25 Nisan · Yahrzeit
Rabbi Chaim Halberstam - the Admor of Sanz - the "Divrei Chaim"
Rabbi Chaim Halberstam - the Admor of Sanz (1793–1876) - the "Divrei Chaim"
Yahrzeit - 25 Nissan
Resting place - Nowy Sacz, Poland
Rabbi Chaim ben Aryeh Leibush Halberstam of Ternigrad, known as the "Divrei Chaim" after his primary halachic work, founder of the Sanz Hasidic dynasty.
He was a descendant of the Chacham Tzvi and the son-in-law of Rabbi Baruch Frankel-Teomim, author of "Baruch Taam."
He was a disciple of Rabbi Moshe Yehoshua Heshel Orenstein and Rabbi Naftali Tzvi of Ropshitz.
In 1830 he was appointed town rabbi of Sanz, where he founded the Sanz Hasidic dynasty.
He attracted many followers and students through his piety and greatness.
Sanz gave rise to the Hasidic dynasties of Sanz-Klausenburg, Sanz-Zmigrod, and the Bobov Hasidim.
The Divrei Chaim was recognized by the leading rabbis of his generation as one of the outstanding Talmudists, poskim, and kabbalists of his time, receiving inquiries from rabbis and communities all over the world. His teachings, as well as his commentaries on the Torah published under the title "Divrei Chaim," reflect his greatness in Torah, his humility, and his compassionate character.
He was a champion of the poor and established many organizations to lift them out of poverty. He was the first honorary president of Kollel Tiferet Yerushalayim. His compassion and generosity were renowned - he literally gave away everything he had to those in need.
For 46 years he served as the Rav of Sanz, and the town became a vibrant center of Hasidism, attracting tens of thousands of followers. Among his many disciples were such leaders as Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Friedlander of Liska, the Tiferet Shlomo of Radomsk, Rabbi Avraham Yehuda HaKohen Schwartz, Rabbi Meir Horowitz of Dzikow, and the Kedushat Yom Tov of Sighet.
He studied under his brother-in-law, Yosef Babad, author of "Minchat Chinuch."
Five of Rabbi Chaim's sons became renowned tzadikim, the most prominent of whom was Rabbi Yechezkel of Shinova.
All seven of his daughters married Hasidic leaders.
He visited the great Hasidic leader Rabbi Yisrael of Ruzhin and became a fervent follower of Rabbi Naftali Tzvi of Ropshitz.
The current leader of the Bobover Hasidim, who now resides in Brooklyn, New York, is a descendant of Rabbi Chaim.
The founder of Laniado Hospital and the Sanz neighborhood in Netanya - Rabbi Yekutiel Yehuda Halberstam, the Klausenburger Rebbe - established several yeshivot, including yeshivot in Union City, New Jersey, and Brooklyn, New York. The spirit of Sanz lives on and flourishes today in the thriving communities of these two Hasidic leaders.
Teaching
Rabbi Chaim used to say: "When I was young, a burning love of G-d blazed within me, and I thought I could reform the world. But I soon realized it would be better to concentrate on improving the lives of the Jews in my town. I failed at that too, so I decided to correct the conduct of my own family. I gave up on that as well, and I am trying to improve myself, but even in this I have failed.
Food for the body and soul
"When you eat, you consume physical substance, but your spirit - that is, your intellect - also derives pleasure from it. Proof of this is the fact that when you are hungry or thirsty you cannot think clearly, but once you eat, your mind is revived. How are we to understand that food, a physical substance, affects the intellect, which is spiritual?
Food, like all physical matter, contains sparks of holiness. When you eat, it is these sparks of holiness that rise up from the physical realm to awaken the soul. In other words, when you eat, you release the spiritual energy contained within the holy sparks found in the food, as the Arizal explains."
The Divrei Chaim passed away in Sanz, Austro-Hungary (Nowy Sacz, Poland) in 1876.
"Tomer Devorah" - a segula against cancer from Rabbi Chaim of Sanz
May the merit of the tzadik protect Am Yisrael!
(https://dailyzohar.com/tzadikim/671-Rabbi-Chaim-Halberstam-of-Sanz)