Yitzchak Meir Alter
Encyclopedia
Yitzchak Meir Alter (1799 – 10 March 1866), is considered to be the first Rebbe
of the Ger
Hasidic
dynasty, which he founded in the town of Góra Kalwaria
(known as "Ger" in Yiddish
), Poland
. He was also known as the Chidushei HaRim for his Torah
books. He is sometimes referred to fondly as Reb Itche Meir by his followers.
, Poland, in late 1799. He came from a very distinguished family of rabbis, among the most prominent in Germany and Poland. He was a descendant of Rashi
and of the Tosafist
, Rabbi Meir ben Baruch of Rothenburg.
He married Feigele Lipszyc, daughter of Moshe 'Halfon' Lipszyc, in 1811, and settled in Warsaw
. They had fourteen children (according to most published sources), most of whom died in infancy.
Alter became known as a Talmud
ic gaon
. At first he was close to the rebbes of Kozhnitz. After some years he was drawn to the Rebbe
, Reb Simcha Bunim
of Prshischa
, whose close adherent he became. After the demise of the Rebbe, Reb Bunim, Alter became a disciple of Rabbi Menachem Mendel
of Kotzk
, known as the Kotzker Rebbe, who was famous for his acerbic wit and Talmudic brilliance. He was soon followed by a large number of Reb Bunim's followers. Alter and the Kotzer Rebbe eventually became brothers-in-law, when the latter married Chaya Lipszyc, the sister of Alter's wife Feigele.
Alter was succeeded as Rebbe by his colleague and disciple, Rabbi Chanoch Henoch of Alexander
.
One of his sons, Avraham Mordechai, and three daughters, Cyna Pesia, Leah Hudes and Esther, survived to adulthood and married. By
the time of Alter's death on 23 Adar
5626 (1866), only one child (Esther) remained alive.
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 Ger
Ger (Hasidic dynasty)
Ger, or Gur is a Hasidic dynasty originating from Ger, the Yiddish name of Góra Kalwaria, a small town in Poland....
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, which he founded in the town of Góra Kalwaria
Góra Kalwaria
Góra Kalwaria is a town on the Vistula River in the Mazovian Voivodship, Poland, about 25 km southeast of Warsaw. It has a population of about 11,000 . The town has significance for both Catholic Christians and Hasidic Jews...
(known as "Ger" in Yiddish
Yiddish language
Yiddish is a High German language of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world. It developed as a fusion of German dialects with Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages...
), 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...
. He was also known as the Chidushei HaRim for his 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...
books. He is sometimes referred to fondly as Reb Itche Meir by his followers.
Early life
Alter was born in MagnuszewMagnuszew
Magnuszew is a village in Kozienice County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Magnuszew. It lies approximately north-west of Kozienice and south-east of Warsaw....
, Poland, in late 1799. He came from a very distinguished family of rabbis, among the most prominent in Germany and Poland. He was a descendant of Rashi
Rashi
Shlomo Yitzhaki , or in Latin Salomon Isaacides, and today generally known by the acronym Rashi , was a medieval French rabbi famed as the author of a comprehensive commentary on the Talmud, as well as a comprehensive commentary on the Tanakh...
and of the Tosafist
Tosafot
The Tosafot or Tosafos are medieval commentaries on the Talmud. They take the form of critical and explanatory glosses, printed, in almost all Talmud editions, on the outer margin and opposite Rashi's notes...
, Rabbi Meir ben Baruch of Rothenburg.
He married Feigele Lipszyc, daughter of Moshe 'Halfon' Lipszyc, in 1811, and settled in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
. They had fourteen children (according to most published sources), most of whom died in infancy.
Alter became known as a Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
ic gaon
Gaon (Hebrew)
Gaon originally referred in Ancient Hebrew to arrogance and haughty pride . Later became known as pride in general: whether good or bad . Today it may refer to:...
. At first he was close to the rebbes of Kozhnitz. After some years he was drawn to the Rebbe
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...
, Reb Simcha Bunim
Simcha Bunim of Peshischa
Rabbi Simcha Bunim Bonhart of Peshischa was one of the main leaders of Hasidic Judaism in Poland. After studying Torah at yeshivas in Mattersdorf and Nikolsburg, he was introduced to the world of Hasidism by his father-in-law, and became a chasid of Rabbi Yisroel Hopsztajn , and then Rabbi...
of Prshischa
Przysucha
Przysucha is a town in Poland. Located in the Masovian Voivodeship, about 100 km southwest of Warsaw, it is the capital of Przysucha County. It has 6,762 inhabitants . Its name in Yiddish is פשיסחא or פשיסכא . It was home to a number of prominent Hasidic Rabbis, such as The Holy Jew and...
, whose close adherent he became. After the demise of the Rebbe, Reb Bunim, Alter became a disciple of Rabbi Menachem Mendel
Menachem Mendel of Kotzk
Menachem Mendel Morgensztern of Kotzk, better known as the Kotzker Rebbe was a Hasidic rabbi and leader.-Life:Born to a non-Hasidic family in Goraj near Lublin, Poland, he became attracted to Hasidim in his youth. He was known for having acquired impressive Talmudic and Kabbalistic knowledge at a...
of Kotzk
Kock
Kock is a town in eastern Poland, about 45 km north of Lublin and 120 km south-east of Warsaw. It lies in Lublin Voivodeship, in Lubartów County. It is the capital of the Kock Commune.As of 2004, its population numbered 3,509.-History:...
, known as the Kotzker Rebbe, who was famous for his acerbic wit and Talmudic brilliance. He was soon followed by a large number of Reb Bunim's followers. Alter and the Kotzer Rebbe eventually became brothers-in-law, when the latter married Chaya Lipszyc, the sister of Alter's wife Feigele.
Alter was succeeded as Rebbe by his colleague and disciple, Rabbi Chanoch Henoch of Alexander
Chanokh Heynekh HaKohen Levin
Chanokh Heynekh HaKohen Levin of Aleksander served as the rebbe of a community of thousands of Hasidim during the "interregnum" between the Chidushei HaRim of Ger and the Sfas Emes.- Biography :...
.
One of his sons, Avraham Mordechai, and three daughters, Cyna Pesia, Leah Hudes and Esther, survived to adulthood and married. By
the time of Alter's death on 23 Adar
Adar
Adar is the sixth month of the civil year and the twelfth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a winter month of 29 days...
5626 (1866), only one child (Esther) remained alive.
Works
Alter is also known for his talmudic commentary, though he wrote on many other areas. Extant published works are:- Chidushei HaRim on Choshen MishpatChoshen MishpatChoshen Mishpat is the Hebrew for "Breastplate of Judgement". The term is associated with one of the four sections of Rabbi Jacob ben Asher's compilation of halakha , Arba'ah Turim. This section treats aspects of Jewish law pertinent to finance, torts, legal procedure and loans and interest in...
Part 1 Part 3 - Chidushei HaRim on TorahTorahTorah- 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...
link - Chidushei HaRim on Bava BatraBava BatraBava Batra is the third of the three tractates in the Talmud in the order Nezikin; it deals with a person's responsibilities and rights as the owner of property. It is part of Judaism's oral law...
link - Chidushei HaRim on Bava MetziaBava MetziaBava Metzia is the second of the first three Talmudic tractates in the order of Nezikin , the other two being Bava Kamma and Bava Batra. Originally all three formed a single tractate called Nezikin , each Bava being a Part or subdivision...
link - Chidushei HaRim on Bava Kama link
- Chidushei HaRim on ShavuotShavuotThe festival of is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan ....
link - Chidushei HaRim on Gittin link
- Chidushei HaRim on Ketubot link
- Chidushei HaRim on Pirkei Avot link
Rebbes of Ger
- Yitzchak Meir Alter (1798–1866)
- Yehudah Aryeh Leib AlterYehudah Aryeh Leib AlterYehudah Aryeh Leib Alter , also known by the title of his main work, the Sfas Emes, was a Hasidic rabbi who succeeded his grandfather, Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Alter, as the av beis din and Rav of Góra Kalwaria, Poland , and succeeded the Rebbe, Reb Heynekh of Alexander, as Rebbe of the Gerrer...
(1847–1905) - Avraham Mordechai AlterAvraham Mordechai AlterAvraham Mordechai Alter , also known as the Imrei Emes after the works he authored, was the third Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger, a position he held from 1905 until his death in 1948. He was one of the founders of the Agudas Israel in Poland and was influential in establishing a network of...
(1866–1948) - Yisrael AlterYisrael AlterYisrael Alter, , also known as the Beis Yisroel after the works he authored, was the fourth Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger, a position he held from 1948 until 1977....
(1895–1977) - Simcha Bunim Alter (1898–1992)
- Pinchas Menachem AlterPinchas Menachem AlterPinchas Menachem Alter, , also known as the Pnei Menachem after the works he authored, was the sixth Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger, a position he held from 1992 until his death in 1996.-Early years:...
(1926–1996) - Yaakov Aryeh AlterYaakov Aryeh AlterYaakov Aryeh Alter, , is the seventh and current Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger, a position he has held since 1996. He lives in Israel and has followers in Europe and the United States...
(b. 1939)
Sources
- Meir Einei Hagoilo, by Avrohom Yisochor Binyomin Alter and Avrohom Mordechai Alter, (1928)
- Toldoth Horim, by Itshe Myer Broder of Ger.