[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.
[citation needed][4] Orphaned as a child, Twersky 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.
His book Me'or Einayim (Light of the Eyes) was published after his death and contains a collection of his homilies concerning the weekly Torah portions and selections of the Talmud.
Me'or Einayim comprises Hasidic insights on the weekly Torah portion and Jewish holidays, influenced by Kabbalah; it was edited by his student Eliyah.