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Remember the definition of a hasidic rebbe that we worked so long and hard to develop:
A Hasidic dynasty is a dynasty of Hasidic spiritual leaders known as rebbes, and usually has some or all of the following characteristics:
Each member of the dynasty is a spiritual leader, often known as an ADMOR (abbreviation for ADoneinu MOreinu Rabeinu ("our master, our teacher and our rabbi") or simply as Rebbe (or "the Rebbe") and at times called the "Ruv" ("the rabbi") and sometimes referred to in English as a "Grand Rabbi";
It continues beyond the initial leader's lifetime by succession (usually by a family descendant);
It is usually named after a key town in Eastern Europe where the founder may have been born or lived, or where the group began to grow and flourish;
It has (or once had) followers who, through time, continue following successive leaders (rebbes) or may even continue as a group without one leader by following the precepts of a deceased leader.
I guess I would put Gershon in the same or similar category with Zev Wolf Kitses and David Purkes as early followers of the Baal Shem Tov who themselves did not purvey a separate brand of hasidism as other rebbes did.
However, Gershon I think went further. He helped develop a Besht-based Hasidic sect in the holyland where it continued after his death. By that criteria, he fits category number 4 above. I think it should be reconsidered whether he should be recategorized as a "hasidic rebbe" or not.--Klezmer13:32, 16 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
