אברהם הכהן מקליסק

Rav Avraham HaKohen of Kalisk (5501/1741–4 Shevat 5570/1810), known as Rav Avraham Kalisker, was a talmid of the Maggid of Mezritch and, for more than two decades, the head of the chasidic yishuv in Eretz Yisrael. Born in the town of Kalisk (Kolyshki) in White Russia to Rav Alexander, he was known in his youth as an ilui. He became a devoted talmid of the Maggid, and around him gathered chasidim who served Hashem with great hitlahavut and dveikut.

In 5537/1777 he joined Rav Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk at the head of the great aliyah of chasidim to Eretz Yisrael and stood at his right hand in its leadership; his signature stands beside Rav Menachem Mendel’s on most of the igrot the leaders sent to chutz la’aretz. When the chasidim moved from Tzfat to Teverya he remained at first in Tzfat, joining them two years later. On Rav Menachem Mendel’s petirah in 5548/1788 the leadership of the chasidic community in Eretz Yisrael passed to him, and he carried it for twenty-two years — broadening and strengthening the yishuv, standing among the founders of the kupah of maot Eretz HaKodesh, and urging the chasidim of chutz la’aretz in his many letters to hold up their brothers in the Land. Rav Shneur Zalman of Liadi wrote of him in those days with reverence, as the one who filled the place of their holy rebbe in chochmah and yirah.

In his later years a machloket arose between him and Rav Shneur Zalman over the sefer Tanya: Rav Avraham held that the guidance of chasidim at large must rest on emunat chachamim and simple yirat shamayim, with razei Torah kept for select bnei aliyah, and gedolei hachasidut of the generation stood on either side; Rav Nachman of Breslov sought to make peace between them during his stay in Eretz Yisrael in 5559/1799. Rav Avraham’s kuntres Chesed L’Avraham is printed at the end of the sefer of that name of Rav Avraham HaMalach, and his many letters give a clear picture of the life of the chasidic community of Teverya in his day.

He was niftar on 4 Shevat 5570/1810 and rests in the cemetery of Teverya; on his matzeivah he is called the great and holy rav, Avraham son of Alexander, Kohen to Kel Elyon. In 5775 a beit knesset and kollel bearing the name Chesed L’Avraham Kalisk were established near his kever.