Rav Yaakov Dovid was born in 5574/1814 in Zurich, the son of Rav Yitzchok Kalisch of Vorka. He was the son-in-law of the gevir Rav Shmuel of Partchuv and his second marriage was to the daughter of the gevir Rav Yaakov of Dzhernovtza.
He was recognized as a child prodigy and already showed signs of genius in Torah and hasmoda (diligence) at a young age. He was appointed as a young Rav of Goverchuv. Later, he served as Rav in Peshis’cha and then in Ger before Rav Yitzchok Meir Alter, mechaber of Chiddushei HaRim. From Ger he moved to Amshinov where he was crowned Rebbe and founded the dynasty for which he is famed.
In 5608, his father passed away and he accepted upon himself the authority of Rav Shraga Feivel of Gritza (who was his father’s greatest talmid) as his Rebbe and mentor. However, Rav Shraga Feivel passed away half a year later. In 5609 he was elected as one of his successors and among his Chassidim were Rav Yechiel of Alexander, Rav Tzvi Mordechai of Peshis’cha, Rav Simcha of Sochdynow and others. His countenance made a deep impression on those who saw him and many flocked just to gaze at his holy face.
Like his father before him, he worked for the sake of the benefit of Polish Jewry. He therefore spent many days at a time in Warsaw working together with the Chiddushei HaRim to accomplish what he could. The Chiddushei HaRim honored him greatly and treated him with great respect. They worked very hard to cancel the decree that Jews would have needed to cut their pei’os and shave their beards.
The Tzaddikim of the generation also respected him, among them Rav Meir of Premishlan and Rav Mendel of Kotzk, who testified that he was unique in his generation in knowledge of Hilchos Shabbos.
He left for the resort Meren, Italy, in his elder years, and there he was niftar on 4 Kislev 5638. He was buried a week later in Amshinov. Thousands participated in the levaya and it went on from morning until evening. They say that all the way from Zhiridov to Amshinov (a distance of some 10 km) was full of people.
His sons were all Rebbes: Rav Menachem of Amshinov, Rav Yeshaya of Peshis’cha and Rav Yirmeyohu of Opla/Ufla. The last two lived until the Holocaust. His daughter married Rav Meir of Peshis’cha and died at a young age.
