Rabbi Sar Shalom bar Elazar Rokeach of Belz

Rabbi Sar Shalom bar Elazar Rokeach - founder of the Belz dynasty (1781 – 1855) Yahrzeit - 27 Elul Burial place - Belz, Ukraine In Belz he was simply called the "Ershter Rov" - the First Belzer Rebbe. Rabbi Shalom was born in Brody to Rabbi Elazar Rokeach. According to legend, his father tended to the ailing rabbi, the holy Reb Chaim of Tzanz, praying and weeping bitterly, understanding that his rabbi was passing away. Suddenly his rabbi opened his eyes and, smiling calmly at his weeping student, said: "Do not cry! You have no reason to be so sad, for I will return to you in just a week's time!" Shortly after he finished speaking, Reb Chaim passed away. His student was inconsolable until, about a week later, at the end of the seven days of mourning, his wife gave birth to a boy. A wonder of wonders, he thought - could this be what my Rebbe meant when he said he would return to me in a week?! Indeed, from the earliest age it was clear that this child was destined for greatness. He excelled in his studies and, unlike other children, avoided their childish amusements, preferring to spend every free moment in the synagogue. During the festival of Chanukah, when he was still a small boy, he asked one evening for permission to go to the synagogue. His father, assuming he wanted to go play dreidel with his friends, allowed him to go, but gave him a candle to take with him, instructing him to light the candle when he arrived at the synagogue and to return home as soon as it burned out. Little Shalom headed to the synagogue, but instead of playing with his friends, he lit the candle, settled into a quiet corner, and immersed himself in studying the holy books. He was so completely absorbed in his studies that he did not notice anything miraculous happening. The little candle, which should have burned for no more than an hour or an hour and a half, burned for several hours, until he finished studying a complex Talmudic discourse, and only then went out. True to his word, as soon as the candle burned out, he returned home and received a scolding from his father for coming back so late. At a tender age he was orphaned when his father died. His mother took him to Sokal, where he grew up in the house of his uncle, Rabbi Isochar Dov Ramraz, who was the rabbi of Sokal. When his uncle recognized his young nephew's merits, he was so impressed that he took him as a son-in-law and gave him his daughter Malka in marriage. Prince of Torah Rebbetzin Malka proved to be a worthy partner and kindred spirit, and she stood firmly and steadfastly by her husband's side, encouraging and supporting him as he painstakingly advanced along his chosen path. She was known for her great compassion for her fellow Jews, and to this day the chasidim tell great and wonderful stories of her legendary holiness and her noble deeds, but above all, her great husband never forgot what she had done for him when he was young and struggling. Indeed, it is said of her: "It is by the merit of Malka (the Hebrew word for queen) that Shalom is king!" Soon after marrying the holy Rebbetzin Malka, he set out on a mission to test his perseverance and endurance. He and two of his partners undertook a seemingly impossible task - to spend 1000 consecutive nights studying the Word of G-d and seeking the secrets hidden within it. The first of the two partners gave up after only 300 nights, the second quit after 700 consecutive nights, but Reb Sholom alone persevered. On the thousandth night, a terrible storm broke out with pouring rain, hail, and thunder. It was as if the devil himself had come to block his path and prevent him from reaching his goal. The fearless young man pushed through the storm and made his way to the synagogue. When he sat down to study, the wind was so strong that it shattered the windows and extinguished his candle. In desperation, he went to the Holy Ark and cried out: "Almighty! Please help me and do not let this storm disrupt my study schedule!" The prophet Eliyahu HaNavi appeared to him and, for the rest of the night, revealed to him the secrets of the Torah. Almost immediately, the terrible storm subsided, and Reb Sholom relit his candle and resumed his studies. But this time he did not study alone. Eliyahu HaNavi taught him Kabbalah and handed him the keys to the treasuries of the most secret and unfathomable mysteries contained in the Torah. As that memorable night drew to a close, Reb Sholom made a resolution: he took upon himself to build a mighty house of prayer that would incorporate every aspect of holiness, exactly as he had learned from the prophet, because the last topic they had discussed that evening concerned the laws of building a synagogue as a house of prayer.   Building the Synagogue Every day, whether in rain or shine, even in the hail or snow of harsh winter days, Reb Sholom stood and physically took part in the building of the Beit Knesset. Reb Shalom was appointed rabbi of Belz in 1816, and soon after he began carrying out his ambitions. He spared neither effort nor money for his holy project, which took fifteen years to complete. He was not content merely to draw up plans and give instructions to the masons. Every day, whether in rain or shine, even in the hail or snow of harsh winter days, Reb Sholom stood and physically took part in the building of the synagogue. The resulting building was truly a sight to behold. It was built with a crenellated roof and battlemented walls in the style of the fortified synagogues that were once common, some of which still exist today in Central and Eastern Europe. It was not only an architectural masterpiece, but every halachic and kabbalistic instruction was taken into account - for example, the number of windows and their placement, as well as the placement of the doors. He even claimed that he had not simply built his synagogue facing east, as is customary, in the general direction of Zion, but had positioned his synagogue to face precisely toward the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, so that no church would obstruct the direct path to the holy place! He took the concept of Le'romeim Beis Elokeinu - to exalt the House of our L-rd - quite literally. His synagogue not only had to architecturally surpass every other building nearby, but also had to be physically the tallest. When a local nobleman began building a church across the road, and according to the plans he submitted, his building was to be slightly taller than the synagogue, Reb Sholom changed his plans and increased the overall height by adding decorative crenellations to the top of the main synagogue building. The nobleman laughed upon hearing of the new plans and said: "The rabbi doesn't understand that I am the reincarnation of Haman! As soon as he raises his building, I will raise mine, and we shall see whose building is taller!" When this contemptuous statement was relayed to the Rebbe, he replied: "Well, if he has compared himself to Haman, then the same downfall awaits him as befell Haman!" That very day, as the nobleman rode into town to present his revised plans to the planning committee, he was thrown from his horse and killed. Once, a descendant of the holy Rav Sar Shalom of Belz was visiting the Gaon Yanuka. He told a story about Rav Sar Shalom, who once needed to light his pipe, but there were no matches nearby. Rav Sar Shalom simply made a gesture with his hand, and sparks appeared, allowing him to light his pipe. The Gaon Yanuka added that Rav Sar Shalom was known as the "little Baal Shem Tov," because he performed wonders just as the holy Baal Shem Tov did.