1 Nisan · Yahrzeit
Rabbi Elimelech Shapiro of Grodzisk - "Divrei Elimelech"
Rabbi Elimelech ben Chaim Meir Yechiel Shapiro of Grodzisk (1823–1892) - "Divrei Elimelech"
Yahrzeit - 1 Nissan
Resting place - Grodzisk, Poland
Rav Elimelech Shapiro of Grodzisk was a leading Chassidic Rebbe of his time in Poland. He was a follower of the Ruzhiner Rebbe. After the passing of his father, the Saraf of Mogielnica, he took over the leadership of the chassidim, whose numbers eventually reached ten thousand.
His sons-in-law were the Kozhnitzer Rebbe and Rebbe Asher II of Stolin-Karlin.
When he passed away, his surviving sons were two and three years old, as the sons from his first marriage had died before him. Some of the chassidim waited for the sons to grow up; one of them eventually became the Rav of Piaseczno.
Other chassidim chose his grandson, Rav Yisroel Shapiro, as their next leader.
A third group, which included many learned rabbis, followed the scholarly Rav of Ostrowiec. This gave rise to a popular saying that when the Imrei Elimelech passed away, his main successors were the Rebbe fun der Daies (the Rebbe of opinions/scholarship, i.e. the Ostrowitzer), the Rebbe fun der Maiyes (the Rebbe of hundreds, a polite way of referring to the wealthy chassidim; his grandson, Rabbi Yisroel Shapiro) and the Rebbe fun der peiyes (the Rebbe of peyos, i.e. the most devout chassidim).
The works of Rabbi Elimelech of Grodzisk are collected in "Imrei Elimelech" and "Divrei Elimelech."
May the merit of the tzadik protect Am Yisrael!
Pilgrimage site:
Grave: Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech Shapiro of Dynów