Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk

Old Yishuv
Jewish community in the Land of Israel under Mamluk and Ottoman rule
Key events
Nachmanides Aliya (1263) Alhambra decree (1492) Manuel I decree (1496) Hebron and Safed massacres (1517) Revival of Tiberias (1563) Sack of Tiberias (1660) Plunder of Safed (June 1834) Hebron massacre (August 1834) Safed attack (1838) Jerusalem expansion Moshavot establishment
Key figures
Nachmanides (d.1270) Joseph Saragossi (d. 1507) Obadiah MiBartenura (d. 1515) Abraham ben Eliezer Halevi (d. 1528) Levi ibn Habib (d. 1545) Jacob Berab (d. 1546) Joseph Nasi (d. 1579) Moses Galante (d. 1689) Moses ibn Habib (d. 1696) Yehuda he-Hasid (d. 1700) Haim Abulafia (d. 1744) Menachem Mendel (d. 1788) Haim Farhi (d. 1820) Aaron Hershler (d. 1873) Jacob Saphir (d. 1886) Haim Aharon Valero (d. 1923)
Economy
Etrog cultivation Winemaking Banking Printing Soap production Textiles
Philanthropy
Kollel Halukka Montefiore Judah Touro
Communities
Musta'arabim Sephardim Perushim Hasidim Jerusalem Mea Shearim Mishkenot Sha'ananim Hebron Safed Tiberias Biriya Jaffa Haifa Peki'in Acco Shechem Gaza Kafr Yasif Shefa-'Amr Petah Tikva
Synagogues
Great Academy of Paris (1258) Ramban (1267) Abuhav (1490s) Abraham Avinu (1540) Ari (1570s) Johanan ben Zakai (1600s) Hurva (1700) Tifereth Israel (1872)
Related articles
History of Israel Four Holy Cities Applicability of religious laws History of Zionism Timeline Pre-Modern Aliyah Return to Zion Three Oaths Haredim and Zionism Edah HaChareidis ShaDaR
v t e

Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk (1730?–1788),^[1] also known as Menachem Mendel of Horodok, was an early leader of Hasidic Judaism. Part of the third generation of Hassidic leaders, he was the primary disciple of the Maggid of Mezeritch. From his base in Minsk Menachem Mendel was instrumental in spreading Hasidism throughout Belarus.

In the winter of 1772, he - along with Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (who regarded Rabbi Menachem Mendel as his Rebbe after the Maggid's passing) - went to the Vilna Gaon with the aim of convincing him to rescind his ban on Hasidism, but the Vilna Gaon would not receive them.

After the Maggid's death, Rabbi Menachem Mendel, along with fellow disciple Rabbi Abraham Kalisker ("Kalisker") settled in Horodok. In 1777 the two, along with 300 followers, emigrated to Eretz Israel,^[1] settling in Safed, Ottoman Syria. In 1783 they were forced out of Safed, and moved to Tiberias. The synagogue they built there in 1786 still stands among the Ancient synagogues of Tiberias.

The Tanya (see "Compiler's Preface") is partially based on the works of Rabbi Menachem Mendel.

Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk is the subject of 15 of the stories in Martin Buber's Tales of the Hasidim.