Rav Tzvi Hirsch Ressler of Nadvorna zt"l
הרב צבי הירש בן שלום זעליג רסלר זצ"ל
Sivan 20 , 5562
Rav Tzvi Hirsch Ressler of Nadvorna zt"l
Rav Tzvi Hirsh was born in 5500/1740 (or 5497/1737).
When he was still a child, his father, Rav Sholom Zelig, took him along to the court of the Ba’al Shem Tov, who blessed him to become a leader in Klal Yisrael.
Rav Tzvi Hirsh was fluent in Shas and Poskim, as well as many works of Kabbala. He was a talmid of the Maggid of Mezhritch, and close with Rav Yechiel Michel, the Zlotchover Maggid, who said that he had sixty talmidim who were Tzaddikim, but the greatest was Rav Tzvi Hirsh, whom Eliyahu Hanavi often visited.
Following in the ways of his Rebbe, Rav Tzvi Hirsh became a maggid, traveling from town to town spreading the derech haChassidus.
The first city where he served as maggid was Dolina; later he settled in Nadvorna, after which he is known. Many came to learn from him and his avodas Hashem.
Rav Tzvi Hirsh wrote down his divrei Torah and published some of them anonymously. Among his sefarim are Alfa Baisa, kabbalistic references to the alef-beis; Mili D’Avos, on Pirkei Avos; and Tzemach Hashem LaTzvi, on the Torah.
He was niftar on the 20th of Sivan 5562/1802, and buried in Nadvorna.
His sons were Rav Dovid Aryeh of Nadvorna, who was the son-in-law of Rav Meir (son of Rav Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev); and Rav Moshe Yehoshua Yechiel Michel. Both were later buried near their father in Nadvorna.
His sons-in-law were Rav Yitzchok of Radvill, the son of Rav Yechiel Michel of Zlotchov and Rav Aharon Zev Weinreb.
Zechuso yagen aleinu.
www.hamodia.com/features/day-history-20-sivanjune-18/
Stories of Rav Tzvi Hirsch Ressler of Nadvorna zt"l
The Divrei Chaim of Sanz used to say that one should be willing to pawn his shtreimel in order to acquire a copy of the Maggid of Nadvorna’s sefer, Tzemach Hashem L’Tzvi.
(Luach HaHillula)
The Tosher Rebbe said that the heilige Ropshitzer Rav used to keep the sefer,Tzemach Hashem L’Tzvi within eyesight at all times; it never left his table. He also related that Rav Yitzchok Isaac of Zidatchov set aside time each day to study Tzemach Hashem L’Tzvi. Referring to this daily shiur he remarked, “The words found in this sefer are exceedingly deep and profound.”
The Tosher Rebbe told how when Rav Bertzi, the father of Rav Mordechai of Nadvorna moved to Nadvorna, he used the mikvah of the Maggid Rav Tzvi Hirsch daily. When the mikvah was not in use the rest of the day and the night, the building was locked and the waters of the mikvah remained covered by a heavy wood board as was customary on those days. One day the shamash came to Rav Bertzi to report a strange and inexplicable phenomenon. Although the door was locked, he kept finding the board moved as if someone had entered during the night and toiveled (immersed) in the mikvah.
“But it’s impossible; how could that be?” asked the shamash.
Rav Bertzi’s reply startled the shamash even more: “The neshamos from the olam ha’elyon (supernal heavens above) must immerse in the fiery river Dinur; some of them came here and immersed instead in the mikvah of the Tzemach Hashem L’Tzvi which is equivalent!” This phenomenon continued into the days when Rav Mordechai of Nadworna was rebbe. The neshamos continued to immerse in the holy mikvah where the Tzemach Hashem, Rav Tzvi Hirsch; Rav Bertzi; and Rav Mordechai all immersed.
The rebbe, Reb Bertzi, was adamant that no change or innovation ever be made to the maggid’s holy mikvah where neshomos toiveled rather than in the Nahar Dinur. (Avodas Avoda Sichos Kodesh Vol. II Behaaloscha pp. 313-314)