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David Of Stepin
Rabbi David Segal Ha'Levi of Stepin () (died 9 October 1810) was a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid of Mezeritch. Biography Segal was born to Rabbi Yehuda Leib, a great-grandson of Rabbinic authority David HaLevi Segal. He married the daughter of Rabbi Yosef Yoel Halperin of Stepin, son of Rabbi Jacob Aharon of Stepin and Lutsk. He was widowed and remarried Hannah Yenta, daughter of Rabbi Yechiel Michel of Zloczow. According to the Shem HaGedolim, he studied under the Maggid of Mezeritch and assumably with the Baal Shem Tov as well. Oral tradition states that on the eve of Yom Kippur 5571, Segal felt that he was going to pass away soon. He ordered an elegant etrog to be sent Rabbi Asher of Stolin (I), saying to his son, "There is no one who likes mitzvot more than the Rebbe of Stolin. Send the etrog to him by a gentile." On the morning of Yom Kippur, the etrog arrived at his doorstep. Segal passed away the next day. Having been good friends with Asher, he o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Baal Shem Tov
Israel ben Eliezer (1698 – 22 May 1760), known as the Baal Shem Tov ( he, בעל שם טוב, ) or as the Besht, was a Jewish mystic and healer who is regarded as the founder of Hasidic Judaism. "Besht" is the acronym for Baal Shem Tov, which means "Master of the Good Name," a term for a magician who wields the secret name of God. The little biographical information about the Besht comes from oral traditions handed down by his students (Jacob Joseph of Polonne and others) and from the legendary tales about his life and behavior collected in ''Shivḥei ha-Besht'' (''In Praise of the Ba'al Shem Tov''; Kapust and Berdychiv, 1814–15). A central tenet in the Baal Shem Tov's teaching is the direct connection with the divine, "dvekut", which is infused in every human activity and every waking hour. Prayer is of supreme importance, along with the mystical significance of Hebrew letters and words. His innovation lies in "encouraging worshippers to follow their distracting thoughts t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
