pure golden menorah (candelebrum). All I needed to do

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2100-482: The real meaning of the passage. Dov Ber reviewed it once more and insisted that his interpretation was correct. The Baal Shem Tov then proceeded to explain the passage himself. Legend has it that, as he spoke, the darkness suddenly gave way to light, and angels appeared and listened to the Baal Shem Tov's words. "Your explanations," he said to Dov Ber, "were correct, but your deductions were thoughts without any soul in them." This experience persuaded Dov Ber to stay with

2150-513: The region in Eastern Europe where Jews resided and hence the influence of the local Yiddish dialects. The name דוב-בער Dov-Ber is traceable back to the Hebrew : דב , romanized :  dov , lit.   'bear', and Yiddish : בער , romanized :  ber , lit.   'bear'. It is thus an example of a bilingual tautological name . Dov Ber of Mezeritch

2200-588: The shoulders of Reb Dov Ber of Mezritch. And so, Reb Dov Ber, who later became known as the Mezritcher Maggid, assumed leadership of the Chassidic movement. And so it was Immediately after the death of the Baal Shem Tov in 1760, his son Rabbi Tsvi became the next Rebbe. After only a year he gave up this position. Among the disciples of the Baal Shem Tov, two stood out as contenders to succeed him, Dov Ber and Yacov Yoseph of Polonne . Yacov Yoseph would later become

2250-773: The works authored by his disciples. His inner circle of disciples, known as the Chevraia Kadisha ("Holy Brotherhood"), included Rabbis Avraham HaMalach (his son), Nachum of Czernobyl , Elimelech of Lizhensk , Zusha of Hanipol , Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev , Boruch of Medzhybizh , Aharon (HaGadol) of Karlin , Chaim Chaykl of Amdur , Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk , Shmuel Shmelke of Nikolsburg , Shlomo Flam (the Lutzker Maggid), Asher Zebi of Ostrowo , Zev Wolf of Zhitomyr , and Shneur Zalman of Liadi . The most common transliterations are Dov-Ber, Dov Baer and DovBer; rarely used forms are Dob Ber or Dobh Ber, which often depend on

2300-652: Was an entirely ecstatic process in Amdur. Following Chaim Chaykl's death in 1787, he was succeeded by his son Shmuel of Amdur , who later left Amdur to become a disciple of Shneur Zalman of Liadi . Nosson of Makova was his son-in-law. About one hundred years after his death, several of Chaim Chaykl's Divrei Torah were posthumously published in 1891 in Warsaw under the time "Chaim V'Chesed". Dov Ber of Mezeritch Dov Ber ben Avraham of Mezeritch ( Yiddish : דֹב בּער פֿון מעזעריטש ; died December 4, 1772 O.S. ), also known as

2350-507: Was ignite it." Regarding his holiness, the Baal Shem Tov also reputedly said that if Dov Ber had not been lame, and had been able to ritually immerse in the mikvah , then he could have been able to bring the Mashiach . Suddenly, Reb Tzvi got up and said, “My father appeared and told me that the Shechina now dwells in Mezritch.” Then Reb Tzvi removed the white cloak of leadership and put it onto

2400-499: Was in fact learning in such a fashion. Aharon answered him stating that “If so, you are making Rabbi Meir a liar!” Aharon walked away, but Chaim Chaykl soon ran after him and asked him how one reaches such a level of learning. Aharon answered that he himself didn’t know the answer, but that if Chaim Chaykl would like to find out, he should travel to Mezhirichi . Chaim Chaykl agreed and the two men travelled to Mezhirichi to learn under Dov Ber of Mezeritch , who soon accepted Chaim Chaykl as

2450-624: Was known as the Maggid —"Preacher" or literally "Sayer," one who preaches and admonishes to go in God's ways—of Mezritsh (the German form Meseritz is sometimes used instead of Mezeritch ). Towards the end of his life he was also known as the Maggid of Rivne , the town where he was buried. Dov Ber was born in Lokachi , Volhynia in 1710, according to the Jewish Encyclopedia , though his year of birth

2500-458: Was posthumously published in 1891 in Warsaw under the title "Chaim V'Chesed", which is now an important Hasidic work. Born around 1730, according to Hasidic tradition he was descended from an unbroken line of Tzadikim Nistarim . His father Rabbi Shmuel Levin (1700–1765) was a fervent Misnagid. In his early years, Chaim Chaykl served as a cantor in Karlin , later being sent by his father to learn at

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