Malka Rokeach ( he, מלכה רוקח) was the first ''

rebbetzin Rebbetzin ( yi, רביצין) or Rabbanit ( he, רַבָּנִית) is the title used for the wife of a rabbi—typically among Orthodox, Haredi, and Hasidic Jews—or for a female Torah scholar or teacher. Etymology The Yiddish word h ...

'' of the Hasidic

dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...

Belz Belz ( uk, Белз; pl, Bełz; yi, בעלז ') is a small city in Lviv Oblast of Western Ukraine, near the border with Poland, located between the Solokiya river (a tributary of the Bug River) and the Richytsia stream. Belz hosts the adminis ...

. She was the wife of

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 ...

Sholom Rokeach Sholom Rokeach (1781 – September 10, 1855), also known as the ''Sar Sholom'' ( he, שר שלום, "Angel of Peace"), was the first Belzer Rebbe. To Belzer Hasidim, he is known as "Der Ershter Rov" (the first rabbi), but in the city of Belz itse ...

, the first ''

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 Belz, and the mother of the second ''rebbe'' of the dynasty, Rabbi

Yehoshua Rokeach Rabbi Yehoshua Rokeach (1825 – February 3, 1894), known as the ''Mitteler Ruv'', was the second Rebbe of the Belz Hasidic dynasty. He combined Torah scholarship with practical common sense to guide thousands of Hasidim and to fight the Haskal ...

. She was directly involved in the ongoings in her husband's court.

Life

She was born in 1780 to Rabbi Yissachar Dov Ramraz of

Sokal Sokal ( uk, Сокаль, Romanization of Ukrainian, romanized: ''Sokal'') is a city located on the Bug River in Chervonohrad Raion, Lviv Oblast of western Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Sokal urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukrain ...

, Galicia and Rebbetzin Chana Rachel (née Tisminitzer), a great-granddaughter of Rabbi Zechariah Mendel ben Aryeh Leib of Cracow, author of '' Ba'er Hetev'' on ''

Yoreh De'ah Yoreh De'ah ( he, יורה דעה) is a section of Rabbi Jacob ben Asher's compilation of halakha (Jewish law), Arba'ah Turim around 1300. This section treats all aspects of Jewish law not pertinent to the Hebrew calendar, finance, torts, marriage, ...

'' and ''

Choshen Mishpat Choshen 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 (Jewish law), Arba'ah Turim. This section treats aspects of Jewish law pertinent to ...

''. Malka married her first-cousin, Rabbi Sholom Rokeach, son of Rabbi Elazar Rokeach and Rebbetzin Rivka Henna Ramraz, her father's sister. They had five sons and two daughters. Rabbi Sholom considered Malka as his partner in his

Torah study Torah study is the study of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature, and similar works, all of which are Judaism's religious texts. According to Rabbinic Judaism, the study is done for the purpose of the '' mitzvah'' ("com ...

and in all of his spiritual endeavors. He said that when he took it upon himself to remain awake one thousand nights to study Torah, Malka stood at his side to ensure that his candle remained lit so that he shouldn't have to interrupt his Torah study. Malka died in September 1853 (8

Elul Elul ( he, אֱלוּל, Standard ''ʾElūl'', Tiberian ''ʾĔlūl'') is the twelfth month of the Jewish civil year and the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a month of 29 days. Elul usually occurs in August� ...

, 5613 A.M.) and was buried in

. Each year on the day of her ''

yahrzeit Bereavement in Judaism () is a combination of ''minhag'' and ''mitzvah'' derived from the Torah and Judaism's classical rabbinic texts. The details of observance and practice vary according to each Jewish community. Mourners In Judaism, the p ...

'', 8 Elul, Belzer Hasidim continue to light

candle A candle is an ignitable wick embedded in wax, or another flammable solid substance such as tallow, that provides light, and in some cases, a fragrance. A candle can also provide heat or a method of keeping time. A person who makes candle ...

s in her memory. The

girls' school Single-sex education, also known as single-gender education and gender-isolated education, is the practice of conducting education with male and female students attending separate classes, perhaps in separate buildings or schools. The practice of ...

s of the Belzer Hasidim are named in her honor. Her brother was the father-in-law of Rabbi

Yechezkel Shraga Halberstam Rabbi Yechezkel Shraga Halberstam (1813–1898), known as the ''Shinever Rov'' (Rabbi of Sieniawa), was the eldest son of the ''Divrei Chaim'', Rabbi Chaim Halberstam of Sanz. He was famous for his disagreements with his father on matters of h ...

, in the latter's fourth marriage.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rokeach, Malka 1780 births 1853 deaths Belz (Hasidic dynasty) Jews from Galicia (Eastern Europe) Rebbetzins 19th-century religious leaders 19th-century Jews