ELIAKUM-GETSL
LEVITAN (ca. 1860-1912)
His real surname was Margolis-Tomim. He was born in Ruzhanoy (Ruzhany), near
Slonim, Byelorussia. He was later known
as the Zembrover Preacher. He was
administratively banished from the town where he once had walked the streets
screaming: “Watch out, Jews, save it! The
Torah is burning!” He then settled in
Dvinsk (Daugavpils), where he led a group of some 100 recluses and
qualified young men and also ran a smaller yeshiva. For a certain period of time he was a
preacher in Bialystok and Brisk (Brest).
Craftsmen would cast aside their work and run after him to hear his
sermons, in which he excelled with an earthy speaking talent. He appeared both in opposition to modern
education and against all modern movements—even Zionism. He lived in great want and published such
religious texts as: Ramat shmuel (Shmuel’s
plateau) (Vilna, 1899), 84 pp.; Maḥaze
enayim (The eye’s sight) (Warsaw, 1902), 104 pp. He lost other writings in Warsaw, where he
came to recuperate from paralysis. After
his death, his work in Hebrew and Yiddish Maamar
dvar tora (Essays on the Torah) was published (Warsaw, 1913), 70 pp. and later
(Williamsburg, 1962/1963), 65 pp.
Source:
Zalmen Reyzen, Leksikon, vol. 2, with
a bibliography.
No comments:
Post a Comment