Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen Rabinovich
Date of Passing: 9-Elul. Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen, one of the most influential thinkers of the chassidic movement, was born into a family of rabbis. His father...
(Kreisburg, 1823 – Lublin, Poland, 1900) Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen, one of the most influential thinkers of the chassidic movement, was born into a family of rabbis. His father Rabbi Yaakov HaKohen, served as the rabbi of Kreisberg. Even as a young man he gained widespread acclaim as an illuy, a brilliant talmudist, and as a result he received difficult halachic queries (she’eilot) from far and wide and corresponded with such luminaries as Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Spector of Kovno.
Besides writing numerous talmudic novellae he also wrote scholarly essays on astronomy, geometry, and algebra.
For his first twenty four years he studied only nigleh, the revealed aspect of Torah, which includes Talmud and Halacha. The year 1847 was a turning point in his life, and from that time until the end of his life his writings dealt only with nistar, the concealed parts of the Torah – kabbalistic, mystical themes.
Despite the urging of many communities, Rabbi Tzadok refused to accept any rabbinic post for most of his life. Living from hand to mouth, he eked out a living by running a small used clothing store.
Rabbi Tzadok was a chassid of Izbitz and a close friend of Rabbi Yehudah Leib Eiger. Upon the death of Rabbi Eiger in 1888, he agreed to take over the leadership of the chassidim. Rabbi Tzadok was a prolific writer whose works made an enormous impact with their profound thoughts. He wrote Pri Tzadik (reflections on Torah and the festivals), Resisei Laylah, Kedushat Shabbat, Machshevot Charutz, Dover Tzedek, and other works.
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Used with kind permission from Daily Zohar Tzadikim.
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