Slonim (Hasidic dynasty)

Slonim is a Hasidic dynasty originating in the town of Slonim, which is now in Belarus.Today, there are two Slonimer Rebbes, both in Israel. One in Jerusalem and the other in Bnei Brak. Colloquially, the Jerusalem side is called the "White" side and the Bnei Brak side is called the "Black" side, a reference to their political leanings, white meaning more liberal and black meaning more conservative in Haredi parlance. These names can also be attributed to the fact that when Slonim chasidim split into separate factions, the leader of one, Rabbi Sholom Noach Berezovski, had a white beard and the leader of the other, Rabbi Avraham Weinberg, had a black beard.

They are distinguished by different Hebrew spellings, the Jerusalem sect being known as סלונים and the Bnei Brak sect being known as סלאנים. They are two distinct groups today and have many differences between them.

The first Rebbe of Slonim was the author of "Yesod HaAvodah".

Outline of Slonimer Dynasty

piritual legacy

* Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, founder of Hasidism
* Rabbi Dov Ber, the Maggid (Preacher) of Mezritch, disciple of the Baal Shem Tov
* Rabbi Aaron Hagodol of Karlin, disciple of the Maggid
* Rabbi Shlomo of Karlin, disciple of the Maggid and of Rabbi Ahron Hagodol of Karlin
* Rabbi Mordechai of Lechovitch, disciple of Grand Rabbi Shlomo of Karlin
* Rabbi Noah of Lechovitch, son of Rabbi Mordechai
* Rabbi Moshe of Kobrin, disciple of Rabbi Noah of Lechovitch

lonimer Rebbes

* Rabbi Avraham of Slonim, author of "Yesod HaAvodah", disciple of Rabbi Noah of Lechovitch and Rabbi Moshe of Kobrin
** Rabbi Shmuel Weinberg of Slonim, author of "Divrei Shmuel", grandson of the "Yesod HaAvodah"
*** Rabbi Yissachar Leib Weinberg of Slonim, son of the "Divrei Shmuel"
**** Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heshel Weinberg of Slonim-Tel Aviv, son of Rabbi Yissachar Leib
*** Rebbe Avraham Weinberg of Slonim (1804-11 Cheshvan 1883), author of "Beis Avraham", son of Grand Rabbi Shmuel
**** Rebbe Shlomo David Yehoshua Weinberg of Slonim, son of the "Beis Avraham"

* Rebbe Mordechai Chaim Slonim of Tiberias, grandson of the "Yesod HaAvodah" 's brother, disciple of the "Beis Avraham", successor of Rabbi Shlomo David Yehoshua

* Rabbi Matisyohu of Slonim, grandson of the "Yesod HaAvodah"
* Rabbi Noah Weinberg of Slonim and Tiberias, grandson of the "Yesod HaAvodah", brother of the "Divrei Shmuel", a "menahel" of Yeshiva Or-Torah of Tiberias
** Rebbe Avraham Weinberg of Tiberias and Jerusalem, author of "Birkas Avraham", son of Rabbi Noah, disciple and nephew of the "Divrei Shmuel", successor of Rabbi Mordechai Chaim
*** Rebbe Sholom Noach Berezovsky of Slonim, author of "Nesivos Shalom", son-in-law of the "Birkas Avraham"
**** Rebbe Shmuel Berezovski, author of "Darchei Noam", present Slonimer Rebbe of Jerusalem, son of the "Nesivos Shalom"
* Rebbe Avraham Weinberg, present Slanimer Rebbe of Bnei Brak, son of Reb Michel Aron, great-grandson of "Yesod HaAvodah"

Main Hassidic Works of Slonim

In addition to those works revered by all Hassidim, the Slonimer Hassidim particularly revere the following books: "Yesod HaAvodah", "Divrei Shmuel", "Beis Avraham", "Birkas Avraham". The Slonimer Rebbes of Jerusalem have authored two tremendously popular Hassidic works, "Nesivos Shalom", by the previous Slonimer Rebbe of Jerusalem, and "Darchei Noam", by the present Slonimer Rebbe of Jerusalem. "Nesivos Shalom" is extremely popular even outside of Hassidic circles. The version of the "siddur" (Prayer Book) used by the Slonimer Hassidim is called "Siddur Magen Avraham", or "Siddur Ohr Hayashar".

External links

* [http://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%97%D7%A1%D7%99%D7%93%D7%95%D7%AA_%D7%A1%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%9D Hebrew wikipedia site on Slonim]
* [http://www.geocities.com/ravjglass/netivotshalom.htm "Nesivos Shalom" in English]
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6984219009962679554&q=rabbi A Video of the Slonimer Rebbe of Jerusalem at the Western Wall]

A good scholarly assessment of the history of Slonimer Hasidism, with a focus on the Slonimer educational system of Yeshivot is Aharon (Allan) Nadler, [http://depts.drew.edu/rel/nadler%20on%20slonim.pdf "The Synthesis of Hasidic Pietism with Lithuanian Torah Scholarship in Slonimer Hasidut"] in Immanuel Etkes, "Yeshivot u-Vatei Midrashot" (Jerusalem, Merkaz Shazar, 2006). The article is in Hebrew.