Ruzhin (or Rizhin) is the name of a
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 ...
founded by
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 ...
Yisroel Friedman (1796–1850) in the town of
Ruzhyn,
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 ...
, today an
urban-type settlement
Urban-type settlementrussian: посёлок городско́го ти́па, translit=posyolok gorodskogo tipa, abbreviated: russian: п.г.т., translit=p.g.t.; ua, селище міського типу, translit=selyshche mis'koho typu, ab ...
in
Zhytomyr Oblast
Zhytomyr Oblast ( uk, Жито́мирська о́бласть, translit=Zhytomyrska oblast), also referred to as Zhytomyrshchyna ( uk, Жито́мирщина}) is an oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. The administrative center of the obla ...
,
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 ...
.
Friedman was the first and only Ruzhiner Rebbe. However, his sons and grandsons founded their own dynasties which are collectively known as the "House of Ruzhin". These dynasties, which follow many of the traditions of the Ruzhiner Rebbe, are
Bohush,
Boyan
Boyan may refer to:
People
* Bojan, a common Slavic given name spelled as Boyan in Bulgarian
* Boyan (bard) (10th–11th century), a bard active at the court of Yaroslav the Wise
* Boyan (given name), a common Bulgarian given name
* Boyan (Hasid ...
,
Chortkov,
Husiatyn
Husiatyn ( uk, Гусятин; yi, הוסיאַטין, Husyatin) is an urban-type settlement in Chortkiv Raion, Ternopil Oblast (province) in western Ukraine. Alternate spellings include Gusyatin, Husyatin, and Hsiatyn. It hosts the administratio ...
,
Sadigura
Sadhora ( uk, Садгора; german: Sadagora; pl, Sadagóra; ro, Sadagura; yi, סאדיגורא Sadigora, also Sadagura and Sadiger) is a settlement in Ukraine, now a Sadhirskyi District of Chernivtsi city, which is located 6 km from the ...
, and
Shtefanesht. The dynasties of
Vizhnitz
Vizhnitz is the name of a Hasidic dynasty founded by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Hager. Vizhnitz (ויז׳ניץ or וויזשניץ) is the Yiddish name of Vyzhnytsia, a town in present-day Ukraine (then, a village in Austrian Bukovina).
Followers o ...
and
Vasloi are related to the Ruzhiner Rebbe through his daughters.
History
Rabbi Yisroel Friedman was a direct descendant through the male line of Rabbi Dov Ber, the
Maggid of Mezritch
Dov Ber ben Avraham of Mezeritch ( yi, דֹּב בֶּער מִמֶּזְרִיטְשְׁ; died December 1772 OS), also known as the ''Maggid of Mezeritch'', was a disciple of Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer (the Baal Shem Tov), the founder of Hasidic ...
(1704-1772), the main disciple of the
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 ...
. Friedman's father, Rabbi
Sholom Shachne of
Prohobisht (1769-1802), died when he was six years old. He had an older brother, Avrohom (1787–1812), who became Rebbe of their father's Hasidim upon their father's death. When Rabbi Avrohom died without issue in 1812, Rabbi Yisroel became Rebbe first in
Skvyra
Skvyra ( uk, Скви́ра, ; Yiddish: skver, סקווער) is a city in Bila Tserkva Raion, Kyiv Oblast (region) of central Ukraine. Skvyra has an area of . It hosts the administration of Skvyra urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. It ...
and then in Ruzhyn, where he attracted thousands of followers.
The Ruzhiner Rebbe set a regal tone for his court, living in a palatial home with splendid furnishings; riding in a silver-handled carriage drawn by four white horses; being accompanied by an entourage of attendants; and wearing a golden
yarmulke
A , , or , plural ), also called ''yarmulke'' (, ; yi, יאַרמלקע, link=no, , german: Jarmulke, pl, Jarmułka or ''koppel'' ( yi, קאפל ) is a brimless cap, usually made of cloth, traditionally worn by Jewish males to fulfill the c ...
and stylish clothing with solid-gold buttons.
In addition to his thousands of Hasidim, he wielded significant influence in Ukraine and
Volhynia
Volhynia (also spelled Volynia) ( ; uk, Воли́нь, Volyn' pl, Wołyń, russian: Волы́нь, Volýnʹ, ), is a historic region in Central and Eastern Europe, between south-eastern Poland, south-western Belarus, and western Ukraine. Th ...
through the marriages of his six sons and four daughters, who married into other Hasidic rabbinical courts as well as wealthy banking families.
The Rebbe's extravagant lifestyle and prestige aroused the envy of
Tsar
Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East Slavs, East and South Slavs, South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''Caesar (title), caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" i ...
Nicholas I and the ire of the Jewish ''
maskilim
The ''Haskalah'', often termed Jewish Enlightenment ( he, השכלה; literally, "wisdom", "erudition" or "education"), was an intellectual movement among the Jews of Central and Eastern Europe, with a certain influence on those in Western Euro ...
'' (members of the Jewish Enlightenment movement); the latter continually plotted to bring about the Rebbe's downfall. In 1838, at the height of a two-year investigation of the murder of two Jewish informers, the Rebbe was accused of complicity in the murders and jailed by the Tsar. He was released after 22 months and put under police surveillance, since the Tsar still believed he was fomenting opposition to the government. The Rebbe fled to
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, which granted him citizenship and protection from
extradition
Extradition is an action wherein one jurisdiction delivers a person accused or convicted of committing a crime in another jurisdiction, over to the other's law enforcement. It is a cooperative law enforcement procedure between the two jurisdi ...
.
The Rebbe re-established his court in
Sadigura
Sadhora ( uk, Садгора; german: Sadagora; pl, Sadagóra; ro, Sadagura; yi, סאדיגורא Sadigora, also Sadagura and Sadiger) is a settlement in Ukraine, now a Sadhirskyi District of Chernivtsi city, which is located 6 km from the ...
,
Bukovina, Austria (
Carpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Urals at and the Scandinavian Mountains at . The range stretches ...
), where he built another palatial home and
synagogue
A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...
and drew thousands of followers from throughout Galicia, Russia and Romania.
All the Jews in Sadigura became Ruzhiner Hasidim. He was also active in Israel as president of Kollel Vohlin, raising and distributing the money to support the Hasidic community in the Land of Israel, and initiated the construction of
Tiferet Yisrael Synagogue
Tiferet Yisrael Synagogue ( he, בית הכנסת תפארת ישראל; Ashkenazi Hebrew: Tiferes Yisroel), most often spelled Tiferet Israel, also known as the Nisan Bak Shul ( yi, ניסן ב"ק שול), after its co-founder, Nisan Bak was a ...
in the
Old City of
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
, which was completed by his son, Rabbi Avrohom Yaakov Friedman, in 1872.
The Rebbe spent his last decade in Sadigura, where he died at the age of 54 on 9 October 1850. His gravesite in Sadigura, which eventually became the burial place of two of his sons, Avraham Yaakov of Sadigura and Dov Ber of Leova, and other family members, became a shrine for Ruzhiner Hasidim. His gravestone was destroyed during World War I and afterwards replaced by a large white concrete slab.
The Ruzhiner Rebbe's eldest son, Rabbi Sholom Yosef Friedman (1813–1851), led his father's Hasidim until his untimely death less than a year later. The Ruzhiner's second son, Rabbi
Avrohom Yaakov Friedman (1820–1883) then became the first Sadigura Rebbe and the other sons founded their own Hasidic courts in other locales.
Ruzhin traditions
To this day, the Rebbes of the House of Ruzhin conduct their courts regally, claiming descent from the
royal lineage of King David. Among the traditions practiced by Rebbes of the House of Ruzhin are:
*Spending most of their day apart from their Hasidim, praying and learning in a room attached to the main
beis medrash
A ''beth midrash'' ( he, בית מדרש, or ''beis medrash'', ''beit midrash'', pl. ''batei midrash'' "House of Learning") is a hall dedicated for Torah study, often translated as a "study hall." It is distinct from a synagogue (''beth knes ...
, called the ''daven shtiebel'' (prayer room).
[Besser, Yisroel. "Miracle on the Lower East Side: From the Boyan of his childhood, Rav Mordechai Shlomo of Boyan created an oasis for America's early chassidim". '']Mishpacha
''Mishpacha'' ( he, משפחה, : Family) - Jewish Family Weekly is a Haredi weekly magazine package produced by The Mishpacha Group in both English and Hebrew.
History
The Mishpacha Publishing Group was founded in 1984 with the publication ...
'', 10 October 2011, p. 117.
*Conducting their ''
tish
''TISH'' was a Canadian poetry newsletter founded by student-poets at the University of British Columbia in 1961. The publication was edited by a number of Vancouver poets until 1969. The newsletter's poetics were built on those of writers associa ...
'' with calmness and self-discipline.
(The second Husiatyner Rebbe, Rabbi Yisroel Friedman, reportedly conducted his ''tish'' in total silence)
*Treating mealtimes as a devotion similar to prayer. Ruzhiner Rebbes meditate during their meals, do not eat much meat, and liberally salt their food in remembrance of the salt offered with the
Temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
sacrifices
Sacrifice is the offering of material possessions or the lives of animals or humans to a deity as an act of propitiation or worship. Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Greeks, and possibly exis ...
.
[Brayer, ''The House of Rizhin'', p. 204.]
Lineage
* Rebbe Dov Ber of
Rovne and
Mezritsh,
Volhynia
Volhynia (also spelled Volynia) ( ; uk, Воли́нь, Volyn' pl, Wołyń, russian: Волы́нь, Volýnʹ, ), is a historic region in Central and Eastern Europe, between south-eastern Poland, south-western Belarus, and western Ukraine. Th ...
(1704–1772)
** Rebbe Avrohom "HaMalach" (1740–1777), son of Rebbe Dov Ber
*** Rebbe Sholom Shachna of
Prhobisht (1769-1802), son of Rebbe Avrohom
**** Rebbe Avrohom Friedman of Prhobisht (1787–1813), son of Rebbe Sholom Shachna
**** Rebbe
Yisroel Friedman of
Ruzhyn (1796–1850), son of Rebbe Sholom Shachna, first Ruzhiner Rebbe
***** Rebbe Sholom Yosef Friedman of
Sadiger (1813–1851), son and successor to Rebbe Yisroel
****** Rabbi Yitzchok Friedman of
Bohush, son of Rebbe Sholom Yosef, first Bohusher Rebbe
***** Rebbe
Avrohom Yaakov Friedman of
Sadiger (1820-1883), son of Rebbe Yisroel, first Sadigerer Rebbe
****** Rebbe
Yitzchok Friedman
Rabbi Yitzchok Friedman (1850 – 11 March 1917) was founder and first Rebbe of the Boyan Hasidic dynasty. He was known as the ''Pachad Yitzchok'' (Dread of Isaac).
Early life
The Pachad Yitzchok was the eldest son of Rabbi Avrohom Yaakov Frie ...
of
Boyan
Boyan may refer to:
People
* Bojan, a common Slavic given name spelled as Boyan in Bulgarian
* Boyan (bard) (10th–11th century), a bard active at the court of Yaroslav the Wise
* Boyan (given name), a common Bulgarian given name
* Boyan (Hasid ...
(1850–1917), son of Rebbe Avrohom Yaakov Friedman, first Boyaner Rebbe
****** Rebbe Yisroel Friedman of Sadiger (1852–1907), son of Rebbe Avrohom Yaakov Friedman, second Sadigerer Rebbe
***** Menachem Nochum Friedman of
Shtefanesht (1823–1868), son of the Ruzhiner Rebbe, first Shtefaneshter Rebbe
***** Rebbe Dovid Moshe Friedman of
Chortkov (1827–1903), son of R' Yisroel Friedman of Ruzhyn, first Chortkover Rebbe
***** Rebbe Mordechai Shraga Feivish Friedman of
Husiatyn
Husiatyn ( uk, Гусятин; yi, הוסיאַטין, Husyatin) is an urban-type settlement in Chortkiv Raion, Ternopil Oblast (province) in western Ukraine. Alternate spellings include Gusyatin, Husyatin, and Hsiatyn. It hosts the administratio ...
(1835–1894), first Rebbe of Husiatyn
References
{{OrthodoxJudaism