Joseph Meir Weiss (March 15, 1838 – May 26, 1909, he, יוסף מאיר ווייס), was a Hungarian rabbi and founder of the

Spinka Spinka is the name of a Hasidic group within Haredi Judaism. The group originated in a city called Szaplonca ( yi, Spinka), in Máramaros County, Kingdom of Hungary (today Săpânţa, Romania). Spinka rebbes The first Spinka Rebbe was Rabbi ...

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 ...

dynasty. He is often known as the "Imrei Yosef" after his major work. The family name is sometimes spelled Weisz.

Early life

Weiss was born in Munkács (Munkacz), Hungary (now

Mukacheve Mukachevo ( uk, Мукачево, ; hu, Munkács; see name section) is a city in the valley of the Latorica river in Zakarpattia Oblast (province), in Western Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of Mukachevo Raion (district), the city ...

, Ukraine). His father, Rabbi Samuel Zevi (Shmuel Tzvi) Weiss, was ''

Av Beit Din The ''av beit din'' ( ''ʾabh bêth dîn'', "chief of the court" or "chief justice"), also spelled ''av beis din'' or ''abh beth din'' and abbreviated ABD (), was the second-highest-ranking member of the Sanhedrin during the Second Temple period, ...

'' of Munkacz, and his mother was the daughter of Tzvi Hirsch of Drohobycz,

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central-Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence, ...

(now

Drohobych Drohobych ( uk, Дрого́бич, ; pl, Drohobycz; yi, דראָהאָביטש;) is a city of regional significance in Lviv Oblast, Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Drohobych Raion and hosts the administration of Drohobych urban hro ...

, Ukraine). Weiss attended the

yeshiva A yeshiva (; he, ישיבה, , sitting; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are s ...

of Rabbi

Meir Eisenstaedter Meir Eisenstaedter (Meir ben Judah Leib Eisenstädter, 1780-1852) was a Hungarian rabbi, Talmudist, and '' paytan'' (liturgic poet). He is best known as the author of ''Imre Esh'' (''Words of Fire''), the collection of his responsa published by ...

in Ungvár, Hungary (now

Uzhhorod Uzhhorod ( uk, У́жгород, , ; ) is a city and municipality on the river Uzh in western Ukraine, at the border with Slovakia and near the border with Hungary. The city is approximately equidistant from the Baltic, the Adriatic and the B ...

, Ukraine). When Meir Eisenstaedter died in 1852, Weiss continued his studies under Meir's son, Rabbi Menachem Eisenstaedter. Weiss then studied with Rabbi Shmuel Smelke Klein of Hust (Huszt), Hungary (now

Khust Khust ( uk, Хуст; hu, Huszt) is a city located on the Khustets River in Zakarpattia Oblast (province) in western Ukraine. It is near the сonfluence of the Tisa and Rika Rivers. Serving as the administrative center of Khust Raion (district), ...

, Ukraine), author of ''Tzeror HaChaim''. His foremost mentor of

Hasidism 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 ...

was Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac Eichenstein of Ziditshov. Eichenstein is to have said: "I don't know why

eiss Chaim Yisroel Eiss (1876–1943, he, חיים ישראל אייז) was an World Agudath Israel, Agudath Israel activist and writer. He also was among the founders of the Agudath Israel in 1912. During the First World War, Rebbe Eiss set up an a ...

continues to visit us...He certainly does not need to acquire the fear of God from me." Weiss was also influenced by Rabbis

Chaim Halberstam Chaim Halberstam of Sanz (1793–1876) ( he, חיים הלברשטאם מצאנז), known as the ''Divrei Chaim'' after his sefer (works), was the rabbi of Sanz ( pl, Nowy Sącz), a famous Hasidic Rebbe and the founder of the Sanz Hasidic dyn ...

of Sanz,

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 itsel ...

of Belz, and

Menachem Mendel Hager Rabbi Menachem Mendel Hager (born November 28, 1957) is one of the two Grand Rabbis of the Viznitz (Admor Mviznitz) Hasidic dynasty in Bnei Brak and a current member of Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah (Council of great Torah Sages) of the Agudat Yisrael ...

, the first Rebbe 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 ...

. In 1854, when Weiss was 16, his mother died. That year, he married the daughter of Mordechai of Borsa (now Borşa,

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 ...

), but she died three years later. Weiss married again and had two daughters, but his second wife died in 1868. In 1870, he married Perl, the daughter of Ezra Yaakov Basch of Szaplonca (

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...

: Spinka), (now

Săpânța Săpânța (; hu, Szaplonca or ''Szaploncza''; Slovak language, Slovak: ''Sapunka''; Yiddish language, Yiddish: ספינקא or ''Spinka'' or ''Shpinka'') is a commune in Maramureș County, Maramureș, Romania, northwest of Sighetu Marmației a ...

), near the Hungarian border. In Spinka, Weiss would later become a study partner of the renowned Kabbalist Rabbi

Yaakov Yehuda Aryeh Leib Frenkel Rabbi Yaakov Yehuda Aryeh Leib Frenkel יעקב יהודה אריה ליב פרענקיל (died June 12, 1940) also known as the Gevuras Aryeh after his major work, was Rabbi of Piricse and a renowned Kabbalist. He authored many scholarly works. R ...

Rabbinate

In Munkács, Weiss established a

with a high level of

Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cente ...

ic studies that drew students from other countries. Following the death of his mentor, the Rebbe of Zidichov, in June 1873, Weiss established his own Hasidic sect in his third wife's hometown of Spinka. Weiss was called a "miracle worker", and attracted thousands of followers. He was also known for his self-mortification and ecstatic prayers. He prayed during festivals with the words from Musaf ''

Amidah The ''Amidah Amuhduh'' ( he, תפילת העמידה, ''Tefilat HaAmidah'', 'The Standing Prayer'), also called the ''Shemoneh Esreh'' ( 'eighteen'), is the central prayer of the Jewish liturgy. Observant Jews recite the ''Amidah'' at each o ...

'':

Legacy

Weiss died in 1909. In 1972, his remains were reinterred in

Petah Tikva Petah Tikva ( he, פֶּתַח תִּקְוָה, , ), also known as ''Em HaMoshavot'' (), is a city in the Central District (Israel), Central District of Israel, east of Tel Aviv. It was founded in 1878, mainly by Haredi Judaism, Haredi Jews of ...

, Israel. Weiss was succeeded as Rebbe by his son, Rabbi

Yitzchak Isaac Weiss Yitzhak( ()) is a male first name, and is Hebrew for Isaac. Yitzhak may refer to: People *Yitzhak ha-Sangari, rabbi who converted the Khazars to Judaism *Yitzhak Rabin (1922–1995), Israeli politician and Prime Minister *Yitzhak Shamir (1915–2 ...

(1875–1944). When World War II broke out, Yitzchak Isaac moved the Spinka court to Munkács. Yitzchak Isaac was murdered by the

Nazis Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...

in the

Auschwitz concentration camp Auschwitz concentration camp ( (); also or ) was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It con ...

, together with thirty one family members, in 1944. After the war, Yitzchak Isaac's grandson, Jacob Joseph Weiss, re-established the dynasty in

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

. Other offshoots were established by descendants of Yosef Meir in Williamsburg,

Boro Park Borough Park (also spelled Boro Park) is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of the borough of Brooklyn, in New York City. The neighborhood is bordered by Bensonhurst to the south, Dyker Heights to the southwest, Sunset Park to the west, ...

, Flatbush,

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

, Kiryas Joel,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

, and

Bnei Brak Bnei Brak or Bene Beraq ( he, בְּנֵי בְּרַק ) is a city located on the central Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean Israeli coastal plain, coastal plain in Israel, just east of Tel Aviv. A center of Haredi Judaism, Bnei Brak covers an are ...

Works

Weiss died in 1909. His writings, published posthumously, were: *''Imrei Yosef'' (1910–27) – a four-volume commentary on the

Chumash Chumash may refer to: *Chumash (Judaism), a Hebrew word for the Pentateuch, used in Judaism *Chumash people, a Native American people of southern California *Chumashan languages, indigenous languages of California See also * Chumash traditional ...

*''Imrei Yosef'' (1931) – sermons on the festivals and their customs *''Hakdamat Likkutei Torah ve-ha-Shas'' (1911) – sermons and Hasidic teachings *''Peirush la-Haggadah shel Pesach'' (1964) – a commentary on the

Passover Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday that celebrates the The Exodus, Biblical story of the Israelites escape from slavery in Ancient Egypt, Egypt, which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew calendar, He ...

Haggadah The Haggadah ( he, הַגָּדָה, "telling"; plural: Haggadot) is a Jewish text that sets forth the order of the Passover Seder. According to Jewish practice, reading the Haggadah at the Seder table is a fulfillment of the mitzvah to each J ...

*''Tefillot u-Minhagim'' (1912) – a collection of prayers and customs

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Weiss, Yosef Meir 1838 births 1909 deaths Hungarian Orthodox rabbis Hasidic rebbes Hasidic rabbis in Europe People from Mukachevo Spinka (Hasidic dynasty) Burials at Segula Cemetery