Rav Yosef Katzenelenbogen of Ostila zt"l
הרב יוסף בן אליהו קאצינעלענבויגען זצ"ל
Elul 18 , 5590
Rav Yosef Katzenelenbogen of Ostila zt"l
Rav Yosef was born approximately תקכ"ג-תקכ"ד (1763/4).
He was the son-in-law of Rav Yehuda Meir of Shpetivka who was the son of Rav Pinchos Koretzer. He was appointed to serve as Rav of Ostila in his father’s lifetime and after תק"ס, he took on the position of rebbe as well.
As rebbe, he travelled to the Chozeh, and they developed a close warm relationship. The Chozeh testified: “He is entirely good; he is like the urim and tumim!”
When his daughter married Rav Don of Radvil, the grandson of Rav Yehoshua Heschel of Apta, the wedding in Ostila made chassidic history. The town of Ostila became famous due to this chasunah which catered to thousands of visiting chassidim. The event became fondly known from then on in chasiddic lore as “the great wedding at Ostila – der groisse chasuna fun Ostila” or just as the “Ostila chasunah.” One of the widely publicized incidents was the defense of the Peshischa path of chassidus. In this incident, the Chiddushei HaRim was sent to represent and defend their derech in chassidus against their detractors who wanted to place a cherem on them (excommunication) which failed.
Rav Yosef’s sons were: Rav Pinchos of Ostila, Rav Mordechai of Ostila, Rav Levi Yitzchok of Stephan, Rav Baruch of Kosnatin. His sons-in-law were: Rav Levi Yitzchok of Kamin and Rav Aharon Tzintz, Av Beis Din Turbin.
While attending the wedding of his son, Rav Baruch in Ostrog, Rav Yosef passed away on the 18th of Elul, תק"ץ and was laid to rest in Ostrog with great honor. (Mazkeres l’Gedolei Ostrog p. 287) Only when they returned to Ostila and his written will was discovered, did they see that he commanded his burial should be simple and modest. Hashem, however, had other plans for him and arranged matters so that his levaya was carried out honorably and in a fitting manner. (Zichron Tov Michtavim p . 27)
Stories of Rav Yosef Katzenelenbogen of Ostila zt"l
Rav Pinchos of Ostila told how his father Rav Yosef of Ostila once learned that the Chozeh of Lublin would be passing through Ostila.
Rav Yosef greatly wished that the Chozeh would choose his home to visit during this rest stop and so he began advance preparations in order to host this important guest. He knew that the Chozeh’s custom was that as soon as he arrived, he would lie down to recover from his journey. So, Rav Yosef hired a G-d fearing carpenter to build a new bed expressly for this purpose. He explained his intentions to the carpenter: “When the holy Chozeh lies down on another’s bed, his holy senses are attuned to the spiritual vibrations of the bed. If he finds fault with the impression left by the bed’s previous occupants, he will complain that the bed is painfully pricking him as if with spikes. Therefore, I ask you, please immerse yourself daily in the mikvah before you begin your work and as you work think clean pure thoughts.” At first, the carpenter was afraid to undertake such a delicate task and concerned that he was not up to par. Eventually, Rav Yosef convinced him to carry through with the job and the carpenter began work on the Chozeh of Lublin’s new bed.
Still feeling unworthy, the carpenter nevertheless carried out the task. But as he worked, he was constantly disturbed by thinking, “What a holy tzaddik will be resting on this bed!”
Finally, the new bed was completed and the carpenter brought it before Rav Yosef. Rav Yosef was ecstatic. He made up the bed with brand new linens, pillows, and blankets and locked the room so that no one should enter to touch the bed or lie upon it even by accident.
After a few days, the long-awaited moment of the Chozeh of Lublin’s visit arrived. The tzaddik was invited to rest in Rav Yosef of Ostila’s home. “Please rebbe, come; I have prepared a room and bed for you to rest up from the long tiresome trip.” To the delight of his host, the Rebbe of Lublin accepted and Rav Yosef led the Chozeh to the room where the new bed was.
However, no sooner did the holy tzaddik lie himself down when he jumped up and cried out, “Gevald! Es shtecht mich! – Oy the bed is stabbing me.”
Rav Yosef was greatly astonished. How could this be? Still, attempting to find a solution, he said, “Please rebbe, rest in my own bed.” The Chozeh of Lublin laid down on Rav Yosef Ostila’s bed with a sigh of satisfaction. “Ahhh! Now that’s better. This bed is massaging all of my tired limbs; I can feel the purity and sanctity seeping through me.”
The Chozeh was soon fast asleep resting peacefully in Rav Yosef’s own bed.
Rav Yosef was puzzled with all of this and so, when the Chozeh woke up, he posed the question to the tzaddik: “Rebbe I assure you that I have had this bed made brand new especially just for you and I have this room locked, and no one has entered and no one has ever used this bed before! In fact, I hired a Jewish carpenter, a G-d fearing man to build the bed with the best of intentions. What could have gone wrong?”
“No no. Heaven forbid,” answered the Chozeh, “It’s not that the bed is not kosher; it most assuredly is. However, every time I lied down, I could feel sadness overtake me, and it pained me as if I was being poked. This bed was made by a G-d fearing Jewish carpenter indeed, but he was working on it all during the nine days between Rosh Chodesh Av and Tisha B’Av and as he mourned the destruction, his dark thoughts made an impression on the bed. That is what I cannot stand; I sense pain and suffering on that bed!” explained the Chozeh. (Niflaos Harebbi p. 7 #5)
After the rebbe arose from Rav Yosef Ostila’s bed, he davened mincha and sat down to learn and study before Ma’ariv. As the sun set, the house grew dark. The Chozeh sat studying by candlelight. Rav Yosef noticed that the wick was too long and the flame wasn’t giving off enough light. Rav Yosef handed his holy father’s shneitz sherel – the small scissors used to trim the candle wicks that Rav Mordechai Neshchizer himself used to use - to his young son, Rav Pinchos and asked him to quietly tiptoe into the Chozeh’s room and trim the wick to better illuminate the pages of the sefarim on the table.
“Wait until you see that the Chozeh pause from looking in his sefer. At the moment he is not totally immersed in his learning, you can hand him the scissors.” Rav Pinchos did as he was instructed to do, but the Chozeh pushed the scissors away and continued studying by the dim light. Having been terrified to begin with about interrupting the Chozeh, Rav Pinchos was reluctant to try again. And so, his father, Rav Yosef, approached to try and fix the wick himself.
Again, the Chozeh brushed the scissors away gesturing not to be disturbed.
Rav Yosef couldn’t understand what was wrong, surely the tzaddik needed better light to study by, and what could be wrong with the scissors? “Rebbe need not worry, “Rav Yosef reassured the Chozeh “these scissors belonged to my holy father; he himself trimmed wicks with these shneitz sherel!”
The Chozeh turned to Rav Yosef of Ostila and explained his bizarre behavior: “Your holy father Rav Mordechai of Neshchiz was able to trim the wick with these scissors. You know what it says in the holy sefarim, especially in the works of the Rambam: Every mitzvah which we were commanded to fulfill is only in order to facilitate the rapture of dveikus (cleaving) to Hashem. This is why the name that the Zohar uses for the 613 commandments is “good pieces of advice,” for they advise us how to attach to Hashem. Now, if I were to trim the wick of this candle, it would require me to pinpoint my thoughts on that very precise act. This tzimtzim of concentration would interrupt my dveikus and disconnect me! I could not allow my thoughts to continue wandering the supernal Heavenly strata above while my hands absent mindedly did their work with no supervision! If I had, the wick would be poorly trimmed and go out completely and I would be left in the dark. Therefore, I refrained from using the scissors to trim the wick. It is forbidden for me to interrupt my dveikus to Hashem. Unlike me however, your father was able to focus and concentrate his thoughts without disconnecting his dveikus and so he could use those scissors, but I don’t have the power to do so! (Niflaos Harebbi p. 7 #5, Beis Tzadik p. 16)