Rabbi Yekusiel Yehuda Teitelbaum (1808–1883), known as the Yetev Lev (), was a

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 conte ...

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 Spiritu ...

'' in

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

Early life and education

He was the son of Rabbi Elazar Nison Teitelbaum, rabbi of Drubitsh, who was the son of the '' Yismach Moshe'' (Moshe Teitelbaum).

Career

After his studies, Yekusiel Yehuda, also known by his

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 ve ...

equivalent names as Zalman Leib, was appointed as the rabbi of

Stropkov Stropkov (; rue, Стропков, hu, Sztropkó, , yi, סטראפקאוו) is a town in Stropkov District, Prešov Region, Slovakia. History The first written data about the town is from 1404, when Stropkov was already labeled as an ''oppid ...

(1833). He moved to Ujhely (1841) and then to Drubitsh (1856). When the Jewish community in the city of Sighet, Hungary, was looking for a new rabbi, he was invited by the heads of the community and was appointed to that post in 1858. In addition to serving as the Rabbi of the community, he also led a

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 a ...

where 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 ...

was among his notable students. He also served as a hasidic ''rebbe'' and became known as the ''rebbe of Siget''.

Family life

Yekusiel Yehuda Tetelbaum married Ruchl, a daughter of Rabbi Moshe Dovid Ashkenazi of

Tolcsva ez maga Zsombibacsi uradalma Tolcsva is a village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Hungary. It is the birthplace of film pioneer William Fox. Notable residents * Barna Buza, Hungarian politician and jurist, Minister of Agriculture (1918-19 ...

and his wife. Their sons were Chananya Yomtov Lipa, author of ''Kedishas Yomtov'', who succeeded his father in Siget; Avrohom Aharon, who became the rabbi of

Kolbasov Kolbasov ( rue, Ковбасів; ) is a village and municipality in Snina District in the Prešov Region of north-eastern Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a la ...

; Moshe Yosef, the rabbi of Ujhel; and Eliyohu Betsalel, rabbi of Tetsh ( Tyachiv, Ukraine) (''see: Tetsh (Hasidic dynasty)''). Yekusiel and Ruchl Teitelbaum also had three daughters. Among the descendants of Yekusiel and Ruchl was their grandson Rabbi

Joel Teitelbaum Joel Teitelbaum ( yi, יואל טייטלבוים, translit=Yoyl Teytlboym, ; 13 January 1887 – 19 August 1979) was the founder and first Grand Rebbe of the Satmar dynasty. A major figure in the post-war renaissance of Hasidism, he espoused a ...

, the rebbe of Satmar, who emigrated to the United States after

the Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europ ...

. Reb Boruch of Gorlitz, son of the '' Divrei Chaim'' of

Sanz Sanz (or Tsanz, yi, צאנז) is a Hasidic dynasty originating in the city of Sanz (Nowy Sącz) in Galicia. The dynasty was founded by the rebbe Rabbi Chaim Halberstam (1793–1876) who was the rabbi of Nowy Sącz and the author of the work ...

, married one of their daughters. A great-grandson of Teitelbaum's from that marriage was Rabbi

Yekusiel Yehudah Halberstam Yekusiel Yehudah Halberstam (January 10, 1905 – June 18, 1994) was an Orthodox rabbi and the founding rebbe of the Sanz-Klausenburg Hasidic dynasty. Halberstam was one of the youngest rebbes in Europe, leading thousands of followers in the ...

of Klausenberg.

Teachings and published works

Yekusiel Yehuda was the author of ''Yetev Lev'', a Hasidic commentary on the

Torah The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the ...

, which he originally published anonymously; ''Yetev Ponim'' on the

Jewish holiday Jewish holidays, also known as Jewish festivals or ''Yamim Tovim'' ( he, ימים טובים, , Good Days, or singular , in transliterated Hebrew []), are holidays observed in Judaism and by JewsThis article focuses on practices of mainst ...

s, and the responsa ''Avnei Tsedek'' and ''Rav Tuv''.

Congregation Yetev Lev of Satmar

It is noteworthy that the monument of the Sigeter Rebbe, Yekusiel Yehuda Teitelbaum (1808–1883) spells ''Yetev'' with two ''Yud''s, whereas the ''Congregation Yetev Lev D'Satmar'' spells ''Yetev'' with only one Yud ("Kehal Yetev Lev D'Satmar").

Sources

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Teitelbaum, Yekusiel Yehuda Rebbes of Siget 1808 births 1883 deaths Hasidic rabbis in Europe Teitelbaum family