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at The 92nd Street Y, New York. Supported by The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity
Nov 01, 1990
In the early days of Hasidism, fathers were often opposed to their sons joining the movement. Later on that was no longer the case. Yet neither master under discussion was succeeded by his son. And both masters sought to hasten the redemption. Rabbi Moshe was the founder of Sighet Hasidism—so he comes first. He was not from a Hasidic family. His father did draw close to Hasidism by way of his contact with Rabbi Yechiel Michel of Zlochov. Yet he didn’t become a hasid. The son, Rabbi Moshe, had occasion to visit the Seer of Lublin, felt that he really was a seer, and thus became his full-blown hasid. Born in Neustadt, Rabbi Mendel was in Nickolsberg, Berlin, and Pristyk before he settled in Riminov. It was Reb Elimelech of Lizensk who made him a hasid and who, at the time of his passing, bequeathed his formidable intellectual powers to Rabbi Mendel. Eventually, Rabbi Mendel joined with the Seer and Kozhenitzer Maggid in a sacred conspiracy to bring the Messiah—and the negative consequences of their effort are still with us today. He was succeeded by his servant Reb Hersh—and Reb Mendel’s sons approved of that decision. In contrast, Rabbi Moshe tried to hasten the redemption and bring the Messiah not through action but through prayer: “I do not need [the Messiah] anymore. But Your people do.” Rabbi Moshe was succeeded by his grandson.
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