Rabbi Shmelke of Nikolsburg

Rabbi Shmelke ben Tzvi Hirsch Horowitz of Nikolsburg (1726, Chortkov, Galicia – 1778, Nikolsburg, Moravia) was one of the great early Chassidic Rebbes.   Yahrzeit - 1 Iyar Resting place - Nikolsburg/Mikulov, Czech Republic   A Levite, he traced his lineage back to the prophet Shmuel, who was also a Levite. His father, the famous Rav Tzvi Hirsch Horowitz of Chortkov – the one who blessed the Rothschild clan – more on this here:   How to Become a Rothschild https://silatehilim.com/ночь-проверки-хамеца-или-как-стать-рот/   The Boston Rebbe of Boro Park - a descendant (eighth generation in a direct line from Rabbi Shmelke) - said that after the passing of the Maggid of Mezeritch, all the Chassidim initially turned to Rabbi Shmelke as the next Rebbe - at that time he was the strongest leader and Rebbe for the overwhelming majority of the Jews of Galicia and Poland. The Maggid said of him: "I found a chest of unlit candles; I lit one, and from that candle all the others were lit, giving off a bright light." Although Rav Shmelke and his brother Rabbi Pinchas Horowitz - the "Baal Haflaah" - did not come from a Chassidic background and were even initially skeptical, their father Rav Tzvi Hirsch of Chortkov (the very same Rav Tzvi Hirsch Chortkover who blessed Rav Moshe Amshel Rothschild with wealth) had a good relationship with the Baal Shem Tov, who praised him greatly, and he himself was a widely recognized tzadik. He had a large family, including five outstanding sons, the most famous of whom were Reb Shmuel Shmelke (the second son) and Rav Pinchas (the third son) – it is also interesting that their fourth son, Rav Yehoshua Heshel, passed away on 7 Nisan 5491/1731 as a healthy young man of 15. His tombstone in Chortkov states that he saw that he was needed in the "mesivta d'rakia" to serve in the Heavenly academy, so he prepared himself and peacefully returned his soul to its Creator. His mother, Rebbetzin Malka, once said of her sons Shmelke and Pinchas: "I have two sons – one who never says Birkat HaMazon, and the other who never says Kriat Shema al HaMitah" (meaning, one never eats, and the other never sleeps). Indeed, Rav Shmelke avoided worldly pleasures and was known for eating almost no food, while his brother Rav Pinchas was known for eating a great deal – as a result, Rav Pinchas once remarked: "Two brothers: one eats his fill like an animal, and the other is comparable to an angel." To which Rabbi Shmelke replied: "That is not so! Rather, two brothers: one is a Kohen Gadol, who through his eating can elevate any food as though on the Holy Altar, and the other, through his many sins, is a simple man of flesh and blood." Rav Shmelke came from a distinguished family, one of at least three families that can trace their roots all the way back to Adam HaRishon (the Shapiro and Margolis families being the other two well-known ones); he was a descendant of many great luminaries, such as the Shelah HaKadosh and Shmuel HaNavi – about whom Rabbi Shmelke said on his deathbed: "The time of my departure has come. Know that within me is a spark of Shmuel HaNavi – I bear his name, I am his descendant, and I have lived 52 years, as he did, but he was called "Shmuel," and I remain "Shmelke"" (and as such he was, of course, also a descendant of Korach, as was his disciple, Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak HaLevi Horowitz, the Chozeh of Lublin, who was known to call his famous predecessor "Zeide Korach"). Some have also said that the fourth Lubavitcher Rebbe – Rabbi Shmuel, the Rebbe Maharash, whose birthday (2 Iyar 1834) follows the yahrzeit of Rabbi Shmelke (1 Iyar 1778) – may have been named in connection with Rabbi Shmelke, who was known to say that he too carried a spark of the soul of Shmuel HaNavi. Rabbi Shmelke and Rabbi Pinchas were extremely close. They founded a yeshiva where Rav Shmelke served as Rav in Ritchwald, Poland - among the students were Rav Yisrael (the Maggid) of Kozhnitz, Rav Yuzpa (known as "Yuzpa the Righteous"), and Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev. But around 1762-1765 they finally decided to make a trip to meet the Maggid – and largely due to the efforts of Rav Zusha of Anipoli and Rav Avraham of Kalisk, they became close followers of the Maggid of Mezeritch. Both entered the Maggid's inner circle of disciples, after which Rav Shmelke became a leading Chassidic figure and disseminator of Chassidism in Poland; his students included the Maggid of Kozhnitz, the Chozeh of Lublin, Rav Moshe Leib of Sasov, and Rav Mendel of Rimanov. Much like Rav Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk, who led Chassidism in Belarus and Lithuania (in the north), Rav Shmelke carried the torch of Chassidism to the west – and interestingly, both share a yahrzeit of 1 Iyar, though ten years apart. After a time, Rav Shmelke became Rav in Sieniawa, and then in 1769 the communities of Nikolsburg (former home of such notables as the Tosfot Yom Tov and Rabbi Yonatan Eybeschutz) and Frankfurt were seeking Rabbis and sent requests to Rabbi Shmelke and Rabbi Pinchas. Ultimately, Rav Pinchas went to Frankfurt, and Rav Shmelke went to Nikolsburg, while Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk replaced Rabbi Shmelke as Rav in Sieniawa. Interestingly, both Rav Shmelke and his brother Rav Pinchas ultimately left the region where Chassidism was flourishing and moved to areas where the Haskalah was stronger and the ways of Chassidism less accepted: Frankfurt in Germany, and Nikolsburg, near Prague in Moravia (today Mikulov). In fact, their children were not raised as Chassidim, and it seems they served their communities in various ways in keeping with the non-Chassidic establishment. There are even those who claim that the Haflaah had nothing to do with Chassidism, and question whether he ever had any relationship with the Maggid at all, and although this is absurd, we see that even such suspicion carries weight. In his sefarim, mostly on matters of Nigleh, Chassidic teaching is barely discussed at all, and subsequently we see that their children had no connection to Chassidism – their descendants, however, eventually returned to the Chassidic world. When Rav Shmelke arrived in Nikolsburg, all the scholars in the area came to hear his drasha. He began by citing and discussing many secular topics and sciences, after which he continued with a detailed Talmudic pilpul and words of mussar. The audience was, famously, astounded, and many of those present wrote about it; those who knew him as a scholar and baal mussar were shocked by his knowledge of secular matters. He later explained: "I intended to speak words of mussar to inspire and awaken the gathering, but I knew they would not accept it, since they would say, 'It's easy for him to speak words of mussar - he isn't involved in worldly affairs,' so first I had to prove that I was quite knowledgeable in worldly matters, and that nevertheless, Torah and our traditions are the essence of life…" Throughout his life, Rav Shmelke struggled significantly against his opponents, especially in Nikolsburg; at one point he cried out: "Master of the Universe! What have I done to deserve such persecution, when other rabbis can serve You in peace?" And on that day, Eliyahu HaNavi ceased visiting him, after which he fasted for 40 days over his complaint, and afterward Eliyahu visited him again and said: "Believe me, my son, when you begin to pray, all the angels and seraphim cannot come near you - but this is how it has been decreed in Heaven, and we cannot question the ways of the Almighty." In 1775, his opponents, according to some sources led by Moses Mendelssohn, complained to the government in Vienna that Rav Shmelke was uneducated and led his community in an extremely unenlightened manner. Rav Shmelke traveled to Vienna, where he met with the Queen and government ministers and demonstrated incredible knowledge of the German language and its dialects, as well as the sciences, and it is said that his handwriting in German was so beautiful that it remains in a local museum. It so happened that he stared at the ground rather than at the Queen, who demanded to know why he refused to look at her, to which he replied: "I am staring at the ground, because it is from the earth that I was taken." The Queen and officials were so impressed by his knowledge and wisdom that they gave him full authority as Rabbi over all of Moravia, and in that capacity asked him whether his enemies should be executed. But Rav Shmelke asked that they not be executed, but instead expelled from his community - so they were sent to Berlin. The Rebbe of Sochaczew lamented this, complaining that if Rav Shmelke had allowed them to be killed, Klal Yisrael would have been spared the damage that these reformers later caused. Three years later, on Tuesday, 1 Iyar 1778, he passed away in Nikolsburg. On his very first day serving as Rabbi of Nikolsburg, Avraham Trebitsch, a native of Nikolsburg, reports that Rabbi Shmelke performed a miracle by bringing rain. It is told that his strong attachment to the Chassidim upset many members of the community, leading to bitter disputes that were quelled only through the personal intervention of Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk. Rabbi Shmelke founded a large yeshiva that attracted many outstanding students. Among them were such luminaries as Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak of Lublin, Menachem Mendel of Rimanov, Yisrael Hopstein, Mordechai Benet, and Moshe Leib of Sasov. He did much to spread the spirit of Chassidism in Poland and Galicia. Because of this, his final appointment met with fierce opposition, but Empress Maria Theresa confirmed him in the position. Many stories and miraculous events were told about him. He was the author of "Divrei Shmuel," published in 1862, and "Nezir HaShem," published in 1869.   Sipurei Tzadikim   David's Harp When Rav Shmelke and his brother Rav Pinchas were in Mezeritch, they rented a small room in the attic so that no one would disturb them while they studied. Once, at the close of Shabbat, as they sat late into the night over their books, the brothers heard a strange crying, in which they could clearly make out a man's and a woman's voice. They looked out the window and saw, sitting on a bench, weeping, the manservant and maidservant of the house where they were staying. The two told the brothers that they had worked in the house for many years, waiting for permission to marry, but the master of the house would not give his consent. The brothers said that all that was needed was to set up a chuppah for the wedding ceremony; then everything else, including the master's permission, would follow of its own accord. They sent for a singer, who immediately gathered ten men, opened the House of Prayer, and set up a chuppah. The wedding was celebrated as it should be. Rav Shmelke tapped on pieces of wood, and Rav Pinchas tapped two candlesticks together, producing a beautiful sound. Then the Maggid came to the wedding ceremony. At the "Feast of King David" he sat with them motionless, in that state of soul which often overtook him. Suddenly he jumped up and ran to the House of Prayer. "Do you not hear the harp of David?" he cried. New Melodies Rav Moshe Teitelbaum, a disciple of the Chozeh of Lublin, used to say: "When Rav Shmelke prayed on Shabbat and festivals, and especially on Yom Kippur, he served like a Kohen Gadol; the mystery became manifest in the musical sound of the words he uttered, and thus new melodies arose, the most wondrous of the wondrous, which neither he nor any other person had ever heard before. In those moments, Rav Shmelke did not even know what he was singing or to what melody he was singing, for he was wholly attached to the upper world." The Commandment to Love A certain student once asked Rav Shmelke: "We are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves. But how can I love him if he treats me badly?" Rav Shmelke answered: "You must understand these words correctly: to love your neighbor as something that is yourself. For all souls are one soul. Every soul is a spark that flew off from the one original soul, which is wholly present in all souls, just as your soul is wholly present in every part of your body. Your soul can make a mistake, and then your hand makes a mistake too, causing you suffering. But would you then beat and whip your hand for not understanding what was required of it, thereby increasing your already considerable pain? The same is true of your neighbor, who shares one soul with you and who treats you badly, not understanding you well enough. If you punish him for this, you will thereby cause pain to yourself." The student asked again: "But if I see a sinner, guilty before G-d, how can I love him?" "But do you not know," answered Rav Shmelke, "that the original soul came forth from the essence of G-d, so that every human soul is therefore a part of G-d? Should not pity awaken in you when you see that one of the sacred divine sparks has become so entangled in sin and is nearly perishing?" The Ring A certain beggar came to Rav Shmelke. There was no money in the house, so he gave the beggar a ring. When Rav Shmelke's wife learned of this, she began to reproach him for giving such a valuable item, with such a large and precious stone, to some random passerby. Then Rav Shmelke called the beggar back and said to him: "I have just learned that the ring I gave you is very valuable. So be careful not to sell it too cheaply." Messengers A certain man came to Rav Shmelke and complained that he was unable to earn his own livelihood and was therefore forced to go about asking kind people for help. He kept repeating the words of the prayer: "May we not need the gift of flesh and blood." Rav Shmelke remarked to him: "You should say not 'gift' but 'gifts,' for G-d is One, but His messengers are many. This is what these words mean. When we say 'may we not need gifts,' we mean only the gifts of people. But when we do accept such gifts, we should regard those who give them as G-d's messengers." The Rich Man and the Poor Man Rav Shmelke used to say: "The poor man gives the rich man more than the rich man gives the poor man. So the rich man needs the poor man far more than the poor man needs the rich man." Be Holy A certain man once asked Rav Shmelke: "It is written: 'You shall be holy, for I, the L-rd your G-d, am holy. Every man shall revere his mother and his father.' But how can a man, this lump of clay, this dwelling place of the vilest desires, attain a quality that belongs to G-d Himself? And what is the connection between a call to the superhuman and the commandment to honor father and mother, which is a human law for mortal men?" The Rav answered: "According to the teaching of our Sages, three partners participate in the creation of a child: G-d, the father, and the mother. G-d's part is entirely holy. The other parts of the person can also be sanctified as much as possible. This is what the commandment means. You are holy and you shall be holy. Thus, you should avoid within yourself that inheritance from father and mother which opposes holiness. You must not yield to it, but you should curb it and make it subservient to holiness." Preparation One student of Rav Shmelke asked to be taught how to prepare his soul for the service of G-d. The tzadik told him to go to Rav Avraham Chaim, who at that time ran an inn. The student obeyed his teacher's instruction and lived for several weeks at Avraham's inn, but he could not see even a hint of holiness in the innkeeper, since from the morning prayer until late at night he did nothing but busy himself with household chores. Finally the student asked Avraham what took up his whole day. "My main concern," answered Rav Avraham, "is to wash and clean everything, so that not a crumb of bread remains on the tables, and the pots and pans gleam." When the student returned home and told his teacher everything, Rav Shmelke said: "Now you know the answer to your question." The Test Someone asked Rav Shmelke: "Why is the binding of Yitzchak so greatly extolled? After all, by that time our forefather Avraham had already attained a high degree of holiness, so it is not surprising that he immediately did what G-d commanded him." Rav Shmelke answered: "At the hour of the test, a person is stripped of every degree and all holiness. Naked of everything he has attained, he stands before the One who tests him." I Would Not Die Rav Shmelke once said: "If I had a choice, I would not die. For in the World to Come there are no Days of Awe. And how is a human soul to manage without these Days of Judgment?" Our Generation Rav Shmelke was once asked: "Some find it hard to believe that Mashiach could suddenly appear in this generation, on an ordinary day. How can our generation merit what even the Tannaim and Amoraim, the 'generations of knowledge,' and the generations right after them, did not merit?" The tzadik answered: "For many years, a king's army besieged a well-fortified city. Many different regiments, under capable commanders, stormed its towers again and again with all the strength they had, until finally they were able to take the city. Then an entire army of ordinary laborers was called into the city and ordered to clear away the rubble and ruins and build a new palace in the city for the victorious king. Such is our generation." The Fate of Thieves Regarding Rashi's words, "The ear that heard the words 'Do not steal' spoken at Mount Sinai, and which then goes and steals, that person's ear shall be pierced," Rav Shmelke said: "Before G-d spoke this commandment from Mount Sinai, every person watched over his own property and made sure it would not be stolen. And since thieves knew this, they did not try to steal. But after the L-rd said, 'Do not steal,' and people felt that G-d was guarding their property for them, thievery began to flourish." Brothers Rav Shmelke of Nikolsburg once invited his brother Rav Pinchas of Frankfurt to visit him. Rav Shmelke always ate very modestly, and in his old age began to eat very little food, washing it down with a small amount of water. When Rav Pinchas, who had not seen his brother in many years, noticed this, he said: "Here a father and mother have two sons. One eats and gulps like a wild animal, and the other is like an angel of G-d: he needs neither food nor drink, but is content with the radiance of the divine glory alone." Rabbi Shmelke replied: "Here a father and mother have two sons. One is like a Kohen Gadol, and the other is like an ordinary father of a family. The Kohen Gadol eats, and his food is part of the offering that the ordinary father of a family brings to G-d." The Journey on the Danube Plans for persecuting Israel were being hatched in the imperial palace. So Rav Shmelke and his student Moshe Leib of Sasov set out for Vienna to thwart these plots. It was freezing, and ice floes drifted on the Danube. The tzadikim traveled in a flimsy little boat that could hold no more than two people. And then Rav Shmelke began to sing the song that Moshe sang after crossing the Red Sea, and Moshe Leib joined in as well, echoing it in his deep bass voice. So they sailed on in the cramped boat, and the ice floes did not touch them. In Vienna, people crowded on the shore, marveling at the travelers, news of whom soon reached the imperial palace as well. That very day, Rav Shmelke was received by the Empress, who granted all his requests. Amen When Rav Shmelke sensed that he would soon die, he said to his Chassidim: "Until now I did not wish to tell you this, but now I will, for the time has come. You know that I always prayed diligently and recited the blessing before meals only where there was someone present who could say 'Amen.' For every blessing gives birth to an angel, and that angel remains incomplete until someone says 'Amen.' But once, while traveling, I recited a blessing in a solitary place where there was no one to say 'Amen.' I had already begun to feel great uneasiness about this, when suddenly two figures appeared beside me. As I spoke the words of the blessing, I marveled at the stature and bearing of these strangers, and when I finished, they said 'Amen' with an inexpressible sweetness. But when I tried to look at them more closely, a cloud enveloped them and they vanished."   The Soul of Shmuel HaNavi On the second day of the month of Iyar in 5538, Rav Shmelke gathered his students. He sat solemnly in his large chair, his face shining, his eyes as clear and pure as ever. Rav Shmelke said: "You should know that today is the day of my passing." The students began to weep, but the Rav told them to stop, and continued: "You should also know that within me dwells the soul of the prophet Shmuel. There are three signs of this: my name is Shmuel; I am a Levite, and he too was a Levite; my life has lasted 52 years, as did his. But people called him Shmuel, and me Shmelke, and so I shall remain in their memory as Shmelke." Then he told his weeping students to leave him alone. When they went out, Rav Shmelke leaned back against his chair and passed away.   May the merit of this tzadik protect Am Yisrael! (https://dailyzohar.com/tzadikim/352-Rabbi-Shmuel-Shmelke-HaLevi-Horowitz-of-Nikolsburg; http://asimplejew.blogspot.com/2007/04/guest-posting-from-chabakuk-elisha.html#links)