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I heard from the venerable rabbinic scholar, R. Nahman, an interpretation of the words of [the Besht] that one should intend in every word that he utters submissiveness…
Contributor:
Jacob Joseph of Polnoye
Places:
Polonnoye, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
(Polonne, Ukraine)
Date:
1780
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In order to understand what is katnut (“smallness”) and what is gadlut (“greatness”), consider this example: If one studies Torah without understanding, he is in a state of…
Contributor:
Ba‘al Shem Tov
Places:
Międzyboż, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
(Medzhybizh, Ukraine)
Date:
1793
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Indeed, what is necessary is precisely to “cast away the mind,” because it is necessary to cast aside all rational processes and serve God simply. This is because a person’s deeds should outweigh his…
Contributor:
Nachman of Bratslav
Places:
Bratslav, Russian Empire
(Bratslav, Ukraine)
Date:
1809
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Anyone familiar with our Russian Poland knows what Jews mean by a small shtetl, a little town.
A small shtetl has a few small cabins, and a fair every other Sunday. The Jews deal in liquor, grain…
Contributor:
Israel Aksenfeld
Places:
Date:
1861
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In our first series of discussions, we explored the struggle between the government and the Jews, which was initiated by the former and ended with its triumph over the latter; in the second…
Contributor:
Mikhail Morgulis
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Date:
ca. 1863
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There is a severe admonition addressed to every individual within Israel not to add any precept on his own initiative onto those precepts which are written in the Torah, and…
Contributor:
Simhah Isaac ben Moses Lutski
Places:
Lutsk, Russian Empire
(Lutsk, Ukraine)
Date:
ca. 1750
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What would our ancestors have done if they had seen a Jewish community appointing a prayer-reader and a rabbi for themselves dressed in the vestments of a Christian priest, and setting up an idol in…
Contributor:
Akiva Joseph Schlesinger
Places:
Ungvár, Habsburg Empire
(Uzhgorod, Ukraine)
Date:
1864
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When one comes to Lublin he should imagine to himself that Lublin is Eretz Israel, that the courtyard of the study house is Jerusalem, that the study house is the Temple Mount, that his apartment is…
Contributor:
Uri of Strelisk
Places:
Strzeliska Nowe, Austrian Empire
(Novi Strilyshcha, Ukraine)
Warsaw, Kingdom of Poland
(Warsaw, Poland)
Date:
1911
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As a general rule, however, the spirit and illuminating power of the zaddik affect and inspire only those of his generation who are favorably disposed toward him. They have…
Contributor:
Isaac Judah Yehiel Safrin of Komarno
Places:
Komarno, Austrian Empire
(Komarno, Ukraine)
Date:
19th century
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The synagogues where older and more modest congregants pray are spared to some extent. It is a good thing that they are closed all day and all night and are opened only for early morning prayers and…
Contributor:
A. Grodner
Places:
Odessa, Russian Empire
(Odesa, Ukraine)
Date:
1866