Uri of Strelisk

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Rabbi
Uri Klughaft of Strelisk
Epitaph on the Rabbi's grave
Personal
Born1757
Janow, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Died7 September 1826
Strelisk, Volhynia, Russian Empire
ReligionJudaism
SpouseBeloma Koppel Chassid
Jewish leader
SuccessorRabbi Shlomo Klughaft
DynastyStrelisk [he]

Rabbi Uri Klughaft of Strelisk (Hebrew: רבי אורי קלוגהויפט מסְטְרֶלִיסְק) (nicknamed HaSharaf "the burning Angel"; 1757 – 7 September 1826)[1] was a Hasidic Rabbi and member of the Strelisk dynasty [he] notable for his spread of Hasidism in Galicia.

Biography[edit]

Klughaft was born in Janów to a poor and old artisan, Pinchas.[2] He had met with the Maggid of Mezeritch who had foretold that his wife would give birth to a son "who will be a light that illuminates the world". By the time he was grown up, Klughaft married a woman named Beloma, the daughter of Rabbi Yaakov Koppel Hager (a student of the Besht) and the sister of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Hager of Kosov.[3]

He would study under Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk and Rabbi Shlomo of Karlin, a personal mentor of his. He also took influence from Rabbi Yakov Yosef of Ostrava [he]. In the year 1792, upon the murder of Shlomo of Karlin by Cossack forces,[4] Klughaft began to lead Hasidism in Lviv, and from there he moved to Strelisk under the guidance of Rabbi Aharon Aryeh Leib of Permishlan [he] and The Seer of Lublin.[2]

As his mentor, Shlomo, was known for passionate prayer, it is said that after his murder, Rabbis Asher of Stolin (I) and Mordechai of Liakhovichi traveled to Rabbi Boruch of Medzhybizh, but Klughaft did not join them, as he said he did not see the work of prayer in Baruch.[5]

Klughaft's leadership of his followers followed similar patterns of his childhood, and he did not preach a material life, embracing poverty.[6] He once told Rabbi Yisrael Friedman of Ruzhin, who embraced materialism, that his followers do not want wealth. When Friedman's followers were gathered, they were asked if they wanted to become rich. They unanimously answered no, except for one follower who said that his wife wanted to be rich, and he became one of the governers of Rabbi Friedman's court.

Uri died in Sterlisk on the 23rd of Elul, 5586, and was buried in the town.[7] A collection of his sayings, the Amri Kadush, was published posthumously.[8] His son Rabbi Shlomo filled his role as the Rabbi of Strelisk, however, after Klughaft's death, most of his followers went to Rabbi Yisrael Friedman instead.

Legacy[edit]

Poet Uri Zvi Greenberg is one of his descendants, and the Rabbi is mentioned in one of his poems.

The character of Rabbi Klughaft is described in Shmuel Yosef Agnon short story, "The Beginning of the Use of the Sharaf". It was used again by Agnon in creating the character of Rabbi Uriel in the story "The Rejected".[9]

Notable students[edit]

Notable students of Klughaft include the following:

References[edit]

  1. ^ Wiesel, Elie (9 Nov 1989). "In Hasidism: Different Masters, Rabbi Uri of Strelisk, the Seraph". www.92ny.org. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  2. ^ a b "YIVO | Uri ben Pinḥas of Strelisk". yivoencyclopedia.org. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  3. ^ "Ascent of Safed - In The City of Kabbalah". ascentofsafed.com. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  4. ^ "רבי שלמה מקרליז". Haaretz. 23 Sep 1934. p. 7. Retrieved 12 Jul 2023.
  5. ^ Weinberg, Chaim Yosef David (2012). Mozkans Ethbonan (sayings and stories of Rabbi Yisrael Shimon Kastelnitz). Vol. II (Amud Tkalz). Jerusalem.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. ^ "Rabbi Uri of Strelisk – Ha-Saraf – Breslev". Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  7. ^ "Resting site of Rabby Uri of Strelisk 4". www.jewishheritage.org.ua. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  8. ^ Sharaf, Uri (1928). Amri Kadush (in Hebrew). Lviv. p. 1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  9. ^ Cohen, Oded. "ש"י עגנון, 'תחילת שימושו של השרף': ייצוג ספרותי של דמות היסטורית.pdf". Hasidism – via Academia.edu.
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