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==Biography==
Rabbi Mordechai Yosef Leiner was born in [[Tomaszów Lubelski|Tomashov]] ({{lang-pl|[[Tomaszów Lubelski]]}}) in 1801. His father Yaakov, who died when he was two, was Reb Yaakov the son of [[Reb (Yiddish)|Reb]] Mordechai of Sekul, a descendant of Rabbi [[Saul Wahl]]. He became a disciple of Reb [[Simcha Bunim of Peshischa]] where he joined Rabbi [[Menachem Mendel of Kotzk]] and Rabbi Yosef of Yartshev; both were also born in Tomashov. When Rabbi Menachem Mendel became Rebbe in Kotzk, Reb Mordechai YosefLeiner became his disciple there; then in 1839 became himself a rebbe in Tomaszów, moving subsequently to [[Izbica]].
 
His leading disciple was Rabbi [[Yehuda Leib Eiger]] (1816-1888<ref name="LejbusEjgerDeathReg">[http://www.lublin.ap.gov.pl The State Archive of Lublin]: "Jewish Civil Registry of Lublin", 1888, Akt#: 46, Registration Type: death, Registration Year: 1888, Location: Lublin, Surname: Ejger, Given Name: Lejbus, Father: Szloma, Mother: Golda Rywka. Indexed by [[JewishGen|JRI-Poland]].</ref>), grandson of Rabbi [[Akiva Eiger]]. His students included Rabbi [[Zadok HaKohen]] of [[Lublin]] (1823–1900), his son, Rabbi Yaakov Leiner (1828–1878) and his grandson Rabbi [[Gershon Henoch Leiner]] of [[Radzyń Podlaski|Radzyn]].
 
Mordechai Yosef Leiner is buried in an [[Ohel (grave)|ohel]] in the Jewish cemetery in Izbica.
 
=== Relationship with the Kotzker Rebbe ===
Rabbi Leiner was the right-hand man of the Kotzker rebbe, Rabbi [[Menachem Mendel of Kotzk]], by whom he was charged with overseeing the Hasidim. In 1840 Leiner had a public and dramatic falling out with the Kotzker Rebbehim.<ref name="Grover">{{cite book |last1=Gover |first1=MEIR Halevi |title=The RADZYNER REBBE DYNASTY 1840 - 2005 by MEIR Halevi GOVER |date=1 January 2018 |isbn=978-965-92660-6-7 |pages=2–3 |url=https://www.academia.edu/36793911 |access-date=14 February 2022}}</ref> On the day after [[Simchat Torah]] of that year, Leiner left Kotzk with many of his followers to form his own hasidic circle. The reasons given for the break are varied.
 
== Thought ==
Rabbi Leiner is best known for his work ''Mei Hashiloach'' ("מי השילוח") a popular collection of his teachings on the [[weekly Torah portion]] and [[Jewish holidays]], published by his grandson, Rabbi [[Gershon Henoch Leiner|Gershon Leiner]], and usually printed in 2 volumes.
It has twice been translated into English.
<ref>Betsalel Philip Edwards (2001). ''Living Waters: The Mei HaShilo'ach.'' {{isbn|978-0765761477}}</ref>
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The work was however controversial; attempts were even made to sabotage the press on which it was being printed.
In particular R. Leiner's view regarding [[Free will]] was at serious odds with the [[Free_will#Judaism|standard Jewish view]].
{{NoteTag|His view has been explained as follows:
"[What] the Izbicer demonstrates is that it is possible for agents to be free, relative to the fiction that they live in, whilst wholly determined from a God’s eye view. On the other hand, the Izbicer admits that we can’t actually break out of our perspective to see the sense in which we are determined. Nevertheless, he holds that we sometimes get some sort of mystical glimpse...
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<ref>Sam Lebens (2011). [http://www.theapj.com/the-izbicer-rebbe-and-freewill-2/ ''The Izbicer Rebbe and Freewill''], [[Association for the Philosophy of Judaism]]</ref>
(The reference is to ''Berakhot'' 33b, "All is in the hands of Heaven ''except'' the fear of Heaven;" see [[Hashkafa#Principles|discussion]] under [[Hashkafa]].)}}
Here R. Leiner expressed the doctrine that all events, including human actions, are absolutely under God's control, or as Rabbinic discourse would phrase it, by "[[Divine providence#In Jewish thought|''hashgacha pratis'']]."
Thus, if everything is determined by God, then even sin is done in accordance with God's will.
He presents defenses of various Biblical sins, such as [[Korah#Son of Izhar|Korach]]'s rebellion, [[Zimri (prince)|Zimri]] during the [[Heresy of Peor]], and [[Judah (Bible)|Judah]]'s incident with Tamar.
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=== Influence ===
HisLeiner's thought influenced (mostly indirectly, through the work of Leiner'shis student, Reb Tzadok Hakohen) the ''mussar'' of Rabbi [[Isaac Hutner]] and Rabbi [[Moshe Wolfson]].
Leiner's thought continued to have influence in the twentieth century, especially on [[Neo-Hasidism]], and the teachings of Rabbi [[Shlomo Carlebach (musician)|Shlomo Carlebach]] (the "singing rabbi").
 
Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach is credited with the recent popularization of Rabbi Leiner's teachings. He apparently came across Rabbi Leiner's work in an old Jewish book store. He is quoted as saying that after initially being perplexed as to the peculiar nature of the teachings he quickly realized that in it lay the "secret for turning Jews on to the deeper meanings of Judaism".
 
== Bibliography ==
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