Rav Boruch Rubin of Brizdowitz/Kolomaya zt"l
הרב ברוך בן מאיר רובין זצ"ל
Kislev 30 , 5696
Rav Boruch Rubin of Brizdowitz/Kolomaya zt"l
Rav Boruch was born on 8 Adar II 5624/1864 in Dombrova, the son of Rav Meir Rubin of Glogov, and a scion of the Ropshitz dynasty.
His grandfather was Rav Mendele Glogover, son of Rav Osher Yeshaya Ropshitzer, son-in-law of Rav Naftoli Ropshitzer, founder of the dynasty.
At the age of five, Rav Boruch became betrothed to Sora Shlomtzi, daughter of Rav Menachem Mendel Eichenstein of Zidatshov, son of Rav Yitzchok Zidatshover.
Rav Boruch was a child prodigy who studied with intense hasmoda. He received semicha from such Gedolei Hador as the Av Bais Din of Strai, mechaber of Shu”t Harei Besomim. His behavior and sterling middos, as well as his intense Yiras Shomayim, characterized him as a budding young Tzaddik and Talmid Chochom.
After his marriage he lived with his father-in-law in Mikiliyev and he sat and wrote his father-in-law’s chiddushim. His father-in-law sat daily for some two hours and recited novel insights while Rav Boruch wrote them down on the spot.
His minhogim and davening followed the customs of Kozhnitz, Ropshitz and the Ohr LaShomayim of Apta.
Since he was appointed and served as Rav of Brizdovitz, where a majority of the Chassidim belonged to Zidatshov, he adopted Rav Yitzchok Zidatshover’s nusach as well. As Rav he paskened Halocha and replied to responsa letters.
Later, for reasons unknown, the Zidatshover Chassidim accepted him as Rav and Rebbe in Kolomoya. During the war he moved to Samoshvar (Gehrla in Romanian) near Desh, Transylvania. It was here that many followers and Chassidim joined his ranks from Transylvania.
He traveled to Rav Yitzchok of Zidatshov and the Divrei Chaim of Sanz, as well as other Tzaddikim in his generation.
He was renowned as a Godol BaTorah and his teshuvos are found in many contemporary seforim and collections, such as Shu”t Maharash of Rav Shmuel Engel, Shu”t Machzeh Avrohom of Rav Avrohom Menachem Steinberg and Shu”t Pnei Meiven, as well as others.
Rav Boruch left behind a handwritten manuscript on Torah and Tehillim that was lost in the Holocaust. Whatever was recovered was printed as a sefer named She’eris Boruch in the collections Ohr Yesha of his forebear and ancestor Rav Osher Yeshaya of Ropshitz, printed by the Sulitza Rebbe of Far Rockaway/West Lawrence, New York.
His daughter Nechama Mindel HY”D married Rav Moshe Frisherman of Tomashov. Although he survived the war, she perished in Auschwitz on Erev Shavuos 5704 along with their children, Chava Esther, Alter Yosef, Arye Leibush and Berocha.
He printed and published She’eris Boruch that Rav Osher Yeshaya Rubin had hand-copied from his grandfather’s manuscript and his memoir serves as the source for this biography.
Rav Boruch was niftar in Gehrla (Samoshvar).