Rav Yechezkel Shraga Halberstam zt"l
הרב יחזקאל שרגא בן חיים הלברשטאם זצ"ל
Teves 6 , 5659
Rav Yechezkel Shraga Halberstam zt"l
Rav Yechezkel Shraga Halberstam of Shinova, author of Divrei Yechezkel
Born in Taringrad, Galicia on 20 Shevat in the year 1815/5575 (other biographers say variously, 1816/5576, 1811/5571, or 1813/5573 -- see Yag Oros Rabbeinu Hakadosh MiShinova)
He was the first-born son of the renowned Rav Chaim Halberstam of Sanz, author of Divrei Chaim and Rachel Feiga, the daughter of Rav Baruch Frenkel Teomim, author of the Baruch Ta’am.
He was named Yechezkel after his ancestor, Rav Yechezkel Yehoshua Feivel AvBeisDin Premisla, the author of the sefer, Panim Masbiros. The Uhjler Rav, author of Yismach Moshe said that Rav Yechezkel was a holy soul from the moment of birth. It was told that when the Shinover Rav’s mother was expecting and came before the holy Chozeh of Lublin, to the astonishment of those present, he rose up to his full height, apparently in her honor. The tzaddik explained himself: “I am not rising for her sake, although she is the daughter of the gadol hador the Baruch Ta’am and an eshes chaver, the wife of the renowned Divrei Chaim of Sanz; rather, I am rising for the honor of the unborn child in her womb whose light shall illuminate the entire world!”
Indeed, many years later, the Divrei Yechezkel would say that all his lofty spiritual levels were attained thanks to the blessings of the holy Chozeh. For that reason, he was accustomed to refer to him simply as “Der Rebbe.”
When he was seven years old, run over by a heavy wagon carrying a load of firewood. Though his young body was crushed in the accident, he lived. His father’s rebbe, the heilige Ropshizter Rav, Rav Naphtali Tzvi Horowitz, brought about a miraculous recovery for despite his liver being split in half. The Ropshitzer had sent olive oil and when they rubbed the oil into his body, he felt his bones fix and mend themselves!
The Divrei Yecheskel married Taba, the daughter of Rav Aryheh Leib Lipschitz of Vishnitza, the author of Aryeh Dvei Illai. After his marriage, he moved to Uhjel (Hungary), the town of his father-in-law’s grandfather, Rav Moshe Teitelbaum, the Yismach Moshe. There, he basked in the light of the Yismach Moshe, where he toiled in Torah and avodah some ten years.
His children were Rav Naphtali, and Dreizel, who became the wife of Rav Pinchos Teomim Frenkel AvBeisDin Bikovsk and Cheshonov.
After his first wife passed away, the Yismach Moshe made him a shidduch with his great granddaughter, Devora, the daughter of Rav Mordechai Zilberstein of Halshitz, who was the son-in-law of the Aryeh Dvei Illai. He married her on Tu b’Shevat of 1840/5600.
His children from this marriage were: Rav Moshe, the younger rav of Vishnitza and Chayah Sarah, the wife of Rav Elazar Bindiger.
His third marriage was to Breindel, the daughter of Rav Yehudah Tzvi Hirsch AvBeisDin Razla, however, this marriage did not produce additional children. When his wife passed away childless, he had a sefer Torah written in her memory and commanded it to never be removed from the aron kodesh even to greet other seforim by a hachnasas sefer Torah procession. It remained there until the war.
His fourth marriage was to Chanah Rochel, the daughter of Rav Tzvi Hirsch AvBeisDin Leshnov (the brother of Rebbetzin Malka, wife of the first Belzer Rebbe, the Sar Shalom). She was blessed with children: Miriam Malka, the wife of Rav Naphtali Rubin AvBeisDin Vishnitza; Feiga Beila, the wife of Rav Menachem Mendel Halberstam of Pristik; Rav Avrohom Shalom, author of Divrei Shalom and founder of the Stropkover Dynasty; Rav Aryeh Leibush of Tarna; and Rav Simchah Yissocher Ber AvBeisDin of Cheshnov, author of Divrei Simchah.
His fifth wife was Sheindel, the daughter of Rav Avrohom Gvirtzman of Gorlitz, who was a descendant of the Noam Elimelech of Lizensk. This marriage did not produce any children.
The Divrei Yechezkel travelled to many of the day’s renowned tzaddikim. He noted 256 greats from whom he received blessings, many of whom were hidden tzaddikim that only he could discern!
His first rebbe was his father, the Divrei Chaim of Sanz, and even when he himself had hundreds of followers and chassidim he still treated his father as his rebbe and acted towards him in the manner of a chassid. His rebbe muvhak was the Sar Sholom of Belz, and he adopted many Belzer minhagim. He made journeys to visit Rav Asher Yeshaya Rubin of Ropshitz and, after his passing, to Rav Tzvi Hirsch of Rymanov whose divrei Torah are cited several times in Divrei Yechezkel. The Rymanover once pointed to the Shinover Rav while he was drawing well water for matzo baking and remarked to the onlookers “There goes one who is not a soul in a body, but rather a soul within a soul!”
Other tzaddikim he travelled to included: Rav Shimon Yaroslover, the Sabba Kadisha of Radoshitz; Rav Meir of Premishlan; Rav Yisroel of Rizhin; Rav Dovid Moshe of Tshortkov; the Tzemach Tzaddik of Vishnitz; Rav Dovid of Tolna; Rav Yitzchok of Skver; the Bais Aharon of Karlin; and Rav Yitzchok Neshchizer. He even once travelled in his youth to the Toras Chaim of Kosuv.
He was renowned for bringing about miracles, for his clear halachic decisions, and for demonstrating outstanding control over his middos. The Imrei Chaim of Vizhnitz once met a shamash in the Sadigura Shul in Tiveria where the Divrei Yechezkel davened during his visits in Eretz Yisroel. The shamash told how his father was the shamash before him and the Divrei Yechezkel asked that he be able to immerse in the shul’s mikvah on condition that the mikvah be drained and then cleaned, and that it should be filled again with pristine water. “’No one must immerse before me!’ he had ordered.” The shamash continued, “My father, the shamash, complied, yet he wondered at the strange request, thinking, ‘How would he even know?’ He decided to test the rebbe. He drained and refilled the mikvah and himself took a quick dip. After drying off, he invited the rebbe to use the new clean mikvah. A few moments later he heard the loud voice of the rebbe demand to know: ‘Who dipped in this mikvah before me?’ The shamash, shaking head to toe in embarrassment and shame, admitted his guilt. ‘Do you have any children?’ the tzaddik thundered at him. ‘No,’ the shamash stammered.
‘Then, I bless you that by next year you should have a baby boy!’”
“I am that son,” explained the shamash to the Imrei Chaim of Vishnitz who was delighted by the tale of the Divrei Yechezkel and his middos.
The Divrei Yechezkel, The Shinover, was rav in Rudnik, and after his third father-in-law’s passing, he succeeded him in Razla. After seven years, in 1856/5616, he was appointed as rav in Shinova where he was rav and rebbe for the next eleven years. He served as Rav of Stropkov 1868/5628 and after the Divrei Chaim’s passing in 1876/5636, he succeeded his father as AvBeisDin in Sanz. Shortly after, he passed the position over to his brother Rav Aharon, while he himself returned to Stropkov until 1881/5641. Then he returned to Shinova where he remained until his passing on 6 Teves 1898/5659. His disciple, Rav Akiva Cohen Liber of Yashnitza, collected his divrei Torah and published them as Divrei Yechezkel in 1900/5661.
Stories of Rav Yechezkel Shraga Halberstam zt"l
In 5660, he married the daughter of Rav Yisrael Yosef (HaCharif) Kluger of Tchebin, one of the most ardent followers and chassidim of the Shinover Rav, author of Divrei Yechezkel. At the time of the marriage, Rav Yisrael Yosef was no longer alive, and it was his widow who went to seek the advice and approval of Rav Yechezkel of Shinava whether she should agree to the match or not. The tzaddik told her to go ahead with the shidduch, explaining, “Although I do not know the boy personally, I know his brother Rav Nachum, Av Beis Din Dombrova, and surely he is similar. If so, the shidduch will be to the satisfaction and nachas ruach of your late husband Rav Yisrael Yosef in the world of emes.”
Rav Yaakov Leiser of Peshervorsk writes, “The following was related to me by my father-in-law on motzaei Shabbos on the 20th of Teves: ‘I once heard the following tale about Rav Simcha Yissacher Ber of Cheshunov’:
“It was a cold winter night when the following request was made by his two brothers-in-law, the Maharam Pristker and Maharn Vizhnitzer: ‘Please, make an exception to your rigorous schedule, we need your rooms. We have nowhere else to go for melave malka since the stove broke down and the rooms are bitterly cold. How can you turn away all the disappointed chassidim?”
They stood pleading opposite the resolute figure of the Divrei Simcha of Cheshonuv, son of the Shinuver Rav. At the time of this episode, the Divrei Simcha was just a young bachur. But he did have his own room, one with a warm stove heating it. Finally, the Divrei Simcha relented and, to his brothers-in-laws’ delight, he agreed.
Every motzaei Shabbos of that winter, the melave malka took place in the Divrei Simcha’s room. On one such night, he had a dream. His saintly mother, the tzadekes Chava Rachel, appeared in a vision. “My son, my precious child, you have been saved! Know that a decree of a terrible disease is descending now over the world; however, agreeing to allow your brothers-in-law and the chassidim as your guests to conduct melave malka, brought the merit which cancelled the decree and kept you alive!”
The next morning, he related the dream to his father, the Divrei Yechezkel. That summer one of the chassidim did indeed fall sick and the dream’s power became evident. As soon as the Divrei Yechezkel turned his gaze towards his son, the Cheshunover, the sickness departed and the chassid recovered fully.”
‘Well, well,’ the Peshervorkser rebbe said, concluding his tale, “It does seem like up in Heaven, they do consider melave malka as something quite important!” (based on Siach Yitzchok Peshervorsk p. 52)
The Tosher Rebbe once told over that Rav Yechezkel of Shinova had the custom to relate the following story regarding the Ateres Tzvi of Zidatchov.:
When the Ateres Tzvi recited Torah on Shabbos during shalosh seudos (the third Shabbos meal) and the clock would begin to chime, the Ateres Tzvi would silence the clock by yelling at it, “Sha! Derech eretz! (Silence! Do you have no manners?)”; whereupon the clock would freeze mid-chime and only resume working after the shalosh seudos Torah ended. This occurred quite often. Once the Torah recitation was indeed concluded, the clock resumed chiming and ticking where it left off, making up whatever it had missed during the break!
The Shinover Rav then concluded the tale with the following remarks: “See how even an inanimate object such as a clock demonstrated derech eretz (manners) with respect to the words of the tzaddik!” (Avodas Avoda Sichos Kodesh I p. 290)
The Shinover Rav, mechaber of Divrei Yechezkel, did not refrain from saying Tachanun on the yahrzeits of various tzaddikim. Similarly, he did not have the custom to visit the gravesites of tzaddikim. There was one exception: He observed the yahrzeit, and visited the tziyun of the heilige Ropshitzer Rav, mechaber of Zera Kodesh to whom the Shinover Rav felt he owed his very life. This is the story why: When Rav Yechezkel Shraga was seven-years old when his life was almost cut short by a terrible accident. Rav Yechezkel Shraga’s uncle, Rav Avigdor of Dukla, was in town visiting his brother, Rav Chaim of Sanz in Rudnick. At the end of the visit, when Rav Avigdor entered his carriage to leave, he realized that he had forgotten something back in the house and sent young Yechezkel Shraga on an errand to fetch the forgotten object.
In his zeal to help his uncle, he dashed across the street. A passing wagon carrying a heavy load of lumber came careening down the road at high speed, running him over! The heavy wheels had crushed his body. When the doctors rushed to examine his mangled body, they shook their heads. They despaired for his life as the surgeon determined that the wheel had sliced his liver in half!
Hearing the terrible diagnosis, Rav Avigdor raised his hands heavenward and cried, “Ribbono Shel Olam – Master of the World, if I am destined to have a son, I would gladly exchange him so that this young man’s life be spared.” And so it was that Rav Avigdor never had any sons born to him, only daughters.
The holy Divrei Chaim examined his son’s broken body and each limb he touched, the bones grew back together and straightened themselves out! Even later, in his old age, people would remark – especially the physicians – how straight and stately a stature the Shinover Rav had!
The Divrei Chaim still feared for his young child’s life, as Yechezkel Shraga’s internal organs had been damaged beyond natural repair. He sent word with one of the chassidim to his own rebbe, the great tzaddik, Rav Naftoli Ropshitzer, to daven for his son’s life. The Rebbe did this and more: he sent back a flask of pure olive oil with instructions to anoint and massage the child’s body. In a short while, miraculously, the child healthy again.
In the weakened state of old age, the Shinover Rav would recount his miraculous salvation. He would recall how when he was massaged with the oil sent by the Ropshitzer, he could feel his bones repair themselves and how his organs regenerated and straightened themselves until his body became healed and whole again. He would then sigh and remark longingly, “From where could we get such pure, holy oil today if we needed it?” (Divrei Yechezkel pp. 2–3)
When the tzaddik, the Shinover Rav, reached the age of sixty-four, he went into self-imposed exile. He decided to undertake the long, arduous journey to the Holy Land, and thereby to warn the kohanim not to defile themselves with ritual impurity by visiting kivrei tzaddikim, a mission he saw as his responsibility as a master of halacha.
The Divrei Yechezkel spent some twelve months on his journey, setting out in the summer of the year תרכ"ט. Before he climbed the gangplank to board the boat in Constantinople, he received a letter from his father, the Divrei Chaim. Knowing his father’s misgivings about his journey, and fearing that the letter contained a missive that would prevent his setting out on the trip (if it contained an outright command that would obligate him because of kibbud av to forgo the journey), he tucked the unopened letter away to be read at some later time.
During the sea journey, he attracted the attention of one of the wealthy seamen who recognized the tzaddik’s holiness and realized that he was a Jew of great stature. He subsequently wrote the Shinover a letter of recommendation that would be useful when he landed as a newcomer in the Holy Land. The rav would be able present the endorsement to those who could help support him and his cause. Secure in these thoughts, he continued his journey with comfortable anticipation. Soon, however, the Shinover felt his tefillos were compromised because of the letter and the false security it brought. He attributed his lack of devotion and concentration in his prayers to his having relied on human help instead of trusting in Hashem alone. These thoughts plagued him until he tossed the seaman’s letter overboard.
A similar incident occurred when one of his wealthy supporters gave him a valuable promissory note which could be cashed against the debt owed for a hefty sum. This too was discarded when the Divrei Yechezkel felt that reliance on the material world interrupted his spiritual devotions. Upon arrival, the tzaddik traveled to our avos in Chevron. While he was there, a letter arrived from Rav Elozor Mendel of Lelov. The emissary who brought the letter was astonished to see that it was written with seemingly no order; it contained just random letters of the alef-bais. But the Shinover Rav read the letter and remarked that if a tzaddik can compose such a wondrous letter, he must meet him in Yerushalayim without delay. The very next day, he left Chevron and set out for Yerushalayim.
That year, a plague was decimating the population, but as soon as the Shinover Rav entered the city’s holy gates, the plague ceased. The Shinover stayed with Rav Elozor Mendel of Lelov in his home and together they visited the great mekubalim and tzaddikim of Yerushalayim-- especially the tzaddik and mechaber of Shemen Sasson on the Zohar. While he was in Chevron, he greatly wished to daven at Meoras Hamachpela, but the Muslims prevented it. In order to bypass them, the Shinover and the Lelover disguised themselves as Arab Muslims and attempted to blend in to the local crowd and evade detection. It almost worked. They entered the Meora unhindered, but as they came closer to the site of the avos, they were seized with overwhelming fear and awe, and fled.
From Yerushalayim, the Shinover made his way to Tzefas where the Tzaddik and Chassid, Rav Shmuel Heller, a descendant of the Tosafos Yom Tov, served as chief Rav. The Shinover slept near Teveria and continued on his way toward Tzefas. All the city came out to greet him, but waited long hours in anticipation for the arrival of the caravan he was traveling with. When they finally arrived long after expected, they asked the guide what had held them up. He told them how the Shinover Rav stopped by one hills to daven. He was in such a state of dveikus that he remained in prayer for many hours on the site. Rav Shmuel Heller then explained what attraction that hill had had for the Shinover Rav:
Tradition has it that hidden on that particular hill is the location where the efer pora -- the ashes of the red heifer used to ritually purify the kohanim for avodas haMikdosh. The story goes that once an Arab dug there and discovered a golden pot filled with ashes. He coveted the treasure and took it home. That night, a magnificent vision appeared to him in his dream. A tall, fearsome-looking Jew ordered him to return the vessel to its proper place:
“This golden pot is full of the holy ashes of the pora aduma. You must rebury it,” the apparition commanded.
The Arab took no heed even after the dream recurred several times. Finally, the Jew warned that the Arab’s children would die one by one as long as the pot remained in his possession. Again, the Arab paid no heed until the last of his children mysteriously died. Then the Arab himself fell sick and with his last ounces of strength, he reburied the ashes and tried to keep the gold pot. Only when he felt he was close to death himself did he reinter the golden pot with the ashes of the pora aduma there on that hill. And that is the spot to which the tzaddik was drawn. He felt its vibrations and this is where he davened!
Another tradition has it that while in Tzefas, the Shinover encountered one of the thirty-six hidden tzaddikim. When he was in the mikvah on erev Shabbos, he noticed someone immersing in a unique manner. He tried to follow him, but the Jew moved quickly and was out of sight before he could speak with him. Even when the Shinover inquired after his address, he discovered that the lamed-vovnik could not be found; the elusive figure had packed up his family and possessions that very day and moved to nearby Biriya! Even when the Divrei Yechezkel attempted to follow him to the Biryia on motzei Shabbos, the hidden tzaddik had run away and the Shinover never found him or discovered who he was.
The Shinover had wanted to travel from Tzefas to Meron for Lag BaOmer. Before the trip, he opened the letter from his father and found that it included a command that he not visit Meron. This turned out to be great hashgocha protis for it was discovered that a bandits lay in wait to capture him during that journey and then ransom him.
In the summer of תר"ל he traveled again to Yerushalayim and stayed there until the date of the Ohr HaChaim HaKodosh’s yahrzeit, in order to daven at his tziyun.
When he returned to Tzefas, he perceived that from Shomayim he was meant to return to Europe. He traveled to the Yaffo port to board a ship home.
Upon his return, he found a group of Chassidim sitting in discussion. When asked what they were talking about, they admitted to discussing why the Shinover worked so hard to have the sefer, Ohr HaChama printed. This sefer, which the Shinover had discovered in a handwritten manuscript while in Yerushalayim, was written by the Mekubol Rav Avrohom Azulai, chief rav of Chevron and one of the forebears of the Chida.
“Yes,” remarked the tzaddik, “printing that sefer was one achievement of mine during that journey; but my real reasons for going…well, let’s just say that they will be revealed only with the arrival of Moshiach.” (Divrei Yechezkel pp. 10–12)
Rav Elimelech Biderman shared the following anecdote about emuna and bitachon:
The Shinover Rav once remarked to his talmidim that the people in our world are surely backward. The normal way of the world is that when people are in need of a small sum of money for a particular purpose, then they are at peace. They have great bitachon (trust) that somehow, they will get the money – after all, it’s such a small amount! But when a person needs a larger sum of money, then the opposite happens. They get all nervous; they worry and fret – how will they ever come up with such a large amount?!
The opposite attitude, however, is appropriate, explains the Shinover. Whoever is in need of a great sum, a large amount of money that he knows for sure he has no way in the world to amass – such a person must place all of his emuna and bitachon in Hashem alone. Since he is relying solely on Hashem, surely Hashem will take care of all his needs! Conversely, someone who only needs a small sum of money and believes that he has the power himself to gather together the needed sum or borrow it from somewhere – he should surely worry! For if he is not relying on Hashem then, me’ayin yavo ezri – from where will his salvation come?!
Rav Yechezkel Shraga Halberstam of Shinova was standing in the train station when suddenly he heard the sound of someone crying. "Who is crying?" he asked Berel, the tailor, who was also waiting for the train.
"It's a little girl," answered Berel. "Why is she crying?" the Tzaddik wondered. "I don't know," said Berel. "I'll go ask her."
After a few minutes he came back and said, "The little girl's purse is lost. She has no money to buy a ticket to get home."
The Tzaddik looked at him strangely. "Perhaps you can help her out, Berel," he suggested. "One day it might stand you in good stead."
Berel paid for a train ticket for the girl with his money and gave it to her. She thanked him profusely as she wiped away her tears. Soon after that, the train arrived and they both had to board. When they reached the station of his tailor shop, Berel got off.
A short time later a general came into the shop and ordered new uniforms for all the soldiers under his command. Berel was very happy because the large job would ensure him a good income.
As soon as the general left, Berel set to work. He bought the material, measured it and cut it. Then he sewed the pieces together to make uniforms. He made them shorter than the usual uniforms to save money and increase his profit. He hoped the general would not notice.
But the general did notice. When he received the uniforms and saw that they were short, he became very angry and sent a squad of soldiers to arrest the Jewish tailor.
Berel saw the soldiers coming. Frightened, he sneaked out through the back door, running as fast as his legs could carry him. "The Shinover Rav will surely help me," he thought desperately. "I'll go to him."
He ran and ran. Finally, he reached the home of the Rebbe. "I am in terrible trouble," Berel cried out. "Rebbe, please help me!"
"What is it, my son?" the Shinover asked, concerned.
Berel told the Rebbe his whole story. The Tzaddik promptly advised him to go to Vienna and speak to the officer who was in charge of his case.
Berel took the train to Vienna. It turned out to be difficult to find out who was the officer he needed to see and how and where to locate him. Finally, he met someone who said he knew which official it was and where he lived, and would write down the information for him. But then, when the friendly man handed Berel the slip of paper with the name and address, he warned him, "This officer is mean. And he does not like Jewish people."
Berel was scared, but he knew he must follow the Rebbe's instructions. He went to the officer's house and knocked on the door. The door opened. A little girl stood there –the same little girl who had cried at the train station. She ran inside excitedly, calling, "Father! Father! Come quickly! It is the man who was nice to me when I lost my purse!"
Berel was amazed. "This is a miracle from Hashem," he thought.
The girl's father appeared. "So you are the man who saved my precious daughter," the officer exclaimed, taking Berel's hand in his. "I have wanted to thank you all this time, but I did not know your name or where you lived. How can I ever thank you and show you my gratitude?"
"I am in danger of being arrested and you are the officer in charge of my case," Berel said. "You can help me by pardoning me for making the uniforms short."
"Of course I will pardon you," the officer promised. "I always thought the old uniforms were too long, anyway. The soldiers used to trip on them when they ran. And I will make sure you are paid in full for the work, as well."
Berel left Vienna with a light heart and pockets full of money. Sitting on the train on the way home, Berel thought about how he had been saved because he had been kind to a little girl in need.
Suddenly he remembered the odd look that the Shinover Rav had given him at the train station when he told him to help the little girl. "The Rebbe must have known from the beginning what was going to happen," thought Berel in wonder. "And then later, when I was running away, he knew just where I should go. Praised be Hashem. What a great Rebbe I have!"
Source: Adapted from "Why the Ba’al Shem Tov Laughed" by Sterna Citron (Jason Aronson Inc.)
Divrei Torah of Rav Yechezkel Shraga Halberstam zt"l
the mitzvah of sukkah
The mitzva of sukka is a particularly exalted mitzva. All other mitzvos you perform with only one part of your body, whereas the mitzva of sitting in the sukka involves your entire body. (Divrei Yechezkel)
Segulos of Rav Yechezkel Shraga Halberstam zt"l
יהי רצון מלפניך ה’ אלוקי ואלוקי אבותי
שיהיו מזונותי ופרנסתי ופרנסת אנשי ביתי
עם מזונות אנשי כל עמך בית ישראל,
מוכתרים ומאומתים ומצדיקים בידיך.
ואל תצריכני לידי מתנת בשר ודם ולא לידי הלואתם,
אלא לידך המלאה והרחבה. עיני כל אליך ישברו,
ואתה נותן להם את אכלם בעתו. פותח את ידך ומשביע לכל חי רצון.
יהיו לרצון אמרי פי והגיון לבי לפניך, ה’ צורי וגואלי.
אַתָּה הוּא ה’ הָאֱלֹקִּים הַזָּן וּמְפַרְנֵס וּמְכַלְכֵּל
מִקַרְנֵי רְאֵמִים עַד בֵּיצֵי כִנִּים
הַטְרִיפֵנִי לֶחֶם חֻקִּי וְהַמְצֵא לִי וּלְכָל בְּנֵי בֵיתִי
מְזוֹנוֹתַי קוֹדֶם שֶׁאֶצְטָרֵךְ לָהֶם בְּנַחַת וְלֹא בְצַעַר בְּהֶתֵּר וְלֹא בְאִסּוּר
בְּכָבוֹד וְלֹא בְּבִזָּיוֹן לְחַיִּים וּלְשָׁלוֹם מִשֶּׁפַע בְּרָכָה וְהַצְלָחָה
מִשֶּׁפַע בְּרֵכָה עֶלְיוֹנָה כְּדֵי שֶׁאוּכַל לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹנֶךָ
וְלַעֲסוֹק בְּתוֹרָתֶךָ וּלְקַיֵּם מִצְוֹתֶיךָ וְאַל תַּצְרִיכֵנִי לִידֵי מַתְּנַת בָּשָׂר וָדָם
וִיקֻיַּם בִּי מִקְרָא שֶׁכָּתוּב פּוֹתֵחַ אֶת יָדֶךָ וּמַשְׂבִּיעַ לְכָל חַי רָצוֹן:
It is known that the day of the 3rd of Nisan is mesugol for parnossa. The source for this is Sefer Chaim V’Sholom (Vayeitzei), from the Munkatcher Rav (the Minchas Elozor) who says he heard from Rav Yechezkel Shraga of Shiniva (Divrei Yechezkel) that the day of the 3rd of Nisan, when the Nosi of Zevulun is read, is mesugol for parnossa and ashirus. This sounds like any one of the other numerous segulos for parnossa. That’s why I think it’s a disservice to tell anyone this without also telling him what it says before that on the very same page.
He starts off the page by explaining that ולזבולן אמר שמח זבולן בצאתך means that through Zevulun’s הוצאות (hinted by בצאתך) for Torah (his giving money to Yissochor so he can learn Torah) the Torah is his reward, but Zevulun will also be happy (שמח) in this world immediately since he needs to make more money in order to support Talmidei Chachomim. This seems to be the lesson we should take out of it. By supporting people who learn Torah – everyone according to his means – we can be worthy of getting parnossa. This should get those people who speak disparagingly of Talmidei Chachomim who are supported to stop speaking thus, as really the Talmidei Chachomim are doing the giver a favor.
שמח זבולן is equal to באמת, hinting at dealing honestly. שמח זבולן is also meramez to simcha being mesugol for parnossa. Rav Nosson Breslover once told someone with financial troubles that simcha is mesugol for parnossa. The man replied that it was difficult to be happy in his present situation. Rav Nosson responded, “But what won’t a person do for parnossa?” (The same story is told over with the Yismach Yisroel of Alexander.) Rav Mendel Riminover says a remez to simcha being mesugol for parnossa is the last letters of פותח את ידך and והיית אך שמח are the same and they are a Name connected to parnossa. The first letters of שמח זבולן are equal to the first letters of והיית אך שמח. This is also meramez in the Mishna: איזה הוא עשיר השמח בחלקו. How does one become an עשיר? השמח בחלקו – by being happy with one’s lot.
זבולן equals המן reminding us of פרשת המן.
Lea said regarding זבולן that Hashem had given her a זבד טוב. Rashi says that this means as Onkelos translates it, חלק טב – “a good portion”. The gematria of זבד is equal to הצלחה. The word זבולן in א״ת ב״ש is עשפכט, equal to 479 – the gematria of בזעת, as in בזעת אפיך תאכל לחם. The last letters of שמח זבולן בצאתך equal לחם. This pasuk teaches us that although there are people who seem to amass great wealth without breaking a sweat, the pasuk is teaching that if one thinks בזעת אפיך, meaning one’s own efforts are what makes – as the pasuk says: ואמרת בלבבך כחי ועצם ידי עשה לי את החיל הזה, then no matter how much one may have, it will never be enough (as Chazal teach that if one has a hundred he wants two hundred). Then despite all you may have, תאכל לחם, it seems like you only have bread. The gematria of בזעת with the kollel is equal to the last letters of ואמרת בלבבך כחי ועצם ידי. The posuk then says: עד שובך אל האדמה כי ממנה לקחת כי עפר אתה ואל עפר תשוב – which can be read as: until he does teshuva and realizes that he is just dust and powerless, as Avrohom Avinu said: ואנכי עפר ואפר – “I am but dust and ashes”. When someone comes to the realization that every single great idea and every single penny comes only from Hashem, (as is hidden in the pesukim, אפיך is equal to אלף, which alludes to Hashem who is One and the אלופו של עולם and the first letters of כחי ועצם equal twenty-six, Hashem’s Name) then even if he only has bread, he feels like he has everything, as the Mishna says: איזה הוא עשיר השמח בחלקו. He is then taken out of the curse of בזעת אפיך תאכל לחם. Hashem is saying אפיך, meaning “(by the sweat of) your face”. When you take the ך off to make it אפי which would be referring to Hashem, then you have the first letters of פותח את ידך – we ask Hashem to “open His hand” since we can’t do anything on our own. We can then realize there is only One Who controls everything, as בזעת אפיך תאכל לחם with the kollel is equal to שמע ישראל ד׳ אלקינו ד׳ אחד.
Rashi on the words, בזעת אפיך, says: לאחר שתטריח בו הרבה – “after you toil a lot”. But many toil and barely put food on the table! לאחר שתטריח – “after you toil” can mean two things: 1) After you are done with thinking that your own toil makes parnossa. 2) Reading it with a comma לאחר שתטריח, בו הרבה. After toiling hard by working on your emuna, then בו הרבה. This doesn’t mean quantity, rather quality. There will be lots of shefa; the money will come from the side of kedusha, as opposed to one who thinks he gets money on his own, and has the money coming from the “other side”. A remez to this is that בו הרבה is the same gematria as טהור.
The Munkatcher Rav shows how the name of זבולן is equal to ninety-five, which will be equal to the Names of Hashem – י־ק־י־ק אדנ’ - when Moshiach comes. After he speaks about the segula for parnossa, he says that we should understand that Nisan is a time of Geula. As Rav Gamliel Rabinovitz constantly says, we need parnossa to live but we should remember that Hashem has no house, no wife (we are in golus), most of his children don’t know how to say Shema. He says that Hashem doesn’t even have bread, so to speak, as we say in korbonos: את קרבני לחמי. He says that besides constantly saying, “Give me, give me,” we should ask Hashem to rebuild His house.
We should all remember that the berocha of parnossa on this day comes from supporting Talmidei Chachomim. May we all be zoche to have parnossa berevach and do good things with it, and may we be zoche to realize what we are missing without Hashem’s House, so that we can daven properly for its rebuilding.