David of Makev

Born in Rovno, Volhynia, David of Makev (Makov) served as a preacher and judge in Makow Mazowiecki, Poland. At first a disciple of the Hasidic leader Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk, he grew disillusioned with Hasidism and became a follower of the Vilna Gaon. Indeed, after 1772 David blamed Hasidic courts for the spread of moral and religious anarchy, and he mocked the lighthearted revelry and emotionalism of their adherents, also criticizing the power of tsadikim and scorning what he regarded as their materialism. Among his most noteworthy anti-Hasidic works was the treatise containing Shever poshe‘im, Zot torat ha-kena’ot, and Zimrat ha-arets (first written ca. 1798–1800).