The Zeide Reb Motele

Six Chassidic dynasties, going back to the Baal Shem Tov, converged in the late 19th century Rebbe of Hornosteipel. This legacy, the foundation of his development as a tzaddik, was expressed in numerous facets of his highly refined personality as well as his spiritual achievements. Over a forty-year period, Reb Mordechai Dov, known to his beloved contemporaries as Reb Motele, earned a golden reputation as a person possessing soaring scholarly abilities, a passionate love for every Jew and palpable sensitivity to any pain or adversity confronting his Chassidim.

How fortunate for this generation that the Rebbe’s great-great-grandson, Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D., has dedicated his insightful literary talents to the pleasant task of bringing this outstanding gadol hador to the attention of today’s reading public. As a descendant of this renowned dynasty, Rabbi Twerski has collected the treasures of his heritage and combined them with family stories — handed down through the generations — of other famous personages of that era. Photos from Dr. Twerski’s private collection — even a rare photo of Reb Motele himself — are included in this absorbing anecdotal biography.