Rabbi Shmelke of Nikolsburg רבי שמעלקא מניקלשבורג
a disciple of the Maggid of Mezritch who became chief rabbi of Moravia; teacher of Berditchev, Kozhnitz and Lublin
Born in Chortkov; together with his brother Rabbi Pinchas—the future author of the Haflaah—he came to the Maggid of Mezritch and became one of his closest disciples. He was rabbi in Rychwal and Sieniawa, and in 1773 took the seat of Nikolsburg—chief rabbi of Moravia, a post held before him by opponents of the Chassidim.
For five years he led a yeshiva there, and through it passed those who later became the Chassidism of Poland: Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, the Maggid of Kozhnitz, the Seer of Lublin, Rabbi Moshe Leib of Sassov, Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Rimanov. He taught non-Chassidim too: among his students was Rabbi Mordechai Benet, the future rabbi of Moravia.
He died on 1 Iyar 1778, aged fifty-two. His lessons appeared after him as Divrei Shmuel.
On the timeline
Places
Related
Sources
Acharonim and later rabbinic literature
- Divrei Shmuel by Rabbi Shmelke of Nikolsburg — his lessons as recorded
Scholarship
- Encyclopaedia Judaica, “Horowitz, Samuel Shmelke of Nikolsburg” — the years 1726–1778, Chortkov, the Maggid, the rabbinic seats, the students
Basis: documents and evidence.