The Chozeh of Lublin
Tisha B’Av 5575
Harav Yaakov Yitzchak Halevi Horowitz, known as the Chozeh of Lublin, was born to his father, Rav Avraham Eliezer, Av Beis Din of Yozepov, and grew up in the presence of his grandfather, Rav Yaakov Koppel of Likeva. Already as a child, he was very spiritual, and he learned diligently and worked on his avodas Hashem.
As a bochur, he traveled to Shineva, to learn in the yeshivah of Harav Shmelke of Nikolsburg. There, he became close to chassidus, and traveled to the Maggid of Mezeritsch. The Chozeh was one of the prime talmidim of Harav Elimelech of Lizhensk, and even though he began to lead while still in the lifetime of his Rebbe, he continued traveling regularly to Lizhensk.
When the Chozeh settled in Lublin, his court became the center of the chassidus. Many flocked to bask in his presence, from the simple people to erudite scholars. The leading Rebbes in the subsequent generations were his disciples, or students of his disciples.
On Simchas Torah 5575, the Chozeh fell ill in a most unusual way, and until Tisha B’Av of that year, when he passed away, he did not get out of his sickbed. He was buried in the cemetery in Lublin, near the kever of Rav Shachne of Lublin. His divrei Torah were printed in seforim Zos Zikaron, Zichron Zos and Divrei Emes.
The ohel over the tziyun of the Chozeh of Lublin.
Birchas Hashachar Together
We have a number of testimonies describing that the Chozeh was strict to recite Birchos Hashachar together, already from an early age, when he learned under Rav Shmelke of Nikolsburg:
Amen from the Pamalya shel Ma’alah
During the time the Chozeh learned in the yeshivah of Harav Shmelke of Nikolsburg, he would say Birchos Hashachar each morning in front of his Rebbi, who would answer amen. When Rav Shmelke was asked by his talmidim why specifically Rav Yaakov Yitzchak merited to have Rav Shmelke answer amen to his brachos, he replied: “All of the Heavenly Entourage answers amen to his brachos!” (Shemen Hatov [Pyotrkov 5665] Vol. II 25).
He Answered Amen to the Brachos of the Youths
Rav Chanoch Henich of Alesk related: As a child, I traveled to Lublin to bask in the presence of the Chozeh, and because the custom was that all the youths said for him each day Birchos Hashachar, and he answered amen after them, I also approached to make the brachos in front of him. When I finished, he gave me three coins of half a refinish. (Lev Sameach Hachadash Ohr Chodosh Ch. 1 7)
A Brachah Without Amen Is Half a Body
The Ateres Tzvi of Zidichoiv wrote that he heard from his Rebbe, the Chozeh of Lublin, that one should say Birchos Hashachar in a shul, betzibbur, so that others should answer amen to them “because a brachah without amen is literally half a body, as is known.” (Pri Kodesh Hilulim, Sha’ar Habrachos Ch. 4; Shomer Emunim, Ma’amar Pischu Shearim Ch. 19)
