Jakob Josef of Polonoje

Rabbi Jakob Josef ben Zvi haKohen Katz von Polonoje (* before 1741; † around 1782 in Polonoje , Ukraine ) was a Hasidic rabbi and preacher.

Life

His year and place of birth are unknown. He was initially a rabbi in Shargorod , the second largest Jewish community in the Podolia region at the time . In 1741 he made the acquaintance of Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer, the Baal Shem Tov . This led to disputes with his community, and around 1748 he had to leave Shargorod. Until 1752 he stayed in Raszków , a very small community. Around 1750 he intended to travel from Raszkow to Erez Israel , but did not carry out this plan. From Raszkow he went to Nemirow , where he stayed until 1770 and publicly spread Hasidism. After the death of Arje Leib, the preacher of Polonoje, Jakob Josef was appointed his successor. He held this office for the rest of his life, but felt bitterness that he could not take over the leadership of the Hasidic movement as the successor to the Baal Shem Tov . His son Abraham Samson settled in Tiberias and Zefat and published his father's writings.

His writings and teachings

Jakob Josef's first work, Toldot Ja'akow Josef , was published in Korez in 1780 and is considered his main work. It contains sermons by the author as well as "the words I heard from my teacher," that is, from Baal Shem Tov. This is the first work to explain the basic teachings of Hasidism, both in positive terms and in criticism of traditional rabbinical leadership and its value system. In this book, Jakob Josef referred to the traditional type of rabbis as "Jewish demons, whose entire study of the Torah only serves for their self-importance." The book itself provoked criticism; it appears that some specimens were burned in Brody . In addition, Jakob Josef published commentaries on the first four books of Moses. In his view, the preacher is a doctor of the soul, which he heals with the help of the ethical principles he has taught. The preacher should consider the general form, content, and teaching method of his sermons and adapt them to the level of the respective audience.

Jacob Josef is convinced that the presence of God manifests itself in every human thought. Joy plays a dominant role in his system of thought . The constant tension between matter, which draws man towards evil, and the spiritual form, which strives for good, can be balanced by joy, with the help of which evil inclinations are transformed into a means to achieve good. He describes the most important purpose of man as “you should give yourself to him”. This surrender is only possible through joy, while fasting and self-mortification lead to sorrow, and sorrow is the root of all evil. A state of purity, focus, and joy is required for prayer. The tzaddik has the power to turn an unfavorable decision into good through his prayer, also on behalf of his followers. In the social sphere, the tzaddik is compared with the head or the eyes of the body, and the number of his followers with the feet. From this picture it follows that any wrongdoing by even the most insignificant member of society - be it material or spiritual - damages the condition of the tzaddik to a far greater extent. In order for the tzaddik to be able to successfully fulfill his duties, he must also receive financial support from his followers. The se'uda schlischit , the “third meal” towards the end of the Sabbath, which is taken together in the Hasidic community, was of great importance for Jakob Josef .

literature

• Encyclopedia Judaica , Vol. 9, pp. 1228-1230.
• Simon Dubnow , Chassidut, pp. 93-101