Menachem Nachum Twersky

Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twerski of Chernobyl, was the founder of the Chernobyl Hasidic dynasty. Born in Garinsk, Volhynia in 1730 and died in Chernobyl, Ukraine in 1797. Menachem Nachum was a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid of Mezritch, and published one of the first works of Hasidic thought.

Orphaned as a child, he was raised by his uncle Rabbi Nachum, who sent him to be educated in one of the highly acclaimed yeshivot in Lithuania. After his marriage he earned his livelihood as a teacher of young boys, while continuing his intensive studies of Torah.

With advent of Chassidism, Rabbi Nachum became a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidism. After the Baal Shem Tov's passing, R' Nachum accepted the Maggid of Mezritch as his mentor.

His book Me'or Einayim (Light of the Eyes) was published later in his life, and contains a collection of his teachings on the weekly Torah portions and selections of the Talmud. The book gained widespread acceptance as one of the major works of Hasidic thought.

He was succeeded by his son Rabbi Mordechai Twerski, who succeeded him as the Maggid of Chernobyl. The Chernobyl dynasty branched into a number of successive dynasties through Mordechai's eight sons, including those of Skver, Rachmastrivka , Trisk, and Tolna.