Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezeritch (דוב בער ממזריטש‎) (1700/1704/1710(?) – 1772-12-04 OS) was a disciple of Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidic Judaism, and was chosen as his successor to lead the early movement. Rabbi Dov Ber is regarded as the first systematic exponent of the mystical philosophy underlying the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov, and through his teaching and leadership, the main architect of the movement. He established his base in Mezhirichi (in Volynia), which moved the centre of Hasidism from the Baal Shem Tov's Medzhybizh (in Podolia), where he focused his attention on raising a close circle of great disciples to spread the movement. After his passing, avoiding the unified leadership of the first two generations, this third generation of leadership took their diff