Yaakov Yitzchak of Lublin

Yaakov Yitzchak Horowitz (* 1745 in Lublin, † 1815 ibid., other spellings are Polish: Jakub Izaak Horowicz, Ivrit: יעקב יצחק הורוביץ; Jacob Izchak Horovitz, Yaakov Yitzchak of Lublin, Jacob Isaac of Lublin, or YY Horowitz ), and later the " called seers "or" sage of Lublin " ( Chozeh, החוזה מלובלין ) and honored as a tzaddik, was a Polish rebbe who has contributed significantly to the development of Hasidism. He was in Congress Poland and Galicia, especially in Lublin. His grave in the Lublin Jewish cemetery was a place of pilgrimage for believers from around the world.

Life and work

Yaakov Yitzchak was a student of Samuel Horowitz from Mikulov, of Dov Baer of Mezritch and Levi Yitzhak of Berdichev. His most important teacher was Elimelech of Lyschansk, against whom he eventually rebelled and began to lead his own group of Hasidim to Elimelech's lifetime. He was first in Stet and Rozwadow active, retired in the 1790s after Czechow, a suburb of Lublin, and finally itself to Lublin He was praised as a tzadik and miracle healer and had in the spread of Hasidism in the Kingdom of Poland and Galicia large proportion. He founded no own dynasty, but most Polish and Galician tzaddikim in the first half of the 19th century were his pupils. His followers came from different social classes, and Yitzchak Meir Alter, the founder of the Ger - motion, described him as " everyone's Rabbi ". Many of his students testified to his ability to recognize the intentions of a man in his actions to anticipate events and to reveal the origin of a human soul in its various reincarnations. Therefore he was posthumously awarded the nickname " Seer of Lublin ".

Both in and outside Lublin was Yaakov Yitzchak of the " mitnagdim ", the opponents of Hasidism, attacked. Another of his critics was Azriel Horowitz, the rabbi of Lublin.

According to Hasidic tradition of the seer of Lublin saw the Napoleonic invasion of Russia in 1812, by the strong messianic expectations were awakened in Poland and Galicia, as harbingers of the battle of Gog and Magog, and intended to ally with other tzaddikim to the redemption advance.

Known Yaakov Yitzchak Horowitz writings are:

• Divrei Emet
• Zot Hazikaron
• Hazikaron Zot
• Hazikaron Tov

"Practical " Hasidism

According Elimelech of Lyschansk Yaakov Yitzchak emphasized the "practical" work of the tzaddik and stressed his duty, for " life and livelihood " his " children ", namely the Hasidic community to come up. Based on the conviction that spiritual wealth presupposes material abundance, he concluded that a person who wants to turn to God, first needs help to cover its material needs. The tzaddik should " maintain great abundance and a comfortable lifestyle, so people are free to worship." He also said that " when the body feels pleasure, the soul enjoys intellectual wealth " ( in Or la- Shamayim, 1850). For Yaakov Yitzchak and his teachings was the element of learning of little importance. His focus was on the relationship between man and fellow man, who had for him special meaning in the secret world order. He saw humility as a metaphysical element, stressing the virtue of " love for Israel ", which was an important principle in the early Hasidism.

Towards the end of his life suffered Yaakov Yitzchak from a severe crisis, which resulted from his management style. This resulted in the Lublin Chassidim to a split in a group which emphasized the efforts to spiritual perfection and constant devotion to God, and another group for which the focus was on the efforts of tzaddik, to provide for the mass of the Hasidim. Although Yaakov Yitzchak felt the disappointment of his best students, he did not change his method. This led to a controversy with his most talented students, Yaakov Yitzchak Przysucha, who could not be satisfied with the "practical" character of the Lublin Hasidism, which often degenerated into magical activities to improve the material conditions of life. From this controversy, the school of Kotzker Rebbe developed in the following decades.