Elimelech of Lizhensk

Elimelech Weisblum of Lizhensk (1717–1786) was an Orthodox Rabbi and one of the great founding Rebbes of the Hasidic movement. The second leader of the movement, Dov Ber of Mezeritch, assembled around himself a close circle of saintly followers, called the "Chevra Kadisha" (Holy Society), who became the joint third generation of leadership of the new movement after the passing of the Maggid Dov Ber in 1772. They spread out to appointed areas of Eastern Europe to spread the new path of Hasidic Judaism. Rabbi Elimelech was a leading member of this circle and authored the classic Hasidic work Noam Elimelech. It fully developed the Hasidic mystical theology of the doctrine of the Tzaddik. Alongside Nachman of Breslov's Likkutei Moharan (Popularly seen as the Hasidic book to give hope and encouragement to those trapped in problems or the impurity of "wickedness"), Schneur Zalman of Liadi's Tanya (Subtitled the Hasidic book for the "intermediate" person between the "wicked" and the "righteous", who has ease to contemplate Hasidic philosophy), Noam Elimelech is popularly regarded in Hasidic lore as the "book of the righteous". It instructs select people of great spiritual ability in the mystical paths of the Hasidic Rebbe. Because of this, Rabbi Elimelech led the proliferation of Hasidic dynastic leadership in the "Mainstream Hasidic" path, and his book is considered the archetypal guiding work of the General Hasidic path. Many of the followers of successive generations in Mainsteam Hasidism became future Rebbes in their own right. Rabbi Elimelech was the first leader to bring Hasidism to Poland, from its original centre in the Ukraine. Through his teachings, Hasidic dynasties flourished in successive offshoots in Poland in the 19th century.