The Malachim (Malochim or Malukhim) ( he, מלאכים, lit. "angels") is a small
Hasidic
Hasidism, sometimes spelled Chassidism, and also known as Hasidic Judaism (Ashkenazi Hebrew: חסידות ''Ḥăsīdus'', ; originally, "piety"), is a Jewish religious group that arose as a spiritual revival movement in the territory of contem ...
group. It adheres to the
Chabad
Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (), is an Orthodox Jewish Hasidic dynasty. Chabad is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, particularly for its outreach activities. It is one of the largest Hasidic group ...
school of
Hasidic thought
Hasidic philosophy or Hasidism ( he, חסידות), alternatively transliterated as Hasidut or Chassidus, consists of the teachings of the Hasidic movement, which are the teachings of the Hasidic ''rebbes'', often in the form of commentary on th ...
which emphasizes in-depth Torah study, uses the Chabad
nusach Nusach can refer to:
* Nusach (Jewish custom)
In Judaism, Nusach ( he, נוסח ''nusaħ'', modern pronunciation ''nusakh'' or ''núsakh''), plural nuschaot () or Modern Hebrew nusachim (), refers to the exact text of a prayer service; sometimes ...
of prayer, and focuses on the study of
Hasidic mysticism.
History
The Malochim were founded by Rabbi
Chaim Avraham Dov Ber Levine, also known as "The Malach" (lit. "the angel"), who arrived in New York in 1923. Levine had been one of the closest followers of Rabbi
Shmuel Schneersohn
Shmuel Schneersohn (or Rabbi Shmuel of Lubavitch or The Rebbe Maharash) (29 April 1834 – 14 September 1882 OS) was an Orthodox rabbi and the fourth Rebbe (spiritual leader) of the Chabad Lubavitch Chasidic movement.
Biography
Shmuel Schn ...
and the tutor of his grandson, Rabbi
Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn
Yosef Yitzchak (Joseph Isaac) Schneersohn ( yi, יוסף יצחק שניאורסאהן; 21 June 1880 – 28 January 1950) was an Orthodox rabbi and the sixth Rebbe (spiritual leader) of the Chabad Lubavitch Chasidic movement. He is also known ...
.
Once in New York, Levine became the rabbi of Congregation Nusach Ari in the
Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
. Rabbi
Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz
Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz (1886 – 7 September 1948) was a leader of American Orthodoxy and founder of key institutions such as Torah U'Mesorah, an outreach and educational organization. He is also known for having taken the reins in 1921 and b ...
, head of
Mesivta
''Mesivta'' (also metivta; Aramaic: מתיבתא, "academy") is an Orthodox Jewish yeshiva secondary school for boys. The term is commonly used in the United States to describe a yeshiva that emphasizes Talmudic studies for boys in grades ...
Torah Vodaas, studied the
Tanya
Tanya may refer to:
* Tanya (Judaism),an early work of Hasidic philosophy by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi.
* Tanya (name), a given name and list of people with the name
* Tanya or Lara Saint Paul (born 1946)
* List of Mortal Kombat characters#Tany ...
with Levine and encouraged his mesivta students to visit him so they could see this luminary. Many of them were inspired and decided to become followers of the Malach, starting a Hasidic quasi-dynasty known as "The Malachim." They began to adopt a more Hasidic style of dress, including "long black jackets and a very long ''tallis katan'' over their shirts, with the ''
tzitzit
''Tzitzit'' ( he, ''ṣīṣīṯ'', ; plural ''ṣīṣiyyōṯ'', Ashkenazi Hebrew, Ashkenazi: '; and Samaritan Hebrew, Samaritan: ') are specially knotted ritual Fringe (trim), fringes, or tassels, worn in antiquity by Israelites and toda ...
'' showing below their jacket hems". When the Malachim openly challenged Mendlowitz's authority, they were barred from entering the mesivta by older students and in 1936, left Torah Vodaas to establish their own yeshiva called Nesivos Olam. (According to
Nesanel Quinn, the then ''menahel'' (director), they left on their own. However, according to Rabbi Meir Weberman, one of the Malach's followers, Quinn expelled them but later apologized.) In any case, Rabbi
Mendlowitz had asked Rabbi
Yehoshua Baumol (1880–1948) to confirm the permissibility of expelling them after it was done. Rabbi Baumol replied with a formal responsum that it was justified by Jewish Law to expel the few to better serve the education of the many. The same question was presented to Rabbi
Dov Berish Elefant, who responded that they should not be expelled.
The Malach died in 1938. (The Malach had no formally appointed successor.)
Nesivos Olam, located at 205 Hewes St. in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York, was led by Rabbi Meyer Weberman, although due to the rabbi's poor health and after his death, his son Rabbi Mordechai Wolf (William) Weberman, a prominent member of
Neturei Karta
Neturei Karta (Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: , , ) is a religious group of Haredi Jews, formally created in Jerusalem, then in Mandatory Palestine, in 1938, splitting off from Agudas Yisrael. Neturei Karta opposes Zionism and calls for a "pea ...
, began serving since the mid-2000s as its semi-official leader.
Current leader is Rabbi Melech Flohr of Monsey NY brother of Rabbi Chaim Flohr a Rosh Kollel in Monsey, NY.
Relationship with other groups
Chabad
According to one leader of the Malachim, one significant difference is that Chabad involves itself with the affairs of the Israeli government, while the Malachim are staunchly anti-Zionist. Also, the Malachim acknowledge only the first five Chabad-Lubavitch rebbes as the legitimate rebbes of Chabad. Some of the descendants of former Malachim have returned to mainstream
Chabad
Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (), is an Orthodox Jewish Hasidic dynasty. Chabad is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, particularly for its outreach activities. It is one of the largest Hasidic group ...
.
Satmar
Many descendants of former Malachim have joined the
Satmar
Satmar (Yiddish: סאַטמאַר, Hebrew: סאטמר) is a Hasidic group founded in 1905 by Grand Rebbe Joel Teitelbaum, in the city of Szatmárnémeti, Hungary (now Satu Mare in Romania). The group is an offshoot of the Sighet Hasidic dynasty ...
movement, due to their shared anti-Zionist views.
Once a woman is said to have approached a former Satmar Rebbe,
Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum, complaining that her son had become a Malach
ebrew for "angel" Rabbi Teitelbaum is said to have replied jokingly, "Don't worry. He won't fly away."
[''Sefer Tiferes Yoel'']
References
{{Chabad
Hasidic dynasties
Chabad-Lubavitch (Hasidic dynasty)
Hasidic anti-Zionism