Rabbi is the term in Judaism for a religious teacher. The word rabbi derives from the Hebrew root word , rav, which in biblical Hebrew means ‘great’ in many senses, including "revered." The word comes from the Semitic root R-B-B, and is cognate to Arabic ربّ rabb, meaning "lord" Rabbi ' onMouseout='HidePop("28659")' href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Ukraine">Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev is both the capital and the largest city of...
), was a leading disciple of
Nathan of BreslovNathan of Breslov , also known as Reb Noson, was the chief disciple and scribe of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, founder of the Breslov Hasidic dynasty. Reb Noson is credited with preserving, promoting and expanding the Breslov movement after the Rebbe's death...
(known as "Reb Noson"), who in turn was the chief disciple of Rebbe
Nachman of BreslovNachman of Breslov , also known as Reb Nachman of Bratslav, Reb Nachman Breslover , Nachman from Uman , was the founder of the Breslov Hasidic dynasty....
, the founder of the
Breslov Hasidic dynastyBreslov is a branch of Hasidic Judaism founded by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov a great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, founder of Hasidism. Its adherents strive to develop an intense, joyous relationship with God and receive guidance toward this goal from the teachings of Rebbe Nachman...
. Goldstein was the first to write a learned commentary specifically on Rebbe Nachman's teachings, giving scholarly legitimacy to the Breslov movement after the death of Reb Noson in 1844. Many of today's English-language translations of Breslover works were only made possible because of the Tcheriner Rav's meticulous research and elucidation.
A
child prodigyA child prodigy is someone who at an early age masters one or more skills at an adult level. One heuristic for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 15 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding field of endeavor...
who excelled in his Torah studies even as a young boy, Goldstein was the grandson of Rabbi Aharon, the chief rabbi of
BreslovBratslav is a townlet in Ukraine, located in the Nemyriv Raion of Vinnytsia Oblast, by the Southern Bug river. It is a medieval European city having dramatically lost its importance during 19th-20th centuries...
in Rebbe Nachman's day, and the son of Rabbi Zvi Aryeh, the succeeding rabbi of Breslov. He grew up in the town of Breslov. However, in his youth he shied away from Reb Noson. Once Reb Noson said to him, "Nachman, who knows? Maybe the reason Rebbe Nachman worked so hard to bring your grandfather to Breslav was because of
you?" After that, Goldstein became a follower of Reb Noson, and after the latter's death, became very involved with Reb Noson's works.
He collected and published Noson's eight-volume
magnum opusMagnum opus , from the Latin meaning great work, refers to the largest, and perhaps the best, greatest, most popular, or most renowned achievement of an author, artist, or composer.The term Great Work is also used in several...
,
Likutey Halachot, as well as an expanded version of Noson's
Likutey Etzot (Advice) with additional material from Rebbe Nachman's teachings, under the title,
Likutey Etzot HaMeshulash. Altogether, the Tcheriner Rav authored about 20 works. Some were only seen by Breslover
HasidimHasidim is the plural of Hasid , meaning "pious" or "righteous". The word Hasid was frequently used as a term of exceptional respect in the Talmudic and early medieval periods...
in manuscript form before they were lost. The ones that survive are:
- Parparaot LeChokhmah—a commentary that illuminates many complex concepts and structures in Likutey Moharan
- Zimrat HaAretz—a commentary that connects each lesson in Likutey Moharan to the Land of Israel
Israel officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
- Yekara DeShabbata—a commentary that relates each lesson in Likutey Moharan to the Sabbath day
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from sundown Friday until the appearance of three stars in the sky on Saturday night...
- Yerach HaEitanim—a commentary that relates each lesson in Likutey Moharan to Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah is a Jewish holiday commonly referred to as the "Jewish New Year." It is observed on the first day of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, as ordained in the Torah, in...
, Yom KippurYom Kippur , also known as the Day of Forgiveness, is the holiest day of the year for religious Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue services...
and SukkotSukkot is a Jewish holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei...
- Nachat HaShulchan—a commentary that describes the connection between numerous chapters of the Shulchan Aruch
The Shulchan Aruch is a codification, or written manual, of halacha , composed by Rabbi Yosef Karo in the 16th century...
and the first lesson of Likutey Moharan
- Rimzey Ma'asiyyot—a commentary on Sippurey Ma'asiyot (Rabbi Nachman's Stories)
Goldstein also produced a source index for
Sefer HaMiddot (The Aleph-Bet Book—a collection of aphorisms on character traits), tracing Rebbe Nachman's references throughout the
BibleThe Bible contains the central religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. Modern Judaism generally recognizes a single set of canonical books known as the Tanakh, or Hebrew Bible, as it is written almost entirely in the Hebrew language, with some small portions in Aramaic...
,
TalmudThe Talmud is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs, and history. It is a central text of mainstream Judaism....
and
MidrashMidrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
. He also compiled teachings of the Baal Shem Tov and his major disciples under the titles
Leshon Hasidim and
Derech Hasidim.
Goldstein raised his daughter's son,
Abraham SternhartzAbraham Sternhartz , also known as Avraham Shternhartz, was an Orthodox rabbi in Ukraine and a unique and unsurpassed figure in the chain of transmission of Breslover teachings from the early generations of the movement to the latter ones....
, after the latter was orphaned of his parents as a young child. As the grandson of Reb Noson's leading disciple and at the same time a great-grandson of Noson through his father's line, Sternhartz was privy to all the family traditions and stories about Rebbe Nachman's closest disciple. These formed the basis for his definitive biography of Reb Noson, entitled
Tovot Zichronot.
See also
- Breslov (Hasidic dynasty)
Breslov is a branch of Hasidic Judaism founded by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov a great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, founder of Hasidism. Its adherents strive to develop an intense, joyous relationship with God and receive guidance toward this goal from the teachings of Rebbe Nachman...
- Nachman of Breslov
Nachman of Breslov , also known as Reb Nachman of Bratslav, Reb Nachman Breslover , Nachman from Uman , was the founder of the Breslov Hasidic dynasty....
- Nathan of Breslov
Nathan of Breslov , also known as Reb Noson, was the chief disciple and scribe of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, founder of the Breslov Hasidic dynasty. Reb Noson is credited with preserving, promoting and expanding the Breslov movement after the Rebbe's death...
- Abraham Sternhartz
Abraham Sternhartz , also known as Avraham Shternhartz, was an Orthodox rabbi in Ukraine and a unique and unsurpassed figure in the chain of transmission of Breslover teachings from the early generations of the movement to the latter ones....