Noach Yafeh of Lechovitch zt"l
הרב נח בן מרדכי יפה זצ"ל
Tishrei 7 , 5593 / Tishrei 8 , 5593
Noach Yafeh of Lechovitch zt"l
Second Rebbe of Lechovitch ( לכוביץ' / לעכוויטש ) and son of the founder of the dynasty.
Born in תקל"ד 1774, Rav Noach was a disciple of Rav Baruch of Mezibuzh.
When his father passed away in תק"ע, his chassidim unanimously agreed that Rav Noach should take his father’s place as rebbe even though he was only thirty-six years old at the time.
Even though all the chassidim were in agreement about this, Rav Noach himself felt that Rav Michel of Bichov, his father’s talmid, should be the successor and the next leader. Rav Noach said, “The Torah begins with Bereishis and Rav Michel is that Bereishis, the head, the first and foremost of my father’s disciples!” The chassidim who came to crown Rav Noach as rebbe refused to accept Rav Noach’s decision. Even Rav Michel himself said in response Rav Noach: “Many chumashim are torn and have missing pages; the beginning is missing and so they begin with Noach!”
Rav Noach was extremely successful as rebbe. The Chassidus grew and his followers supported their rebbe all across Polsia. He succeeded his father as nasi Eretz Yisroel as well which involved raising charitable monies to support the yishuv. After the rift between Rav Avrohom Kalisker and Rav Shneur Zalman of Liadi took place, Rav Avrohom had appointed Rav Mordechai of Lechovitch to oversee the funds as nasi, and this role now passed on to Rav Noach, his son and successor.
In a letter to his chassidim to strengthen the tzedakah fund his father worked so hard for, he writes: “Even those without a penny to his name should make this tzedakah a priority even before kiddush on Shabbos. We heard from my father much about the hidden secrets of Torah that this mitzvah holds. We also heard from my master Rav Shlomo HaLevi of Karlin and the holy master Rav Baruch of Mezibuz of the importance of this great mitzvah. They accustomed themselves to support the tzedakah of Eretz Yisroel so that the poor and impoverished of the Holy Land should have their needs well attended to, especially the holy chevrah kadishah of the kollel. . .therefore, my beloved friends and brothers, do not neglect this mitzvah; treat it as did my father did, like the apple of his eye. No one should detract from the established donations. I heard some murmuring among you that this may have been relevant in the past when the poor were of loftier stature, but that in this generation, they are not as worthy of our support. Their words are nothing but hot air! We too have descended and are no longer on the same level as before . . . therefore my brothers and friends, please have mercy on your own bodies and souls and strengthen yourselves regarding this mitzvah because in it are included several other mitzvos: tzedakah, supporting Torah scholars, and the love of Eretz Yisroel!”
Rav Noach did not write any seforim. His teachings were oft repeated orally and recorded, scattered among the seforim of his physical and spiritual descendants and disciples of the dynasties of Lechovitsh, Koidanov, Kubrin and Slonim. They were eventually collected and published by Rav Sholom Noach Brozovski, the Nesivos Sholom of Slonim in a volume called, Toras Avos.
Rav Noach did not have any sons, and so with his passing, most of the chassidim went to Rav Moshe of Kobrin. A few remained with Rav Mordechai, Rav Noach’s son-in-law. A group also left and followed Rav Shlomo Chaim of Koidanov, Rav Mordechai Lechovitcher’s grandson.
Rav Noach passed away on the 8th of Tishrei, תקצ"ג )1832).
Stories of Noach Yafeh of Lechovitch zt"l
Once, Rav Noach was in the company of his father’s disciple, Rav Michele, when someone asked, “Who is preferable: a sinful man who actually sins, yet deep inside he is heartbroken over his misdeeds, having recognized how low he has fallen, or someone who does not actually sin, but his mind is full of bad thoughts while he considers himself a tzaddik?”
They debated and agreed that they preferred the brokenhearted sinner. At least in the end he decides to repent and do teshuvah, whereas the delusional fellow will never do so.
(Toras Avos, Teshuvah)
Rav Noach of Lechovitch taught that the Ba'al Shem Tov came down to this world to replace depression, sadness and frivolous cheer by implanting the roots of sincere humility and true simchah into the hearts of Bnei Yisrael.
(Toras Avos #11)
Someone once asked Rav Noach of Lechovitz, “Isn’t tefilla what we do when we praise the King for all the great things that He does, or ask Him to fulfill our needs? Why does the Gemora call it a service, an avoda, of the heart?”
Rav Noach responded, “The heart is like a field. It is only after a field has been well worked that one can plant in it and look forward to a good harvest. Before a field is worked, it is not worthy of being called a field. It is merely a desolate plot of land. The heart is the same. Tefilla works our hearts out thoroughly and gives us the ability to connect to Hashem and feel the way a Jew should!”