18 Tevet · Yahrzeit
Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech Shapiro of Dinov "Bnei Yissaschar"
Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech Shapiro of Dinov (1783-1841) is known to many as the "Bnei Yissaschar" after the title of his book.
Yahrzeit - 18 Tevet
Resting place - Dynów, Poland
When Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech's mother was pregnant with him, she went to her illustrious brother, the Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk, to receive a bracha. The Rebbe told her that she should name the child, who would be a boy, Elimelech. She was afraid that her brother would die, since according to Ashkenazic custom one does not name a child after someone still living, so she named him Tzvi Elimelech. When Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk learned what the child had been named, he told his sister that had the child been named simply "Elimelech," that child would have been mamash, like "Melech" himself - exactly like him. Now, he said, the boy would only be half like him.
He served as rabbi of several communities, including Strzyzow, Dinov, and Munkacs. Known for his love of the Jewish people, he promoted the study of Kabbalah in yeshivot and fought against the leaders of the Maskilim, the "enlighteners," who threatened to undermine traditional Judaism. His reputation as a miracle worker brought him thousands of chassidim, and his mastery of Torah earned him the admiration of all the Torah scholars of his generation.
Connection to Chanukah
The Rebbe Tzvi Elimelech of Dinov felt something unusual when it came to Chanukah. He knew he was not from the family of the Hasmoneans, because he was not a Kohen. He decided to go to his teacher, the Chozeh of Lublin, to find out about this. As soon as he entered the Chozeh's room, the clairvoyant tzadik told him that he descended from the Tribe of Yissaschar - that was precisely the reason he felt such an uplift on Chanukah, since many of the judges at the court of the Hasmoneans were from the Tribe of Yissaschar.
For this reason he named his book "Bnei Yissaschar" and devoted much attention to the topic of Chanukah.
Zot Chanukah
The Torah reading on the eighth day of Chanukah (maftir, when it falls on Shabbat) begins with the offering brought by the prince of the tribe of Menashe. The 12 tribes correspond to the 12 months, and the month corresponding to Menashe is Cheshvan. (This is true if we count Nissan as the first month and count the tribes in the order in which they traveled through the desert, as well as brought their offerings, as indicated in the Torah reading for Chanukah.)
Cheshvan is the month in which, according to tradition, the Beit HaMikdash will be rebuilt. (The first Beit HaMikdash was consecrated in Tishrei, which corresponds to Ephraim, while the second Beit HaMikdash was rededicated in Kislev, which corresponds to Binyamin. Thus, all three Temples were or will be consecrated in months connected to the children of Rachel - "Ikeret HaBayit" [mistress of the House] [i.e., the Temple].
On the eighth day of Chanukah, when we read about the offering of the descendant of Menashe, we allow ourselves to look forward to the future redemption, which is also connected to Menashe, as explained above. We say: "This is the dedication" - may we soon see the final dedication of the Temple. (Bnei Yissaschar)
Why do Jews eat fish on Shabbat?
"G-d blessed Shabbat and declared it holy, because on this day G-d ceased from all the work that G-d had done in Creation." (Bereishit 2:3)
There is a custom to eat fish on Shabbat because of three blessings that G-d pronounced during Creation:
The first blessing was given to fish, when G-d said:
"Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters of the seas." (Bereishit 1:22)
The second blessing was given to man:
"Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth." (Bereishit 1:28)
The third blessing was given to Shabbat:
"G-d blessed the seventh day, and He declared it holy." (Bereishit 2:3)
By eating fish on Shabbat, we merit that all three blessings, given to man, Shabbat, and fish, be fulfilled through us. ("Bnei Yissaschar")
Prayer
It has been asked: if prayer is effective, does that not mean that G-d changes His unchanging Will? That before the prayer was said, He desired one thing, and after the prayer, another? The disciples of the Baal Shem Tov explained it this way: Through prayer you attain a higher spiritual level and become a different person. Even if a heavenly decree had been issued against you, through prayer you take on a new identity; and the fateful heavenly decree was not issued against your new identity. Thus, G-d did not change His decision when He accepted your prayer and annulled the evil decree. (Bnei Yissaschar, discourse on Shabbat)
Respect for teachers
"Let the honor due to your teacher be as dear to you as the honor due to Heaven"
One can learn proper reverence and respect for one's teacher from the Heavens. For the further the moon "respectfully" keeps its distance from the sun, the more light it absorbs from it, and the brighter it shines. In the same way, the greater a person's reverence and respect for his teacher - that is, the greater the respectful "distance" between them - the more he can learn from him. (Bnei Yissaschar)
(From a trip to Poland to Kivrei Tzadikim with Gaon Yaniv Assuri, Rosh Yeshiva of "Yodei Bina")
Pilgrimage site:
Grave: Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech Shapiro of Dynów