When the Tzaddik Rav Moshe Leib Sassover lay on his sickbed during his final days, he appointed his friend and colleague, Rav Avrohom Chaim of Zlotshuv, mechaber of Orach LeChaim on Torah and Pri Chaim on Pirkei Avos, as his son’s guardian to raise and care for him as his own.
Rav Moshe Leib Sassover’s son, Rav Yekusiel Shmelka, related:
“When my father, Rav Moshe Leib Sassover, passed away on 4 Shevat and left me an orphan at seven years of age, I was adopted by my guardian, the holy mechaber of Orach LeChaim, and I moved to his home in Zlotshuv. My holy father had asked that as he was himself childless, Rav Avrohom Chaim should adopt me and raise me as his own child, and he supported and raised me like a father loves his son. He taught me Torah and I called him my uncle and his wife I called my aunt.
“When I reached thirteen years old, they held an honorable Bar Mitzva for me, and the Orach LeChaim tied the straps of my tefillin on me for the first time. As he wound the leather straps onto my arm he told me the following:
‘My precious child, these tefillin are the very same that your holy father wore and davened in. Your holy father told me himself that the parshiyos in these tefillin were written by none other than Yosef HaTzaddik. When I showed my own amazement at this and I asked him what he meant by this testimony he said to me, explain it away any way you understand, but I am telling this to you and I will not change how I say it. This is the truth – please tell this to my son. When I was there in Sassov, he told me before he was niftar that I should pass the tefillin on to you as your rightful inheritance.’”
The Darchei Teshuva, the Munkaszcer Rebbe, once explained that surely Rav Moshe Leib Sassover meant that the sofer had the neshoma or madreiga, either the soul or spiritual stature of Yosef HaTzaddik.
Be that as it may, who can guess the meaning of such holy Tzaddikim? For nine years Rav Yekusiel Shmelka lived in the Orach LeChaim’s home until he was taken by Rav Menachem Mendel of Kossov, mechaber of Ahavas Sholom, for his son-in-law. (Based on Beis Shlomo 49 p. 21a, Devorim Areivim vol. 1 chap 5 #5 p. 80)
