When he was in Kiev in 1482 the Tatars attacked the city
and his sons were taken hostage into the Crimea. He went
to the towns of Lithuania to collect money for the
redemption of hostages-his children. He stirred up a
sharp controversy against the Karaites. He returned to
Kiev and in the year 1495, when King Alexander drove the
Lithuanian Jews out of the country, he went together
with them, and it seems that here is the source of his
name “The Exile.” After the Lithuanian
Jews were permitted to come back, we find him in
Lida in the year 1506, there he was captured and
taken hostage (this time he himself) by the Tatars
that attacked the city and he was taken to Crimea.
He was freed by ransom paid by the Jews of Crimea,
and became the head of the community of Kafa
(Theodosia), where he was treated with great respect
and honor, and there he died. About the time of his
presence in Lida, we learn from a report from the
great Karaite scholar Abraham Pirkovitz in his own
handwriting in his manuscript “A Charming Treasure”,
and this is what it says (word for word): “I am the
man who saw the trouble when I was fifty-seven years
old in the time of our Lord of the Duke Alexander in
the year 1506 when the Tatars invaded the city led
by Mohammed the son of their king, they came with a
huge army to fight for the city of Lida, I was a
native of the city of Shadov, I came there to do my
holy work and I was also captured by them on the
seventeenth of Tamuz in the house of God. I was
deprived and taken away from all my dear ones and
anything that belonged to me including my manuscript
and they exiled me along with the other exiles of
the city to Crimea the Kingdom of the Tatars. And we
were ransomed by our brothers the rabbinical Jews
and the Karaites (may God save them and give them
life) may God remember them for good Amen, and I was
privileged to do my holy work and I found what my
soul loved here books...”
Not even one
of the scholars of history that mention this report do
not suspect Pirkovitz that he made it up himself (as is
well known this scholar was suspected in that time of a
few forgeries that he discovered and publicized – “The
Famous Pirkovitz Collection” is kept in the museum in
Leningrad. There is doubt only as to the real spelling
the city of his birth: can we believe in reading
Pirkovitz- Shadov, or to assume there was a mistake and
it should say Tarov? What we learn from this: in the
1506 Reb Moshe “The Exile” lived in Lida, and there was,
as it seems clear, a Jewish community and also a
synagogue (“the House of God”). He came to this
community “to do his work the work of God”. He does not
mean that “the work of God” is necessarily the
rabbinate. It is possible it is about an educational
role to teach the children of the community or something
similar. Anyway, the presence of such a prominent
personality as Reb Moshe “The Exile” in a public
religious position should be mentioned.
Reb Dovid
Lida Born in 1640
All the
writers of the history of the great rabbis of the Jewish
people dedicate a special place for this original
personality, of an important lineage of high quality,
very knowledgeable in Torah, an author of many religious
books and also an author of mysticism. But it seems that
his main publicity came by a disagreement that broke out
between himself and some of the Askenazic leaders of the
city of Amsterdam. Only for several years did Reb Dovid
serve in Lida but its name attached to him for the rest
of his life and was also to his son Reb Petachyah. Reb
Dovid was born, as said before, in the year 1640 to his
father Reb Ariyah Leib, the head of the religious court
of the holy community of Zevlin, which is in Vilna. His
mother was the sister of the very famous Reb Moshe
Rivkes the author of “Beer HaGolah” from Vilna. In the
year 1671 he wrote and published his book “Divrey David”
and in the same year he was accepted as the rabbi in
Lida. From there he moved to Austrog and in 1677 he was
called with great honor to Magentza as the chief of the
religious court. After three years in this city where he
wrote and published a few books he was elected and
appointed as the rabbi, chief of the religious court,
and the head of the yeshiva of the Ashkenazic community
in Amsterdam. There he continued with his activity in
writing rabbinical literature. About one of his books
“Beer Mayim Chaim” on the Shulchan Aruch one of the
greatest rabbis Reb Aaron Teomim testified: “Wonderful
counsel, and great wisdom, grinding mountains, etc.” Reb
Dovid wanted to live in peace, but the great controversy
befell him between himself and one of the very important
leaders of the community, Reb Nissen, who was also a
descendant of rabbis. The community leader accused Reb
Dovid that the words of Torah which he published in his
book “Migdal David” are stolen and copied from another
author from Aram Tzova, Reb Chaim HaCohen, and Reb Dovid
related it to his own (“he wrapped himself with a talis
that wasn't his own”). As the controversy spread, many
of the powerful members of the congregation joined Reb
Nissen and helped to pour oil on the fire. Suspecting
Reb Dovid of Shabtaiism: in a song that Reb Dovid
composed in honor of a special occasion his opponents
discovered the words “tishbi yigalenu” and immediately
they interpreted the word “tishbi” as a hint to Shabtai
(by changing the order of the letters). Reb Dovid
defended himself that these two words did not come from
him and they are a forgery added by the printer. The
controversy spread and spread and came to the mayor of
the city and there was a lot of ugliness and shame.
After this controversy calmed down for a while it
erupted again in the year 1683 and this time the
controversy included excommunication and cherem
(shunning). Reb Dovid did not refrain from action and
turned to the Four Lands Committee, (rabbinic leadership
of four countries that were organized together). The
rabbis of the committee excommunicated and put under
cherem all those who attacked Reb Dovid. All that in a
period that the Jewry of Holland still remembered the
taste of other cherems, which did not add respect to the
community. The Sephardic rabbis of the city of Amsterdam
did their best to avoid the desecration of God's name
and to quiet down the controversy. On the one hand they
expressed anger at the rabbis of the Four Lands
Committee that used the cherem on just evil talking and
on the other hand they openly criticized “those who put
God's words to shame and touch harmfully the dear young
rabbinical scholar and those who put the blemish on the
wholesome person who is great in Torah and God-fearing
eminence of Reb Dovid of Lida…in all his suffering we
suffer and anyone who is hurting his honor is hurting
our honor.” But not for a long time did the land quiet.
And as the controversy erupted again in 1687, Reb Dovid
decided to leave Holland and return to Poland. He
settled in Lvov and there he died. The year of his death
is not clear because the writing on his tombstone was
scratched off: some read it as 1690 and some add to it
five or even eight years. This is the history of Reb
Dovid who was famed all over the Jewish world under the
name “Lida”.
In the
Jewish Encyclopedia in the Russian language (Yivreiskyah
“Encyclopedia” Peterburg) under the article “Lida” it is
said that also the son of Reb Dovid, Reb Petachyah, and
also his grandson, Reb Dovid, served as rabbis in Lida.
But there is no other source for that. Reb Petachyah
served as rabbi in Lvov, Yasi, in the city of Lakatch,
and then in Vlovdvi, and Slavitch in the neighborhood of
Chelm. He died in Frankfurt Am Main, in Lida he did not
even appear since his father left it.
Reb
Elimelek Kaminetsky (Reb Meilachke)
We could not
find any details of his birth. This endearing name, Reb
Meilachke, we discovered only when we talked to elderly
people of Lida who mentioned him as a tzadik. Through
these discussions we also found out that his grave is
located in the Lida cemetery. His family name and also
the fact that he served as rabbi in Lida many years (it
seems up to 1845 or somewhere around that) we found out
by chance from a write up in a Lida newspaper “Halvanon”
in the year 1875. In that writing we are told of the
funeral of the rabbi (appointed by government) Reb
Eliyahu Akiva Kaminetsky, the son of Reb Mielachke, and
these are the words of the writer (signed Shmuel Tzvi
Kaminetsky –it seems a member of the family) with very
little changes without making any radical change in the
meaning and even the initials as follows:
The
festival of Purim 1875 – the fourteenth of the
second Adar on that day all the children remember
with rejoicing in their heart the memory of the
past…our light was dimmed and our rejoicing stopped,
because the president of our community died. The
rabbi, the great light, of glorious merit and
kindness, the crown of our family and the
outstanding glorius living heir to old wisdom, a
scion of great family name, our rabbi, our teacher,
Rabbi Eliahu Akiva, may he rest in peace, the son of
the gaon Elimelek Kaminetsky, may his memory be a
blessing that served on the rabbinate of our city
for many years.
In his
youth he was a merchant. When the wheel turned
against him and he was impoverished the leaders of
our community decided to appoint him rabbi so that
he could be a mouth and a go-between them them and
the government and for about twenty years he was
leader. He led them in justice and kindness. (But a
few years ago he was removed from his position by
the government because it was not permitted to
appoint a rabbi who did not finish his studies in
government schools.) He was wonderful in his
teachings, in his Torah and the fear of the Lord.
About twenty-five years he taught Mishnah in the
Misnayosh Association. And even members of the
Enlightment of our time gave respect and honor To
his name. A few years ago when he was on a business
trip in the capitol city of Peterburg and the
government rabbi, Rabbi Neiman was in need, he left
his rabbinate position to help him.
The great
amount of endearment that the people of Lida felt for
their rabbi, Rabbi Elimelek, we can see from the fact
that even his descendants after him were given a high
status of honor in the religious guidance of the city.
His son
Rabbi Eliyahu Akiva served in the city, as we see in the
write up above, some twenty years as a government rabbi.
A position that necessitated a knowledge of the language
of the country, and he successfully merited honor and
endearment.
Among the
religious judges of the city during the period of Rabbi
Mordecai Meltzer, we find the grandson of Rabbi
Elimelek, the son of his daughter, Reb Yaakov Kopstein,
who left after him a book of interpretation of Torah by
the name “Pri Yaakov”. Reb Mordecai, who generally
refused to write introductions to books dedicated this
time to the author a large introduction, a warm and kind
one, and he called him the title “The Great Light”. Also
others who remember his name in the write up from Lida
in the periodical “Hamelitz” give him the title “Sharp
and Knowledgeable”. Reb Yaakov also participated in
community affairs and he himself sent articles to the
Hebrew periodicals about life in Lida. Among the others,
a description of the beginning of the Zionist Movement
in Lida even before it was officially called that way.
Reb Eliyahu
Schik (“Reb Alinkah”) (1809-1876)
Out of parts
of stories that were preserved in Lida, person to
person, fathers to children (let us not forget, Reb
Alinkah left Lida in the year 1864, approximately), from
a number of lines in introduction of a book that
include, by the way, some personal details, etc.,
appears for us a lovable personality combining a very
sensitive rabbi of great qualities, great knowledge of
Torah and humility all combined, good and benevolent.
In his
introduction to his commentary on the book “Ein Yaakov”
(Vilna 1929, out of the printing house of Reb Schmuel
Yoseph Fine and Rabbi Tzvi Rosenkrantz), he laid out his
own genealogy:
From me
the young man Eliyahu Schik the head of beit din in
Zager Chadash at present, and before that I was head
of beit din in Derechin and in Lida, the son of the
holy man, our rabbi and teacher, Benyamin Schik, of
blessed memory and the son of the gaon, the tzadik,
our rabbi and teacher Ariyeh Yehudah Leib, of
blessed memory, the head of beit din in Vashilishak,
the son of the gaon, the tzadik, our rabbi and
teacher Yom Tov Lipman Schik, of blessed memory, the
head of beit din in the above-mentioned city and in
Prozin, the son of the famous gaon, our rabbi and
teacher Chanokh Henickh Schik, of blessed memory,
the head of beit din of Schklov the grandson of the
gaon and author of “Tosfet Yom Tov” and “Maadenei
Yom Tov”, and from mother's side a grandson to the
rabbi, the gaon, the tzadik, our rabbi and teacher,
Moshe Aaron Gordon the head of the beit din of
Vashilshak, the son-in-law of the rabbi, the gaon,
the tzadik, our rabbi and teacher Elazar, the author
of “Siach Hasadeh”, a grandson of our teacher, the
gaon, the author of “The Hamaharsha”, etc.
He was born
in the year 1809 and was orphaned from his father when
he was a baby. Typical of his reverence to his
step-father: “May God remember for a blessing my late
step-father, the scholar and God fearing…who raised me
until I was about twelve years old and treated me as a
son and was to me a father.”
Some of the
typical stories about Reb Alinkah:
The story of
some Jew from Lida, who was out of work, so Reb Alinkah
tried to find for him an living income. He collected a
some of money and bought him a horse and wagon, so that
he would have income as a carter. It easy to assume that
this was not one of the strong horses. Once upon a time
the man was carrying sand in his wagon near the house of
the rabbi (in the synagogue court). Reb Alinkah, who was
still wearing his talis and wrapped in his tefillan (it
was very early in the morning), looked by chance through
the window and saw this man raising his whip on the poor
animal. Reb Alinkah knocked on the pain of the window
and yelled out to the angry carter: “Why do you hit the
horse?” The poor Jew defended himself: “Rabbi, he is
acting wild.” (From the father of the writer of these
lines.)
The
“kidnappers” (of children to become soldiers in the
tsar's army) came to town! A few dozen children, and as
usual from the poor people, were kidnapped from the
mothers' bosoms and were closed up in one of the
buildings, from there, they were to be sent to army
barracks in the great and wide Russia – their fate is
known. Reb Alinkah got very excited, he grabbed an ax in
his hand, assembled around him some workingmen, they all
carried their tools and went together to the place where
the children were locked up, broke the door and released
them. (From a tradition of the Jews of Lida, also
mentioned in the book “Sarai Hameah” written by Rabbi Y.
L. Maimon. M. Eudansky, of blessed memory, who also
mentioned this story in the name of Rabbi Maimon, added
another story about residents of Lida that fought the
kidnappers of children, among them from the rabbi's
family, Reb Zalmon Relyes, who used to hide the children
for years. “Lita,” Book 1, page 640)
There is a
story about Jewish leaders that met in Kovno in the home
of Rabbi Yitzak Elchanon, of blessed memory, to discuss
public problems. In that meeting were attending Rabbi
Yossel of Slutsk, Rabbi Mordechai Klatzkin, Rabbi
Alexander Moshe Lapides and many more powerful Torah
leaders of Lida and Jamos, and above all, the leader of
the group, the man of glory and humility, Reb Alinkah
Lida, they put on the table a samovar for tea and the
rebbitzin served “pamerantzen”-the peels of oranges
cooked in sugar.
A debate
started among the great leaders of Torah, what blessing
do you make on this cooked food: either “borey pri haetz,”
because the orange grows on a tree, or “borei pri
haadamah,” because in fact this is not fruit anymore but
peel alone, or maybe-“shehakol nihiyeh bidvaro,” since
in the final analysis there is no fruit and no vegetable
anymore. A long debate ensued and they could not come to
a decision. Reb Yosel of Slutsk proves with his
explanation and Reb Mordechai Klatzkin refutes it, and
what Reb Yitzak Elchanon pinpoints, came Alexander Moshe
and rejects. And the tea gets cold…
In the
meantime all assembled look at Reb Alinkah, the humble
one, the quiet one, the one who hides, and lo and
behold, he already finished the spoonful of pamerantzen
that he was served – and they did not finish yet the
debate. They all turned to him wondering: “Rabbi, lo and
behold you finished you finished your serving, what
brocha did you make?” - Reb Alinkah answered them
quietly and in sweetness as was natural to him:
“Quietly, my rabbis!” (And in this he meant to turn
their attention to a law in the “Shulchan Aruch” on the
question of “a questionable blessing”). (Was given to me
by Mr. Nachum Hinich, one of the students of Reines
Yeshiva in Lida, a veteran teacher in Israel in Tel
Aviv).
Reb Alinkah
wrote a number of books, but as it seems only on of them
was published during his lifetime “Ein Eliyahu” (in the
year 1859 on the printing press of Reb Schmuel Yoseph
Fine and Reb Avraham Tzvi Rosenkrantz, Vilna). This book
is a commentary on the legends of the book “Ain Yaakov”.
His special attachment to legend, may be testimony of
his character, soft and kind to people. After his death
another book of his was published, the book “Derekh
Avot”, the book is a commentary and explanation on the
tractate “Avot”. The book was brought to press by his
son and student in the year 1872 in Vilna, and in 1874
in Warsaw, was reprinted in 1885 in Philadelphia in the
United States, and in 1936 in Jerusalem, in the printing
press “Chorev” (was published by the son of his
daughter, Rabbi Schmuel Zeev Berniker).
Reb Alinkah
served as rabbi in Lida until 1854 and then became rabbi
in the city Zageerchadash and from there he went to
Kobrine. The reason he left the congregation of Lida
after serving there with great honor and respect twenty
years, we heard stories that the reason for it was
controversy with the chasidim in the city. Reb Alinkah
in spite of his kind nature was very tough and stubborn
in his opinion against chasidism and he probably found
it better to go away and leave controversy. Even after
he left Lida, his name remained Lida.
Reb
Mordechai Meltzer of Blessed Memory
Reb
Mordechai Kaliatzka (or Klatzky) was inaugurated as the
rabbi of the holy congregation of Lida in the year 1864,
who was called later Reb Mordechai Meltzer.
Reb
Mordechai was born in Vilna in the year 1797, which was
the last year of life of the Gaon Reb Eliyahu of Vilna.
The people loved Reb Mordechai, when they mentioned this
date, read about him the verse from the bible “and the
sun rises and the sun sets.”
In those
days, “the balebatim” used to visit the yeshivas, to
look for grooms for their daughters that reached (or
were about to reach majority). The young Mordechai, who
attracted the attention of his teachers for a long time,
“was chosen with honor” to be the groom of the daughter
of the very rich man Reb Lieb Gordon of Vilna, whose
business was malt (in Yiddish maltz) was called
“meltzer”, the name was inherited from him by his
son-in-law.
In the house
of his rich father-in-law, Reb Mordechai could give
himself completely to study of Torah, in two ways- to
learn and also to teach: in the yeshiva of Reb Dovid
Shtershon and afterwards as the head of the yeshiva of
Reb Myla. For some time, Reb Mordechai left the yeshiva
of Reb Myla because of a contest that occurred between
him and Rabbi Israel Salanter, who was very famous
already then, who arrived in Vilna and was also invited
by the leaders of the same yeshiva, as the author of the
history of Reb Mordechai stated: “It is impossible for
two rabbis to use one crown, because both of them were
giant gaons in Talmud.” He returned to his place in the
yeshiva only after Rabbi Yisroel decided to forgo his
prestige and honor and move to another house of study.
In the year
1846 Sir Moses Montifiore visited Vilna accompanied by
his secretary Halevi, and among other places he also
visited Yeshiva Reb Myla whose fame reached him. The
guests were very impressed by Reb Mordechai who preached
before them.
In the year
1850 Reb Mordechai was elected as the head of Beit Din
in Calabria, there he served in the rabbinate until
1862.
Reb
Mordechai arrived in Lida in old age – about 67 years
old when he was already fully recognized as a giant in
the Lithuanian Torah world. He had a very tough
character, very straight, that does not turn in favor to
anybody, not to the leaders of the community, not to the
tough rich people and not even to Torah people if he did
not like their behavior – this image we get from the
stories that were transmitted about him. And when
something not clean happened in the year 1884, after the
death of Reb Mordechai and “the meat tax” (taxa) –this
was the main source of income of the community – was
given to a very rich leaseholder without a public
auction, as was customary, and probably, in return of
private bribery to the leaders of the community – a
sharp article of protest was published in the
“Hamelitz”. The article begins with the words: “From the
day that the great gaon Reb Mordechai Meltzer of blessed
memory was taken away from us, the leaders of the
community started to rule the money of the meat tax and
use it like a person is using his own property.”
Reb
Mordechai did not play favorites to rabbis “the book
authors”, that flooded the book market with new books
very often, and refused to write “favorable
introductions” that usually appeared at the beginning of
the book. Even though there was some favorable
introductions of his on some books of great giants of
Torah because he saw in them real innovations and of
great importance to the Jewish Torah world. Thus, for
example, on the books of Reb Meir of Radin (“Mishnah
Derurah”, “Chofeitz Chaim”), or on the book of Reb
Yaakov Kapshtein that was mentioned above. In the last
years of his life he would agree to sign an introduction
for the sake of peace, especially when he lost his
eyesight and he could not read the book..
Being loyal
to this approach did not leave after him any written
material, even innovations in Torah of his own. However,
his students and his friends who loved him used to write
down on notes things that they heard from him and
interpretations of Torah. Only after he died, did Reb
Asher his son worked diligently to collect these notes
that were spread out and gave them to one of the most
best students of the rabbi, one of the most
knowledgeable teachers in Vilna who had a good style as
an author, Reb Ay Trivish, who edited all the material
and printed them as a book which was called “Techelet
Mordechai”, which was accompanied with pages about the
history of the rabbi and words of honor for his
personality.
At the end
of his days, Reb Mordechai was dealing also with
Kabbalah and the writer of the history of his life added
“because many broken hearts, many who suffered from
sickness, used to stream to him with the belief of help
and salvation that comes from his blessing.”
Old and full
of days, at the age of 86 Reb Mordechai died in the year
1883. A special structure was built on his grave in the
Lida cemetery and on the gravestone was inscribed the
following: “From ancient generations a precious star
appeared in our land a rabbi, a gaon mighty as he was is
hard to find in our generation the holy words of the
Talmud and Midrashim and all their interpretations all
of them were engraved on his heart and his tongue as
fresh received from Sinai he went down to the depth of
the sea of Talmud and brought up pearls in his treasures
in many written sources his teachings were carried there
you can see his mighty power anything that was hidden
and difficult that was brought to him he was quick to
answer properly he made himself a name also in Kabbalah
to him were revealed hdden mysteries God's love and the
love of people of him will both testify Calabria and
Lida his righteousness and his holiness will testify.”
We are
bringing here some of the stories that were going around
about Reb Mordechai from the period of the rabbinate of
Lida.
When Reb
Mordechai entered his position in Lida, the leaders sent
him his salary at the end of the first week. The rabbi
checked the amount and found out that instead of
twenty-five guilden he was supposed to get they sent him
only twenty. He immediately called the leaders. When
they came, he told them you know very well that my
salary was set to be twenty five guilden a week. And now
since you sent me only twenty you will think my salary
is only twenty guilden and accordingly you will send me
next week only fifteen, therefore, let it be known to
you that my salary is twenty five guilden but you sent
me only twenty guilden.
On the way
Reb Mordechai felt about “the authors of books” this
story will testify: Reb Mordechai arrived for a visit in
Vilna. All the scholars and knowledgeable people in
Vilna came to welcome the rabbi and they asked him how
he felt as is customary: “Vos macht eir, Rebbe?” (What
does the Rabbi do?), he answered them immediately “Kein
seifer nit” (Anyway not a book).
In the court
of Reb Mordechai in Lida were famous religious judges of
great knowledge in Torah like Reb Yaakov Kapshtein that
we mentioned already, Reb Shlomo the Dayan that merited
great honor, etc. But there were also some that the
rabbi did not respect, especially because they liked to
drink, God forbid. When sometime a person came to the
rabbi to ask for these judges the rabbi made a face of
question and wonder “Why are you looking for them here?
Is my house a bar for drunks?” (Vos is by mir – a
sheink?)
There is a
story about Reb Mordechai when two authors wrote one
book, a commentary on “Baba Kama”, Reb Mordechai read
the book, he found empty verbiage. “And what name,” –
asked Reb Mordechai “did you call your book?” “ Rabbi,”
they said “we did not yet find a nice name for our book.
We want a name that will be short and both of us should
appear in it.” “If so” the rabbi smiled and said “there
is nothing more beautiful for your book then this name:
The Ox and the Trap.”
There is a
story about Reb Mordechai that he had a verbal
confrontation with a rich man who was an idiot. The rich
man was using insolent and abusive language trying to
humiliate the rabbi. “You too,” said the rabbi, “are
like a loaf of bread.” “Rabbi,” said the man, “there is
no comparison.” “That's what I meant,” smiled and said
the rabbi – “You are the rudest of the rude, you are so
low that there is nothing that can be compared to you.”
Reb
Binyamin of Lida of Blessed Memory and Reb Sholom of
Perlov of Blessed Memory
They were
not official rabbis in Lida. Never-the-less, we feel it
is proper to include them in this list, because they
were, it appears, in their time spiritual leaders for a
substantial congregation, even though not large numbers,
among the Jews of Lida, it was the chassidic community.
The
chassidim had two synagogues (“chassidisha shtiblach”)
in Lida in our time: one for the Lubavich Chassidim
(Chabad) and one for the Chassidim of Koidenov. The
first remained in Lida for a long time without a
religious leader: they did not travel to the Rebbe, it
was far away from Lida. And as far as we remember
neither the Rebbe nor his messinger visited them to
guide and to inspire them. And we wonder if their
chassidism was more than a tradition that became a habit
that was limited to reciting “vyatzmach purkoneh” in the
kaddish and the custom of celebrating the nineteenth day
of Kislev, the day of the release of the old Rebbe
(HaRav) from prison with the ascendance to the throne of
the Tsar Alexander I.
More alive
was the bond with the rebbe of the Koidenov Chassidim
(even though we have to admit that in the last
generations “the strength of the relationship faded even
with them.) Until the First World War, we assume there
were still chassidim in Lida (in reality, very few) that
habitually continue to travel to the Rebbe of Koidenov
which was close to Minsk.
After
Koidenov was annexed to Soviet Russia a new scion of the
dynasty of the chassidic rabbis of Koidenov settled in
eastern Galicia, his name was Reb Zalman Yoseph
Zilberfarb (may God take vengence for his blood), that
used to visit occasionally his chassidim in Lida.
When did
chassidism penetrate into Lida? – We have no exact
knowledge of it. But in the history of the Lithuanian
Chassidism, we find that one of the chosen students of
the founder of the Koidenovian dynasty, Reb Sholom Chaim
Perlov (“the old Koidenovian”), who was elected to be
rebbe in about the year 1833 and died in the year a862.
His name His name Reb Binyomin of Lida.
In the book
“Nachlat Avot” by Levi Ovtzinsky (which includes
biographic material on the giants of Torah in the last
generations in an alphabetic order) we find, under the
title of Reb Binyomin of Lida:
“The
rabbi, the tzaddick Reb Binyomin of Lida, a great
chassid of purity, a miracle performer. The presence
of his honor was in Lida, he was a choice student of
the rabbi, the tzaddick Reb Schlomo Chaim, may his
memory be for a blessing.”
From the
above we learn that Reb Binyomin was a man of miracles,
which means probably, a miracle maker. We have no more
details on the period of his activities. Its probable
that the beginning of his activity is between the two
dates 1833 and 1862 and continued on some years
afterwards. We know more about the rebbe of the
chassidim in Lida in the 1880's. Reb Sholom Perlov (“Reb
Shlomkeh”), and the grandson of the “old Koidenover” Reb
Shlomo Chaim. He came to live in lida ain the year 1878
and spread Torah among the chassidim at the same time,
it seems the great rabbis who were not chassidim tried
to put out the fire of controversy between chassidim and
non-chassidim, that caused for decades much anger and
pain and even the desecration of God's name. Also, Reb
Mordechai Meltzer that a few decades before that when he
served as head of the yeshiva of Reb Maile in Vilna,
could not sit in one room together with Reb Yisroel
Salanter, discovered now a relationship of tolerance and
understanding to his young “competitor.” Reb Mordechai
was about 80 years old and Reb Sholom was about 30. Reb
Mordechai also who went out of his way never to write
confirming introductions to authors for their books, did
now write an affirming introduction to the book of Reb
Sholom which was printed in 1881 under the title of
“Divrei Shalom”. And these are the words of Reb
Mordechai about the young author:
“Here is
about three years that the rabbi who stands before
me established his resience in our camp. His arm was
discovered and a great light appeared because many
people are gathering to hear from his mouth the
words of the living God and enjoy from his light. He
is the famous rabbi, the great light, young in years
and full of wisdom, a branch of the great tree of
our fathers. Even though I did not read the entire
manuscript the part that I read can testify to total
contents, etc.”
(By the way,
among the affirmative introductions to the book we find
the Gaon Reb Yitzchak Elchanon Spector, the famous rabbi
of Kovna.
As it seems,
the chassidim of Lida felt themselves to be very strong
and very influential in the city to such a degree that
after the death of Reb Mordechai they dared to suggest
their rebbe Reb Shlomkeh as a candidate to be the rabbi
of the city. Maybe that Reb Mordechai's introductory
affirmation to the book of Reb Shomke (especially for
the sake of peace, it seems) and the words of praise
that it included (usually exaggerated which are given
generally in regular rabbinic style) they, too,
encouraged the chassidim. Anyway, Lida remained a city
that opposed chassidism by majority, and the candidate
that was accepted was Reb Yitzchak Yaakov Reinas of
blessed memory. But this din not pass or that controvery
did not end without throwing stones by one party into
the windows of opposing parties.
Reb Shlomke
left Lida in the year 1884 when he was elected to be the
rabbi in the city of Brezneh that is in Volin and from
there he moved to be the rabbi in the town of Brahin
(and since then he was known by the name “Reb Sholom of
Brahin”). He died in the year 1927.
Rabbi Aaron Rabinovitz of Blessed Memory
By Rabbi Avigdor
Tzipershtine his son-in-law
Translated by
Rabbi David Haymovitz
His image is still standing
before my eyes with all its beauty, its holiness and its
glorious glow. The image of a rabbi that who stood guard
for many years of holiness and served his community with
his learning - generosity, with his wisdom and his
pleasant ways. From the day he ascended to the seat of
the rabbinate in Lida, after the death of his
father-in-law the Gaon Rabbi Yitzchak Reines who made
the city of Lida famous in all the Jewish communities in
the world, [he] led his congregation in pleasant ways
and was ready to sacrifice himself for it.
He was a child from a
village. In the forests of Lida of Lithuania he grew and
became a mighty Cedar tree. His father Reb Elimelech
Rabinovitz, was a merchant of wood and lived in the
forest. He built for himself a house, and also a house
of study where the Jews of the neighboring villages,
working with tar and resin, studied and prayed. He grew
up in the lap of nature. From there he went to the
Yeshiva of Volozhin, there he became famous as one of
the choice young men of the yeshiva of whom it was proud
and claimed glory.
It is he who discovered the
prodigy from Maychet, Reb Shlomo Poliachik, in a forlorn
little village and brought him to the Yeshiva of
Volozhin.
The Gaon Rabbi Yitzchak
Reines of blessed memory chose him as a son-in-law for
his only daughter, Gele of blessed memory, who was his
devoted mate all the days of his life, and in their
death they were not separated, they died together for
the sanction of God.
In the home of his
father-in-law he found a wide area for action, any
person in bitterness and with broken heart found in him
a listening ear, an awakened heart and readiness to
help. He distributed his money and even gave away the
furniture and the items of his home to everyone who
stretched out a hand for help. He never sent any person
away empty handed. He knew the heavy responsibility that
was on him as the leader of the congregation and joined
in its struggle. Always he in his own person went out in
bad times, in days of violence, wars and pogroms to
defend the city and its residents. He risked his life,
did not pay attention to the pleading of his family not
to go and with immense courage and generous spirit was
the first and only one in the city who gave his life for
the rescue of Jews.
A man of truth, this was his
way of life and this was the root of his soul. He could
not tolerate any lie in life. Wherever he found the
slightest deviation from truth and righteousness, he
fought like a lion to bring out the truth and rescue the
victims of injustice, he did not cater to anybody,
whoever it might be.
During WWI, when the city
was conquered by the Germans, he sent his family to
wander in foreign places but he remained on his duty and
did not leave town.
Legends go around about his
activities during the occupation in the First World War.
Thanks to his influence on the governor of the city, who
learned the great value of his pure heart and soul, he
succeeded in averting hunger from the city that was the
fate of all other towns in the neighborhood.
He was not only “rabbi” as
the word is regularly understood. He was a father, a
shepherd and an artist. His great worry was how to help
his fellow man, because his soul was a noble one, it was
from the treasure of holy souls, shining in the light of
Torah that is complete and eternal kindness.
Who can evaluate properly
his love for Torah? When he saw a student from the
Yeshiva he embraced and kissed him. He gave the student
honor as one of the great giants of Israel. There was no
end to his happiness when he heard some new idea or
reconciling a contradiction in Torah. His greatness and
his genius as he was, with deep understanding and
straight logic in addition to complete knowledge in
every phase of Torah, he became so enthusiastic when he
heard a new idea from a passing yeshiva student or from
a rabbi. Like a fish who is thirsty for a fresh drop of
water, so was his soul for Torah discussion.
An innovation in interpreting Torah, a new idea that
reconciles texts of Torah - these were, “the bribe” that
he took during his lifetime. There was nothing too
difficult for him to do for that. He founded a study
group in the city for the choice students of the
yeshiva. Mr. Gatz, of blessed memory from Moscow,
supported by himself this group that sustained itself on
his money. Wherever you can find one still alive of
those who were lucky to be among those who enjoyed his
influence, his soul rejoices when he talks about him and
his memory. And there are so many who look back with
nostalgia to those happy years when they received
teaching and inspiration in the circle of their great
rabbi, who was extraordinary, an unusual and unforgetful
appearance of love of Torah, the love of students of
Torah that was limitless and with a strong and direct
stand for truth, honesty, and charity in all his doings
and all his ways as it was also in the leadership in the
city and his relationship to the public.
He was loyal to Zion. He was
among the first rabbis who signed an appeal for support
of the Jewish National Fund, and all the time he was a
supporter of the Mizrachi ideals, that aimed to awaken
the people to rebuild the Jewish homeland and to be
rebuilt as a nation. He did not pay attention to any
“opposition” that came from certain circles. He saw the
rebuilding of the land of Israel, the awakening of the
mystical powers of the lower spheres in order to bring
closer the redemption - with the self-sacrificing giving
of the builders and those who wallow in its dust of the
land.
And here it may be the right
place to stress one line of his glorious image. How much
he loved the truth and the respect of Torah, that was
more precious to him than all the treasures of the
world. In the last years before the beginning of the
Second World War, “a war” erupted in Vilna. The Jewish
community of Vilna selected, or were about to select,
Rabbi Yitzkak Rubenstein to be the rabbi of the
community and the Gaon Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky, of
Blessed Memory, to be his deputy. The rabbis of Poland
and the heads of the yeshivot saw in it a wrong step
taken by the heads of the Vilna community. A sharp
controversy erupted by speech and by writing and it
reached all the way to America. Rabbi Aaron Rabinowitz
was a longtime friend since the early years of his youth
of Rabbi Rubinstein, because Lida was close to Vilna. As
friends and brothers they regarded each all the days of
their lives. But in these days when the great
controversy flared up in Vilna, Rabbi Rabinowitz made
special efforts to influence his friend and his comrade
to resign or not to accept this position, because this
would be according to his opinion a great desecration of
Torah. He told Rabbi Rubenstein that it should be a
great honor for him to resign. He will be rewarded more
by stepping away than by accepting. But when Rabbi
Rabinowitz realized that his words were not accepted he
stopped talking to him.
Many in the community
respected and highly valued Rabbi Rabinowitz for his
honest stand, especially who were siding with the Gaon
Reb Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky. Rabbi Rabinowitz was the most
visible personality who was highly venerated and
considered of extraordinary importance by the most
popular rabbi at the time, the Chofetz Chaim, of Blessed
Memory, and Reb Chaim Ozer, of Blessed Memory. “Der
Lider Rov” was always the leading spokesman in the
assemblies, in committees, from him they took advice and
encouragement. Everyone felt that he was far higher than
all those around him. There was no stain on his
beautiful garment of many colors. Whatever he committed
others to do he was strict with himself, he did not have
double standards, whatever he did not permit others to
do, he did not permit his sons and his son-in-law. He
had one standard in life, there was no difference
between him and others.
And therefore his name was
always mentioned with a thrill of excitement and with
great awe and deep feelings of love by all these rabbis
and leaders of Israel that came in touch with him and
realized his pure personality, filled with love of Torah
and love and respect to those who studied Torah.
The Chofetz Chaim, of
Blessed Memory, used to stay over in his home. Reb Aaron
Lider he called him. And when his future son-in-law
visited the city of Radin and they told the Chofetz
Chaim of Blessed Memory, that this young man that came
to visit is the “ Dem Lider Rov's chosen.” (The rabbi of
Lida's future son-in-law.) - he got out of his chair and
exclaimed: “Oh! Reb Aaron's a kind.” (“Oh! Its Reb
Aaron's child.)
And at the same place that
you can find his goodness, his loving kindness and his
humility - there you find also his strong hand and his
courage. Like a lion he fought for the observance of
Sabbath, kashrut, and education of youth.
When Lida was captured at
the beginning of World War II by the Russians and the
community organization and all the charity organizations
were abolished by the authorities, he did not stop his
activity by accepting, treating and finding a place for
the refugees that streamed into Lida. And when the door
of rescue was opened to leave Lida and go to Vilna that
became part of Lithuania, he did not run, he did not
leave the members of his community, wherever they were
there was he! All the begging, pleading and crying of
the members of the family did not help. He decided to
stay with his flock. The captain does not run away from
his ship when it is in danger.
And so he stayed and did not
want to leave at a time when through Lida were passing
all the heads of all the heads of yeshivas, rabbis,
thousands of refugees. He was staying on guard, he was
staying in his place, until the last minute among the
members of his community with his family, the rebbitizin
and his three daughters. He was the first in the march
of death to the trenches where they assembled the
residents of the city to die. And he died first a
martyrs death.
In the forest dedicated for
the martyrs in the mountains of Jerusalem his sister
Mrs. Henya Rabinowitz from New York planted grove of
trees to his memory, and to the memory of the members of
his family that died together with him among the
community of martyrs of Lida on the 21st of Iyar, 1942.
The Yeshiva of Lida
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