Rav Aharon of Zhitomir, son of Rav Mordechai, was recognized at a young age as a Talmid Chochom. He supported himself by working, rather than by assuming a Rabbinical position. He gave fiery deroshos to be mechazek limud haTorah.
In the sha’ar of his sefer, Toldos Aharon, he is identified as one of the leading talmidim of Rav Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev. After the petira of Rav Zev Wolf of Zhitomir, the Ohr HaMeir, Rav Levi Yitzchok appointed Rav Aharon as his successor. Rav Levi Yitzchok warned the community of Zhitomir to heed his every word.
The Ohev Yisrael of Apta, Rav Yisrael of Pikov, son of Rav Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev, and Rav Mordechai of Chernobyl all wrote warm haskomos to Toldos Aharon, attesting to the great tzidkus and high madreigos of its mechaber. Rav Aharon was considered a k’dosh elyon.
He was the Maggid in Zhitomir for three years, and then moved to Hungary, where he was active in spreading Toras HaChassidus, especially in the cities of Krali and Ashver where he lived. His deroshos brought people to teshuva. Some listeners became his Chassidim.
Rav Aharon was niftar on the 26th of Tishrei, a day after the Yahrzeit of his Rebbe, Rav Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev. He was buried in Zhitomir.
When his talmidim saw that his end was near, they began to cry.
“Why are you crying?” Rav Aharon asked them. “The end of every person is death.”
“How can we not cry when our Rebbe is leaving us?” they answered. “We will be left a flock without a shepherd. The other Tzaddikim of the generation are more hidden in their Avodas Hashem, unlike our Rebbe, to whose derech in Avodas Hashem we have become accustomed.”
“Know,” said Rav Aharon, “that before Moshiach comes there will be Tzaddikim who will be greater than me, and with what they do, they will be meyached more yichudim than we accomplished, even with our learning and davening!”
One of his closest talmidim, Rav Levi of Zhitomir, wrote down his Divrei Torah after every Shabbos and Yom Tov. Rav Aharon himself edited these notes. Toldos Aharon was first printed in Berditchev, shortly after his petira in 5577, by his son-in-law, Rav Mordechai, and Rav Mordechai’s father, the noggid, Rav Yakir Shimshon of Zhitomir. Other Divrei Torah of Rav Aharon are printed in Pisgomin Kaddishin.
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