# Yitzchak Meir Morgenstern

Yitzchak "Itche" Meir Morgenstern (born December 10, 1966) is an Israeli Hasidic rabbi and Kabbalist.

## Biography

Morgenstern was born to Yaakov Menachem and Yocheved Sima Morgenstern, Ger Hasidim, in the Hendon neighborhood of London. He studied at the Lucerne and Gateshead yeshivas while simultaneously learning Kabbalah and Hasidism. He married the daughter of Rabbi Yosef Lubinsky of Antwerp (known as the Rebbe of Chentshin) and lived in Antwerp and Jerusalem after his marriage. He studied under Rabbi Nissan Dovid Kivak and was connected to Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Rosenbaum, the Rebbe of Kretshnif-Sighet, and Rabbi Yaakov Leizer, the Rebbe of Peshvorsk. He also studied Kabbalah with Rabbi Yitzchak Kaduri and Rabbi David Batzri, and with Rabbi Eliezer Tzvi Safrin of Komarna, currently the Rebbe of Komarna in Beit Shemesh.
Around 1995, he began holding seudah shlishit at the Satmar beis medrash in the Ezrat Torah neighborhood, attended by Breslov Hasidim. In 1997, he opened a small kollel in the Mekor Baruch neighborhood, called Elima. In 2002, he opened a beis medrash named "Torat Chochom on Ohalei Yosef Street in the Givat Moshe neighborhood, named after the book by Rabbi Hayim de lah Rozah. The beis medrash includes a midnight kollel, a morning kollel for halachic studies, and an afternoon kollel for Kabbalah studies. Over the years, a Hasidic community has formed around him. He receives kvitlach and is referred to as an Rebbe, though he emphasizes that he is a Breslov hasid. Among his followers are Mordechai Ben David and Beri Weber.
Morgenstern combines the teachings of Breslov with the Kabbalah of the Arizal and his successors. He delivers daily classes on the Zohar, Likutei Moharan, daf yomi, and Kabbalah. Additionally, he gives other classes on halacha and Hasidism. During seudah shlishit, he holds a tish where he delivers Torah teachings for about an hour or more on the weekly Torah portion and current topics, concluding with a new interpretation of the phrase "Daa chochma lenafshecha vehi keter leroshcha" (from the hymn Dror Yikra). His teachings from seudah shlishit are printed in a weekly booklet called Daa Chochma Lenafshecha. On Friday night, he does not hold a tish but delivers Torah teachings at his home before his followers during the meal. These teachings, along with other Torah teachings given during the week, are printed in a booklet called Neshmatin Chadatin, distributed weekly via email and in limited print.
For years, he traveled to Uman for Rosh Hashanah with hundreds of followers from Israel, England, and the United States, who joined his minyan there. The prayers in this minyan lasted from sunrise to sunset. The shofar blowing took about two hours due to Morgenstern's kabbalistic intentions. Before Rosh Hashanah 2012, Morgenstern traveled to Uman but decided to return to Israel before the holiday. He published a pamphlet stating that those connected to a tzaddik in Israel could stay in Israel for Rosh Hashanah. He also wrote an essay on this topic for his group called Vehaemet Vehasalom Ehavu. Some of the prayers that year were held at the Tomb of David, which he has shown interest in in recent years. However, for Rosh Hashanah 2013, he was again in Uman. In subsequent years, he remained in Jerusalem, sometimes traveling to Uman on the eve of Rosh Hashanah and returning to Israel for the holiday.
His books have received endorsements from Rabbi Moshe Halberstam, Rabbi Yechiel Fishel Eisenbach, Rabbi Dov Weiss, and others.

## Family

His eldest son, Yisrael, married the daughter of Rabbi Pinchas Moshe Taub, the Rebbe of Kozmir, in 2015. His second son, Yaakov Menachem, married the daughter of Rabbi Yehuda Leib Halevi Ashlag, the Rebbe of Ashlag, in 2024.

## Teachings
### Kabbalah

Morgenstern bases his Kabbalistic approach on the teachings of Rabbi Hayim de lah Rozah. This approach often interprets things non-literally and frequently uses the principle of "Erechin (values), which posits that there are several systems of relation for everything. This reconciles contradictions between sources, which, according to this approach, deal with different systems. Accordingly, Morgenstern states that all disputes in Judaism are only from an external perspective, not from the inner truth. His teachings incorporate elements from the Rashash and his students, Chabad, the Ramchal, Breslov, Komarna, Zidichov, Rabbi Aharon of Staroshelye, the Vilna Gaon and his students, and Rabbi Ashlag. For example, he claims there is no dispute on the concept of Tzimtzum (contraction) between Hasidism and the Vilna Gaon, and both agree with the Hasidic approach. Similarly, he believes that revealed Torah and halacha align with the Torah of secrets. Morgenstern often explains the reasons for halachic disputes based on the soul roots of the opinion holders.
Morgenstern has developed meditation methods based on Kabbalistic sources, summarized mainly in the Derech Hayichud section of the Yam Hachochma collection.
Despite the theological complexity of Kabbalah, he believes it must align with the simple faith common among the Jewish people, even though some Kabbalists think otherwise. However, he holds that those who err in these matters are not considered heretics.
Morgenstern opposes the critical approach of Yosef Avivi and Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Hillel, who believe that parts of the writings of the Arizal are innovations of Rabbi Chaim Vital himself and not what he received from his teacher. Morgenstern believes that everything written in the Arizal's writings is from him unless explicitly stated otherwise.
He stands out among the kabbalists following the Rashash's path by instructing to direct prayer intentions even during times like the days of the Omer counting and the days between Rosh Hashanah and Shemini Atzeret, unlike the custom of Beit El and most of the Rashash's students, relying on the Torat Chochom.

### Halacha

Although he does not formally rule on halacha and usually refers questioners to recognized authorities, he engages in halachic inquiries published in the Yam Hachochma and Neshmatin Chadatin collections.
He tends to pray at very late hours, relying on unique opinions regarding the times of day for prayer, noon, sunset, and nightfall, following the approach of the Maharshal. Regarding twilight, he follows the opinion of Rabbeinu Tam and believes this was also the view of the Arizal.
He heavily relies on the Torah of secrets in his rulings, believing it does not contradict the principle that "the Torah is not in heaven."
Morgenstern wrote a responsum on renewing the mitzvah of techelet, rejecting the status of the commonly used techelet dyed from the Murex trunculus snail, arguing that this snail does not fit the signs given by the sages. He prefers the Janthina snail proposed by Rabbi Herzog. However, he wears the commonly used techelet since his preferred type is not available.
He prohibits the One Brain method (a type of applied kinesiology where questions are asked, and answers are received through muscle testing), considering it a form of sorcery. The Rebbe of Amshinov, who permits the method, remarked that of all those who oppose his view, Morgenstern is the only one who shows the prohibition side. Morgenstern has tried to influence rabbis to issue a prohibitive ruling on this matter.
Before Passover 2019, he expressed support for offering the Passover sacrifice and asked his students to register for a lamb for the sacrifice.