Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum zt”l
Rabbi in Ujhel, Hungary
Author Yismach Moshe, Tefilla le’Moshe, Heishiv Moshe
28 Tammuz 5601 (1841)
While the Yismach Moshe spread the light of Chassidus to Hungary, he was a staunch Misnaged (anti Chassidic) in his earlier years. As a young boy the Yismach Moshe made a journey to the see the Vilna Gaon in Vilna. He was fortunate to be admitted to speak to the Gaon and even eat a Shabbos meal with him. The Yismach Moshe asked the Vilna Gaon if he can remain in Vilna to become his student. The Vilna Gaon told him to return home because Hungary needed him.
After his daughter married Rav Aryeh Leib Lipshitz, (known as the Aryeh D'Bei Illa'iy) he noticed strange behavior by his new son-in-law. When he realized that Rav Aryeh Leib was following the Chassidic movement he admonished him for his ways. Rav Aryeh Leib agreed to give up ways if the Yismach Moshe would travel with him just once to visit his Rebbi, Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak, known as the Chozeh of Lublin.
The Yismach Moshe was very disturbed by a certain custom of the Chassidim who were always joyous and happy. In the Shulchan Aruch it says that a person must be sad and mourn the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash. How is it that they don’t follow this Halachic ruling. Before he travelled he prayed a special prayer to Hashem, that he should find an answer to this question.
When he entered the study of the Chozeh, the Chozeh started talking and said, “in the Shulchan Aruch it says a person must mourn the Beis Hamikdash but even so we Chassidim fulfill the saying of Chovas Halevavos, that a person must have a joyous look on his face and keep his mourning in his heart.”
The Yismach Moshe was so taken aback that he himself became a student of the Chozeh and later founding the great Sighet-Satmar dynasty.
The Yismach Moshe was always waiting for the arrival of Mashiach. He even had a set of special Shabbos clothing that he always kept close to him ready every moment for the arrival of Mashiach. One day a family member arrived from a journey. Someone announced, “He’s here!” The Yismach Moshe jumped in excitement and grabbed his special clothing for he was so sure that they meant Mashiach had arrived.
