Rabbi Menachem Nochum Twerski [1] of Chernobyl (born 1730, Narynsk, Volhynia - died 1798, Chernobyl, Ukraine) was the founder of the Chernobyl Hasidic dynasty.[2] He was a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid of Mezritch, and published one of the first works of Hasidic thought. His yartzeit is on 11 Cheshvan.
Orphaned as a child, he was raised by his uncle Rabbi Nochum, who sent him to be educated in one of the highly acclaimed yeshivot in Lithuania. After his marriage he earned his livelihood as a teacher of young boys, while continuing his intensive studies of Torah.
With the advent of Chassidism, Rabbi Nochum became a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidism. After the Baal Shem Tov's passing, R' Nochum accepted the Maggid of Mezritch as his mentor. His book Me'or Einayim (Light of the Eyes) was published later in his life, and contains a collection of his teachings on the weekly Torah portions and selections of the Talmud. The book gained widespread acceptance as one of the major works of Hasidic thought.
He was succeeded as the Maggid of Chernobyl by his son Rabbi Mordechai Twerski. The surname would become known as Twersky in the United States. The Chernobyl dynasty branched into a number of successive dynasties through Mordechai's eight sons, including those of Skver, Rachmastrivka, Trisk, and Talner.
Rabbi Nochum's daughter, Malka, married Rabbi Avraham of Korostyshiv. Their daughter, Chava, wife of Rabbi Shakhna of Pohrebysche, was the mother of Rabbi Yisroel Friedman of Ruzhin.