ר' ברוך ממז'יבוז' ו'שושלת מז'יבוז' '

R.‪ Boruch of Medzhybizh served as a tsaddik (Hasidic leader)‪ over a period of about thirty years.‪ Although he was a grandson of the Baʿal Shem Tov, was active and a familiar figure in a wide range of Hasidic contexts, and is mentioned in a great many Hasidic works, no in-depth academic research has yet been devoted to his life and his teachings.‪ There appear to be two main reasons for this: one is the unflattering portrayal of him in the Haskalah literature; the other is a brief article published in 5740 (1980)‪, in which the writer, Avraham Shisha-Halevy, argues that the main anthology of Rabbi Boruch’s teachings and the stories about him, Butzina di-Nehora, is a forgery.‪ This article sketches a portrait of Rabbi Boruch.‪ I start by addressing the claim concerning Butzina di-Nehora, and show that there is no evidence that the work is not genuine.‪ At the same time, I discuss the culture of Hasidic discourse, in which the rigid criteria of reliability and the concept of copyright are not applicable.‪ The main portion of the article discusses a number of central concepts in the teachings and leadership style of R.‪ Boruch: immanence and Divine service through corporeality; prayer and Torah study; the mystical-magical model; strict Divine justice, awe of God and distance from Him; the inner voice of the heart; innovation and creativity.‪ Finally, I focus on R.‪ Boruch as a link in the ‘Medzhybizh Dynasty’ - i.‪e.‪, as a descendant of the Baʿal Shem Tov and an exponent of his teachings, and the question of the degree to which he influenced and was continued by R.‪ Nachman of Braslav