Rav Alter Elyokim Shraga Feivish Shapiro zt"l
הרב אלתר אליקים שרגא פייביש בן חיים שמעון שפירא זצ"ל
Elul 8 , 5696
Known As: Shem M'Shimon, Rosh Beis Din of Tcharnowitz
Father's Name: Chaim Shimon Shapiro
Rav Alter Elyokim Shraga Feivish Shapiro zt"l
Rav Alter Elyakim was the son of Rav Chaim Shimon Shapira of Tlust. His paternal grandfather was Rav Bertzia, Av Beis Din of Skola and Shefi, and he traced his lineage back to Rav Pinchos Shapira of Koretz.
Rav Alter Elyakim studied Torah lishma, and his many chiddushim are found throughout his seforim: Beis Yehuda on the Torah; Shem MiShimon on the Torah; Mekor Chaim on Shabbos and Yom Tov, Chanuka and Purim; likkutim on Shas and geneologies of many tzaddikim; Beis Yisroel on the Torah; Ohalei Tzaddikim (stories about and chiddushim from many tzaddikim); and Kol Yehuda, a work of responsa. He served as Av Beis Din of Vikna and Czernowitz.
He married the daughter of Rav Yisroel HaLevi of Bakvi, a direct descendant of Rav Dovid HaLevi Segal of Ostrog, author of the Taz on Shulchan Aruch.
He passed away on 8 Elul in the year ו"תרצ/5696, leaving behind a son, Rav Pinchos Shapira.
Divrei Torah of Rav Alter Elyokim Shraga Feivish Shapiro zt"l
“and yaakov sent angels as messengers to esav his brother, to the land of seir, to the field of edom.” (bereishis 32:4)
The Torei Zahav asks (Vayishlach, pasuk 12): How can it be that a person like Yaakov Avinu, who used real angels as his messengers, was frightened of a rasha like Esav? He answers, based on the Zohar, that Esav was surely circumcised, like all the members of Avrohom Avinu’s household. When Yaakov said, “I fear him” (ki yarei anochi oso), he was referring to Esav’s circumcision. [The word oso (“him”) is related to the word os, referring to a bris, the sign of the covenant]. Yaakov was frightened that the wicked Esav possessed such a powerful sign of kedusha. Nevertheless, although Esav did have a bris, the Torei Zahav explains that he had blemished and ruined it through his many transgressions, so Yaakov had nothing to fear.
The Beis Yisroel gives a different answer to the same question. He cites the Alshich (Ki Seitzei 25:17), who asks why the Jews didn’t completely destroy Amalek in the same way that the Egyptians were all destroyed. The Alshich explains that, before we can be victorious in battle against another nation, we must first overcome that nation’s ministering angel. Only once the ministering angel is defeated can the nation be defeated, as well.
The verse regarding the Egyptians (Beshalach 14:3o) says, “They saw Mitzrayim dead on the seashore.” The Zohar explains that the word “Mitzrayim” refers to Egypt’s defeated ministering angel. However, the ministering angel of Amalek and Esav is the Angel of Death himself – a force so powerful that he can only be defeated in the future redemption.
Based on the Alshich’s explanation, we can now understand Yaakov’s fear when approaching Esav. Yaakov was afraid not of Esav himself, but rather of Esav’s ministering angel – the Angel of Death. (Beis Yisroel, Parshas Vayishlach, pp. 38-39)
Segulos of Rav Alter Elyokim Shraga Feivish Shapiro zt"l
In the name of Rav Raphael of Bershad (“Raphael HaMalach”), the main disciple of Rav Pinchos of Koretz, author of Pe’er LeYasharim:
All the troubles that befall a person are due to chillul Shabbos; therefore, one who safeguards Shabbos will be saved from troubles. We know that each mitzvah is associated with its own particular segulos and rewards: for example, Chazal teach that tithing maaser is a segula for wealth (Taanis 8) and that lighting Shabbos and Chanuka candles is a segula for having descendants who are Torah scholars (Shabbos 23). Based on this principle, it follows that every transgression must also have its own specific punishment. How, then, can Shabbos desecration be the source of all troubles? Since one who keeps Shabbos has all of his misdeeds forgiven (machul lo), logically the converse must also be true – one who desecrates Shabbos must have all his other misdeeds counted and remembered! Therefore, keeping Shabbos is truly a segula to be rid of all troubles! (Ohalei Tzaddikim)