Chief disciple of the Ba'al Shem Tov and his successor as leader of the Chasidic movement, known for his scholarship, piety, and asceticism. After the passing of the Ba'al Shem Tov, his son Tzvi briefly replaced his father, but relinquished it to Dov Baer after one year. The center of the movement then moved from Medzhibuzh to Mezeritch. He was the last universal leader of the movement, and upon his death, it split into different factions, each ruled by a different one of his disciples, each of whom became pillars of the movement in their own right and were the cause of the widespread influence of Chasidism throughout Eastern Europe. His primary disciples were: his son Avraham HaMalakh (The Angel), Nachum of Chernobyl, Elimelekh of Lizhensk, Zusha of Hanipol, Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, Barukh of Medzhibuzh, Aaron of Karlin, Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk, Shmuel Shmelke of Nikolsburg and Shneur Zalman of Liadi. He left no writings of his own, but his many teachings were recorded and published by his students. These works include: Maggid Devarav LeYaakov, Likkutei Yekarim, Ohr Torah, Ohr HaEmet, Kitvei Kodesh, and Shemuah Tovah.
Works on Sefaria
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