ZHIDACHOV

ZHIDACHOV , ?asidic dynasty. The dynasty's founder and most outstanding personality, ?evi hirsch eichenstein (1785–1831), was born in the village of Safrin, Hungary. In his youth he was known as a brilliant Torah scholar, and while still a young man, he devoted himself mainly to the study of the *Kabbalah. Under the influence of his brother, Moses of Sambor (d. 1840), he became a ?asid and the outstanding disciple of *Jacob Isaac ha-?ozeh ("the Seer") of Lublin. In addition, ?evi Hirsch studied with *Moses Leib of Sasov, whom he also considered to be his mentor, and with *Baruch of Medzhibezh, among others. Only after the death of Jacob Isaac of Lublin did he become the leader of a large ?asidic community.

His unique approach to ?asidism, which aroused the opposition of other ?asidic leaders, consisted in strengthening the kabbalistic-philosophical foundation of the movement. He wrote a number of important works on mysticism, and his disciples and followers were distinguished from other streams of ?asidism by their open and dedicated study of the system of Isaac *Luria, whose thought they considered to be a direct forerunner of ?asidism. ?evi Hirsch saw ?asidism as the means by which the ideals of the important later kabbalists could be put into practice, and, in addition, he maintained that no understanding of ?asidism was possible without a deep knowledge of Kabbalah.

Among his numerous disciples were his brother, Judah ?evi of Rozdol, and his nephew, Isaac Eizik of Komarno. The well-known *Malbim (Meir Leib b. Jehiel of Michael) studied Kabbalah under ?evi Hirsch. The 11^th of Tammuz, the date of ?evi Hirsch's death, became a day of celebration, when his disciples, admirers, and the adherents of closely related ?asidic sects made a pilgrimage to his grave. He was followed as leader of the Zhidachov dynasty by his brothers issachar leib (d. 1832) and moses of sambor, and then by his nephew, isaac eizik (1804–1872). Isaac Eizik, although a follower of a number of the great ?asidic leaders of his generation, was primarily a devoted disciple of his uncle ?evi Hirsch. In addition, Isaac Eizik wrote ?asidic works which are firmly based on a kabbalistic foundation and serve as a kind of bridge between ?asidism and Kabbalah. Isaac Eizik's sons and grandsons, who were rabbis and communal leaders in several places, continued the tradition of the dynasty, and were *admorim in several centers.

Among the works of ?evi Hirsch are Sur me-Ra va-Aseh Tov (1835), preface to Peri E? ?ayyim; Peri Kodesh Hillulim (1836), on Peri E? ?ayyim; Ateret ?evi (1836), on the Zohar; Beit Yisrael (1834), on the Pentateuch. A book about his life and work is M. Braver's ?evi la-?addik (1931).

The works of Isaac Eizik include: Likkutei Maharia (1890), on Yalkut Shimoni; Likkutei Torah ve-ha-Shas (1886). M. Braver's Pe'er Yi??ak (1928) treats of his life and work. The entire Zhidachov dynasty is covered in I. Craker's Eser Kedushot (1906), and R. Mahler's Ha-?asidut ve-ha-Haskalah (1961), which contains an index.

[Adin Steinsaltz]