MENAHEM MENDEL OF PEREMYSHLANY

MENAHEM MENDEL OF PEREMYSHLANY (b. 1728), ḥasidic leader. In his youth he joined the group of *Israel b. Eliezer, the Ba'al Shem Tov, and in the late 1750s is mentioned as a participant at a "third Sabbath meal" gathering (Israel *Loebel, Sefer Vikku'aḥ (Warsaw, 1798), 9b). In 1764, he went to Ereẓ Israel together with R. *Naḥman of Horodenko (Gorodenka) and settled in Tiberias. Before his emigration, he visited Cekinowka and Soroki, townlets on both banks of the Dniester, where he occupied himself in the "redemption of captives" (pidyon shevuyyim). He is identical with R. Mendel of Cekinowka mentioned in Shivḥei ha-Besht (Kapust, 1815), 19. As for the reason for his emigration, one of his intimates has written: "He emigrated to the Holy Land because emissaries started traveling to him urging that he occupy himself with community affairs" (A. Rubinstein, in: Tarbiz, 35 (1965/66), 177), which probably signifies that they came to him as a ẓaddik and miracle-worker (*Ba'al Shem) and he refused to assume such a role.

R. Mendel represents the extreme enthusiast among the first generations of the ḥasidic movement. His teachings abound in radical expressions which aroused violent opposition, such as: "One should not be exceedingly meticulous in every act performed, because this is the intent of the evil inclination; even if, Heaven forbid, one has sinned – one should not be overtaken by melancholy" (Darkhei Yesharim (Zhitomir, 1805), 4b, 5a). Like other disciples of the Ba'al Shem Tov, he considered devotion to God the pivot of ḥasidic doctrine and conduct. In contrast to others, however, he thought that Torah study and the practice of devotion were not compatible; study was therefore to be restricted so as not to restrain the process of approximation to the Creator. "If we divert our thoughts from devotion to God, and study excessively, we will forget the fear of Heaven … study should therefore be reduced and one should always meditate on the greatness of the Creator." R. Mendel considered prayer the most suitable manner in which to achieve devotion, and that prayer must be restrained and not, as was the opinion of Ḥasidim of other schools, vociferous. In general, it was his view that devotional conduct should be based on contemplative concentration attainable by seclusion from society and cessation of all occupation. His principal teachings were published in his booklet Darkhei Yesharim ve-hu Hanhagot Yesharot (Zhitomir, 1805); in Likkutei Yekarim (Lvov, 1792); and in Yosher Divrei Emet (1905), of R. Meshullam Feivush of Zbarazh.

bibliography:

Dubnow, Ḥasidut, index; A. Rubinstein, in: Tarbiz, 35 (1965/66); J. Weiss, in: Tiferet Yisrael – I. Brodie Jubilee Volume (1967), 158–62.

[Avraham Rubinstein]