Modzitz (Hasidic dynasty)
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Modzitz or Modzhitz is the name of a Hasidic group within Orthodox Judaism that derives its name from Modzice, one of the boroughs of the town of Dęblin, Poland, located on the Vistula River. The rabbis of this dynasty have the family name of "Taub".
Followers of this group are known as Modzitzer Chassidim and are now based mainly in Bnei Brak, where their Rebbe lives, and Jerusalem in Israel. They also have a smaller following in Brooklyn, Monsey, and Far Rockaway, New York; Los Angeles, California and Toronto, Canada.
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[edit] Rebbe Yechezkel Taub of Kuzmir (1755-1856)
The dynasty started with Rebbe Yechezkel Taub of Kuzmir, (1755-1856), who established yeshivas and a type of Hasidic teaching that was similar to that of his Rebbes, the Seer of Lublin and the Kozhnitser Magid, and distinct from the Hasidism of Ger and Kotzk.
[edit] Rebbe Shmuel Eliyahu Taub of Zvolin
Upon the death of Rebbe Yechezkel Taub of Kuzmir in 1856, his son, Rebbe Shmuel Eliyahu Taub of Zvolin, Poland, succeeded him. He excelled in Torah scholarship and creating Chassidic songs. He was called Menagen mafli pla'os Hebrew for "a wondrous musical talent". When he died in 1888, his first son Rabbi Moshe Aharon succeeded him as Rebbe of Zvolin, while his second son, Rebbe Yisrael, went on to found the actual Modzitz Chassidic dynasty.
[edit] Rebbe Yisrael Taub (1849-1920)
Rebbe Yisrael Taub, second son of Rebbe Shmuel Eliyahu Taub of Zvolin, was born in 1849. In 1891 he founded the Modzitzer Chassidic movement after settling in Modzice, one of the boroughs of the town of Dęblin, Poland. He created many melodies that are still sung by Chassidim and others today. When he died on 24 November 1920, he was succeeded by his son Rebbe Shaul Yedidya Elazar Taub. His teachings on Breishis, Shemos and Vayikra have been collected in his work Divrei Yisrael. Unfortunately, the writings on Bamidbar and Devarim were lost.
[edit] Rebbe Shaul Yedidya Elazar Taub (1886-1947)
Rebbe Shaul Yedidya Elazar Taub was born on 20 October 1886. He guided his Chassidim in Poland until 1938 when he fled Poland due to Nazi persecution. He travelled to Vilna, Lithuania, Russia and from there made his way to Japan. Eventually, with the help of some Modzitzer Chassidim, he and some family members reached the shores of San Francisco and then moved to Brooklyn, New York in 1940. It was during his stay in Brooklyn that Rebbe Shaul Yedidya Elazar became popular and helped rebuild Modzitz. He was a gifted songwriter and wrote over 1,000 Chassidic melodies. He had an intense love for the Land of Israel, and even foresaw the coming of the State of Israel. He was unable to see the realization of his prediction, and he died on November 29, 1947, the day the UN voted to create the State of Israel. He was the last person to buried on the Mount of Olives until it was liberated in 1967. His teachings have been collected in the volumes of Imrei Shaul and Yisa Bracha. He was succeeded by his oldest son, Rebbe Shmuel Eliyahu Taub.
[edit] Rebbe Shmuel Eliyahu Taub (1905-1984)
Rebbe Shmuel Eliyahu was born in Lublin, Poland on 9 February 1905. In 1935, Rebbe Shaul Yedidya Elazar and his son Rabbi Shmuel went on a pilgrimage to the then British Mandate of Palestine. While they were there R. Shmuel fell in love with the Land of Israel and asked his father if he could stay there. His father agreed and within a year Rabbi Shmuel's wife and their child came over to Israel. After his father's death in 1947 he succeeded his father as the Modzitzer Rebbe, to be known later as the Imrei Eish ("Words of Fire"). He continued the traditions of Modzitz both as a composer and Torah scholar. He died on 6 May 1984 (4 Iyar 5784), when he was succeeded by his only son, Rebbe Yisrael Dan Taub. His teachings have been recently published in a sefer under the title Imrei Eish.
[edit] Rebbe Yisrael Dan Taub (1928-2006)
Rebbe Yisrael Dan was born in 1928 in Warsaw, Poland, and died on 16 June 2006. He came with his mother to Palestine in 1936 to meet up with his father, Rebbe Shmuel Eliyahu. For a number of years he headed the Modzitz Chassidim in the city of Tel-Aviv where his father had lived. On Lag Ba'omer 5755 (18 May 1995) he moved the headqaurters of Modzitz to a new building in Bnei Brak, Israel. Like his predecessors he composed numerous Chassidic melodies and many of them are sung regularly in Chassidic synagogues. His opinion was highly regarded, and he was a member of the Council of Torah Sages of Agudat Israel. Rebbe Yisrael Dan was survived by two sons and two daughters. At his funeral, his son, Grand Rabbi Chaim Shaul Taub Shlita, was crowned as the new Modzitzer Rebbe.
The Modzitzer Rebbes and their Chassidim are well known for their uniquely inspiring melodies and their devotion to serious learning of Torah and Talmud.
[edit] Lineage
- Grand Rabbi Yechezkel Taub of Kuzmir (d. 1856)
- Grand Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu Taub of Zvolin (d. 1888), son of the Kuzmirer.
- Grand Rabbi Yisrael Taub of Modzitz, (1849-1920), author of Divrei Yisrael, son of the Zvoliner.
- Grand Rabbi Shaul Yedidya Elazar Taub of Modzitz (1886-1947), author of Imrei Shaul and Yisa Bracha, son of the Divrei Yisrael.
- Grand Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu Taub of Modzitz, (1905-1984), author of Imrei Aish, son of the Imrei Shaul.
- Grand Rabbi Yisrael Dan Taub of Modzitz (1928-2006), previous Modzitzer Rebbe, author of Nachlas Dan, son of the Imrei Eish.
- Grand Rabbi Chaim Shaul Taub of Modzitz, present Modzitzer Rebbe, son of the Nachlas Dan.
[edit] External links
- Modzitz.org (Despite the domain, this is not an official site of Modzitz Chassidus. The flags on the homepage are the sole responsibility of the Webmaster).
- The Modzitzer Rebbe passes away
