The following charts illustrate the family of Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidic Judaism. The first chart shows the Baal Shem Tov's close family: his closest relatives, by blood and by marriage. This is meant to clarify the various family relations mentioned in the Baal Shem Tov's biography. The second chart shows his descendants to the fourth generation. The Baal Shem Tov did not found a Hasidic dynasty proper, as his immediate successor was his student, Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezeritch, and not any of his descendants. Even so, the descendants of the Baal Shem Tov were revered. Eventually, some of them founded their own courts and dynasties. Notably, his grandson R. Baruch of Mezhbuzh established his Hasidic court stressing that he was the sole heir of the Baal Shem Tov, a controversial issue in his time, which eventually distanced him from many of his colleagues, including R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi and R. Yaakov Yitzchak of Lublin. Other descendants became allied by marriage to other powerful Hasidic dynasties, producing many dynasties, including some of the dynasties still active today. Thus the family of the Baal Shem Tov can be considered a sort of Hasidic dynasty in its own right, and is often treated as such in reference works on Hasidic dynasties where it is sometimes referred to as the Mezhbuzh dynasty., or for an unrelated dynasty from Mezhbuzh: see Apta
Close family of the Baal Shem Tov
Descendants of the Baal Shem Tov
R. Yisrael Baal Shem Tov
For more biographical details, see Baal Shem Tov Married ? ?, Chana
Married ?, Beila, daughter of R. Shmuel Chosid of Pinsk. Tsvi Hirsh lived in Mezhibuzh during his father's lifetime, and some time after, until his first wife's death. According to some traditions, he succeeded his father as the leader of united Hasidic Judaism before stepping down in favor of R. Dov Ber of Mezeritch. Upon marrying Beila, he moved to Pinsk, where he was a rebbe to a small following.
**R. Aharon of Titiov, called Reb Orale. Rebbe in Kostantin, Titiov and Pavilitsh. Oldest grandson of the Baal Shem Tov.
Married R. Yaakov of Karlin and Tiberias, called Reb Yankele Moneles. Son of R. Menachem Mon of Karlin, a disciple of R. Dov Ber of Mezeritch and uncle of R. Aharon "the Great" of Karlin She took kvitelech in the manner of a rebbe.
***R. Naftali Tsvi Hirsh of Karlin and Tiberias. Called Reb Hershel dem Baal Shems. Spiritual and secular leader of the Hasidic community of Tiberias
Married Sara Sosha, daughter of R. Yisrael, the rabbi and rebbe of Pikov, son of R. Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev. Descendants: the Boston dynasty
**R. Yisroel שותק Shotek i.e. "the Silent" of Chernobyl, a close associate of R. Mordechai of Chernobyl.
Died in Yarovitsh near Homel and was buried there.
**R. Baruch of Mezhibuzh. Rebbe of Tultshin and Mezhibuzh.
see Boruch of Medzhybizh Married ?, Sima Chusha, daughter of R. Aharon of Titiov, his cousin . All his children are from his first marriage.
**Feiga
Married R. Simcha, son of R. Nachman, rebbe of Horodenka, a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov.
***R. Nachman of Breslov. Rebbe of Breslov those paternal ancestory came from, the Maharal's family descended patrilineally from the Babylonian Exilarchs and therefore also from the Davidic dynasty.
Married Sosia, ?, daughter of R. Yehezkel Trachtenberg of Brody.
