Rav Pinchas HaLevi Horowitz zt"l
הרב פנחס בן צבי הירש הורוביץ זצ"ל
Tammuz 4 , 5565
Rav Pinchas HaLevi Horowitz zt"l
Author of Haflaah Rav of Frankfurt. Son of Rav Tzvi Hirsch, Av Beis Din Tshortkov. Born תצ''א. Rav Pinchas was the brother of Rav Shmelka of Nikolsberg, a talmid of Mezritcher Maggid. He served as rav in Vitkov and Lechovitsh. In תקל''ב he was appointed as rav of Frankfurt. He was the rebbe of the Chasam Sofer.
He passed away 4 Tammuz תקס''ה.
He authored numerous seforim: Hafla’ah on kesubos, HaMakneh on kiddushin, and Panim Yafos on the Torah.
He was succeeded by his son, Rav Tzvi Hirsch, author of Machaneh Levi on Shas, and Lachmei Todah on Aggadah and halacha.
Stories of Rav Pinchas HaLevi Horowitz zt"l
Rav Yisrael of Rizhin once recounted what he had heard from Rav Yitzchok of Radvil how the two holy brothers, the Rebbe Reb Shmelke of Nikolsberg and Rav Pinchas of Frankfurt were once both guests in the home of Rav Michele Zlotshuver when he was away. He left instructions to make them feel at home and honor them as befit important guests.
They were given adjoining rooms that had a door between them that could be opened to connect them, which was closed, but not all the way. It happened that when a young man entered, dressed in modern German style with a short coat, he was shown to Rav Pinchas’s room. This young man had studied with Rav Pinchas in Frankfurt and they rejoiced at the reunion and began to speak in learning. Meanwhile, in the next connecting room, the Rebbe Reb Shmelke sat wrapped in his tallis, crowned in his tefillin all day as was his custom, speaking only in Torah and learning and engaging in no idle, mundane chatter and his main language of speech was in Loshon Kodesh!
Rav Pinchas and his talmid were discussing aloud a possible topic for the young man’s upcoming derosha, since he was a chosson, and at his chasuna he would be asked to deliver a derosha as was the custom in those days. Rav Pinchas began to recite a statement in the Gemora, “Amar Rova – Rova said,” and proceeded to ask no less than twenty-two questions and difficulties with this Gemora. He then answered all twenty-two questions with one answer in one fell swoop! Because the door between the two adjoining rooms was slightly ajar, the Rebbe Reb Shmelke heard this entire exchange, got up, entered the room and said, “My holy brother, that is the whole truth. That explanation and the answer you gave is exactly the meaning of that statement in the Gemora by Rova. I know this because Rova just visited me in my room and he himself told me that you got it right and that is exactly what he meant!” This is the story that Rav Yitzchok of Radvil told the Rizhiner that he himself had witnessed in his father’s home between these two holy brothers. (Menora HaTehora p. 15 #17)