Elimelech of Lizhensk
Rabbi Elimelech of Lyschansk (* 1717, † 1787 in Leżajsk, Poland ) was a Hasidic rabbi and tzaddik and one of the founder of Hasidism in Galicia.
Life
Elimelech was a disciple of Dov Baer of Mezritch. With his brother Susja of Hanipol he traveled from village to village. After the death of Dov Baer 1772, he settled in the Galician shtetl Lyschansk (Polish: Leżajsk ) down, which was subsequently become an important Hasidic center. He led a court that the ( " ransom " ) was funded by Pidjonot: a system of internal taxes that were paid to the tzaddik and which often Kwitlach ( " Receipts " ) were attached on which the Hasidim wrote down their material and spiritual problems in the hope that this would be resolved by the tzaddik. In his letters to Elimelech defended against the allegations of mitnagdim ( opponents of Hasidism ), that the Hasidim are guided in their liturgy according to the Sephardic rite of Isaac Luria and quoted in support Yosef Karo and Moses Isserles. His tomb in Leżajsk is still a pilgrimage destination for followers of Hasidism, especially on the day he died, 21 Adar.
His teachings
In contrast to the view that the tzaddik was only a spiritual leader, Elimelech took the view that the leadership role of the tzaddik extend to all areas of life. The tzaddik must live in the dialectical tension between Dewekut ( devotion to God) and the pragmatic, realistic needs of society. It seems that Elimelech could not meet the standards set by his own claims. Towards the end of his life he retired from his students and neglected the spiritual leadership of his community. According to the tzadik Elimelech has a higher spiritual status as Seraphim and forms the foundation of the world. The authority of a Hasidic leader arises from its direct relationship with higher powers, of which he is supported in his efforts for the welfare of the individual and the community: " Every expression of the tzaddik creates an angel, and influenced by the higher spheres" ( in his sermon collection Noam Elimelech, Lvov 1787). An excess of enthusiasm can endanger the life of the tzaddik. Therefore, he is calmed in his devotion to God by this, not to die in the ecstasy of his mystical experiences.
Devotion to God is not a uniform state, but characterized by ascents and descents. In the " Descent of the tzaddik " (Hebrew ha - Tzadik Nefilat ) Elimelech focuses on the descent for the purpose of Tikkun, the " restoration of the original divine world order." This descent is seen as a voluntary process. The tzaddik knows that he needs to improve his community and therefore embarks on their level to lift them up. As a result, evil thoughts are sublimated or increased, which ultimately leads to personal salvation of individuals. Elimelech's answer to the question of the problem of evil is the sanctification of material things and the resistance to the temptation. The tzaddik has the dualism between good and evil overcome by transforming evil into good. This process will bring about the appearance of the Messiah, when all will return to their original unit. The novelty of this doctrine is the spiritual renewal of man and the revelation inward aspects of the Torah that were not revealed at Sinai. Among the students of Elimelech were Yaakov Yitzchak Horowitz, the " Seer of Lublin ", and Abraham Joshua Heschel of Apta.