Rebbe

Rebbe (Hebrew: רבי also rebbi) is a title that may be given to a rabbi in Orthodox Judaism, particularly within Hasidic Judaism. It is a Hebrew word denoting "my teacher". It is also used by non-Hasidic Orthodox Jews when they talk of a teacher of Torah or Talmud and in the world of the yeshivas (Talmudical schools) the teachers, such as the Rosh yeshiva, are called Rebbe or Rebbi by their own students.

Founding of Hasidism

The first and greatest Rebbe according to Hasidism was its founder Israel ben Eliezer known as the Ba'al Shem Tov ("Master Good Name"). His disciples who rose up or were selected for positions of leadership and their successors have thereafter been honored with the same title, Rebbe, which gradually came to imply of itself a higher spiritual status.

Related Topics:
Hasidism - Israel ben Eliezer

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