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Yissachar Dov Rokeach (I)
Encyclopedia
Yissachar Dov Rokeach, (1851 – 30 October 1926), was the third Rebbe
of the Belz
Hasidic
dynasty. He was the second son of Rabbi Yehoshua Rokeach
(the second Rebbe of Belz), and served as the third Belzer Rebbe from his father's death in 1894 until his own death in 1926.
, Poland. His grandfather, Rabbi Sholom Rokeach, the founder of the Belz dynasty, named him after his own father-in-law, Rabbi Yissachar Dov Ramraz, the av beit din
of Sokal
.
Yissachar Dov married Basha Ruchama, the daughter of Rabbi Yeshaya Zushe Twersky of Chernobyl and granddaughter of Rabbi Aharon of Chernobyl. They had two children: Aharon
, who would assume the mantle of leadership of the Belz Hasidim after his father's death, and Chana Rochel, who married Pinchos Twerski of Ustila
.
After his first wife died, Yissachar Dov remarried Chaya Devora, daughter of Rabbi Avrohom Shmuel Pytshnik of Berezna. Together they had six children, including Mordechai Rokeach
, who would later be known as Mordechai of Bilgoray and would accompany his half-brother Aharon as they, alone of all their family, escaped from Nazi
-controlled Eastern Europe and arrived in Israel in February 1944.
He was an acknowledged leader of Galician Jewry and was renowned as a miracle worker, attracting thousands who sought his blessing. He created the yoshvim program in Belz which encouraged married and unmarried men to spend all day learning Torah in local shtieblach
. These scholars were supported by local businessmen.
Rabbi Yissachar Dov strongly opposed Zionism
, which he saw as a threat to Jewish continuity.
He died on Friday night
, 30 October 1926 (22 Cheshvan
5687), and was buried next to his father in the Belz Jewish cemetery.
Rebbe
Rebbe , which means master, teacher, or mentor, is a Yiddish word derived from the Hebrew word Rabbi. It often refers to the leader of a Hasidic Jewish movement...
of the Belz
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 was the second son of Rabbi Yehoshua Rokeach
Yehoshua Rokeach
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 movement that was making inroads in Jewish communities in Poland during the nineteenth century...
(the second Rebbe of Belz), 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 BelzBelz
Belz , 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....
, Poland. His grandfather, Rabbi Sholom Rokeach, the founder of the Belz dynasty, named him after his own father-in-law, Rabbi Yissachar Dov Ramraz, the av beit din
Beth din
A beth din, bet din, beit din or beis din is a rabbinical court of Judaism. In ancient times, it was the building block of the legal system in the Biblical Land of Israel...
of Sokal
Sokal
Sokal is a town located on the banks of the Bug River in the Lviv Oblast of western Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Sokal Raion , the city itself also ranks as a separate raion within the oblast.- History :...
.
Yissachar Dov married Basha Ruchama, the daughter of Rabbi Yeshaya Zushe Twersky of Chernobyl and granddaughter of Rabbi Aharon of Chernobyl. They had two children: Aharon
Aharon Rokeach
Aharon Rokeach was the fourth Rebbe of the Belz Hasidic dynasty. He led the movement from 1926 until his death in 1957....
, who would assume the mantle of leadership of the Belz Hasidim after his father's death, and Chana Rochel, who married Pinchos Twerski of Ustila
Ustyluh
Ustyluh is a city in Volyn Oblast, Ukraine, 8 miles west of Volodymyr-Volynskyi. Population is 2,283 .Igor Stravinsky had an estate in Ustyluh and visited it frequently between 1890 and 1914. His mansion is now a museum....
.
After his first wife died, Yissachar Dov remarried Chaya Devora, daughter of Rabbi Avrohom Shmuel Pytshnik of Berezna. Together they had six children, including Mordechai Rokeach
Mordechai Rokeach
Mordechai Rokeach , also known as Mordechai of Bilgoray, was a scion of the Belzer Hasidic dynasty and the right hand man to his half-brother, Rebbe Aharon of Belz, the fourth Belzer Rebbe. He was the son of the third Belzer Rebbe, Rebbe Yissachar Dov Rokeach...
, who would later be known as Mordechai of Bilgoray and would accompany his half-brother Aharon as they, alone of all their family, escaped from Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
-controlled Eastern Europe and arrived in Israel in February 1944.
Rabbinical career
Following his father's death in 1894, Yissachar Dov acceded to the positions of Rav of the town of Belz and spiritual leader of the Belzer Hasidim. He also stood at the helm of the Machzikei Hadas movement set up by his father.He was an acknowledged leader of Galician Jewry and was renowned as a miracle worker, attracting thousands who sought his blessing. He created the yoshvim program in Belz which encouraged married and unmarried men to spend all day learning Torah in local shtieblach
Shtiebel
A shtiebel is a place used for communal Jewish prayer. In contrast to a formal synagogue, a shtiebel is far smaller and approached more casually. It is typically as small as a room in a private home or a place of business which is set aside for the express purpose of prayer, or it may be as large...
. These scholars were supported by local businessmen.
Rabbi Yissachar Dov strongly opposed Zionism
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
, which he saw as a threat to Jewish continuity.
World War I
During World War I, the Russian army invaded and destroyed the town of Belz, which was under Austrian control. Rabbi Yissachar Dov fled to Hungary with many of his Hasidim and returned to Belz to re-establish his court in 1925, at which time the town was under Polish rule.He died on Friday night
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
, 30 October 1926 (22 Cheshvan
Cheshvan
Marcheshvan , sometimes shortened to Cheshvan , is the second month of the civil year and the eighth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew...
5687), and was buried next to his father in the Belz Jewish cemetery.
Rebbes of Belz
- Rabbi Sholom Rokeach (1779–1855)
- Rabbi Yehoshua RokeachYehoshua RokeachYehoshua 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 movement that was making inroads in Jewish communities in Poland during the nineteenth century...
(1825–1894) - Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rokeach (I) (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)