Rav Tzvi Hirsch Halberstam zt"l
הרב צבי הירש בן ברוך האלבערשטאם זצ"ל
Av 15 , 5678
Rav Tzvi Hirsch Halberstam zt"l
Rav Tzvi Hirsch Halberstam, born in 5606/1846, was the son of Rav Boruch of Gorlitz, son of Rav Chaim of Sanz, the Divrei Chaim. His mother was the daughter of Rav Yekusiel Yehuda Teitelbaum, the Yetev Lev of Sighet.
At the age of fifteen, Rav Tzvi Hirsch married the daughter of Rav Yisrael Horowitz of Barnov, son of Rav Eliezer of Dzikov, and he lived with his in-laws for the next three years. Afterward, he moved to Sanz, to the court of his illustrious grandfather, who cherished him.
In 5635/1875, less than two years before his petira, the Divrei Chaim called in Rav Tzvi Hirsch and said to him, “I am old and sick and have no more strength. Go to your other grandfather, the Yetev Lev in Sighet, and learn Torah from him.” The Divrei Chaim was niftar a year later, on the twenty-fifth of Nissan 5636/1876.
After learning under his grandfather in Sighet for a year, Rav Tzvi Hirsch received semicha from him and was appointed Rav of the Polish town of Niska, serving for ten years.
In 5647/1887, his father, Rav Boruch, moved to Gorlitz and handed over the Rabbonus of Rudnik to Rav Tzvi Hirsch. Rudnik was a small town on the banks of the San River in southern Poland, near Russia.
Four members of the illustrious Sanzer dynasty served as Rabbonim there: the Divrei Chaim; Rav Yechezkel Shraga, later of Shiniva; Rav Boruch of Gorlitz; and his son Rav Tzvi Hirsch. This Rabbinic dynasty in Rudnik began in 5572/1812, when the community approached Rav Naftali Tzvi of Ropshitz to help them, and the Divrei Chaim was appointed Rav.
After Rav Boruch of Gorlitz’s petira on the first of Adar 5666/1906, Rav Tzvi Hirsch became Rebbe in his place.
Rav Tzvi Hirsch’s zivug sheini was the daughter of Rav Meir Meshulom Shapira, a grandson of Rav Tzvi Elimelech of Dinov. During World War I, Rav Tzvi Hirsch fled to Hungary, settling in Kleinvardein. In 5676/1916, he fell ill and went to Vienna for medical care. He was niftar on the fifteenth of Av 5678/1918 in Kleinvardein, and his aron was brought to Gorlitz, where he was buried next to his father, Rav Boruch.
His most famous son, Rav Yekusiel Yehuda (later Rav and Rebbe of Klausenburg), only fourteen at the time, delivered an hours-long hesped. He founded his own court in Klausenburg, Transylvania, in 5687/1927. He survived World War II and founded Kiryat Sanz in Netanya. He was known as the Sanz-Klausenburger Rebbe.
The other sons were Rav Avrohom, who was Rav in Rudnik, and (from his first zivug) Rav Naftoli; he also had a daughter who married Rav Moshe Halberstam of Bochnia.
Zechuso yagen aleinu.
www.hamodia.com/features/day-history-15-avaugust-11