ERRATUM - DOV BAER

HNC (Halfnutcase) wrote:
"Um, the first Dov Ber to become a major face was the maggid of mezritch, the successor of the baal shem tov, and rabbi shneur zalman's master."


He is right. My mistake. I should have been a bit more rigorous.


Rav Shneer Zalman ben Baruch of Liadi (der alter rebbe, Baal Ha Tanya, 1745 – 1812), studied under the Maggid of Mezeritch, Rav Dov Ber – a man of such Chassidic stature that Dov Ber is still one of the most popular names for yingeln in certain districts. After Rav Shneer returned to his native town of Liozna, he spent the next two decades writing his masterpiece, the Tanya (initially named Likutei Amarim – ‘a collection of sayings’, but now known by the first word of the first chapter, which means “we have learned”). His son (Rav Dov Ber ben Zalman, der mitteler rebbe, 1773 – 1812) was named after the Maggid.


Rav Dov Ber of Mezeritch (1710? – 1772), who according to some accounts was descended from Yochanan HaSandlar (the cobbler and scholar familiar to all Talmud students), was a major disciple of the Besht. After studying kabala he learned by the Besht for the last two years that the Besht lived, and became leader of the Chassidic movement a couple of years after the Besht’s death – a position he held until his own passing a decade later. His teachings were eventually gathered into a volume called ‘Likutei Amarim’ – the term is sort of a generic title for such books.

In addition to the Rav Shneer Zalman (see above), one other of the Maggid's disciples also especially deserves attention: Rav Elimelech of Lizhensk (1717 – 1787), who was known as the Rebbe of all Rebbeim (according to Rav Aaron of Beltz) . Rabbi Elimelech was also the teacher of several others who became gedolei ha dor (‘the greats of their age’): the seer of Lublin (Yakov Yitzhok Ha Chozeh, 1745 – 1815), the Koznitzer Maggid (Rabbi Yisroel Hopstein, 1746 - 1815, author of Avodas Yisroel), the Rimanover (Der Heilige Tzaddik Rabbi Menachem Mendel, 1745 - 1815), and the Apter Rav (Rabbi Avrahom Yehoshua Heschel, 1794 - 1876).


Baal Shem Tov, 'the Besht': The Master of the Good Name, Rabbi Yisroel Ben Eliezer (1698 – 1760), founder of Chassidus, teacher of the Maggid of Mezeritch, Rav Dov Baer (1710 – 1772), who in turn taught Rabbi Schneur Zalman (1745 – 1813), the founder of Chabad Chassidus.


Si monumentum requiris, circumspice – provided you are in Lakewood, Boro Park, or anywhere near 770. Tzfat, Bnei Brak, and Mea Shearim are good too.
You could also go upstate to Kiryas Yoel, but do you want to?