Biography
His mother was Rivka Henna Ramraz.[2] and his father was Rabbi Eleazar Rokeach,[5] of Brody, who was the grandson of Rabbi Elazar Rokeach of Amsterdam, author of Maaseh Rokeach,[2][6] who was rabbi of Brody until 1736, then Chief Rabbi of Amsterdam.[2]
After his father died at the age of 32, his mother lived in Brody with her five children. She sent Sholom, around 11 years old at the time, to be raised by her brother, Rabbi Yissachar Dov Ramraz, rabbi of Skohl, then in Galicia. Later on, he married Rabbi Yissachar Dov's daughter, Malka. They had five sons and two daughters.[2] According to Czech writer Jiří Langer, who moved to Belz in 1913 and began collecting anecdotes about Rokeach a half-century after his death, he was so devoted to his "excellent wife" that "contrary to the custom of all devout men he even ate at the same table with her."[7]
In Skohl Rokeach was influenced by Rabbi Shlomo Flam, also known as the Rebbe of Skohl, who was the private scribe and right-hand man of Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezeritch, the successor to the Baal Shem Tov, founder of Hasidism. Since Rokeach’s uncle (and father-in-law) was opposed to Hasidism, Rokeach would secretly leave the house at night to meet a former business partner for hasidic study sessions.[7]
Rokeach was also a disciple of the Seer of Lublin.[2][7]
He composed several songs, most of them still sung by the Belzer Hasidim, including one niggun (melody) to Tzur Mishelo sung during the Shalosh Seudot (third Shabbat meal).
An anthology of his writings is entitled Midbar Kodesh.[8]
He reigned as rebbe from 1817 (when he became rabbi in Belz)[8] until he died in 1855.[9]
He built a four-story synagogue with a capacity of 5,000 in Belz which was inaugurated in 1843.[1]
Although it was uncommon in the early Hasidic movement for a son to succeed his father as rebbe (typically the rebbe or leader would be succeeded by a disciple), Rokeach wished to be succeeded by the youngest of his five sons, Yehoshua.[10]
