Joseph Moses of Salositz

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JOSEPH MOSES OF SALOSITZ

JOSEPH MOSES OF SALOSITZ (c. 1735–c. 1815), ḥasidic preacher. He was active in spreading Hasidism in Zborov and Salositz (Zalosce) and gave clear formulation both to his own ḥasidic teachings and those of others. Following *Dov Baer, the Maggid of Mezhirech, Joseph emphasized the theory that absolute evil does not exist but that there are different levels of good. According to him "justice (din) in itself is mercy (hesed)." Ẓimẓum ("concentration"), the creation of the world according to justice, is the equivalent of mercy which enables those created to receive and attain the divine emanation "because man is unable to attain divine emanation and God's mercies alone." He wrote Berit Avraham (Brody, 1875), a lengthy commentary on the Pentateuch, and Be'er Mayim (Medzibezh, 1817), on the Passover Haggadah.