Rav Yechezkel Shraga Halberstam of Shinova, author of Divrei Yechezkel
Born in Taringrad, Galicia on 20 Shevat in the year 1815/5575 (other biographers say variously, 1816/5576, 1811/5571, or 1813/5573 -- see Yag Oros Rabbeinu Hakadosh MiShinova)
He was the first-born son of the renowned Rav Chaim Halberstam of Sanz, author of Divrei Chaim and Rachel Feiga, the daughter of Rav Baruch Frenkel Teomim, author of the Baruch Ta’am.
He was named Yechezkel after his ancestor, Rav Yechezkel Yehoshua Feivel AvBeisDin Premisla, the author of the sefer, Panim Masbiros. The Uhjler Rav, author of Yismach Moshe said that Rav Yechezkel was a holy soul from the moment of birth. It was told that when the Shinover Rav’s mother was expecting and came before the holy Chozeh of Lublin, to the astonishment of those present, he rose up to his full height, apparently in her honor. The tzaddik explained himself: “I am not rising for her sake, although she is the daughter of the gadol hador the Baruch Ta’am and an eshes chaver, the wife of the renowned Divrei Chaim of Sanz; rather, I am rising for the honor of the unborn child in her womb whose light shall illuminate the entire world!”
Indeed, many years later, the Divrei Yechezkel would say that all his lofty spiritual levels were attained thanks to the blessings of the holy Chozeh. For that reason, he was accustomed to refer to him simply as “Der Rebbe.”
When he was seven years old, run over by a heavy wagon carrying a load of firewood. Though his young body was crushed in the accident, he lived. His father’s rebbe, the heilige Ropshizter Rav, Rav Naphtali Tzvi Horowitz, brought about a miraculous recovery for despite his liver being split in half. The Ropshitzer had sent olive oil and when they rubbed the oil into his body, he felt his bones fix and mend themselves!
The Divrei Yecheskel married Taba, the daughter of Rav Aryheh Leib Lipschitz of Vishnitza, the author of Aryeh Dvei Illai. After his marriage, he moved to Uhjel (Hungary), the town of his father-in-law’s grandfather, Rav Moshe Teitelbaum, the Yismach Moshe. There, he basked in the light of the Yismach Moshe, where he toiled in Torah and avodah some ten years.
His children were Rav Naphtali, and Dreizel, who became the wife of Rav Pinchos Teomim Frenkel AvBeisDin Bikovsk and Cheshonov.
After his first wife passed away, the Yismach Moshe made him a shidduch with his great granddaughter, Devora, the daughter of Rav Mordechai Zilberstein of Halshitz, who was the son-in-law of the Aryeh Dvei Illai. He married her on Tu b’Shevat of 1840/5600.
His children from this marriage were: Rav Moshe, the younger rav of Vishnitza and Chayah Sarah, the wife of Rav Elazar Bindiger.
His third marriage was to Breindel, the daughter of Rav Yehudah Tzvi Hirsch AvBeisDin Razla, however, this marriage did not produce additional children. When his wife passed away childless, he had a sefer Torah written in her memory and commanded it to never be removed from the aron kodesh even to greet other seforim by a hachnasas sefer Torah procession. It remained there until the war.
His fourth marriage was to Chanah Rochel, the daughter of Rav Tzvi Hirsch AvBeisDin Leshnov (the brother of Rebbetzin Malka, wife of the first Belzer Rebbe, the Sar Shalom). She was blessed with children: Miriam Malka, the wife of Rav Naphtali Rubin AvBeisDin Vishnitza; Feiga Beila, the wife of Rav Menachem Mendel Halberstam of Pristik; Rav Avrohom Shalom, author of Divrei Shalom and founder of the Stropkover Dynasty; Rav Aryeh Leibush of Tarna; and Rav Simchah Yissocher Ber AvBeisDin of Cheshnov, author of Divrei Simchah.
His fifth wife was Sheindel, the daughter of Rav Avrohom Gvirtzman of Gorlitz, who was a descendant of the Noam Elimelech of Lizensk. This marriage did not produce any children.
The Divrei Yechezkel travelled to many of the day’s renowned tzaddikim. He noted 256 greats from whom he received blessings, many of whom were hidden tzaddikim that only he could discern!
His first rebbe was his father, the Divrei Chaim of Sanz, and even when he himself had hundreds of followers and chassidim he still treated his father as his rebbe and acted towards him in the manner of a chassid. His rebbe muvhak was the Sar Sholom of Belz, and he adopted many Belzer minhagim. He made journeys to visit Rav Asher Yeshaya Rubin of Ropshitz and, after his passing, to Rav Tzvi Hirsch of Rymanov whose divrei Torah are cited several times in Divrei Yechezkel. The Rymanover once pointed to the Shinover Rav while he was drawing well water for matzo baking and remarked to the onlookers “There goes one who is not a soul in a body, but rather a soul within a soul!”
Other tzaddikim he travelled to included: Rav Shimon Yaroslover, the Sabba Kadisha of Radoshitz; Rav Meir of Premishlan; Rav Yisroel of Rizhin; Rav Dovid Moshe of Tshortkov; the Tzemach Tzaddik of Vishnitz; Rav Dovid of Tolna; Rav Yitzchok of Skver; the Bais Aharon of Karlin; and Rav Yitzchok Neshchizer. He even once travelled in his youth to the Toras Chaim of Kosuv.
He was renowned for bringing about miracles, for his clear halachic decisions, and for demonstrating outstanding control over his middos. The Imrei Chaim of Vizhnitz once met a shamash in the Sadigura Shul in Tiveria where the Divrei Yechezkel davened during his visits in Eretz Yisroel. The shamash told how his father was the shamash before him and the Divrei Yechezkel asked that he be able to immerse in the shul’s mikvah on condition that the mikvah be drained and then cleaned, and that it should be filled again with pristine water. “’No one must immerse before me!’ he had ordered.” The shamash continued, “My father, the shamash, complied, yet he wondered at the strange request, thinking, ‘How would he even know?’ He decided to test the rebbe. He drained and refilled the mikvah and himself took a quick dip. After drying off, he invited the rebbe to use the new clean mikvah. A few moments later he heard the loud voice of the rebbe demand to know: ‘Who dipped in this mikvah before me?’ The shamash, shaking head to toe in embarrassment and shame, admitted his guilt. ‘Do you have any children?’ the tzaddik thundered at him. ‘No,’ the shamash stammered. ‘Then, I bless you that by next year you should have a baby boy!’”
“I am that son,” explained the shamash to the Imrei Chaim of Vishnitz who was delighted by the tale of the Divrei Yechezkel and his middos.
The Divrei Yechezkel, The Shinover, was rav in Rudnik, and after his third father-in-law’s passing, he succeeded him in Razla. After seven years, in 1856/5616, he was appointed as rav in Shinova where he was rav and rebbe for the next eleven years. He served as Rav of Stropkov 1868/5628 and after the Divrei Chaim’s passing in 1876/5636, he succeeded his father as AvBeisDin in Sanz. Shortly after, he passed the position over to his brother Rav Aharon, while he himself returned to Stropkov until 1881/5641. Then he returned to Shinova where he remained until his passing on 6 Teves 1898/5659. His disciple, Rav Akiva Cohen Liber of Yashnitza, collected his divrei Torah and published them as Divrei Yechezkel in 1900/5661.
HIS SEGULOS:
To Be Said On Gimmel Nissan, The Day Of Zevulun’s Nosi - Segula For Parnassah
יהי רצון מלפניך ה’ אלוקי ואלוקי אבותי שיהיו מזונותי ופרנסתי ופרנסת אנשי ביתי עם מזונות אנשי כל עמך בית ישראל, מוכתרים ומאומתים ומצדיקים בידיך. ואל תצריכני לידי מתנת בשר ודם ולא לידי הלואתם, אלא לידך המלאה והרחבה. עיני כל אליך ישברו, ואתה נותן להם את אכלם בעתו. פותח את ידך ומשביע לכל חי רצון. יהיו לרצון אמרי פי והגיון לבי לפניך, ה’ צורי וגואלי.
אַ תָּ ה הוּא ה’ הָ אֱ קִּ ים הַ זָּ ן וּמְ פַ רְ נֵ ס וּמְ כַ לְ כֵּ ל מִ קַ רְ נֵ י רְ אֵ מִ ים ﬠַ ד בֵּ יצֵ י כִ נִּ ים הַ טְ רִ יפֵ נִ י לֶ חֶ ם חֻ קִּ י וְ הַ מְ צֵ א לִ י וּלְ כָ ל בְּ נֵ י בֵ יתִ י מְ זוֹנוֹתַ י קוֹדֶ ם שֶׁ אֶ צְ טָ רֵ לָ הֶ ם בְּ נַ חַ ת וְ לֹא בְ צַ ﬠַ ר בְּ הֶ תֵּ ר וְ לֹא בְ אִ וּסּר בְּ כָ בוֹד וְ לֹא בְּ בִ זָּ יוֹן לְ חַ יִּ ים וּלְ שָׁ לוֹם מִ שֶּׁ פַ ע בְּ רָ כָ ה וְ הַ צְ לָ חָ ה מִ שֶּׁ פַ ע בְּ רֵ כָ ה ﬠֶ לְ יוֹנָ ה כְּ דֵ י שֶׁ אוּכַ ל לַ ﬠֲוֹשׂ ת רְ צוֹנֶ וְ לַ ﬠֲ סוֹקבּ ְ תוֹרָ תֶ וּלְ קַ יֵּ ם מִ צְ וֹתֶ י וְ אַ ל תַּ צְ רִ יכֵ נִ י לִ ידֵ י מַ תְּ נַ ת בָּשׂ ָ ר וָ דָ ם :וִ יקֻ יַּ ם בִּ י מִ קְ רָ א שֶׁכּ ָ תוּבוֹפּ תֵ חַ אֶ ת יָ דֶ וּמַ שְׂבּ ִ יﬠַ לְ כָ ל חַ י רָ צוֹן
It is known that the day of the 3rd of Nisan is mesugol for parnossa. The source for this is Sefer Chaim V’Sholom (Vayeitzei), from the Munkatcher Rav (the Minchas Elozor) who says he heard from Rav Yechezkel Shraga of Shiniva (Divrei Yechezkel) that the day of the 3rd of Nisan, when the Nosi of Zevulun is read, is mesugol for parnossa and ashirus. This sounds like any one of the other numerous segulos for parnossa. That’s why I think it’s a disservice to tell anyone this without also telling him what it says before that on the very same page.
He starts off the page by explaining that ולזבולן אמר שמח זבולן בצאתך means that through Zevulun’s הוצאות (hinted by בצאתך) for Torah (his giving money to Yissochor so he can learn Torah) the Torah is his reward, but Zevulun will also be happy (שמח) in this world immediately since he needs to make more money in order to support Talmidei Chachomim. This seems to be the lesson we should take out of it. By supporting people who learn Torah – everyone according to his means – we can be worthy of getting parnossa. This should get those people who speak disparagingly of Talmidei Chachomim who are supported to stop speaking thus, as really the Talmidei Chachomim are doing the giver a favor.
שמח זבולן is equal to באמת, hinting at dealing honestly. שמח זבולן is also meramez to simcha being mesugol for parnossa. Rav Nosson Breslover once told someone with financial troubles that simcha is mesugol for parnossa. The man replied that it was difficult to be happy in his present situation. Rav Nosson responded, “But what won’t a person do for parnossa?” (The same story is told over with the Yismach Yisroel of Alexander.) Rav Mendel Riminover says a remez to simcha being mesugol for parnossa is the last letters of פותח את ידך and והיית אך שמח are the same and they are a Name connected to parnossa. The first letters of שמח זבולן are equal to the first letters of והיית אך שמח. This is also meramez in the Mishna: איזה הוא עשיר השמח בחלקו. How does one become an עשיר? השמח בחלקו – by being happy with one’s lot.
זבולן equals המן reminding us of .פרשת המן
Lea said regarding זבולן that Hashem had given her a זבד טוב. Rashi says that this means as Onkelos translates it, חלק טב – “a good portion”. The gematria of זבד is equal to הצלחה. The word זבולן in א״ת ב״ש is עשפכט, equal to 479 – the gematria of בזעת, as in בזעת אפיך תאכל לחם. The last letters of שמח זבולן בצאתך equal לחם. This pasuk teaches us that although there are people who seem to amass great wealth without breaking a sweat, the pasuk is teaching that if one thinks בזעת אפיך, meaning one’s own efforts are what makes – as the pasuk says: ואמרת בלבבך כחי ועצם ידי עשה לי את החיל הזה, then no matter how much one may have, it will never be enough (as Chazal teach that if one has a hundred he wants two hundred). Then despite all you may have, תאכל לחם, it seems like you only have bread.
The gematria of בזעת with the kollel is equal to the last letters of ואמרת בלבבך כחי ועצם ידי. The posuk then says: עד שובך אל האדמה כי ממנה לקחת כי עפר אתה ואל עפר תשוב – which can be read as: until he does teshuva and realizes that he is just dust and powerless, as Avrohom Avinu said: ואנכי עפר ואפר – “I am but dust and ashes”. When someone comes to the realization that every single great idea and every single penny comes only from Hashem, (as is hidden in the pesukim, אפיך is equal to אלף, which alludes to Hashem who is One and the אלופו של עולם and the first letters of כחי ועצם equal twenty-six, Hashem’s Name) then even if he only has bread, he feels like he has everything, as the Mishna says: איזה הוא עשיר השמח בחלקו. He is then taken out of the curse of בזעת אפיך תאכל לחם. Hashem is saying אפיך, meaning “(by the sweat of) your face”. When you take the ךoff to make it אפי which would be referring to Hashem, then you have the first letters of פותח את ידך – we ask Hashem to “open His hand” since we can’t do anything on our own. We can then realize there is only One Who controls everything, as בזעת אפיך תאכל לחם with the kollel is equal to .שמע ישראל ד׳ אלקינו ד׳ אחד
Rashi on the words, בזעת אפיך, says: לאחר שתטריח בו הרבה – “after you toil a lot”. But many toil and barely put food on the table! לאחר שתטריח – “after you toil” can mean two things: 1) After you are done with thinking that your own toil makes parnossa. 2) Reading it with a comma לאחר שתטריח, בו הרבה. After toiling hard by working on your emuna, then בו הרבה. This doesn’t mean quantity, rather quality. There will be lots of shefa; the money will come from the side of kedusha, as opposed to one who thinks he gets money on his own, and has the money coming from the “other side”. A remez to this is that בו הרבה is the same gematria as .טהור
The Munkatcher Rav shows how the name of זבולן is equal to ninety-five, which will be equal to the Names of Hashem – י־ק־י־ק אדנ’ - when Moshiach comes. After he speaks about the segula for parnossa, he says that we should understand that Nisan is a time of Geula. As Rav Gamliel Rabinovitz constantly says, we need parnossa to live but we should remember that Hashem has no house, no wife (we are in golus), most of his children don’t know how to say Shema. He says that Hashem doesn’t even have bread, so to speak, as we say in korbonos:את קרבני לחמי . He says that besides constantly saying, “Give me, give me,” we should ask Hashem to rebuild His house.
We should all remember that the berocha of parnossa on this day comes from supporting Talmidei Chachomim. May we all be zoche to have parnossa berevach and do good things with it, and may we be zoche to realize what we are missing without Hashem’s House, so that we can daven properly for its rebuilding.
