The Ginzei Yosef

Harav Yosef Bloch was born in 5484 to his father, Reb Avraham. Already from a young age, he was known for his greatness and piety, and as the Rav of Brod, Harav Meir Kristianpoler, author of Yad Hameir, wrote in his approbation to the sefer Ginzei Yosef: ‘As a youth, Rav Yosef learned Torah from my grandfather, Rav Yechezkel, and I remember that he always praised Rav Yosef’s middos and his greatness in Torah and Yiras Shamayim.’

Rav Yosef was one of the talmidim of the Maggid of Mezeritsch, and he was also close to the Maggid of Zlotchov. His sefer Ginzei Yosef is comprised of concepts of chassidus that he learned from his rabbeim. His brilliance and greatness in Torah is manifested in the second part of the sefer that contains his chiddushim on Shas.

Rav Yosef served as the Rav of Alesk, and at the end of his life he moved to Stanov, where he served as a maggid. The famous Rav of Stanov at the time, Harav Alexander Sender Margulies, wrote in his approbation about the greatness of Rav Yosef: ‘When he was a maggid a few years here in Stanov, I saw the greatness of his chassidus, his prishus and his humility and he did not move from the tent of Torah, and he did not stop learning, he engaged in Torah l’Shem Shamayim, and he would make his nights like his days.’

The Ginzei Yosef passed away in his 66th year on 22 Adar 5560, and he is buried in Stanov.