Rav Nochum Pertzovitch, was an outstanding gaon and masmid. He was the son in law of Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz, and was Rosh Yeshiva in Mir in Eretz Yisroel until his passing in 5747. Rav Nochum’s shiurim, printed posthumously in Chidushei Reb Nochum and Shiurei Reb Nochum, are renowned for their brilliance and clarity, and are used extensively by all serious lomdim and bnei Torah.
Reb Nochum had a very close relationship with the Rebbe. One of his sons in law, Rabbi Chaim Mendel Brodsky, is the Rosh Yeshiva of the Yeshiva Gedola in Toronto, and shared with a few of his talmidim the fact that he possesses a bottle of mashkeh that the Rebbe had sent in honour of his chasunah. He also spoke about the esteem in which Reb Nochum held the Rebbe, and how he enjoyed conversing with the Rebbe in learning. Following are more details about the relationship between the Rosh Yeshiva and the Rebbe. A special yasher koach to Rabbi Kalman Weinfeld for sharing many of the following details:
For a number of years, Reb Nochum suffered from very severe health issues. In 5731 he was in America, and was in yechidus with the Rebbe. When he came in (together with his wife), the Rebbe stood up in his honor. The Rebbe then asked whether Reb Nochum remembered him. Reb Nochum was surprised by the question, and insisted that they had never met before, what is there to remember? The Rebbe, however disagreed-
In Sivan 5696, the Frierdige Rebbe participated in the chasuna of his daughter Sheina with Reb Menachem Mendel Horenstein. On the way, the Frierdige Rebbe visited the village Truk, where Reb Aryeh Tzvi Pertzovitch (the father of Reb Nochum) served as Rov (for this reason he was also known as ‘Reb Nochum Trukker). Upon the request of the Rov, the Frierdige Rebbe gave a brocho to his 9 year old son, Reb Nochum. When the Rebbe recounted these events, Reb Nochum said that he indeed recalled the experience, and that the Lubavitcher Rebbe was accompanied by two younger men. The Rebbe smiled, and said that they were him and R’ Zalman Gurary.
During the yechidus they discussed a broad range of Torah subjects, and the Rebbe gave him a brocho for his health. The Rebbe encouraged him to continue giving shiurim, and urged him to print them. The Rosh Yeshiva and his Rebbetzin left the yechidus deeply impressed. The Rebbetzin remarked: “The Rebbe sits in New York, and knows every detail that goes on in the mosdos chinuch in Eretz Yisroel” (the Rebbe had discussed various chinuch matters with her). Following the yechidus, the Rosh Yeshiva said to his talmidim: “The Lubavitcher Rebbe is a phenomenal gaon, even by the standards of previous generations; how much more so by the standards of our own generation”.
Reb Nochum had a friend by the name of Rabbi Leizerson, who was in Torah vodaas. Rabbi Leizerson was a Litvak as well, but he would come to the Rebbe for kos shel brocho, and for an occasional yechidus. Subsequent to Reb Nochum’s yechidus, the Rebbe would always inquire of Rabbi Leizersom about the health of Reb Nochum.
On one occasion, before Pesach of 5732, Rabbi Leizerson was by the Rebbe, and the Rebbe inquired whether Reb Nochum was saying shiurim. Rabbi Leizerson said that he hadn’t had any recent contact with him, but that he assumed that he is. “Please urge him in my name to continue delivering shiurim”, the Rebbe requested. On motzoei acharon shel Pesach, Rabbi Leizerson was at kos shel brocho (as was his custom), and the Rebbe gave him a bottle of wine and some matzos to send to Reb Nochum, again requesting that he be urged to continue delivering shiurim.
At that time Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Havlin was a bochur and was studying in Mir. He had travelled to New York in honour of Yud Aleph Nissan, to participate in the farbrengen for the Rebbe’s 70’th birthday, and was returning to Eretz Yisroel after Yom Tov. Rabbi Leizerson gave him the matzos and the wine and the message to convey to the Rosh Yeshiva.
When Rabbi Havlin returned to Eretz Yisroel, he proceeded to the home of Reb Nochum to carry out his shlichus, but he was informed that due to the Rosh Yeshiva’s very poor health he was not receiving any visitors at all. Rabbi Havlin told them why he had come, and turned to leave. However, as soon as Reb Nochum heard who had come and why, he immediately sent for him. Rabbi Havlin gave him the matzos and wine, as well as the message of the Rebbe.
When Reb Nochum heard the message, he became visibly excited, and exclaimed “Boruch shekivanti” over and over. Then he explained: “Because of my failing health, the doctor has ordered me to stop giving shiurim for six months. The mental strain involved with giving the shiur is very dangerous for me, he felt. “When I left the doctor, I was considering not following his instructions. After all, Torah gave doctors a license to heal, not to forbid a person to learn Torah. I felt that the dangers connected with delivering shiurim were, at most, speculative, but for me, delivering shiurim is a source of tremendous satisfaction. Depriving myself of that would be a definite hazard to my health”. “But still, it was after all a very serious decision, with important repercussions. I was reluctant to make such a weighty decision on my own. I am, therefore, overjoyed to see that the Rebbe is concurring with my position”!
