The Passing Of The Meilitzer Rebbe
It was on Shabbos Kodesh parshas VaYechi as the Melizter sat with the chassidim at the shalosh seudos tisch when he said on the pasuk: Bereishis 49:1 “And Yaakov called his sons and said, ‘Gather ‘round and I shall reveal to you what will happen at the end of time.’” He then said, “Yaakov (referring to himself) called out to Hashem and asked him to serve as The Father for his young children.” With these final words of Torah, he passed away on 19th Teves during the auspicious time of shalosh seudos. (HaChochma M'ayin)
Gedolim Be'misasm Yoser
YAHRZEITS FOR THE 11TH OF TEVES ~ BEGINS FRIDAY NIGHT (01-11-2025)
Rav Moshe Grunwald of Ostroh - Arugas HaBosem (5545 / 1784 - 240th Yahrzeit)
Rav Shlomo Eiger (5612 / 1852 - 173rd Yahrzeit)
Rav Shlomo Zalman Ullmann - Yerios Shlomo (5626 / 1865 - 159th Yahrzeit)
Rav Yoel Ungar - Av Beis Din of Paksh (5646 / 1885 - 139th Yahrzeit)
Rav Shlomo Yehuda Leib Tabak of Sighet (5668 / 1907 - 117th Yahrzeit)
Rav Yehoshua Horowitz - Ateres Yehoshua, Dzikover Rebbe, Ateres Yeshua of Dzhikov (5672 / 1912 - 113th Yahrzeit)
Rav Yehoshua of Dzikov was born on Shushan Purim תר"ח. His father, Rav Meir of Dzikov, was the author of the Imrei Noam. In his father’s lifetime, he acted as the rav of the kehilla and upon his father’s passing, he took his place at the helm as the rebbe of the chassidim.
Rav Duvid Twersky of Zlatipoli (5675 / 1914 - 110th Yahrzeit)
Rav Moshe Bergman (5738 / 1977 - 47th Yahrzeit)
Rav Yaakov Yosef Shlomo Halperin - Vasloi Rebbe (5745 / 1985 - 40th Yahrzeit)
Rav Shmuel Dovid Tzvi Mayer - Rav Dovid Hersh, Menahel Yeshiva Beis Binyomin Stamford Conneticut (5764 / 2004 - 21st Yahrzeit)
YAHRZEITS FOR THE 12TH OF TEVES ~ BEGINS SATURDAY NIGHT (01-12-2025)
Rav Moshe Margulies - Pnei Moshe (5542 / 1781 - 243rd Yahrzeit)
Rav Moshe HaLevi Sofer - Pshevorsker Rebbe, Ohr Pnei Moshe (5566 / 1806 - 219th Yahrzeit)
Rav Moshe Sofer was the son of Rav Yitzchok. Rav Moshe authored the Ohr Pnei Moshe. He was famed sofer stam and a disciple of Rav Elimelech of Lizhensk.
Rav Mordechai Chaim Kastelanitz - Reb Mottel Slonimer, Reb Mottel Dayan (5714 / 1953 - 71st Yahrzeit)
Rav Mordechai Chaim was the son of Yuda Leib. He was a disciple of the Sabba Kadisha of Slonim and Rav Duvid Lubiner.
YAHRZEITS FOR THE 13TH OF TEVES ~ BEGINS SUNDAY NIGHT (01-13-2025)
Rav Moshe Biderman - Lelover Rebbe (5611 / 1850 - 174th Yahrzeit)
Rav Moshe was born in the year 1777 תקל"ז. He was the son-in-law of the Yid HaKadosh of Peshischa. He was a disciple of the Chozeh of Lublin. After his father and father-in-law passed on, he travelled together with Rav Yitzchok of Vurka to Rav Mottele the Czernobler Maggid.
Rav Shraga Feivish of Zelishtchik (5697 / 1936 - 88th Yahrzeit)
Rav Menachem Mendel Hager - Vishiva Rebbe (5702 / 1942 - 83rd Yahrzeit)
Rav Yechiel Mordechai Gordon - Reb Mottel Trokker (5726 / 1966 - 59th Yahrzeit)
A great tzaddik and gaon, Rav Yechiel Mordechai lived a life marred by tragedy. “Mottel Trokker” joined Slabodka in the late 1890s and sided with the Alter of Slabodka during the anti-mussar revolt of 1897, and was one of the founding students in Knesses Yisrael. In 1905, he married Tzirel Leah Shulevitz, the daughter of the Lomza Yeshivah’s founder, Rav Eliezer Shulevitz. With his wife’s encouragement, he traveled to Kelm. His first visit to the US was in 1925. In 1934, Rav Yechiel Mordechai was back in the United States. Stranded in America with the onset of World War II, Rav Yechiel Mordechai was among the founding members of the Vaad Hatzalah. In 1950 Rav Gordon moved to Eretz Yisrael, where he resumed his position in Lomza Petach Tikvah and became a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudas Yisrael.
Rav Yitzchok Huberman - Tzaddik of Raanana (5738 / 1977 - 47th Yahrzeit)
YAHRZEITS FOR THE 14TH OF TEVES ~ BEGINS MONDAY NIGHT (01-14-2025)
Rav Tzvi Hirsch Dovid HaLevi - Av Beis Din of Krakow (5592 / 1831 - 193rd Yahrzeit)
Rav Levi Yitzchok Katzellenbogen of Stefin (5634 / 1874 - 151st Yahrzeit)
Rav Yehuda Leibish Sapir - Shaar Yehuda (5642 / 1882 - 143rd Yahrzeit)
Rav Refoel Meir Panijel - Marpei (5653 / 1893 - 132nd Yahrzeit)
Rav Reuven Dov Dessler (5696 / 1936 - 89th Yahrzeit)
The Ga'on Rabbi Reuven Dov Dessler (1869-1931), among the greatest disciples of the "Alter of Kelm", and son-in-law of granddaughter of Rabbi Yisrael Salanter. At the end of his life was director of the "Talmud Torah" in Kelm. Born in Libau to his father, Rabbi Yisrael David Dessler, affluent merchant, G-d fearing philanthropist, who was a close associate of the "Alter of Kelm" and among his chief supporters. Like his father, Rabbi Reuven was a successful merchant and philanthropist, nevertheless, he was a Torah giant and prominent figure of Mussar in his generation. His son is the righteous Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler author of "Michtav Me'Eliyahu".
Rav Tzvi Broyde - Chief Rabbi of Petach Tikva (5760 / 1999 - 25th Yahrzeit)
YAHRZEITS FOR THE 15TH OF TEVES ~ BEGINS TUESDAY NIGHT (01-15-2025)
Mashrashya bar Pekud (4230 / 470 - 1,555th Yahrzeit)
Rav Raphael of Bershad - Pe'er L'yeshorim (5587 / 1827 - 198th Yahrzeit)
Rav Raphael was born in the year תקי"א. A disciple of Rav Pinchos of Koretz, he became his most avid talmid muvhak. After Rav Pinchos’ passing, many of his chassidim began to follow Rav Raphael. The Bershader Chassidim became known for their practice of minimal speech as they deemed silence a good protection from inadvertently uttering some falsehood.
Rav Yitzchok Tzvi Segal Yungreiss (5683 / 1923 - 102nd Yahrzeit)
Rav Avrohom Yosef Greenwald - Av Beis Din & Ram of Ungvar, Avnei Shoham (5688 / 1928 - 97th Yahrzeit)
Rav Chaim Mordechai Rosenbaum - Nadvorna Rebbe (5738 / 1977 - 47th Yahrzeit)
YAHRZEITS FOR THE 16TH OF TEVES ~ BEGINS WEDNESDAY NIGHT (01-16-2025)
Rav Dovid Tevli of Lisa (5552 / 1792 - 233rd Yahrzeit)
Son of Rav Nassan Nota. A scion of a line of prominent rabbis of Brod. Rav Dovid served as rav in several communities such as Horchuv and Lisa.
Rav Shlomo Michoel - Vezos L'Yehuda (5631 / 1871 - 154th Yahrzeit)
Rav Elozor Rubin of Sassov - Zichron Elozor (5693 / 1933 - 92nd Yahrzeit)
Rav Chaim Kreiswirth (5762 / 2001 - 23rd Yahrzeit)
YAHRZEITS FOR THE 17TH OF TEVES ~ BEGINS THURSDAY NIGHT (01-17-2025)
Rav Yaakov Krantz - Dubno Maggid, Ohel Yaakov (5565 / 1804 - 220th Yahrzeit)
Rabbi Yaakov Wolf Krantz, the Dubno Maggid, itinerant preacher was particularly known for the meshalim he employed in his sermons and writings. Born in Zietil (Dyatlovo), the Dubno Maggid achieved a reputation as a student in Mezhirech, Poland. His reputation spread as he journeyed throughout Eastern Europe where his eloquence and wisdom drew large crowds. Rav Krantz served in various towns including Zilkiew, Wlodowa, Kalisz and Zamosc but was best known in Dubno where he remained for 18 years (1768-1786) and for the rest of his life was preacher in Zamosc, Poland. A natural storyteller, he created hundreds of parables and moral stories, which he used in his sermons.
Rav Efraim Fishel Shapira - Strikover Rebbe (5582 / 1822 - 203rd Yahrzeit)
Rav Ephraim Fischel was born to Rav Yosef Yehuda Leib. He was a talmid of the Mezritcher Maggid and a talmid muvhak of Rav Azriel Meislish and the rebbe, Reb Melech of Lizensk.
Rav Arye Leib Lipschitz of Vishnitza - Aryeh Leibush, Aryeh D'vei Illai, Rav of Viznitz (5610 / 1850 - 175th Yahrzeit)
Rav Aryeh Leibush was born in the year תקכ"ז in Yarosluv, Galicia to Rav Chaim, Tzitzis Macher who was known by the gedolim as a tzaddik nistar. At a young age, Rav Aryeh Leibush joined the ranks of chassidim, studying under such luminaries as the Chozeh of Lublin, the Kozhnitzer Maggid, Rav Mendel of Rimanov, Rav Naphtali Ropshitzer, and the Yid HaKadosh of Peshischa. When the Yismach Moshe left Shinova for Uhjel in תקצ"ח, Rav Aryeh Leibush took up his father-in-law’s former post until the year תכ'צ when he was appointed Rav in Vizhnitz. Eight years later he moved to Brigel.
Rav Pinchas Epstein (5730 / 1969 - 55th Yahrzeit)
Rav Pinchas was the son of Rav Yeshaya. He was the Rosh Av Beis Din Yerushalayim. In תרפ''ט Rav Pinchos Epstein was appointed as a dayan to the Badatz. For some twenty years, he worked together with Rav Duvid Yungreiss and Rav Reisman, serving as a dayan for forty years total in the Badatz of the Eida Chareidis. After Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld’s passing, Rav Pinchos succeeded him as the Rav in Batei Machseh neighborhood.
Chacham Salman Mutzafi (5735 / 1974 - 50th Yahrzeit)
The famed Iraqi Kabbalist was born 27 Shevat 5660 in Baghdad. On 15 Elul 1935 תרצ"ה he and his family moved to Eretz Yisroel. He was a disciple and talmid of the mekuablim Rav Chaim Shaul haKohen Dweck and Rav Yehuda Fatiya. He studied Siddur haRashash under Rav Yaakov Monse. He founded the yeshiva Bnei Tzion for the study of Zohar and Kabbalah, originally located near kever Rachel later relocated to Mekor Baruch neighborhood of Jerusalem.
