On the Seer of Lublin’s Court

Uri of Strelisk, the son of a poor artisan, was a Hasidic leader who advocated asceticism and poverty. He was born near Janów, Galicia, and became the foremost disciple of Rabbi Solomon of Karlin. After the latter was murdered in 1792, Uri served as a rabbi in Lemberg (where he had studied earlier) and later in Strelisk (also in Galicia), though without formally establishing a court. He was famed for his lengthy, ecstatic prayer style, which led his followers to call him the Seraph, after the biblical six-winged creatures that sing praises to God. Uri also condemned the emphasis on miracles in Jewish traditions.