Rav Menachem Nachum Twersky of Makarov zt"l
הרב מנחם נחום בן מרדכי טווערסקי זצ"ל
Tishrei 7 , 5611
Rav Menachem Nachum Twersky of Makarov zt"l
Born in Chernobyl in 5561 (1801). He was the firstborn child from his father Rav Mordechai’s second marriage to the daughter of Rav Dovid Laykes.
In 5595 (1835), during his father’s lifetime, Rav Menachem Nachum was appointed Maggid Mesharim of Makariv. There, he opened a beis medrash, and after his father’s passing in 5597 (1837), he was crowned rebbe and established his own branch of the Chernobyler dynasty.
His son, Rav Yaakov Yitzchak, succeeded him. His daughters were Chavah, Shayna Tzivya, and Adel. Chava, the wife of Rav Asher of Stolin, passed away in childbirth with Chana’leh, who later became the wife of Rav Mordechai of Kuzmir. Shayna Tzivya married Rav Meshulem Zisha of Chernobyl, who later divorced her after having no children. She then married her late sister Chava’s husband, Rav Asher of Stolin, and was eventually divorced from him as well. Afterwards she married Rav Tzvi Aryeh of Olik. His daughter Adel was the wife of Rav Mordechai Margolis of Dubyasar.
Stories of Rav Menachem Nachum Twersky of Makarov zt"l
Rav Menachem Nachum was betrothed as a child in Kolek with the daughter of Rav Yosef Horowitz of Tortshin, the son of the Chozeh of Lublin. The Chozeh was present at the engagement.
The story is told that the Chozeh was first to arrive in town and waited a full day for the mechutan, Rav Mordechai, to arrive. When Rav Mordechai finally got there, the Chozeh expressed his wonder and disbelief: “I watched the entire road from Chernobyl to Kolik (the Chozeh was known for his supernatural vision) and I did not see you travelling on that road!” Rav Mordechai explained himself: “The mechutan was watching the main road but I travel by secret winding ways!”
The Chozeh participated in the wedding in Lvovna as well. During the customary drashah geshank, when the mechutanim’s wedding gifts are announced, the Chozeh appeared to be dozing off. Even when they loudly proclaimed: The mechutan Harav Yaakov Yitzchak, the Rebbe of Lublin will give as a gift…” the Chozeh still did not utter a word. When his son Rav Yosef bent down and whispered into his ear: “Tatte, the olam is waiting for you to tell what your gift will be,” the Chozeh “awoke” from his doze and answered, “As a gift I give myself. In thirteen years I shall return to this world; the child that the chassan and kallah will then have shall be named after me.” And so it was. Rav Menachem Nachum married Matil and they had only one son, whom they named Yaakov Yitzchak, after the Chozeh. (The Chozeh’s mother’s name was also Matil, so the child’s name, Yaakov Yitzchok ben Matil was exactly the same as the Chozeh’s!)
At the wedding, the Chozeh’s Shemoneh Esrei prayer was especially lengthy. It was much longer than usual and it evoked great curiosity amongst those gathered and waiting patiently for the chuppah to begin. Afterwards, the Chozeh explained himself to them as follows: “You know that Chazal teach (in Maseches Shabbos 130a) that there is no kesubah without strife. Why is that? Because when they declare from Heaven that the daughter of so and so is destined to marry so and so, they establish the exact time for the chuppah as well. If the mechutanim end up choosing a time and date that is too early, then strife ensues, causing the chuppah to be delayed until the Heavenly appointed time. As I saw that the correct time had yet not yet arrived for the chuppah, I lengthened my davening to delay it until its correct and proper time that was established in Heaven.”
Divrei Torah of Rav Menachem Nachum Twersky of Makarov zt"l
“and the frogs came out [of the nile] and covered all the land of egypt” (shemos)
“And the frogs came out [of the Nile] and covered all the land of Egypt” (Shemos) – Rav Nachum of Makarov taught that this alludes to the very first thought of the day. When we wake up each morning, if we have holy thoughts of avodas Hashem at the forefront of our minds, then when we get up out of bed and attach our thoughts to Hashem with gadlus hamochin – an expanded consciousness of the exaltedness and greatness of Hashem and His awesome majesty – this becomes the theme for the rest of our day. The entire day follows the start of the day, and the morning’s thoughts influence the rest of the day. If we start off our morning right, it will be much easier to serve Hashem the rest of our day. This is alluded to by our pasuk. צפרדעה is a compound word, hinting at ,צפר morning, and ,דעה thought or intellect. When we concentrate our first thought of the morning on Hashem, then it covers up the entire land of Egypt. מצרים is also a compound word for ,מצר ים the oppressors and forces of tumah and darkness. Once we begin our day with holy thoughts, and our minds are attached and bound to Hashem, it is easier for us to cover up all of the forces of evil and the klipos and easily serve Hashem better the rest of the day (M’Peulas Hatzaddikim, cited in Beis Mordechai to Sefer Hayachas Chernobyl pg. 24).