Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk

Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk (1730-1788). He founded Chassidism in Belarus, and later in Eretz Yisrael. His authority was recognized by most branches of Chassidism.  

Yahrzeit - 1 Iyar

Burial place - Tiberias, old cemetery Menachem Mendel was born in Vitebsk to Moshe and Liba. His father Moshe was a close follower of the Baal Shem Tov, to whom he first brought his son when he was nine years old. He later studied for a time under the Maggid in Rovno. He married Raizel, the daughter of a man from Minsk, and settled in his father-in-law's house in Minsk. Menachem Mendel quickly became known as a scholar, and Jews began coming to him for advice, and sometimes asking him, as head of a beit din, to resolve disputes. After he condemned a locally influential wealthy man, the latter did not let it go and began persecuting Menachem Mendel. Because of this persecution, Menachem Mendel had to flee to Radoshkovichi, and then to nearby Horodok. After the passing of the Maggid, he returned to Vitebsk, where he became the recognized leader of the Chassidim of Belarus and Lithuania. At the age of 9, Menachem Mendel met the Baal Shem Tov, thanks to his father, a close follower of the renowned leader.

He was a very gifted child, destined for greatness.

He studied under the Maggid of Mezeritch and was recognized as one of his most outstanding students. After the Maggid's passing, he returned to Vitebsk and settled near Horodok.

Among the thousands of Chassidim who surrounded him were many former students of the Maggid - Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, Rabbi Baruch of Kossov, and others.

Horodok became the hub from which Chassidic influence spread throughout the regions of Lithuania and Belarus.

At that time, Lithuanian Jewry was led by the Vilna Gaon - a giant of Torah. He was a staunch opponent of Chassidism.

As a result, the Jews of Lithuania, many of whom were Misnagdim - opponents of Chassidism - were not pleased with the growth of this new movement nearby. They felt threatened by it and did everything they could to prevent the spread of Chassidism.

In 1777, Rabbi Menachem Mendel, together with Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, traveled to Vilna to explain the principles of Chassidism to the Vilna Gaon and ease his misgivings. The Vilna Gaon refused to receive the visitors.

Rabbi Menachem Mendel then made a historic decision. To avoid further conflict, he decided to leave the battlefield in Lithuania, and in March 1777 he set out for Eretz Yisrael at the head of a group of 300 Chassidim - an unprecedented undertaking.

They settled in Safed, and later in the Galilee. This group laid the foundation for the future Chassidic movement in Eretz Yisrael, and also made a significant contribution to the revival of the Galilee in general.

From his home in Eretz Yisrael, Rabbi Menachem Mendel maintained close contact with the Chassidim in Russia through personal emissaries and a steady stream of letters.

He was succeeded by his only son, Rabbi Moshe.

His reflections and commentaries were published in "Pri Ha'aretz."

His commentaries on the Torah are quite esoteric and abstruse, based on Kabbalah, and written in a very compact and terse style - they offer a hint but do not develop the matters further.

Since he was one of the first leaders to bring a group of Chassidim to Eretz Yisrael, he, together with leaders of other movements of that time, is considered a pioneer of the movement to return to Zion.

The Scent of Mashiach

In his later years, Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk lived in Safed. One day he heard a commotion in the street and sent his attendant to find out what was happening.

The attendant returned with the news that Mashiach had come. Rabbi Menachem Mendel opened the window to breathe in the air, shook his head, and returned to his affairs.

Rabbi Menachem Mendel had reached such a spiritual level that he knew the scent of Mashiach.

He knew what Mashiach smelled like, and his room was filled with that scent.

He needed to open the window to check whether the same scent was present outside.

Baba Sali

One Rosh Chodesh Iyar, Baba Sali went to sleep early, woke up shortly before Chatzot Layla, called his attendant, and told him, "Gather 10 men - we will make a seudah."

The attendant asked, "Why?"

Baba Sali said he would explain during the seudah.

At the table, Baba Sali related that he had seen Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk in a dream, who told him that today - on Rosh Chodesh Iyar - was his hillula, and asked Baba Sali to light a candle for him.

From then on, it became a tradition for Baba Sali to hold a seudah on Rosh Chodesh Iyar - the yahrzeit of Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk.