Rav Yosef Babad of Tarnipol zt"l
הרב יוסף בן משה באב''ד זצ"ל
Elul 24 , 5634
Rav Yosef Babad of Tarnipol zt"l
Rav Yosef was born on 24 Elul in the year תקס''ב/5562. He was a descendant of Rav Yehoshua Heschel of Tarnipol (author of a volume of responsa entitled Sefer Yehoshua). Through his first marriage, Rav Yosef became the brother-in-law of the Divrei Chaim of Sanz, and his second wife was the daughter of Rav Dovid of Zavlituv. Rav Yosef served as Chief Rabbi in the towns of Huskov, Zabraz, Sinyatin and Horodenka, and in the year תרי"ז /5617 he was appointed Chief Rabbi of Tarnipol, a position which he held until his final days.
After a fire destroyed almost all the manuscripts of his chiddushim, he printed his remaining work: a commentary on Sefer HaChinuch. The sefer became very popular throughout Klal Yisroel (as his brother-in-law, the Tzanzer Rebbe, had blessed it should) and Rav Yosef is still known today as the Minchas Chinuch.
He passed away on his birthday, 24 Elul in the year 5634 תרל''ד.
Stories of Rav Yosef Babad of Tarnipol zt"l
Rav Yosef was very reluctant to preside over rabbinical court cases – based on the statement of Chazal (Yevamos 109b) that a dayan (rabbinic judge) should always imagine that Gehinnom is open underneath him.
Once, two litigants brought a case of safek gezel (questionable theft) before him. When Rav Yosef understood that the case was only about the possibility of inadvertent theft, and that the litigants simply wanted to distance themselves from even the suspicion of wrongdoing, he agreed to hear their case.
First, he wrapped himself in his tallis (Choshen Mishpat, siman 8:2) and then he removed his glasses. He explained to the two litigants that, based on Chazal, it is forbidden to gaze at the face of a rasha (Megillah 28a) and also that, when the litigants stand before a judge, the judge should consider them reshaim (Avos 1:8). Thus cloaked in his tallis, he turned to the litigants and, instead of calling them by name, he called out, “Reuven and Shimon!” (the customary names used by Torah sources in illustrative examples). “Reuven and Shimon, what is the dispute between you? What is your question of possible theft?”
The litigants, upon seeing Rav Yosef considering their case with such gravity and awe, were so terrified that they quickly forgave each other for any inadvertent wrongdoing and fled in terror from his home! (Chemda Genuza, Vol. II, p.69)