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66-620: No other Jew is more closely linked to a specifically Lithuanian city than the Vilna Gaon (in Yiddish , "the genius of Vilna "), Rabbi Elijah ben Solomon Zalman (1720–1797). He helped make Vilna (modern-day Vilnius) a world center for Talmudic learning. Chaim Grade (1910–1982) was born in Vilna, the city about which he would write. The inter-war Republic of Lithuania was home to a large and influential Jewish community whose members either fled

132-518: A centre of Hasidism in Europe. R. Hayim Haykl was perhaps the most fiery and intense of the Lithuanian tzaddikim , who faced the most opposition from Misnagdic rabbis. R. Hayim Haykl would send out emissaries to spread the world of Hasidism, which led to thousands of young Lithuanian Hasidim flocking to his court, leaving their Misnagdic backgrounds. R. Hayim Haykl ultimately believed that the role of

198-413: A famous letter that was published under the title Alim li-Terufah, Minsk , 1836. The Vilna Gaon was a copious annotator, producing many marginal glosses, notes, and brief commentaries, which were mostly dictated to his pupils. Many maintain that it was his disciples who recorded his comments, if not his editorial notes. However, nothing of his was published in his lifetime. The "Gra" was very precise in

264-590: A few generations. R. Hayim Haykl's son-in-law, R. Nathan of Makow (d. 1825) established a Hasidic court in Makow , Poland . His descendants married into the Peshischa Hasidic dynasty , which was the main school of thought in Polish Hasidism . R. Solomon of Karlin was known for his intense worship of God, which often occupied him for much of the day. In fact, he was in the middle of prayer when he

330-737: A lesser extent R. Hayim Haykl of Amdur ( Indura ) (d. 1787), all of whom were disciples of R. Dov Ber of Mezeritch ( Mezhirichi ) (c. 1704–1772), who in part was the successor to the R. Israel Baal Shem Tov (c. 1698–1760) who founded Hasidic Judaism in Western Ukraine . In its earliest years, Lithuanian Hasidism suffered immense persecution by the Lithuanian Misnagdic rabbinate, who attempted to ban and excommunicate Hasidism on several occasions in Lithuania beginning with R. Elijah b. Solomon Zalman of Vilna (1720–1797), who

396-503: A number of restrictions on the Jews, and imposed sumptuary laws , including the requirement that they wear distinctive clothing , including yellow caps for men and yellow kerchiefs for women. The Khmelnytsky Uprising destroyed the existing Lithuanian Jewish institutions. Still, the Jewish population of Lithuania grew from an estimated 120,000 in 1569 to approximately 250,000 in 1792. After

462-454: Is best known for his personal asceticism and for the mystical nature of his prayers. Lithuanian Hasidism placed a specific emphasis on prayer, which was often immensely enthusiastic with an emphasis on closeness to God ( Devekus ). This style of prayer, was one of the main points used by Misnagdim against Hasidism in Lithuania. Although he published no works, R. Aaron left a highly influential ethical will, along with azharot (warnings) concerning

528-412: Is often used for all Haredi Jews who are not Hasidim (and not Hardalim or Sephardic Haredim ). Other expressions used for this purpose are Yeshivishe and Misnagdim . Both the words Litvishe and Lita'im are somewhat misleading, because there are also Hasidic Jews from greater Lithuania and many Litvaks who are not Haredim. The term Misnagdim ("opponents") on the other hand

594-612: Is properly an Acharon —many later authorities hold him as possessing halachic authority in the same class as the Rishonim (rabbinic authorities of the Middle Ages). His main student Rabbi Chaim Volozhin , founded the first yeshiva in his home town of Volozhin , Belarus . The results of this move is claimed to have revolutionized Torah study , by departing from the centuries of 'informal' study. Youth and scholars would congregate in local synagogues and study freely, although it

660-529: Is somewhat outdated, because the opposition between the two groups has lost much of its relevance. Yeshivishe is also problematic because Hasidim now make use of yeshivot as much as the Litvishe Jews. The characteristically "Lithuanian" approach to Judaism was marked by a concentration on highly intellectual Talmud study. Lithuania became the heartland of the traditionalist opposition to Hasidism . They named themselves " misnagdim " (opposers) of

726-501: Is the fact that many of the leading Israeli Haredi yeshivas (outside the Hasidic camp) are successor bodies to the famous yeshivot of Lithuania, though their present-day members may or may not be descended from Lithuanian Jewry. In reality, both the ethnic make-up and the religious traditions of the misnagged communities are much more diverse. Customs of Lithuanian non-Hasidic Jews consist of: Jews began living in Lithuania as early as

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792-492: Is the pronunciation of the vowel holam as [ej] (as against Sephardic [oː] , Germanic [au] and Polish [oj] ). In the popular perception, Litvaks were considered to be more intellectual and stoic than their rivals, the Galitzianers , who thought of them as cold fish. They, in turn, disdained Galitzianers as irrational and uneducated. Ira Steingroot's "Yiddish Knowledge Cards" devote a card to this "Ashkenazi version of

858-792: The Babylonian Talmud and Shulchan Aruch are known as Bi'urei ha-Gra ("Elaborations by the Gra"). His running commentary on the Mishnah is titled Shenoth Eliyahu ("The Years of Elijah"). Various Kabbalistic works have commentaries in his name. His insights on the Pentateuch are titled Adereth Eliyahu ("The Splendor of Elijah"). Commentaries on the Proverbs and other books of the Tanakh were written later on in his life. The Gaon

924-587: The Bank of Lithuania issued a limited-edition silver commemorative 10- euro coin in October 2020; this is the first euro coin with Hebrew letters. The Vilna Gaon's brother Avraham authored the revered work "Maalot Hatorah". His son Abraham was also a scholar of note. The Vilna Gaon died in 1797, aged 77, and was subsequently buried in the Šnipiškės cemetery in Vilnius, now in Žirmūnai elderate . The cemetery

990-645: The Hasidic movement. The Gaon once started on a trip to the Land of Israel , but for unknown reasons did not get beyond Germany . (In the early nineteenth century, three groups of his students, known as Perushim , under the leadership of Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Shklov, made their way to what was then Ottoman Palestine, settling first in Safed and later also in Jerusalem ). While at Königsberg he wrote to his family

1056-486: The Hatfields and McCoys ". This difference is of course connected with the Hasidic / misnaged debate, Hasidism being considered the more emotional and spontaneous form of religious expression. The two groups differed not only in their attitudes and their pronunciation, but also in their cuisine . The Galitzianers were known for rich, heavily sweetened dishes in contrast to the plainer, more savory Litvisher versions, with

1122-758: The Middle Ages . Although he is chronologically one of the Acharonim , some have considered him one of the Rishonim . Large groups of people, including many yeshivas , uphold the set of Jewish customs and rites ( minhag ), the " minhag ha-Gra ", named after him, and which is also considered by many to be the prevailing Ashkenazi minhag in Jerusalem . Born in Sielec in the Brest Litovsk Voivodeship (today Syalyets , Belarus),

1188-737: The Novominsk Hasidic dynasty in Poland. After the death of R. Noach Jaffe, his disciple, R. Moses Polier (1784–1858), established the Kobrin Hasidic dynasty . R. Moses Polier's disciple, R. Abraham Weinberg (1804–1883), established the Slonim Hasidic dynasty . The Strelisk Hasidic dynasty was largely influenced by Karlin, despite being a Ukrainian group. The founder of the Strelisk dynasty, R. Uri of Strelisk (1757–1826)

1254-500: The Pentateuch entitled Adereth Eliyahu ("The Cloak of Elijah"), published by his son. Various Kabbalistic works have commentaries in his name, and he wrote commentaries on the Proverbs and other books of the Tanakh later on in his life. None of his manuscripts were published in his lifetime. When Hasidic Judaism became influential in his native town, the Vilna Gaon joined the "opposers" or Misnagdim , rabbis and heads of

1320-583: The Pinsk-Karlin Hasidic group . Additionally, after R. Solomon's death, many of his disciples established their own Hasidic courts. R. Solomon of Karlin's disciple, R. Mordechai Jaffe (d. 1810) established the Lechovitch Hasidic dynasty , which was continued by his son, R. Noach Jaffe (d. 1832), who in part was succeeded by his son-in-law R. Mordechai Malovitzky (maternal grandson of R. Solomon of Karlin). R. Mordechai's son-in-law

1386-561: The Rebbe Rayatz . One of the basic values of Chabad are three processes of a person's intellect: Chochmah , Binah , and Daat . So central is this approach in the group's philosophy that their name, CHaBaD, is an acronym of these three things. Chabad differs from other Hasidic groups in that they focus primarily on using one's mind for to serve God, while the Rebbes of other groups stress channeling one's heart in service. In 1797,

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1452-621: The Talmud and rabbinic literature, making an attempt toward a critical examination of the text. The Gaon devoted much time to the study of the Torah and Hebrew grammar , and was knowledgeable in scientific pursuits of the time. When Hasidic Judaism became influential in Vilna , the Vilna Gaon joined rabbis and heads of the Polish communities, to speak against Hasidic influence. In 1781, when

1518-538: The 13th century. In 1388, they were granted a charter by Vytautas , under which they formed a class of freemen subject in all criminal cases directly to the jurisdiction of the grand duke and his official representatives, and in petty suits to the jurisdiction of local officials on an equal footing with the lesser nobles ( szlachta ), boyars , and other free citizens. As a result, the community prospered. In 1495, they were expelled by Alexander Jagiellon , but allowed to return in 1503. The Lithuanian statute of 1566 placed

1584-566: The 1793 Second Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth , Litvaks became subjects of the Russian Empire . The Jewish Lithuanian population before World War II numbered around 160,000, or about 7% of the total population. At the beginning of the war, some 12,000 Jewish refugees fled into Lithuania from Poland; by 1941 the Jewish population of Lithuania had increased to approximately 250,000, or 10% of

1650-547: The 19th century, having been supplanted in this meaning by Litwin , only to be revived around 1880 in the narrower meaning of "a Lithuanian Jew". The "Lithuania" meant here is the territory of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania . Of the main Yiddish dialects in Europe, the Litvishe Yiddish ( Lithuanian Yiddish ) dialect was spoken by Jews in Lithuania, Belarus, Latvia, Estonia and northeastern Poland, including Suwałki, Łomża, and Białystok. However, following

1716-501: The Gaon displayed extraordinary talent while still a child. By the time he was twenty years old, rabbis were submitting their most difficult halakhic problems to him for legal rulings. He was a prolific author, writing such works as glosses on the Babylonian Talmud and Shulchan Aruch known as Bi'urei ha-Gra ("Elaborations by the Gra"), a running commentary on the Mishnah , Shenoth Eliyahu ("The Years of Elijah"), and insights on

1782-483: The Gaon had committed the Tanakh to memory by the age of four, and at the age of seven, he was taught Talmud by Moses Margalit , future rabbi of Kėdainiai and the author of a commentary to the Jerusalem Talmud , entitled Pnei Moshe ("The Face of Moses"). He possessed a photographic memory . By eight, he was studying astronomy during his free time. From the age of ten he continued his studies without

1848-787: The Hasidi. The Lithuanian traditionalists believed Hassidim represented a threat to Halachic observance due to certain Kabbalistic beliefs held by the Hassidim, that, if misinterpreted, could lead one to heresy as per the Frankists . Differences between the groups grew to the extent that in popular perception "Lithuanian" and " misnagged " became virtually interchangeable terms. However, a sizable minority of Litvaks belong(ed) to Hasidic groups , including Chabad , Slonim , Karlin-Stolin , Karlin (Pinsk) , Lechovitch , Amdur and Koidanov . With

1914-883: The Hasidim of Belarus were led by R. Menahem Mendel of Vitebsk . However, after R. Menahem Mendel's emigration to the Israel , R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi , the first rebbe of Chabad and author of the Tanya , took his place; however, the Karliner communities remained independent of Chabad. Later Chabad rebbes in Europe were the Mitteler Rebbe , the Tzemach Tzedek , the Rebbe Maharash , the Rebbe Rashab , and

1980-403: The Hasidim renewed their proselytizing work under the leadership of their Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (the "Ba'al Ha'tanya"), the Gaon excommunicated them again, declaring them to be heretics with whom no pious Jew might intermarry. Except for the conflict with the Hasidim, the Vilna Gaon rarely engaged in public affairs and, so far as is known, did not preside over any school in Vilna . He

2046-535: The Holocaust, his sons R. Jacob Hayim Perlow (d. 1946) and R. Yochanan Perlow [HE] (1900–1956). After R. Yochahan's death, most of the hasidim went on to follow his son-in-law, R. Barukh Meir Jacob Shochet (b. 1955), who is the current Karliner Rebbe. Additionally, many Karliner Hasidim accepted, the Lelover Rebbe , R. Moses Mordecai Biderman (1903–1987), as R. Yochanan's successor, and from him derives

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2112-525: The Holy Land, broadly speaking, were divided into Hasidim and Perushim , who were Litvaks influenced by the Vilna Gaon . For this reason, in modern-day Israeli Haredi parlance the terms Litvak (noun) or Litvisher (adjective), or in Hebrew Litaim , are often used loosely to include any non- Hasidic Ashkenazi Haredi individual or institution. Another reason for this broadening of the term

2178-640: The Jerusalem neighborhood of Mea Shearim , and were instrumental in rebuilding the Yehudah HeChassid Synagogue (also known as the Hurba Synagogue , or "The Ruins"), which had lain in ruins for 140 years. A statue of the Vilna Gaon and a street named after him are in Vilnius, the place of both his birth and his death. Lithuania's parliament declared 2020 as the year of the Vilna Gaon and Lithuanian Jewish History. In his honour,

2244-584: The Karliner sect." There were several individual rebbes who served in Lithuania besides for those dynasties detailed above. For example, before Rabbi Aaron of Karlin founded his court in Karlin, the Maggid of Mezeritch had sent a different student of his, Rabbi Pinchas Horowitz (the Hafla'ah ) to Lyakhavichy in 1765, in addition to preachers who traveled throughout the region spreading Hasidism; among these preachers

2310-482: The Polish communities, to curb Hasidic influence. While he advocated studying branches of secular education such as mathematics in order to better understand rabbinic texts, he harshly condemned the study of philosophy and metaphysics . The Vilna Gaon was born in Sialiec , Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth on April 23, 1720, as Elijah Ben Solomon Zalman to a well known rabbinical family. According to legend,

2376-466: The aid of a teacher, and by the age of eleven he had committed the entire Talmud to memory. Later , the Gaon decided to go into "exile" and he wandered in various parts of Europe including Poland and Germany . By the time he was twenty years old, rabbis were submitting their most difficult halakhic problems to him. He returned to his native city in 1748, having by then acquired considerable renown. The Gaon applied rigorous philological methods to

2442-516: The boundary known as the Gefilte Fish Line . The Lithuanian Jewish population may exhibit a genetic founder effect . The utility of these variations has been the subject of debate. One variation, which is implicated in familial hypercholesterolemia , has been dated to the 14th century, corresponding to the establishment of settlements in response to the invitation extended by Gediminas in 1323, which encouraged German Jews to settle in

2508-467: The country or were murdered when the Holocaust in Lithuania began in 1941. Prior to World War II , the Lithuanian Jewish population comprised some 160,000 people, or about 7% of the total population. There were over 110 synagogues and 10 yeshivas in Vilnius alone. Census figures from 2005 recorded 4,007 Jews in Lithuania – 0.12 percent of the country's total population. Vilna (Vilnius)

2574-525: The disciples moved to Jerusalem. Their arrival in Jerusalem, which for over 100 years had been mainly Sephardi , revived the presence of Ashkenazi Jewry in Jerusalem, and resulted in a dominance of the customs of the Vilna Gaon. The impact of the Perushim is still apparent today in the religious practices of the Israeli Jewish community, even among non-Ashkenazim. For example, the institution of

2640-470: The dispute between the Hasidim and the Misnagdim , in which the Lithuanian academies were the heartland of opposition to Hasidism, "Lithuanian" came to have the connotation of Misnagdic (non-Hasidic) Judaism generally, and to be used for all Jews who follow the traditions of the great Lithuanian yeshivot, whether or not their ancestors actually came from Lithuania. In modern Israel, Lita'im (Lithuanians)

2706-475: The elderly Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk and Chaim Chaykl of Amdur ). The disciples of the Vilna Gaon, known as Perushim due to how they isolated themselves from worldly concerns to study Torah, originally settled in Safed because the Muslim authorities in Jerusalem prevented Ashkenazi Jews from settling there. However, after numerous devastating calamities in the region, including plague and earthquake, most of

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2772-785: The leading Lithuanian authorities were Chaim Soloveitchik and the Brisker school; rival approaches were those of the Mir and Telshe yeshivas. In practical halakha , the Lithuanians traditionally followed the Aruch HaShulchan , though today, the "Lithuanian" yeshivas prefer the Mishnah Berurah , which is regarded as both more analytic and more accessible. In the 19th century, the Orthodox Ashkenazi residents of

2838-577: The leading Rebbe of Belarus R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi , who had helped in supporting needy Jews in the Ottoman Empire, was accused by Vilnius' Misnagdim of aiding Russia's enemy, the Ottomans. The following year, he as was imprisoned on account of treason together with twenty-two Karliners. At this time, he was known as a "Zalman Borukhovich" while the Karliners were called "the tzaddikim of

2904-411: The names of their Lithuanian forebears. American "offspring" of the Lithuanian yeshiva movement include Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin , Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary , Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yisrael Meir HaKohen ("Chofetz Chaim"), and Beth Medrash Govoha ("Lakewood"), as well as numerous other yeshivas founded by students of Lakewood's founder, Rabbi Aharon Kotler . In theoretical Talmud study,

2970-661: The newly established city of Vilnius . A relatively high rate of early-onset dystonia in the population has also been identified as possibly stemming from the founder effect. Among notable contemporary Lithuanian Jews are: Vilna Gaon Elijah ben Solomon Zalman , ( Hebrew : ר' אליהו בן שלמה זלמן Rabbi Eliyahu ben Shlomo Zalman ), also known as the Vilna Gaon ( Yiddish : דער װילנער גאון Der Vilner Goen ; Polish : Gaon z Wilna, Gaon Wileński ; or Elijah of Vilna , or by his Hebrew acronym Gra (" G aon R abbenu E liyahu": "Our great teacher Elijah"; Sialiec , April 23, 1720 – Vilnius October 9, 1797),

3036-431: The philosophy of their movement. As for the Vilna Gaon's own community, in accordance with the Vilna Gaon's wishes, three groups of his disciples and their families, numbering over 500, made aliyah to the Land of Israel between 1808 and 1812. This immigration was one of the first modern Jewish migrations to Palestine, although Hasidic immigration was already active in the 1780s (even by the rebbes themselves, such as

3102-667: The priestly blessing by the Kohanim known as duchaning during the weekdays (rather than only during festivals, as practiced in the Diaspora), and the accepted time for the onset of Shabbat in Jerusalem and other cities can both be traced to the custom of the Vilna Gaon. However, the teachings and traditions of the Vilna Gaon have been passed down most directly to the Litvaks in Israel. The Perushim also set up several Kollels , founded

3168-543: The proper worship of God, which was reprinted in later Karliner publications. After R. Aaron's death in 1772, he was succeeded by his closest disciple, R. Solomon ha-Levi of Karlin (1738–1792), who soon became the leader of Lithuanian and Belarusian Karlin Hasidism for the ensuing 20 years. It was also in 1772, after R. Aaron's death, that R. Hayim Haykl established a Hasidic court in Indura (Amdur) which soon also became

3234-637: The scholars of his time. He laid special stress on the study of the Jerusalem Talmud , which had been almost entirely neglected for centuries. The Gaon encouraged his chief pupil, Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin , to found a yeshiva (rabbinic academy) in which rabbinic literature should be taught. Rabbi Chaim Volozhin opened the Volozhin yeshiva in 1803, a few years after the Gaon's death, and revolutionized Torah study, with resulting impact on all of Orthodox Jewry . The Vilna Gaon led an ascetic life, being called by some of his contemporaries "the Hasid ". This term meaning "pious person", and has no relevance to

3300-530: The spread of the Enlightenment , many Litvaks became devotees of the Haskala (Jewish Enlightenment) movement in Eastern Europe pressing for better integration into European society, and today, many leading academics, scientists, and philosophers are of Lithuanian Jewish descent. The most famous Lithuanian institution of Jewish learning was Volozhin yeshiva , which was the model for most later yeshivas. Twentieth century "Lithuanian" yeshivas include Ponevezh , Telshe , Mir , Kelm , and Slabodka , which bear

3366-427: The total population. During the German invasion of June 1941, 141,000 Jews were murdered by the Nazis and Lithuanian collaborators. Notable execution locations were the Paneriai woods (see Ponary massacre ) and the Ninth Fort . Litvaks have an identifiable mode of pronouncing Hebrew and Yiddish; this is often used to determine the boundaries of Lita (area of settlement of Litvaks). Its most characteristic feature

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3432-407: The tzadik (i.e. rebbe ) was that of a miracle worker and as a metaphysical figure mediating between heaven and earth, stating that his Hasidim could only communicate with God through him. After R. Hayim Haykl's death, the majority of his Hasidim went to Karlin, however some remained loyal to his son, R. Samuel of Amdur (d. 1799), who is the progenitor of the Amdur Hasidic dynasty , which only lasted

3498-422: The wider population). The Lithuanian Jewish population is concentrated in the capital, Vilnius, with smaller population centres including Klaipėda and Kaunas . The Yiddish adjective ליטוויש Litvish means "Lithuanian": the noun for a Lithuanian Jew is Litvak . The term Litvak itself originates from Litwak , a Polish term denoting "a man from Lithuania", which however went out of use before

3564-505: The wording of his commentaries, because he maintained that he was obligated by Torah Law that only the " Torah shebichtav " (the written law) is permitted to be written down - the rest of " Torah sheb'al peh " (oral law) cannot be, unless circumstances require. (This further supports the view that it was his disciples who wrote his comments.) So the Vilna Gaon abided by this view of law by reducing his extensive explanations that are largely inscrutable to any but advanced talmudists. Glosses on

3630-484: Was R. Moses Aaron of Vileika (d. 1846), the son of R. Samuel of Amdur. Lastly R. Mordecai's grandson (the son of his youngest son, R. Aaron Jaffe (d. 1807), who was the son-in-law of R. Asher Perlow of Karlin) was R. Solomon Haim Perlow (1797–1862), who adopted his mother's maiden name and established the Koidanov Hasidic dynasty . R. Solomon Haim's son-in-law was R. Simon Katzenellenbogen, whose son, R. Jacob Perlow (1843–1902) adopted his mother's maiden name and established

3696-399: Was a Lithuanian Jewish Talmudist , halakhist , kabbalist , and the foremost leader of misnagdic (non- hasidic ) Jewry of the past few centuries. He is commonly referred to in Hebrew as ha-Gaon mi-Vilna , "the genius from Vilnius". Through his annotations and emendations of Talmudic and other texts, he became one of the most familiar and influential figures in rabbinic study since

3762-632: Was closed by the Tsarist Russian authorities in 1831 and partly built over. In the 1950s, Soviet authorities planned to build a stadium and concert hall on the site. They allowed the remains of the Vilna Gaon to be removed and re-interred at the new cemetery. Lithuanian Hasidism Hasidic Judaism in Lithuania is the history of Hasidic Judaism and Hasidic philosophy in Lithuania and parts of modern-day Belarus . Hasidic Judaism in Lithuania began with R. Aaron Perlow of Karlin ( Karalin ) (1736–1772), R. Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk (1730?–1788) R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi ( Lyady ) (1745–1812) and to

3828-650: Was customary to migrate to towns possessing great scholars as the local rabbi. The Volozhin Yeshivah created a formal structure of the study, by providing qualified faculty, meals, and accommodation. The results of this process are currently the norm in Orthodox Jewry . Somewhat ironically, viewed from a traditional light, the leaders of the Haskalah movement used the study methods of the Vilna Gaon to gain adherents to their movement. Maskilim valued and adapted his emphasis on peshat over pilpul , his engagement with and mastery of Hebrew grammar and Bible, and his interest in textual criticism of rabbinic texts, further developing

3894-488: Was delegated by R. Dov Ber to bring Hasidism to Lithuania. That year, R. Aaron established a Hasidic court in Karlin, which soon became a great centre of Hasidism in Europe. R. Aaron had many students from Misnagdic families, and he was thus viewed by the mainstream rabbinate as a polluter of the youth. Many leading local rabbis went as far as to impose a herem on Hasidim and on R. Aaron. Yet throughout all of this, R. Aaron still received thousands of followers yearly. R. Aaron

3960-402: Was fatally shot by a Russian commander. After his death, R. Solomon was succeeded by R. Asher Perlow (1760–1826), the son of R. Aaron, who became the progenitor of the Karlin-Stolin Hasidic dynasty . The Karlin-Stolin dynasty remained unbroken for the next three generations, until the death of R. Israel Perlow [HE] (1869–1921), who was succeeded by four of his sons. While two were killed in

4026-506: Was in fact learning in such a fashion. R. Aaron answered him stating that “If so, you are making Rabbi Meir a liar!” R. Aaron walked away, but R. Hayim Haykl soon ran after him and asked him how one reaches such a level of learning. R. Aaron answered that he himself didn't know the answer, but that if R. Hayim Haykl would like to find out, he should travel to Mezhirichi with R. Aaron to learn by R. Dov Ber of Mezeritch. The two both soon became close disciples of R. Dov Ber, and in 1765, R. Aaron

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4092-468: Was known for praying with an exceptional fervor and excitement, and it is said that thousands of Jews would come to pray with him. R. Uri's disciple, R. Judah Tzvi Brandwein (1780–1884), founded the Stratin Hasidic dynasty . While Karlin played a central role in influencing Hasidism in western Belarus, the Hasidic group of Chabad-Lubavitch dominated Hasidic society in eastern Belarus, with their strongholds in Lyubavichi , Lyady , and Liozna . Originally,

4158-409: Was occupied by Nazi Germany in June 1941. Within a matter of months, this famous Jewish community had been devastated with over two-thirds of its population killed. Based on data by Institute of Jewish Policy Research, as of 1 January 2016, the core Jewish population of Lithuania is estimated to be 2,700 (0.09% of the wider population), and the enlarged Jewish population was estimated at 6,500 (0.23% of

4224-403: Was satisfied with lecturing in his bet ha-midrash to a few chosen pupils, whom he initiated into his methods. He taught them Hebrew grammar , Hebrew Bible , and Mishna , subjects that were largely neglected by the Talmudists of that time. He was especially anxious to introduce them to the study of midrash literature, and the Minor Treatises of the Talmud, which were very little known by

4290-459: Was the earliest disseminator of anti-Hasidic thought which flourished in Lithuania. According to Hasidic lore, R. Aaron Perlow had once found himself in the town of Amdur, where R. Hayim Haykl was a local cantor. R. Aaron noticed the young R. Hayim Haykl sitting and engaging in Torah study . R. Aaron asked R. Hayim Haykl why he didn't learn Torah using the teachings of Rabbi Meir to which R. Hayim Haykl responded stating that to his understanding he

4356-414: Was well versed in the mathematical works of Euclid (4th century BC) and encouraged his pupil Rabbi Baruch Schick of Shklov to translate these works into Hebrew. The Gaon is said to have written a concise mathematical work called Ayil Meshulash , which was an introductory primer to basic mathematics. The Gaon was one of the most influential rabbinic authorities since the Middle Ages , and—although he

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