Yitzchak Meir dude
Jitzchak Meir Rothenberg Alter (* around 1798 in Magnuszew, † 1866 in Góra Kalwaria ) was a Hasidic tzaddik in Poland and the founder of the Ger dynasty .
Life
The date of birth of Jitzchak Meir Alter is not clear, the information varies between 1789, 1798 and 1799. His father, Rav Israel, was a student of Levi Jizchak von Berditschew and rabbi of Gur or Ger, the Yiddish name of Góra Kalwaria. From a young age, Yitzchak gained a reputation as a brilliant Torah scholar. He grew up under the care of Israel Hofstein , the Maggid (traveling preacher) from Kozienice , after his death became a pupil of Simcha Bunem von Przysucha and after his death of Menachem Mendel von Kotzk . After the death of the Kotzker Rebbe in 1859, Jitzchak Meir was recognized by the majority of the Kotzker Hasidim as his successor. The seven years that he headed the Ger movement until his death in 1866 were of decisive importance for the development of Hasidism in Poland. Gerer Hasidism retained an influential position within Orthodox Polish Judaism until the Holocaust .
Although Yitzchak Meir was strongly influenced by the principles of the Kotzker Rebbe , his views differ in some essential points. He by no means avoided contact with the masses, but tried to win them over to his cause and showed an interest in everyday problems. As an uncompromising advocate of Jewish traditions he opposed provisions of the Government to amend the dress code, the Jewish representatives of Haskalah were supported, and was arrested for it. In the Polish uprising of 1830/31 he was suspected of cooperating with the Polish loyalists. He changed his name from Rothenberg to Alter. His family life was marked by painful losses; none of his 13 children survived him.
His work Chiddushei haRim was printed in Warsaw in 1875 and contains short stories on Talmud tracts and the Shulchan Aruch . In Yeshivot it is still regarded today as a classic work for studying Jewish religious literature and as a prime example of Pilpul (dialectical method of interpretation). According to his book, Yitzchak Meir Alter is often called "Chiddushei haRim" in Orthodox circles. Among other things, the Isaac Alter Synagogue in Warsaw was named after him.
literature
- Encyclopedia Judaica , Vol. 7, p. 785.
Web links
- Jitzchak Meir Alter in the Jewish Virtual Library
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Dude, Yitzchak Meir |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Alter, Jitzchak Meir Rothenberg (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Hasidic tzaddik in Poland and the founder of the Ger dynasty |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1798 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Magnuszew |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1866 |
| Place of death | Góra Kalwaria |