Rav Tzvi Fisch, the son of Rav Moshe Avrohom, was the first Av Beis Din of Sighet. He was originally appointed as Chief Rabbi and Av Beis Din of Radvil; however, he was forced to leave this post after suffering under the fierce persecutions of the Frankists.
He passed away on 4 Elul 5531/תקל''א and was laid to rest in the old cemetery in Sighet, where his gravesite has become the focal point for those seeking yeshuos and salvation. He was succeeded by his son Rav Moshe Fisch.
As the city of Sighet grew and expanded, the gentiles decided to relocate the old Jewish cemetery in order to expand their living and commercial space. City officials hired many workers to relocate the graves and remove the tombstones and markers. However, when they reached Rav Tzvi’s matzeiva, it wouldn’t budge. Other gentile workers approached and tried their hands at the removal, but to no avail. Slowly they began to realize that anyone who dared to try moving the Rav’s matzeiva or kever dropped dead! Although the mayor and city officials heard of the mysterious deaths, they refused to accept that they were anything other than work-related accidents. The mayor himself then declared, “Tomorrow I will arrive myself, and personally supervise the breaking and removal of the tombstone!”
The mayor arrived the next day with four workers and a team of workhorses harnessed and ready to destroy the kever. They tied a rope around the Rav’s kever and then, when the wicked mayor gave the signal, the horses prepared to begin pulling; however, as soon as the mayor had given the signal to begin, he himself dropped dead alongside the kever!
At that point, the gentiles lost their nerve, fleeing in terror and vowing never again to touch the kever. They constructed a fence around it to protect it (and themselves!) from harm and to safeguard the sanctity of such a holy place.
When the Communists took over the government, their offices were housed in a building opposite the Rav’s kever. They, too, wanted to uproot the kever, which was a thorn in their sides. The locals, however, who had been safeguarding the site for some time, and had themselves become accustomed to asking the tzaddik for protection and salvation in times of need, refused to accommodate their request, warning them, “Don’t start up with the holy Rabbiner!” Their warnings were heeded, and his holy kever stands until this day. (Sefer Zichron LaRishon)
