Issue (# 17) A Tzaddik, or righteous person makes everyone else appear righteous before Hashem by advocating for them and finding their merits. (Kedushas Levi, Parshas Noach; Sefer Bereishis 7:1) Parshas Mishpatim Kedushas Ha'Levi'im BURNING WITH FIRE WHEN SERVING HASHEM The appearance of Hashem’s glory was like a consuming fire. (Shemos 24:17) The holy Berditchever teaches us in Kedushas Levi that when a person serves Hashem through Torah and mitzvos, he causes great delight and pleasure up Above. How does a person know if in fact Hashem is delighting in his service, asks Rav Levi Yitzchok? Here is the test for determining if Hashem delights in his avodah: if his heart is aflame with excitement to serve Hashem, and he has a great passion and desire to serve the Creator, this is proof that Hashem delights in his avodah. He will be aided by Heaven so that his heart will be imbued with pure and holy thoughts. This is why our verse says, “The appearance of Hashem’s glory...” — the sign that a person genuinely seeks to know Hashem’s glory and whether HaKadosh Baruch Hu enjoys his service is based on “a consuming fire,” on whether his heart is burning like a fire. A Consuming Fire: The Birth of Hungarian Chassidus In his younger years, Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev traveled through Hungary. He stayed briefly in the city of Kroli and attracted a few special followers — men of great spiritual stature whose hearts were set aflame to serve their Creator by following the Berditchever’s own fervent devotions. When Rav Levi Yitzchak returned to the Ukraine he sent his student, Rav Aharon of Zhitomir, author of Toldos Aharon, to Kroli to continue what he started, teaching and guiding [1] them on the path of Hashem. Rav Aharon stayed three years. From among the special individuals who followed Rav Levi Yitzchak and Rav Aharon were the chassidim known as “Chassidei Ashvar.” Ashvar was the name of their village, but people said that the name reflected their lofty spiritual level. The name alludes to “eish v’ohr,” fire and light. As Widows and Orphans Rav Levi Yitzchak was reading the Torah portion of Mishpatim when he reached the verse “You shall not cause pain or distress to any widow or orphan” (Shemos 22:21). He stopped and promptly cried out, “Ribbono shel olam! Master of the world! In Your holy Torah, You were so careful to be sensitive to the orphan that he should not be pained or distressed, since You feel his pain and count his tears. But look at us! Are we not orphans? Does it not say, ‘We are orphans, there is no father’ (Eichah 5:3)? How can You abandon us in exile, full of pain, suffering, and anguish, for so many long years? Please, redeem us!” Refuah Sheleima Besoch She'ar Cholei Yisroel ~ זיסל בת אידל סומא | Zisel Bas Aidel Sima ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ In Loving Memory of Our Dear Father and Teacher of Micula, Satmar ז״ל ,HaRav HaChossid Avraham Chaim ben Sholom and Frumit Goldenberg זצ״ל ,A beloved talmid of HaRav Yechezkel Shraga Schonfeld זי״ע ,”and of the Holy Satmar Rav, Ba’al “Divrei Yoel לעילוי נשמת הרה''ח ר' אברהם חיים ב''ר שלום ז''ל ▪ נפטר מוצש''ק כ''א שבט תשס''ו ▪ ת. נ. צ. ב. ה. To subscribe and/or add to the Refuah Sheleima list– Please email: [email protected] 24 Shevat Rav Shaul Halevi Mortorah (Mortira), Av Beis Din of Amsterdam, author of Givat Shaul (1660). Rav Avraham Yechiel of Halberstadt, author of Nezer Hakodesh (1730). Rav Shlomo Margulies, Rav of Zelitschek, a close talmid of the Baal Shem Tov (1733- 1805). Rav Shabtai Shaltiel, Rav in Yerushalayim (1846). [2] 25 Shevat Rav Yisrael Lipkin Salanter (1810-1883), founder and spiritual father of the Mussar movement. Born in Zager (near Kovno), Lithuania, to Rav Ze’ev Wolf Lipkin, a descendent of the Vilna Gaon, Rav Yisrael became a close talmid Rav Zundel of Salant, who introduced him to the classic works of mussar. In 1840, he became rosh yeshiva of the Rameillas Yeshiva in Vilna, and later opened a yeshiva in Kovno. A compilation of his thoughts were recorded in a sefer, Or Yisrael, written by one of his closest talmidim, Rav Yitzchak Blazer of Petersburg. Among his other close disciples are Rav Simcha Zissel Ziv of Kelm, Rav Yosef Yozel Hurwitz of Novardok. Rav Mordechai Pogramansky, the Iluy from Telz (1950) [1946]. Reb Shabsai, father of Rav Yisroel of Kozhnitz (1761). Rav Ephraim Zelaznik, born to Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach. In 1956, he became one of the first talmidim in Brisk, under Rav Yosef Dov Soloveichik. He taught at Yeshiva Eretz Tzvi for most of his life (1931-2005). Rav Zalman Ury (1924-2006). A great-great-grandson of Rav Dovid Teveli, author of Nachalas Dovid, Rav Ury was born in Stolpce, Poland, and studied at Yeshiva Etz Hayim in Kletzk under Rav Aharon Kotler from 1934-1941. At the start of World War II, he was interned in a Siberian Concentration Camp, while his parents and siblings died at the hands of the Nazis. He spent the remainder of the war in Samarkand, Uzbekistan where he met his wife, Eva. They married soon after the war ended and emigrated to the United States in 1947, where he received his semicha at Lakewood. Rav Zalman received his B.S. from Washington University, St. Louis, then moved to Los Angeles in 1957. He earned his M.A. in Education from Loyola University and his Doctor of Education at UCLA. For 47 years, Rav Ury worked with the Bureau of Jewish Education, building and nurturing the yeshiva day school system. Under his direction, yeshiva enrollment in Los Angeles increased from less than 1,000 talmidim to more than 5,500, and the number of schools increased from five in 1960 to 21 by the time of his passing. He wrote over 100 articles and educational materials for journals and books, and authored the books, “The Musar Movement,” and “The Story of Rabbi Yisrael Salanter.” In 2001, he published Kedushas Avraham, a two-volume work containing chidushei Torah, mussar teachings and correspondences with gedolei Yisrael, including Rav Moshe Feinstein, Rav Henkin and Rav Simcha Wassermann, as well as an essay on his rebbe Rav Yosef Aryeh Leib Nanedik hy”d – the mashgiach at Yeshiva Etz Chaim. For many years he served as Rav of Young Israel Congregation of Beverly Hills. 26 Shevat Rav Dovid Halevi Segal, author of Turei Zahav (the Taz) (1586-1667), son-in-law of the Bach. Born in Cracow. Unofficial Rabbi of Posen 1619-1640. Headed famous yeshiva at Ostro from 1643, escaped Cossacks 1648-49 to Lublin, then Moravia. Settled in Lemberg (Lvov). Lost 2 sons to violent deaths in Spring of 1664. Sent his son Yeshaya and son-in-law Aryeh Leib (later to be the Shaagas [3] Aryeh) to investigate Shabsai Tzvi. He also wrote Divrei Dovid on Rashi al HaTorah. Rav Mordechai Yosef Elazar Leiner (Lainer) (1929), Rebbe of Radzin, son of the Baal Hatecheiles and great-grandson of Mordechai Yosef of Izhbitz. He was the author of Tiferes Yosef. He was succeeded by his son, Rav Shmuel Shlomo, and then by his son-in-law, Rav Avraham Yissachar Engrand. Rav Shaul Broch of Kashau (1940). Rav Yaakov Landau, Rav of Bnei Brak (1986). Rav Ephraim Nachum Borodiansky of Yeshiva Kol Torah (1990). 27 Shevat Rav Elazar Rokeach (1758-1837). Born in Stanislow, Poland, he was the son of Reb Arye Leib and a grandson of the baal Ateres Poz of Lask. When he was 13, he celebrated three landmarks: his bar mitzvah, his engagement and his completion of Shas. At the age of twenty, he became rov in Piltz, Poland. During this period, he wrote his sefer Sheilos Uteshuvos Shemen Rokeach in which he printed his correspondence with the Noda Beyehuda. In 1800, he accepted rabbonus in Tritch. In 1812, he took over the rabbinate of Ransburg, and it was there that he waged his famous battle against the reformer Aaron Chaviner. Together with the Chasam Sofer, Reb Akiva Eiger and Reb Chaim Banet, he fought against the reformers in letters that are printed in the sefer Eileh Divrei Habris. Rav Menachem Nachum Twersky of Chernobyl (the second named after the Meor Eynaim). Rav Yosef Zundel Hutner (1846-1919). Born in Dvinsk, he was taught by his father at an early age. At the age of 25, Rav Yosef Zundel published Bikurei Yosef. (In the introduction, he bemoans the passing of his young wife.) Thereafter he moved to Bialystok, where he remarried and learned bechavrusa Rav Meir Simcha Hakohen of Dvinsk. In 1897, he became Rav of Eishishok. Rav Mordechai Shulman (1982), son-in-law of Rav Chaim Yitzchak Isaac Sher, he succeeded his father-in-law as Rosh Yeshiva of Slabodka. His only son was Rav Nosson Tzvi Shulman, who married a daughter of Rav Yechiel Schlesinger. Rav Dovid Moshe of Chortkov (1914-1988). Born to Rav Dov Ber of Chortkov in Boyan, Ukraine, he moved with his family to Vienna as a youth. When his grandfather, Rav Yisrael, the Chortkover Rebbe, died in 1934, he was succeeded by both of his sons, Rav Nachum Mordechai, and Rav Dov Ber. When Rav Dov Ber tragically passed away just two years later, Rav Dovid Moshe humbly refused to take his place. Shortly after Kristallnacht (November 9, 1938), Rav Dovid Moshe moved to England and settled in the suburb of Edgeware, London. In 1968, he married Leah and was blessed with three children.