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Chasidim of Braclaw (Bratslav)
[Yiddish, Breslover Chasidim, Bratslav
Chasidim] - Also known as the "toyte chasidim" [Yiddish,
"dead
Chasidim"], a Chasidic group founded in Braclaw [Bratslav,
in Podole, in
present-day Ukraine], by Rebe Nahman of Bratslav
(1772-1810), the
grandson of Baal Shem Tov. His teachings take the form of
parables,
which demonstrate his literary talent and are among the most
valued
works of Chasidic folklore. They were published posthumously
in Sichot
ha-Ran [Hebrew, R[ebe] N[ahman]'s Stories, 1816]. In them,
he expressed
the hope that the Messiah would soon arrive-an idea that was
criticized
by other tzaddikim, who feared the rebellion against
authority that
often accompanies such expectations.
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In 1800, Rebe Nahman went on a pilgrimage to
the Holy Land in an effort to hasten the Messiah's coming.
He did not
found a dynasty, however, because all his sons preceded him
in death;
they had fallen ill with tuberculosis, as did his entire
family.
After Nahman's death, his supporters did not scatter,
decided
instead that he had himself been the Messiah incarnate, and
began to
expect his second coming, which prompted other Chasidim to
call them the
toyte Chasidim in derision.
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The group has survived as a Chasidic faction
down to the present. During the Second World War, the
Chasidim of
Bratslav managed to smuggle Rebe Nahman's carved chair,
disassembled
into pieces, to Jerusalem, where it became their most
revered relic.
They subsequently founded a community in Jerusalem.
(A.C./CM)
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