Mordechai Leifer (or Läufer) (1824–1894) was a
rabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
in
Nadvirna
Nadvírna, also referred to as ''Nadwirna'' or ''Nadvorna'' ( uk, Надві́рна, pl, Nadwórna, yi, נאַדוואָרנאַ, ''Nadvorna'') is a city located in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast in western Ukraine. It is the administrative cent ...
,
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
.
Biography
Leifer was the son of Rabbi Yesochor Bertche Leifer (d. 1848), author of ''Sisrei Torah'',
and a great-great-grandson of Rabbi Meir "The Great" of
Premishlan. He served as a Hasidic
Rebbe
A Rebbe ( yi, רבי, translit=rebe) or Admor ( he, אדמו״ר) is the spiritual leader in the Hasidic movement, and the personalities of its dynasties.Heilman, Samuel"The Rebbe and the Resurgence of Orthodox Judaism."''Religion and Spiritua ...
of
Nadvirna
Nadvírna, also referred to as ''Nadwirna'' or ''Nadvorna'' ( uk, Надві́рна, pl, Nadwórna, yi, נאַדוואָרנאַ, ''Nadvorna'') is a city located in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast in western Ukraine. It is the administrative cent ...
(Nadwórna). He was raised by his great uncle, the famous Rebbe Meir'l of Premishlan. Hasidim from all over
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
and
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
would come to receive his blessings. An extraordinarily large number of his descendants became Hasidic
rebbe
A Rebbe ( yi, רבי, translit=rebe) or Admor ( he, אדמו״ר) is the spiritual leader in the Hasidic movement, and the personalities of its dynasties.Heilman, Samuel"The Rebbe and the Resurgence of Orthodox Judaism."''Religion and Spiritua ...
s, including many around the world today. His teachings are collected in ''Gedulas Mordechai'', ''Tiferes Mordechai'', ''Aspaklarya Hameira'', ''Maamar Mordechai'' and ''Oros Mordechai''.
Leifer is buried in Bushtyno, Ukraine.
His wife, Chaya (d. 1891), was the daughter of Rabbi Shmuel Shmelka Taubes, Chief Rabbi of
Yas and author of the ''To'afos R-eim''.
They were survived by six sons and one daughter:
*Rebbe Yitzchock Leifer of
Stanislav
*Rebbe Yisaschar Bertzi of
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 dynast ...
*Rebbe Meir Rosenbaum of
Kretchnif
Kretshnif (also written as ''Kretchinev'', ''Kretchniv'', ''Kretshniff'') is a Hasidic Jewish dynasty that comes from the Nadvorna dynasty. Kretshnif is located in present day Romania, near Târgu Mureș. The town name in Romanian is Crăciu ...
*Rebbe Aharon Moshe of
Żołynia
Żołynia is a village in Łańcut County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in south-eastern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Żołynia. It lies approximately north-east of Łańcut and north-east of the re ...
-
Łańcut
Łańcut (, approximately "wine-suit"; yi, לאַנצוט, Lantzut; uk, Ла́ньцут, Lánʹtsut; german: Landshut) is a town in south-eastern Poland, with 18,004 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009. Situated in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship (si ...
*Rebbe Yisroel Yaakov of
Chust
*Rebbe Yoseph Leifer of
Niredhaz
*Rebbitzen Leah Bina Igra of
Zolynia (died childless)
Today, there are close to 100
Grand Rebbes
A Rebbe ( yi, רבי, translit=rebe) or Admor ( he, אדמו״ר) is the spiritual leader in the Hasidic movement, and the personalities of its dynasties.Heilman, Samuel"The Rebbe and the Resurgence of Orthodox Judaism."''Religion and Spiritua ...
who claim descent from Rebbe Mordechai of Nadvorna.
References
See also
*
Nadvorna (Hasidic dynasty)
Nadvorna is a Hasidic rabbinical dynasty within ultra-Orthodox Judaism. The dynasty derives its name from the town of Nadvorna, known in Ukrainian as Nadvirna. The town was located in the province of East Galicia (near the Carpathian Mounta ...
1824 births
1894 deaths
Rebbes of Nadvorna
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