Yehoshua Rokeach
Encyclopedia
Yehoshua Rokeach was the second rebbe of the Belz
Hasidic
dynasty. He combined Torah scholarship with practical common sense to guide thousands of Hasidim and to fight the Haskalah
("Enlightenment") movement that was making inroads in Jewish communities in Poland
during the nineteenth century. His pioneering activities included founding the Machzikei Hadas organization.
, succeeded him as rebbe.
(the Sar Shalom), founder of the Belz dynasty. For two years before his death, the Sar Shalom had spent several hours each day talking with his youngest son and suggesting that he should be his successor. But after the Sar Shalom died in 1855, Yehoshua was unwilling to step ahead of his four older brothers to become rebbe. From 1855-1857, Belz Hasidut slowly crumbled without a central leader and many Hasidim defected to other rebbes. Finally, on Rosh Hashana 1857, Yehoshua decisively grasped the reigns of leadership by entering the central Belz synagogue for the prayer services and seating himself in the rebbe's chair by the eastern wall. He reigned as Rebbe from 1857 to 1894.
Under his leadership the yoshvim (learners) program of Belz expanded significantly. Belz encouraged married men to spend their days immersed in Torah
study and prayer in the central Belz synagogue
. Their meals and lodgings were provided by local businessmen. Some men remained in the program without returning home for months at a time.
Rokeach led his Hasidim with both deep erudition and common sense. Every Yom Kippur
afternoon, for example, he would walk through the aisles of the Belz synagogue, intently scanning the faces of all the worshippers. Those who wondered about this practice were answered when he once spotted someone about to faint from the weakness of the fast. The rebbe pulled a piece of cake out of his pocket and immediately fed it to the ill man.
Rokeach battled the Haskalah
movement that sought to introduce modernity and compromise in the Torah community. He often defended the Torah
way of life to the leaders of the Haskalah's Shomer Yisrael organization. On one occasion, a leader of Shomer Yisrael asked him, "It isn’t right to be extreme and keep to the side of Hasidut or to the side of assimilation. What is wrong with taking the middle path?" The Rebbe responded, "Who walks at the side of the road? People! And who goes in the middle? Horses!"
To strengthen Torah Jewry against the inroads of Haskalah, the rebbe helped found the Machazikei Hadas organization, and the Machazikei Hadas newspaper, both of which still exist in the Belzer community.
to be operated upon by a specialist. The operation was deemed a success, but the Rebbe died as he was returning to Belz a short while later, at the age of 59.
Belz (Hasidic dynasty)
Belz is a Hasidic dynasty named for the town of Belz in Western Ukraine, near the Polish border. The town has existed since at least the 10th century, with the Jewish community being established during the 14th century. The town became home to Hasidic Judaism in the early 19th century...
Hasidic
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
dynasty. He combined Torah scholarship with practical common sense to guide thousands of Hasidim and to fight the Haskalah
Haskalah
Haskalah , the Jewish Enlightenment, was a movement among European Jews in the 18th–19th centuries that advocated adopting enlightenment values, pressing for better integration into European society, and increasing education in secular studies, Hebrew language, and Jewish history...
("Enlightenment") movement that was making inroads in Jewish communities in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
during the nineteenth century. His pioneering activities included founding the Machzikei Hadas organization.
Family life
Yehoshua Rokeach was born in 1825. He married a granddaughter of the Apter Rov and had __ sons. His second son, Yissachar Dov Rokeach (I)Yissachar Dov Rokeach (I)
Yissachar Dov Rokeach , , was the third Rebbe of the Belz Hasidic dynasty. He was the second son of Rabbi Yehoshua Rokeach , and served as the third Belzer Rebbe from his father's death in 1894 until his own death in 1926.-Personal life:Yissachar Dov was born in the town of Belz, Poland...
, succeeded him as rebbe.
Leadership
Rokeach was at first unwilling to don the mantle of leadership after the death of his father, Rebbe Shalom RokeachShalom Rokeach
Sholom Rokeach , also known as the Sar Sholom , was the first Belzer Rebbe.To Belzer Hasidim, he is known as "Der Ershter Rov" , but in the city of Belz itself he was called "Der Alter Rov" in deference to the Bach, who presided as rabbi of Belz in the sixteenth century.-Biography:His father was...
(the Sar Shalom), founder of the Belz dynasty. For two years before his death, the Sar Shalom had spent several hours each day talking with his youngest son and suggesting that he should be his successor. But after the Sar Shalom died in 1855, Yehoshua was unwilling to step ahead of his four older brothers to become rebbe. From 1855-1857, Belz Hasidut slowly crumbled without a central leader and many Hasidim defected to other rebbes. Finally, on Rosh Hashana 1857, Yehoshua decisively grasped the reigns of leadership by entering the central Belz synagogue for the prayer services and seating himself in the rebbe's chair by the eastern wall. He reigned as Rebbe from 1857 to 1894.
Under his leadership the yoshvim (learners) program of Belz expanded significantly. Belz encouraged married men to spend their days immersed in Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
study and prayer in the central Belz synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
. Their meals and lodgings were provided by local businessmen. Some men remained in the program without returning home for months at a time.
Rokeach led his Hasidim with both deep erudition and common sense. Every Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue...
afternoon, for example, he would walk through the aisles of the Belz synagogue, intently scanning the faces of all the worshippers. Those who wondered about this practice were answered when he once spotted someone about to faint from the weakness of the fast. The rebbe pulled a piece of cake out of his pocket and immediately fed it to the ill man.
Rokeach battled the Haskalah
Haskalah
Haskalah , the Jewish Enlightenment, was a movement among European Jews in the 18th–19th centuries that advocated adopting enlightenment values, pressing for better integration into European society, and increasing education in secular studies, Hebrew language, and Jewish history...
movement that sought to introduce modernity and compromise in the Torah community. He often defended the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
way of life to the leaders of the Haskalah's Shomer Yisrael organization. On one occasion, a leader of Shomer Yisrael asked him, "It isn’t right to be extreme and keep to the side of Hasidut or to the side of assimilation. What is wrong with taking the middle path?" The Rebbe responded, "Who walks at the side of the road? People! And who goes in the middle? Horses!"
To strengthen Torah Jewry against the inroads of Haskalah, the rebbe helped found the Machazikei Hadas organization, and the Machazikei Hadas newspaper, both of which still exist in the Belzer community.
Final months
In 1894 Rokeach began suffering from a string of strange maladies and began hinting to his Hasidim that his end was near. At one point, his Hasidim took him to ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
to be operated upon by a specialist. The operation was deemed a success, but the Rebbe died as he was returning to Belz a short while later, at the age of 59.
Rebbes of Belz
- Rabbi Sholom Rokeach (1779–1855)
- Rabbi Yehoshua Rokeach (1825–1894)
- Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rokeach (I)Yissachar Dov Rokeach (I)Yissachar Dov Rokeach , , was the third Rebbe of the Belz Hasidic dynasty. He was the second son of Rabbi Yehoshua Rokeach , and served as the third Belzer Rebbe from his father's death in 1894 until his own death in 1926.-Personal life:Yissachar Dov was born in the town of Belz, Poland...
(1854–1926) - Rabbi Aharon RokeachAharon RokeachAharon Rokeach was the fourth Rebbe of the Belz Hasidic dynasty. He led the movement from 1926 until his death in 1957....
(1877–1957) - Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rokeach (II)Yissachar Dov Rokeach (II)Yissachar Dov Rokeach is the fifth and present Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Belz. He is the son of Rabbi Mordechai of Bilgoray, the grandson of the third Belzer Rebbe, Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rokeach, and the nephew of the fourth Belzer Rebbe, Rabbi Aharon Rokeach, who raised him...
(b. 1948)
See also
- Agudat IsraelAgudat IsraelAgudat Yisrael began as the original political party representing the ultra-Orthodox population of Israel. It was the umbrella party for almost all ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel, and before that in the British Mandate of Palestine...
- BelzBelzBelz , a small city in the Lviv Oblast of Western Ukraine, near the border with Poland, is located between the Solokiya river and the Rzeczyca stream....
(town in Poland/Ukraine) - Belz Beis HaMedrash HaGadol (the largest synagogue in Jerusalem)
- Belz (Hasidic dynasty)Belz (Hasidic dynasty)Belz is a Hasidic dynasty named for the town of Belz in Western Ukraine, near the Polish border. The town has existed since at least the 10th century, with the Jewish community being established during the 14th century. The town became home to Hasidic Judaism in the early 19th century...
- Ger (Hasidic dynasty)Ger (Hasidic dynasty)Ger, or Gur is a Hasidic dynasty originating from Ger, the Yiddish name of Góra Kalwaria, a small town in Poland....
- Vizhnitz (Hasidic dynasty)Vizhnitz (Hasidic dynasty)Vizhnitz is the name of a Hasidic dynasty founded by Rebbe Menachem Mendel Hager. Vizhnitz is the Yiddish name of Vyzhnytsia, a village in present-day Ukraine.Followers of the rebbes of Vizhnitz are called Vizhnitzer chasidim....