Acting Objects in Narratives about Rybnitsa Rebbe

Abstract

This article discusses the material objects that are mentioned in narratives about Chaim Zanvl Abramovich (so called Rybnitsky Rebbe) and about his deeds. Given previous researches according to material turn, the main research question of this article is how religion is carried out materially, and not only expressed in material form. To answer this question, the author considers the religious attributes and objects of the (religious) clothing of the Rybnitsa Rebbe and dwells on two cases in which material objects play one of the key roles. The first case is devoted to the role of a mug for washing hands in the ritual of morning bathing, the second to a broken car, which started up under the influence of the words of Khaim Zanvl. The article demonstrates that the ability to work miracles and perform daily rituals can be transmitted by the inclusion of some material objects in the narrative. However, the articles of clothing by Khaim Zanvl are the most stable and varying only within the context of synonymy, which may be due to the ability of clothing to emphasize social roles in the most explicit and requiring no further explanation.