Rav Tzvi Hirsch HaKohen of Riminov zt"l
הרב צבי בן יהודה לייב מרימינוב זצ"ל
Cheshvan 30 , 5607
Rav Tzvi Hirsch HaKohen of Riminov zt"l
Rav Tzvi Hirsch HaKohen of Rimanov. From the age of fifteen, Tzvi Hirsch began traveling to the court of Rav Menachem Mendel of Rimanov. He became one of the Rebbe’s closest Chassidim and his personal attendant; he thus became know as Rav Tzvi Hirsch Meshores (attendant). After the petira of Rav Naftoli of Ropshitz (another of the closest Chassidim of Rav Menachem Mendel), Rav Tzvi Hirsch returned to Rimanov to accept the mantle of leadership of the Chassidim. His divrei Torah were compiled and published by his son, Rav Yosef, under the name Be’eiros HaMayim. It is comprised of several seforim, all beginning with the word Be’er. For example, the sefer Be’er Lachai Ro’i contains his drushim on Chumash and the Yomim Tovim. Other teachings of his can be found in the sefer Mevasser Tov. His Yahrzeit falls on the 30th of Cheshvan, but since Cheshvan more often has only twenty-nine days, it is generally commemorated on the twenty-ninth.
Stories of Rav Tzvi Hirsch HaKohen of Riminov zt"l
The Shinover Rav related how he had once visited Rav Tzvi Hirsch of Rymanov when someone came with his son who was turning thirteen. The father asked the Tzaddik, Rav Hirsch, to teach the bar mitzva boy to wrap tefillin for the first time, following the custom that a sage or Tzaddik wraps the tefillin on a bar mitzva boy for the first time.
Before doing so, Rav Hirschel asked the boy to recite the Leshem Yichud tefilla that precedes the mitzva of tefillin. When they reached the words explaining why we wrap tefillin on our arms opposite the heart lesha’abed – “to subjugate our desires and the thoughts of our hearts to serve Hashem”, the Tzaddik paused and asked the bar mitzva bochur if he understood these words and then the Tzaddik explained them:
We find in the Gemora in Bova Metzia 12b that if someone borrows money he can give his property as collateral for the loan. This places a lien on the property. (The Hebrew word for “subjugate” and “lien” is the same – shiabud – and the Tzaddik translated the word in this tefilla to mean a lien.) Once this property has a lien on it from the lender, no one else can come and take it away since it is meshuabad – subjugated or has a lien on it to the lender. Similarly here [regarding the tefillin and what wrapping them does to our hearts] – when we subjugate ourselves – meshabdim atzmeinu – to serving Hashem totally, we are placing a “lien” on ourselves to Hashem. Then no one, not even, Heaven forbid, the evil one, can grab anything away from us, as we are already subject to Hashem’s lien and we are His!” (Divrei Yechezkel)
Rav Tzvi Hirsch once told Rav Elozor, the son of the Bnei Yissoschor of Dynov, “When a person gets up in the morning from his bed and sees how Hashem has returned his soul and recreated him, it is proper and fitting that he should sing to Hashem and thank Him for this.
“I once knew a G-d-fearing Chassid,” continued Rav Hirsch, “who traveled to my Rebbe, Rav Menachem Mendel of Rymanov. This Chassid used to dance and sing whenever he recited Elokai Neshama!” (Be’eros HaMayim II Likutim)
Rav Tzvi Hirsch of Rymanov once remarked, “I wish I could see those angels and klippos that were created from the sin of a Jew!” He explained further: “I believe that it would be a wounded and pathetic being full of blemishes. The klippos that the truly wicked create through their sins are whole, healthy and strong. However when a Yid, a Yisrael, creates one, it is weak and sickly.
This is because even when a Jew does sin, he does not do so wholeheartedly. He does not put his whole heart into it. The evil wicked inclination forces him to sin, and so the action is only halfheartedly done, through coercion. This creates a weak angel. Then afterward surely he repents his misdeed, crying and doing teshuva over what he did. This blinds the wicked angel. Then he does further teshuva and has charota (regret). He claps his hands together in despair and smacks his forehead in consternation and remorse! He klops al chet – he beats his chest with his fist as he recites the viduy confession; he slaps his thigh in a gesture of despair! These gestures and actions in turn smash the body of the angel, breaking his hands and feet and decapitating him! Such an angel must be totally maimed and abused; all his body and limbs must be broken. From head to toe, this handicapped klippa must be totally injured!” (Imrei Yehuda pgs. 86a, 115a)