The first Rabbe of Talne, the world-renowned R. Dovid'l (1808-1882), was one of the eight sons of Rabbi Mordechai Twersky, who was the only son of Rabbi Nochum Twersky - the maggid of Tchernobil, disciple of the Baal Shem Tov and towering figure in the galaxy of chasidic masters gathered around the Baal Shem Tov's successor, the Maggid of Mezrich. Rabbi Nochum (son of Rabbi Mordechai who passed away during his father's lifetime) became the spiritual head of Talner Chasidism in 1882. Upon his passing at a young age, his son, Rabbi Meshulem Z. Twersky was named the Talne Rebbe. He was succeeded by his son, Rabbi Yitzhak Twersky (1930-1997).
The Beis Midrash of the Talner Rebbe in Brookline, a memorial to the spirit and achievement of the unforgettable Grand Rabbi and Rebbitzen M. Z. Twersky, is rooted in a noble tradition of Torah, avodah, and gemillus chassadim. Continuing an extraordinary chapter of history which started over 200 years ago when the great Maggid of Tchernobil (1730-1798) adopted the name Twersky, our Talner Beis Midrash, beautifully blending past and present, is a source and resource of a vibrant and meaningful tradition.
For a set of pictures of Rabbeyim of Talner and other related info, please see http://www.geocities.com/azgrabe/TolnerRebbes.html
Geographical Location of Talne (Map Image to come)
| Who was the Talner Rebbe? He was the saint-teacher par excellence. He represented with great dignity and sacrificial action six generations of saint-teachers, the great maggidim. He personified the chesed tradition of the Tchernobil maggid with dedication and sincerity. I never saw him alone. I always saw him in company: R. David Talne on his right and R. Nochum of Tchernobil on his left. He bore such a striking resemblance to his great grandfather, I always felt as if his illustrious ancestors were protecting their saintly great grandson, who was so humble, so shy, so honest, so gentle, and so kind, from the vicissitudes of the cold, insensitive world of today. He epitomized to me the great message of the saint-teacher, the message of universal love and unlimited truth, of being close to God and feeling his presence. | ||
| (from the eulogy of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Iyyar, 1972). |