Rabbi Yaakov Shimshon of Shepetovka

  3 Sivan is the Yahrzeit of Rabbi Yaakov Shimshon ben Yitzchok of Shepetovka (1801). A talmid of the Maggid of Mezeritch, the Toldot Yaakov Yosef, and Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz. Yahrzeit - 3 Sivan Resting place - the old cemetery in Tiberias; He traveled to Arab countries to collect money for the poor of Eretz Yisrael. The son of Rabbi Yitzchak, rabbi of Slavuta, he was a descendant of Rabbi Shimshon of Ostropol. He was a disciple of the Maggid of Mezeritch, Rav Pinchas of Koretz, and a close friend of Rabbi Baruch of Medzhybizh. Rav Yaakov Shimshon of Shepetovka was a great halachic authority whose considerable erudition earned him respect and recognition in rabbinic circles. He is quoted by Rabbi Efraim Zalman Margolis in "Sefer Zera Efraim." He was entrusted with the enormous task of explaining the teachings of Chassidus to such authoritative rabbis as Rabbi Yechezkel Landau of Prague, Rabbi Yeshaya Yehuda Leib Berlin, and Rabbi Efraim Zalman Margulies of Brody. These rabbis opposed the Chassidic movement of the Baal Shem Tov. He succeeded his father as rabbi of Shepetovka, but in 1799 he settled in Tiberias, where he became acquainted with Rabbi Nachman of Breslov during the latter's travels through Eretz Yisrael. It was a great joy for Rabbi Yaakov Shimshon to meet Rabbi Nachman; he prepared a meal in his honor and rejoiced greatly together with him, conversing with him privately at length. Sipurei Tzadikim It is known that his teacher - Rabbi Yaakov Yosef of Polonne - was subjected to attacks by the Misnagdim. A tradition has been preserved that Rabbi Yaakov Yosef appeared in a dream to his disciple, Rabbi Shimshon of Shepetovka, and demanded that he travel to Prague and request an explanation from Rabbi Yechezkel Landau - author of "Noda BiYehuda" ("Known in the Tribe of Yehuda"). After long wanderings, Rabbi Shimshon finally reached Prague and, disguised as a beggar, entered the home of the author of "Noda BiYehuda" while he sat surrounded by his students, sharpening his mind in sophisticated Talmudic discussions. Rabbi Yechezkel received the "beggar" unwelcomingly, considering that he was disturbing and distracting him and his students from their studies, but the beggar entered into conversation and wittily showed how baseless and pointless their logical constructions were. He called these studies mere amusement and a way to show off, and moreover proved that he himself, when needed, could skillfully conduct a discussion, find the "highlight" of a topic, and possessed Talmudic knowledge no less profound than those sitting before him. When those present became convinced of his scholarship, he revealed his true identity to them and said: "I am the least of the youngest disciples of the holy tzadik of Polonne, author of 'Toldot Yaakov Yosef.' From this you may conclude what our middling disciples are like, and what our senior disciples are like, and after that you will be able to imagine the depth of knowledge and sharpness of mind of the great Rabbi who wrote 'Toldot Yaakov Yosef.'" Then followed a discussion between him and Rabbi Yechezkel about Chassidus in general and about Rabbi Yaakov Yosef in particular. The Prague rabbi was especially astonished by Rabbi Yaakov's assertion that "in order for a tzadik to be able to raise a lower level and bring it closer to a higher one, he must descend to it and establish a connection with it." The guest from Shepetovka replied: "Before being astonished at the Rabbi's words, you ought to be indignant at Moshe, who was the first to walk that same path." "At the hour when the Jews committed that deed (worshipping the golden calf)," taught Rabbi Nechemia in the midrash "Shemot Rabbah," "Moshe arose to persuade the Almighty to forgive them, and said: 'Master of the world, they helped You, and You want to destroy them?! Then let this calf help You: You will make the sun shine, and it the moon; You the stars, and it the constellations,' and so on." G-d answered: "Moshe, you are mistaken just as they are, for this calf is nothing!" But he replied: "Then why are You angry at Your sons?" You see that Moshe, with whom, as the Torah states, no one can compare, in his desire to defend the Jewish people and raise them to a higher level, allowed himself to descend so far as to utter words that could be interpreted as mockery and derision of Heaven." In the end, Rabbi Shimshon won the argument and was able to convince Rabbi Landau of the correctness of his view. Then, the tradition concludes, he "picked up the book 'Toldot Yaakov Yosef,' which lay at his feet, and kissed it." "And I will bring you out from under the burdens of Egypt..." (6:6) The word "burdens," in Hebrew "sivlot," is related to another word of the same root: "savlanut" - "patience." The most terrible danger in exile is not the burdens themselves ("sivlot"), but the patience ("savlanut"), when a person becomes accustomed to such a position of slavery and reconciles himself with it, according to the principle: "one gets used to it and comes to love it"! If the Jewish people were ready to patiently endure Egyptian slavery, this was a sure sign that the time had come to immediately take them out of Egypt! (Rabbi Bunim of Peshischa) One of the grandsons of Rabbi Zusha of Anipoli was about to get married, and his parents, several months before the wedding, came to ask the great tzadik whom to choose to perform the chuppah. An immediate answer followed: "Rabbi Yaakov Shimshon of Shepetovka!" By that time Rabbi Yaakov Shimshon had already left for Eretz Yisrael, so this answer caused more than surprise. But there was still much time before the chuppah, so this question receded into the background for a while. A week before the wedding, they again asked the holy tzadik who would perform the chuppah. And again - the immediate answer: "The Shepetovker Rebbe." The family decided that due to old age and illness, Rabbi Zusha had simply forgotten that the rebbe of Shepetovka had left forever for Eretz Yisrael. However, they still did not dare to look for someone else. On the day of the wedding, they turned to the tzadik with this question for the third time. He answered the same way! Finally, the time for the chuppah arrived. The bride and groom, numerous relatives and guests waited for the rabbi. They sent someone home to ask Rabbi Zusha who would perform the chuppah?! "Rabbi Yaakov Shimshon of Shepetovka," the tzadik continued to insist. The family members were completely at a loss and simply did not know what to do! Then a carriage pulls up, and Rabbi Yaakov Shimshon steps out of it. He had arrived at that very moment from the Holy Land to collect donations. Hearing that Rabbi Zusha was marrying off his grandson, he hurried straight to the chuppah! The participants of the celebration became witnesses to the fulfillment of what had seemed to be the tzadik's absurd words. "It is easier to take the Jews out of galut than to take 'galut' out of the heart of the Jew himself"! (Rabbi Yaakov Shimshon of Shepetovka) The grave of Rabbi Yaakov Shimshon of Shepetovka is located in the old cemetery of Tiberias among the disciples of the Baal Shem Tov. May the merit of the tzadik protect the people of Israel! (https://dailyzohar.com/tzadikim/215-Rabbi-Yaakov-Shimshon-of-Shepetovka)