Ze'ev Wolf Kitzes (, ; born – died 12

Cheshvan Marcheshvan (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Hebrew language#Modern Hebrew, Standard , Tiberian vocalization, Tiberian ; from Akkadian language, Akkadian , literally, 'eighth month'), generally shortened to Cheshvan (, Hebrew language#Modern Hebrew, S ...

1788,

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

) was a noted Hasidic rabbi. According to the family tradition of a Medzhibozh branch of his descendants, the Rabbi was born in 1696 and passed away in 1765. He was the

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 t ...

of the Tulchin aka Tulchyn (Тульчин) community in Vinnitsya. Later he moved to Medzhibozh where he, together with Rabbi David Purkes, stood at the head of the group of Chassidim that preceded the

Baal Shem Tov Israel ben Eliezer (According to a forged document from the "Kherson Geniza", accepted only by Chabad, he was born in October 1698. Some Hasidic traditions place his birth as early as 1690, while Simon Dubnow and other modern scholars argue f ...

. When the Baal Shem Tov arrived in Medzhibozh, Kitzes and Purkes opposed him. However, they later accepted and supported his leadership. Kitzes was a student of the Baal Shem Tov. He was the ''Baal Tokeah'' (the one who blows the Shofar) at the beit midrash of the Baal Shem Tov. Rabbi Yitzchak Michelowitz of Radvil writes that Kitzes was famous for his piety and meticulous observance of Mizvot, to the extent that "he would even ituallyimmerse a needle". In a book called ''Me'ah Shearim'', it is mentioned that Kitzes was very strict about not eating meat that was made

kosher (also or , ) is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher ( in English, ), from the Ashke ...

with him not being present, even if his rabbi, the Baal Shem Tov, was present. There are many stories about him in the biography of Baal Shem Tov called ''Shivhei ha-Besht (In Praise of the Ba'al Shem Tov)''. Kitzes is buried in Medzhibozh next to the Ba'al Shem Tov.

Children

*Nachman Kitzes *Abraham Kazis from Vishnevets1811 Kremnets census1764 Medzibozh Census *Ozer Kitzes *Fyvush Kitzes *Chaim Israel Kitzes * Etia married to Yankiel Ichowicz *A daughter married Rabbi Yosef the son of Rabbi David of

Mykolaiv Mykolaiv ( ), also known as Nikolaev ( ) is a List of cities in Ukraine, city and a hromada (municipality) in southern Ukraine. Mykolaiv is the Administrative centre, administrative center of Mykolaiv Raion (Raions of Ukraine, district) and Myk ...

, a student of the Besht *Yehudis married the son of Rabbi David Purkes, a student of the Besht, and Chief Judge in the Medzhibozh Beth Din *A daughter married into a prominent, wealthy family in the city of Iaşi

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kitzes, Ze'ev Wolf 18th-century rabbis from the Russian Empire Hasidic rebbes 1680s births 18th-century deaths Year of birth uncertain Year of death uncertain

Children

See also

References