Rav Yisrael Taub of Modzhitz, mechaber of Divrei Yisrael, was the son of Rav Shmuel Eliyohu Taub of Zhvullin (1888) and the grandson of Rav Yechezkel Taub of Kuzmir (1856), who was one of the talmidim of the Chozeh of Lublin. He was a descendant of the Kuzhmir dynasty. He became the first Rebbe of Modzhitz and was succeeded by his son, Shaul Yedidya Elozor. Legend has it that in 1913 Taub composed a thirty-minute niggun (melody) while having his leg amputated without anesthesia.
Rav Yisrael was the son of Rav Shmuel Eliyohu of Zhvullin, and a descendant of the Kuzhmir dynasty. He was born in Ratzionz in 5609/1849. From a young age he was recognized as extremely talented in Torah with a rare gift for music. In 5648 he succeeded his father (among other successors) and moved to Eyungrud-Modzitz, transforming the city’s character and making it famous in the world of Polish Chassidus. The Chassidim built the Rebbe a beautiful home with a garden surrounding it. Modzitz grew as a center for Chassidus even though the Rebbe only saw Chassidim late at night. His niggunim spread throughout Poland. Among his most famous musical compositions are the nigun for the homeless, which he composed during the days of World War I in Warsaw and the famed niggun Ezkera, which has thirty-two stanzas and was composed in Berlin 5673 while undergoing surgery on his foot. (The surgical procedure was performed by Professor Israels without anesthesia.) This niggun is sung annually on his Yahrzeit but only a few special individuals know it completely.
He taught himself music theory as well as voice. In his sefer Divrei Yisrael he has two maamorim – Chassidic teachings – on the pasuk “Kechu mizimras ho’oretz – take from the gleanings of the Land,” where he explains how the seven musical notes of the scale correspond to the seven days of Creation and the seven planets (see below under the section for Torah samples).
Close to the war years he moved to Radom; from there he relocated to Warsaw in his old age, where he was niftar. An ohel was built over his kever in Warsaw. His sons were: Rav Shaul Yedidya Elozor of Modzitz, who succeeded him, Rav Yitzchok Tzvi of Modzitz-New York and Rav Yaakov Dovid, who was a parnas of Warsaw.
He authored the sefer Divrei Yisrael on the Torah and Kelalei Oraisa, subjects arranged according to the alef beis. His musical notations were published in the collection Negina Vachassidus B’vais Kuzhmir Ubnoseha, and Tiferes Yisrael, which was published by his son and grandson.
HIS SEGULOS:
Segula For Parnassah - Daven With A Minyan
It is a well-known segula for parnossa to daven with a minyan – the Modzitzer Rebbe, the Divrei Yisrael, taught (Parshas Bechukosai) that the curses of the Tochecha are all blessings in disguise; the curse that says ten women will have so little bread that they will bake it all in one oven he explained as: Ten Jewish souls (daughters of the king) who come together to “bake” in one oven – if ten souls come together to warm each other up and enliven and set each other aflame with excitement in communal tefilla as a minyan in shul, they are like bread, which the Gemora says bakes best when the oven is full of bread, and they are like a good stew, whose ingredients cook together and give taste and flavor to one another. Davening in a minyan be’tzibbur is thus a good segula for parnossa, he concludes.
