Rav Yeshaya HaLevi Horowitz zt"l
הרב ישעיה בן אברהם הורוביץ זצ"ל
Nissan 11 , 5390
Rav Yeshaya HaLevi Horowitz zt"l
The holy gaon, Reb Yeshaya Halevi Horowitz was born in approximately the year 5230 (1470). His father R' Avrohom Halevi was dayan in Prague, Cracow and lastly in Lemberg. R' Yeshaya learnt with his father and with the gaon R' Shlomo Ben Reb Yehudah Leib zt"l, better known as the Maharshal Hasheini, the second Maharshal. He also learnt with the Maharam of Lublin, zt"l.
He married Chaya, daughter of one of the prominent members of the community in Vienna, Rabbi Avrohom Moyal. In an awesome statement, R' Sheftel zt"l later wrote about his mother, the Rebbetzin Chaya, "It was said in her generation that she lacked nothing in deeds and traits of the holy Imahos, Soroh, Rivka, Rochel and Leah."
Over the years, R' Yeshaya Halevi practiced as rov in various communities: in 5260 (1500) in Dubno, Russia, in 5262 in Ostroa and from 5266 he took over the reins in Frankfurt, leading the prestigious kehilla until their expulsion from the city on 27 Elul 5274 (1514). The rabbi was exiled together with his flock and he returned to Prague, where he was appointed Rov in 5275 (1515).
When his Rebbetzin passed away on 4th Adar 5280 (1520), Reb Yeshaya Halevi decided to make his dream of going to live in Eretz Yisroel a reality. On 8th Elul 5281 the Shloh boarded the ship and after a turbulent, difficult journey he arrived in the holy land on 2nd Kislev, 5282. Upon reaching Yerushalayim, he was immediately accepted as Chief Rabbi of Eretz Yisroel.
Seeing the immense poverty of the settlers in the holy land, the Shloh sent messengers to the Diaspora and their Rabbonim, particularly to the communities where he had served as rov, initiating a tzedokoh campaign which he called "Yachatz" -- an acronym in Hebrew for the three cities Yerushalayim, Chevron and Tzfas.
On 11th Elul, 5285 (1525), the Shloh was imprisoned due to a libel trumped up by the wicked Machmed Ibn Paroueh. On Rosh Hashonoh, start of the year 5286 he was freed and he fled to Tzfas and Teveriah. There he established his center of learning and prayer in the ancient Beis Haknesses on the shores of the Kinneret in Teveriah.
He was niftar on 11th Nissan and is buried in the old cemetery in Teveriah close to the tzion of Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakai.
His holy seforim were accepted and beloved by Jews the world over, a fact which is proven by the amount of times his great sefer Shnei Luchos Habris had to be printed over and over.
http://www.chareidi.org/archives5761/vayikra/features2.htm
His famous siddur Shaar Hashomayim is also well known (In Skver they have a minhag to daven from it) and in reference to it the Sulitza Rebbe ztzl of Far Rockaway who himself davened from the Siddur HaShelah showed me and told me that Rav Yoel Sirkis author of the Bach on the Tur wrote in his approbation, "I guarantee that whoever davens with this siddur, his tefillos will be accepted."
Stories of Rav Yeshaya HaLevi Horowitz zt"l
Rav Yosef Shmuel, mechaber of the Mesores HaShas and Av Bais Din of Frankfurt DeMain, had a group of talmidim,Talmidei Chachomim, whose custom was to each study a topic privately until they had delved into its depths. In the evening they gathered together with their Rebbe at their head and he would teach the topic, answer their questions, draw conclusions and remove any doubts. They studied together in this manner until they had completed the entire Shas – the whole Talmud. You can only imagine to what depths they delved, studying Shas. The Chida also testified that Rav Yosef Shmuel studied the entire Shas some forty-two times, and that for some twenty-five years he studied Torah while standing on his two feet and that he learned lishma!
After Rav Yosef Shmuel passed away and was buried, an awesome and frightening incident took place. As the chabura of students came together to study, they all saw their Rebbe and teacher, Rav Yosef Shmuel, standing there at his spot where he had always stood during his life. They were all frightened by this specter, but Rav Yosef Shmuel calmed them and explained his return:
“Do not be afraid or alarmed. I will soon return to my place in the afterlife, but I have returned to tell you what happened to me. After I departed, I came before the heavenly court and immediately the Bais Din Shel Maala ruled that I deserved Gan Eden and appointed me a spot to be beside the Tzaddik, the holy Rav Yeshaya HaLevi Horowitz, mechaber of the Shela HaKodosh. However, the Shela HaKodosh intervened and protested, saying, ‘I oppose this new neighbor, because I authored the sefer Shnei Luchos HaBris full of mussar and Yiras Hashem. It teaches Bnei Yisrael to serve Hashem, and I cried many tears over my sefer as I composed it, but the Gaon, Rav Yosef Shmuel, although he taught the entire Shas, did not engage in mussar and did not rebuke his talmidim.’
“The Bais Din heard the Shela’s arguments and ruled that although they were justified they could not overrule and remove me from my proper place. They therefore sent me back down to you to rectify my shortcomings in lack of teaching mussar and so I am here, concluded Rav Yosef Shmuel, to admonish and encourage you all to study mussar. From now on study mussar daily before your learning.”
The chabura all agreed and accepted his words and his soul departed and was not seen again. (Introduction to Be’er Yitzchok on the Torah)
The Shloh Hakodesh was extremely preoccupied with his Torah studies and duties as rov, and had no spare time at all. However, when he saw how most of the Jews of his time were grossly neglecting their fear of Hashem and their whole attitude in serving Hashem was so lax, he took upon himself as a holy mission to teach Bnei Yisroel mussar, ethics and unadulterated fear of G-d. With this is mind, he wrote his holy sefer Shnei Luchos Habris, teaching the bypaths of the Torah and exhorting every Rov and teacher to impress mussar and ways of serving Hashem upon their congregants and pupils.
The greatness of this work of the Shloh Hakodesh and its value is indicated in the following amazing, if not chilling, story:
The gaon of Frankfurt a generation later, Rabbi Yosef Shmuel zt"l, in addition to carrying out all his duties as rov of the city, bestowed the Torah world with his immense treasures. In the margins of his gemora next to each sugya, he would point out all the places where the gemora mentions this subject. This column, known as Masores Hashas has now been added to every gemora so that anyone studying a sugya has laid out in front of him a full index of every place in Shas where the subject matter is mentioned.
Rabbi Yosef Shmuel had a wonderful method of learning Torah with a large group of the cream of talmidei chachomim of Frankfurt.
All day they would each learn individually a chosen topic and in the evening they would gather together for the shiur of the rov. Each one would bring up for discussion the questions and comments that had arisen during the day's learning and a great and mighty storm would engulf the beis medrash. From all directions questions and doubts were hurled with gale force and it seemed as though the sugya was too difficult to navigate with waves of problems that would drown those studying it.
Until the rov Reb Yosef Shmuel opened his mouth and showed them how to steer a clear way through. He would answer and explain, prove and expound until the gemora radiated clarity, like the sun on a clear day.
In this thorough manner the group learned the whole of Shas over many years.
The Chida, in his biography of R' Yosef Shmuel zt"l, wrote that the rov of Frankfurt learned all of Shas forty- two times, fulfilling the commandment "Vedibarto bom'," (the numerical value of `bom' being forty- two). He also added that for 25 years he learnt standing on his feet and all his learning was Torah lishmoh!
When this holy Rabbi, Reb Yosef Shmuel was niftar, all the city joined his levaya in great mourning and a long hesped was given.
Upon their return from the levaya, his group of talmidim gathered in the beis medrash to continue their practice of studying together and to their astonishment, in his seat, was their departed Rabbi, sitting ready to learn as in the past. Shaken by the sight, they looked at one another, wondering if they were dreaming.
"Do not be afraid and do not tremble," said R' Yosef Shmuel zt"l. "I will soon go back to my eternal rest. I came down to let you know what has been going on with me in the Heavenly court, up there in the World of Truth.
"When I arrived to the Heavenly spheres they called out loud - - "make way for R' Yosef Shmuel" and immediately my court- case proceeded -- the verdict being that my place in Gan Eden is next to the Shloh Hakodesh. However, the Shloh himself arose in protest, refusing to accept the company of his new neighbor. "The reason," he said, "is as follows. I wrote the sefer Shnei Luchos Habris which is full of mussar, to teach all Jews ethics and the correct way to serve Hashem. Many are the tears that I shed whilst compiling this sefer, entreating Hashem that it should fulfill its purpose in arousing the hearts of those who learn it to better their ways. However, this Reb Yosef Shmuel here spread Torah to multitudes of people, learned with his distinguished group of talmidei chachomim all of Shas, yet never once did he teach them mussar or exhort them to better their avodas Hashem. How can he sit next to me here in Gan Eden?"
Reb Yosef Shmuel zt"l continued to relate to his mesmerized talmidim. "The Heavenly court heard out the Shloh and sat in judgment again. They decided that my rightful place, reward for my holy work all my years, cannot be taken away from me; however, the Shloh is correct in his argument that I did not teach you mussar. They thus decreed that I must correct this misdeed before receiving my just reward and sent me down to you during our usual study hours to instruct you that from now and onwards before your daily learning session you should study mussar and avodas Hashem. In doing so, you will enable me to rest in peace and enjoy my reward in Gan Eden."
Shaken by this heavenly revelation, the talmidim immediately took upon themselves strictly to obey his will, studying the Shloh's words of mussar every day before their shiur.
With that their Rabbi disappeared, returning to his seat in Gan Eden next to the Shloh Hakodesh.
Zechuso Yogen Oleinu. http://www.chareidi.org/archives5761/vayikra/features2.htm
The Chida writes: I heard from Rav Hirsch of Balchov that when the Rebbe Reb Heschel of Cracow traveled to Vilna, fleeing the Cossacks and Chmielniczki during the riots of Tach and Tat, and he arrived before the Av Bais Din, Rav Sheptil Horowitz, mechaber of Vovei HoAmudim and son of the Shela HaKodosh, he did not recognize the Rebbe Reb Heschel or respect his greatness.
The Rebbe Reb Heschel then asked the son of the Shela to explain a Tosafos and he said he would study it but could not understand the Tosafos at all. He fasted and cried and then his own father, the mechaber of the Shela HaKodosh himself, appeared to him in a dream. His father explained to him the meaning and explanation of the Tosafos. He also admonished and warned him to honor the great Rebbe Reb Heschel for he had the soul of Rabbeinu Tam. Reb Sheptil awoke and immediately sent for the Rebbe Reb Heschel and honored him, explaining the Tosafos to him. The Rebbe Reb Heschel exclaimed and remarked in public, “The only way you got this explanation was a revelation from Heaven!” (Maagal Tov)
On Shabbos and Yom Tov the Yeshuos Moshe of Vizhnitz davened from the Shela HaKodosh siddur that he inherited from the Tzemach Tzaddik. He used to say about this siddur, “I remember holding this siddur in front of my Zeide during Nishmas! Holy Jews held this siddur in their hands!” Once, when someone tried to hand him a different siddur, the Rebbe pointed toward the Siddur Shela, indicating his preference for davening from that siddur. He turned to the approbations and pointed out that which the Tzaddik Rov Yoel Sirkis, mechaber of Bayis Chodosh – the Bach on the Tur – wrote in his haskoma: “I promise that whoever davens from this siddur, his prayers shall not return empty – and not remain unanswered!” (Sarfei Kodesh p. 350)
(Translator’s note: I remember as a bochur, when I asked the Sulitzer Rebbe, zt”l, of Far Rockaway why he davened from the Siddur Shela, he showed me the same haskoma of the Bach and pointed out these holy words to me as well.)
Divrei Torah of Rav Yeshaya HaLevi Horowitz zt"l
power through the mouth
The Shela HaKodosh says: Just as Yaakov used prayer, gifts and war, so do we approach Esav's descendants in our times. Our power is only through our mouths, to daven to Hashem in difficult times. But war – to fight against the nations – does not apply to us. Our "war" with them means activism – that Jewish activists must boldly face kings and leaders and work for the good of the Jewish people. Even if the leaders throw them out angrily, they must keep coming back; this is our pillar of existence in exile, until Moshiach comes. (Vayishlach, Amud HaGola)