All Topics  
Abraham Gershon of Kitov

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Abraham Gershon of Kitov
 
 
  Topics Abraham Gershon of Kitov Topic Home

Rabbi Abraham Gershon of Kitov
Kuty

Kuty is a urban-type settlement in Ukraine, on the Cheremosh river, located in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. It is notable as one of the historical centres and the namesake of a historical region of Pokuttya....
 (Kuty), also known as Rabbi Gershon of Brody
Brody

Brody is a city in the Lviv Oblast of western Ukraine. It is the Capital city of the Brodivskyi Raion , and is located in the valley of the upper Styr, approximately 90 kilometres northeast of the oblast capital, Lviv....
 was probably born in or near Kuty, Poland
Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north....
 around 1701 and died in Jerusalem
Jerusalem

Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and its List of Israeli cities in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if Positions on Jerusalem East Jerusalem is included....
 in 1761. He is best known as the Baal Shem Tov's brother-in-law.
ion of a famous rabbinic family, Abraham Gershon is a descendant (possibly the grandson) of Shabsai Cohen
Shabbatai ha-Kohen

Shabbatai ben Meir ha-Kohen was a noted 17th Century talmudist and halakhist. He became known as Shakh, which is an abbreviation of his most important work, Siftei ha-kohen , and his rulings were considered authoritative by later halakhists....
 ("the ShACh") (1625-1663). Both Abraham Gershon and his father Ephraim of Brody served in one of the four beit din (Jewish Court) of Brody.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Abraham Gershon of Kitov'
Start a new discussion about 'Abraham Gershon of Kitov'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Rabbi Abraham Gershon of Kitov
Kuty

Kuty is a urban-type settlement in Ukraine, on the Cheremosh river, located in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. It is notable as one of the historical centres and the namesake of a historical region of Pokuttya....
 (Kuty), also known as Rabbi Gershon of Brody
Brody

Brody is a city in the Lviv Oblast of western Ukraine. It is the Capital city of the Brodivskyi Raion , and is located in the valley of the upper Styr, approximately 90 kilometres northeast of the oblast capital, Lviv....
 was probably born in or near Kuty, Poland
Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north....
 around 1701 and died in Jerusalem
Jerusalem

Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and its List of Israeli cities in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if Positions on Jerusalem East Jerusalem is included....
 in 1761. He is best known as the Baal Shem Tov's brother-in-law.

Rabbinical career

A scion of a famous rabbinic family, Abraham Gershon is a descendant (possibly the grandson) of Shabsai Cohen
Shabbatai ha-Kohen

Shabbatai ben Meir ha-Kohen was a noted 17th Century talmudist and halakhist. He became known as Shakh, which is an abbreviation of his most important work, Siftei ha-kohen , and his rulings were considered authoritative by later halakhists....
 ("the ShACh") (1625-1663). Both Abraham Gershon and his father Ephraim of Brody served in one of the four beit din (Jewish Court) of Brody. It was here that he and his father encountered Rabbi Israel "Baal Shem Tov". According to early Chasidic work Shivchei haBesht, his father gave his blessing of marriage for his sister Chana to the Baal Shem Tov on his deathbed. But once Ephraim died, Abraham Gershon was unaware of this secret betrothal until the Baal Shem Tov revealed the engagement contract.

Abraham Gershon rose to a powerful position within the Jewish community of Brody. For a time he served as a synagogue cantor. Shivchei haBesht portrays Abraham Gershon as a foil to the Baal Shem Tov. He is usually represented as a learned and lofty man of the upper class who regards his brother-in-law as lowly and untrustworthy. Abraham Gershon is probably responsible for kicking the Baal Shem Tov out of the Brody area where he ultimately settled in Medzhybizh
Medzhybizh

Medzhybizh, previously known as Mezhybozhe, population 1731, is a Urban-type settlement in the Khmelnytskyi Oblast of western Ukraine. It is located in the Letychivsky Raion , 25 kilometres from the Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine on the main highway between Khmelnytskyi and Vinnytsia at the confluence of the Southern Buh and Buzhok rivers....
. Later, the Baal Shem Tov revealed himself. Abraham Gershon was won over and became one of the Baal Shem Tov's ardent admirers.

In 1745, Abraham Gershon was involved in ruling on a promiscuity case about the daughter-in-law of one of the wealthiest men in town. This man had strong connections to government officials. After ruling against the daughter-in-law, Abraham Gershon was forced to flee Brody to avoid being publicly punished. He took refuge with the Baal Shem Tov in Medzhybizh
Medzhybizh

Medzhybizh, previously known as Mezhybozhe, population 1731, is a Urban-type settlement in the Khmelnytskyi Oblast of western Ukraine. It is located in the Letychivsky Raion , 25 kilometres from the Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine on the main highway between Khmelnytskyi and Vinnytsia at the confluence of the Southern Buh and Buzhok rivers....
. Affiliated with new Hasidic thoughts as well as traditional Lurian liturgy, the Baal Shem Tov entrusted his brother-in-law with the education of his only son, Tzvi.

In 1747, Abraham Gershon traveled to Jerusalem
Jerusalem

Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and its List of Israeli cities in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if Positions on Jerusalem East Jerusalem is included....
, one of the first Hasidim to establish a presence in the holy land. There he embraced the Rashash
Shalom Sharabi

Sar Shalom Sharabi , also known as the Rashash, the Shemesh or Ribbi Shalom Mizra?i deyedi`a Sharabi , was a Yemenite Jews Rabbi, Halachist, Chazzan and Kabbalah....
, together with those who were students of Kabbalah
Kabbalah

Kabbalah is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mysticism aspect of Judaism. It is a set of esoteric teachings that are meant to explain the relationship between an infinite, eternal and essentially unknowable Creator deity with the finite and mortal universe of His creation....
. He lived in Hebron
Hebron

Hebron is the largest city in the West Bank, located in the south, 30 kilometers south of Jerusalem. It is home to some 166,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Israelis....
 for six years. In 1753, he moved to Jerusalem and was further associated with the (kabbalistic
Kabbalah

Kabbalah is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mysticism aspect of Judaism. It is a set of esoteric teachings that are meant to explain the relationship between an infinite, eternal and essentially unknowable Creator deity with the finite and mortal universe of His creation....
) Yeshivat Beit El
Beit El Synagogue

The Beit El Synagogue , has been the center of kabbalistic study in Jerusalem for over 250 years.The yeshiva was founded in 1737 by Rabbi Gedaliah Hayon, originally from Constantinople, for the study of kabbalah in the Holy City....
. He died in 1761 and was buried on the Mount of Olives
Mount of Olives

The Mount of Olives is a mountain ridge in east Jerusalem with three peaks running from north to south. The highest, at-Tur, rises to 818 meters ....
. After the Six Day War in 1967, his grave was rediscovered along with the grave of his second wife Bluma.

See also

  • Yishuv haYashan