Rav Yissochor Dov Ber Leifer of Bochnia/Satmar zt"l
הרב יששכר דוב בער בן מרדכי לייפער זצ"ל
Elul 22 , 5666
Rav Yissochor Dov Ber Leifer of Bochnia/Satmar zt"l
Rav Bertzi, a scion of the Premishlan dynasty, was born in the year תר''י/5610. He was the second son of Rav Mordechai, the founder of the Nadvorna dynasty, and was named Yissochar Dov after his illustrious grandfather.
Rav Bertzi once complained that he didn’t receive as many letters from his father as his brothers did. His father replied, “How can you compare yourself to your brothers? When I write to you, I have to be extra careful that I properly fulfill the mitzvah of kibud av – honoring my father, after whom you were named – and this requires extra preparation!”
He married Toiva Rachel, the daughter of Rav Eliezer Brandwein of Ozpila (author of Degel Machane Yehuda and son of Rav Yehuda Tzvi of Stretin). His second wife was Devorah, the daughter of Rav Yehoshua Heschel Eichenstein of Chodrov-Ziditchov.
Rav Bertzi was renowned as a gaon of the revealed Torah and Shas. His home was filled with seforim from wall to wall, and Rav Bertzi himself testified that he had learned every one of his seforim cover to cover. One of Rav Bertzi’s chevrusas, Rav Yonason Binyamin Kohen (Dayan and Rav of Selish), said, “Rav Bertzi knows all the gates of Bava Kama, Metzia and Basra by heart!” Rav Bertzi’s father, Rav Mordechai, also praised his son highly, stating, “What Mordechai knows, Bertzi knows; however, what Bertzi knows, Mordechai does not!”
Even when Rav Bertzi assumed the role of Rebbe, he kept up an intense learning schedule. Rav Bertzi’s son Rav Yosef, the Tzidkas Yosef of Pittsburgh, once told his son, Rav Avrohom Abba of Pittsburgh: “When your grandfather concluded his tish, he conducted 24 sedarim of Torah learning!”
In addition to his strong commitment to learning, Rav Bertzi also had more mystical skills. He was able to perform exorcism when necessary, and the sefer Eidus BeYehosef (Pittsburgh addendum to the new editions of Tzidkas Yosef) includes several stories about how the Rebbe rectified the souls of dybbuks that troubled and possessed others.
Rav Bertzi held court in Bochnia, Galicia during his father’s lifetime. After his father passed away, he moved to Selish for some five years, and then relocated to Satmar in the year תר''ס/5660.
He came to settle in Bochnia quite unexpectedly. Several Nadvorna Chassidim living in Vizhnitz had invited Rav Bertzi to spend Shabbos with them. In order get there, Rav Bertzi travelled by train to Bochnia, from where he intended to take a coach to Vizhnitz. However, once the Chassidim in Bochnia heard of the Rebbe’s imminent arrival, they decided to detain the tzaddik and keep his holy presence in their midst. They prepared a well-furnished apartment for him, and rushed to greet him as soon as he alighted from the train. There stood both welcoming parties: the locals from Bochnia and the Chassidim from Vizhnitz. Each group claimed that the Rebbe should stay with him, and neither was willing to give him up without a fight. Eventually, the residents of Bochnia won out, and Rav Bertzi moved into the apartment they had prepared for him and established his court there.
Rav Bertzi had several unusual holy customs. He never stepped barefoot on the way to the mikvah, so as not to walk where other’s impure bare feet had walked before him. He also never touched metal with his bare skin. When he had to open a door, he would cover his hand with his sleeve so as not to touch the metal doorknob directly.
Each night, the Rebbe would enter the sleeping quarters of his children, observing them in their slumber and adjusting the yarmulkes on their heads. He once found a scrap of newspaper on the floor. In blaze of holy rage, he immediately threw it into the fire, shouting, “No newspaper shall be ever found in my home!”
Following the Nadvorna tradition, all his sons served as Rebbes: Rav Meir of Budapest in Cleveland, Ohio; Rav Isamar in Bishtina; Rav Aharon Moshe in Grosswardayn; Rav Dovid in Banya; Rav Yosef in Pittsburgh; and Rav Sholom in Brighton. His sons-in-law were also all Rebbes. His daughter Gittel was married to Rav Shlomo Bergman, and afterwards to Rav Yitzchok Leifer of Debriczen-Bronx. His daughter Yente married Rav Yitzchok Yechezkel Hochman of Kishinov; his daughter Rachel married Rav Yissochar Berel of Stanislav; his daughter Leah married Rav Pinchos Rabinowitz; his daughter Feiga married Rav Meir Rosenbaum of Satmar; and his daughter Chaya Esther married Rav Yissochar Ber Rosenbaum of Strozhnitz.
Rav Bertzi passed away on a Wednesday, Parshas Nitzavim/Vayelech, on 22 Elul תרס''ו 5666.
Stories of Rav Yissochor Dov Ber Leifer of Bochnia/Satmar zt"l
When Rav Bertzi of Satmar was just a youngster, a very distressed Chassid came to the door seeking the blessings and miraculous intervention of Rav Bertzi’s father, Rav Mordechai, who was away from home at the time. When the Chassid learned of the tzaddik’s absence, his sadness and distress were palpable, and the young Rav Bertzi’s heart went out to the despondent visitor. “I am sorry my father is not here to help you,” he said, “but perhaps you can share your problems with me. Maybe there is some way I can help.”
The man consented. “I work as a government supplier for the army,” he began. “Recently, the army performed a routine inspection, and found that my supplies are short. They claim that the weight of my goods is below the average weight specified on my bill of sale. Whatever shall I do?” he cried in despair.
“Give me one coin as a pidyon and I will help you!” declared the young tzaddik. The guest gave Rav Bertzi the requested pidyon, and Rav Bertzi responded, “You have nothing further to worry about. When the case comes to court, just tell the judges that you insist they reweigh the supplies.”
The man followed the youngster’s advice. And so it was that, when they reweighed the supplies, the prosecution discovered to their astonishment that the weight discrepancy was, in fact, in their favor! The defendant had not shortchanged them at all; rather, he had provided them with surplus! The case was thrown out and the decree against the Chassid was cancelled.
The joyous Chassid returned to thank the young tzaddik. When Rav Mordechai heard about his young son’s miraculous intervention, he turned and asked him, “Bertzi, what did you do?”
“Really, it was simple, Father,” explained Rav Bertzi. “I davened to Hashem that, during the trial, the archangel Michael should come and apply all his weight to the scales of justice and mercy. He did so – which tipped the scales in the Chassid’s favor, and he won.” (Roshei Golas Ariel)
After the passing of the Rebbe Rav Mordechai’leh of Nadvorna, Rav Bertzi received word that his father’s inheritance was distributed. The telegram informed him that his late father bequeathed to him his walking stick and that the stick would soon arrive by post.
Rav Bertzi was excited by the thought that by inheriting his father’s holy walking stick, he might be guided by his father’s rod and lean on his own father’s staff! When the anticipated package arrived, he immediately ran off to the mikvah to immerse himself in preparation for using the holy walking stick of Rav Mordechai of Nadvorna. He returned from immersing and carefully unwrapped the parcel. He walked back and forth while lost in thought trying out his father’s cane.
After a few turns, he abruptly stopped and declared loudly, “This is the cane of my holy father? No. This is but an imposter; it is nothing but a simple piece of wood! Send it back at once!” He refused to touch the cane anymore.
One day a carpenter arrived at the home of the Rebbe Rav Bertzi. Among the things he told was how he had once been commissioned to duplicate the holy walking stick of Rav Mordechai of Nadvorna. “Can you imagine that?” he asked them as he described proudly how he carved the replica, copying it to the last detail as was his commission. The family, knew all too well exactly what he meant - Rav Bertzi had somehow known and sensed it himself. (Divrei Yimei Yissacher Ch. 10 pp. 114-115)
Rav Bertzi’s daughter, Gittel, once told how her father healed a young boy of thirteen who was born mute. The child was brought to the rebbe and Rav Bertzi asked that he be placed by his side during the time he recited the Birkas Hachodesh – the blessing of the new month. He turned to child who had never spoken a word in his life and said simply, “Repeat after me: Yehi.”
The child opened his mouth and for the first time in his life, miraculously uttered, “Yehi.”
“Ratzon,” continued Rav Bertzi, with the child repeating, “Ratzon…”
“Milfanecha,” continued the tzaddik, and the no longer mute child said, “Milfanecha.” This went on word after word until the child was completely cured of his inability to speak. (Divrei Yimei Yissacher Ch. 10 p. 111)
The Tosher Rebbe told how when Rav Bertzi, the father of Rav Mordechai of Nadvorna moved to Nadvorna, he used the mikvah of the Maggid Rav Tzvi Hirsch daily. When the mikvah was not in use the rest of the day and the night, the building was locked and the waters of the mikvah remained covered by a heavy wood board as was customary on those days. One day the shamash came to Rav Bertzi to report a strange and inexplicable phenomenon. Although the door was locked, he kept finding the board moved as if someone had entered during the night and toiveled (immersed) in the mikvah.
“But it’s impossible; how could that be?” asked the shamash.
Rav Bertzi’s reply startled the shamash even more: “The neshamos from the olam ha’elyon (supernal heavens above) must immerse in the fiery river Dinur; some of them came here and immersed instead in the mikvah of the Tzemach Hashem L’Tzvi which is equivalent!” This phenomenon continued into the days when Rav Mordechai of Nadworna was rebbe. The neshamos continued to immerse in the holy mikvah where the Tzemach Hashem, Rav Tzvi Hirsch; Rav Bertzi; and Rav Mordechai all immersed.
The rebbe, Reb Bertzi, was adamant that no change or innovation ever be made to the maggid’s holy mikvah where neshomos toiveled rather than in the Nahar Dinur. (Avodas Avoda Sichos Kodesh Vol. II Behaaloscha pp. 313-314)