9 Av · Yahrzeit
Chozeh of Lublin
Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak bar Avraham-Eliezer HaLevi Horowitz – the Chozeh of Lublin (1815)
Yahrzeit - 9 Av
Resting place - Lublin, Poland
Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak, known better as the "Seer of Lublin", was a Hasidic Rebbe in Poland.
He was a disciple of the Maggid of Mezeritch, and then continued studying under Rabbi Shmelke of Nikolsburg and Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk.
For a time he lived in Lancut, and then moved to Lublin.
After Yaakov Yitzchak moved to Lublin, thousands of Chassidim flocked there to learn from him. Among his students were such luminaries of Chassidus as the Yid HaKadosh ("the Holy Jew"), Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Peshischa, Rabbi Meir of Apt, Rabbi Dovid of Lelov, the Yismach Moshe, Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech of Dinov, Rabbi Naftali Tzvi of Ropshitz, the Meor VaShemesh, and Sar Shalom of Belz.
The Chozeh of Lublin also earned a reputation as a miracle worker.
His students said that he could instantly discern the essence of a person, the lineage of his soul, and its tikkun at every stage of reincarnation. The Chozeh's students wrote that their teacher also foresaw the future, though he was only given the title "Seer" after his passing.
While in Lublin, Yaakov Yitzchak was opposed by the well-known Talmudist Rabbi Ezriel Horowitz, known by the nickname "Di Ayzerne Kop" (the iron head, in Yiddish).
The Chozeh of Lublin was a direct descendant of the Shelah HaKadosh, and his maternal grandfather, Rabbi Yaakov Koppel Likover, was also a well-known rabbi and a contemporary of the Baal Shem Tov.
On the day he died, July 15, 1815 (9 Av 5575), he predicted that 100 years from that day (according to the Hebrew calendar), the Russians would lose their power over Poland.
And so it was — on July 20, 1915 (9 Av, 5675 by the Hebrew calendar), the Austrians conquered Lublin, and the Chozeh's prophecy was noted in the Polish newspapers.
The Seer of Lublin regarded Napoleon's campaign against Russia (1812), which stirred messianic hopes in Poland and Galicia, as the beginning of the war of Gog and Magog, and he wanted the tzadikim to unite their efforts to bring about the coming of Moshiach.
He was a disciple of the Maggid of Mezeritch, the Maggid of Zlotchov, Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev, and Reb Shmelke of Nikolsburg. His main Rebbe, of course, was Reb Elimelech of Lizhensk, author of "Noam Elimelech". He was one of Reb Elimelech's four greatest talmidim.
(The other three were Reb Yisrael of Kozhnitz, Reb Avraham Yehoshua Heschel of Apt, and Reb Menachem Mendel of Rimanov. There were, of course, many other great talmidim, but these four were singled out by the Noam Elimelech, who gave each of them different spiritual gifts before his passing.)
Among his talmidim were Reb Dovid of Lelov, Reb Yissachar Dov of Ropshitz, the "Meor VaShemesh," Reb Naftali of Ropshitz, the Yid HaKadosh, the "Bnei Yissaschar," the "Yismach Moshe," Reb Meir of Apt, the Zhidichov and Komarno Rebbes, Sar Shalom of Belz, and other tzadikim.
The Chozeh of Lublin wrote glosses on the "Likutei Moharan" and the siddur "Tefila Yesharah" (the Berditchever Siddur). Among his sefarim is "Divrei Emet."
Sipurei Tzadikim
The Shabbat Meal
Once, on a Friday afternoon, as a new yeshiva student, young Yaakov Yitzchak went into the yeshiva kitchen and told the person in charge that he liked to prepare his own fish for Shabbat; he chose a piece of fish, salted it, and put it back. Other students standing around laughed at this, saying that this student had no idea which piece of fish he would receive on Shabbat. The Baal HaTanya witnessed this and understood that there was something special about this student, so he tied a thread around the fish that the Chozeh had salted. When the fish was served on Shabbat, the Baal HaTanya watched to see what would happen. He saw the piece of fish with the thread tied to it placed in front of the student sitting next to the Chozeh. That student began to feel nauseated, so he pushed the fish over to the Chozeh and told him he could eat it. Already as a young student, he was a "Seer."
Why the Lubliner Rebbe Was Called the Chozeh
If a person has "kosher" eyes, he will be able to see lofty things that the eyes cannot ordinarily perceive. (Likutei Moharan 254)
When Reb Yaakov Yitzchok was a student, he walked around with his eyes closed so as not to see what he should not see. One of his friends walked with him to guide him. Some of his fellow students went to their Rebbe and asked what this foolishness was about, but the Rebbe told them to leave Yaakov Yitzchak alone, for he was sincere in what he did.
When Yaakov Yitzchok came of age, a wonderful shidduch was found for him. He did not look at his kallah (bride) before the wedding, since he had no need to see her beforehand. At the wedding he opened his eyes to see his bride-to-be, and saw the shape of an idol on her face. He immediately told his father that the wedding must be called off. Understandably, everyone was furious with him. The girl supposedly had every quality one could wish for. But he remembered what he had seen on the girl's face — there was some impurity there — and he had no choice but to cancel the wedding.
Over all those years, by never looking at anything improper, he became able to see what an ordinary eye could not perceive. He eventually found a fitting match and came to be called the Chozeh (the Seer), because by guarding his eyes from forbidden sights he could see from one end of the world to the other.
You Will Weep on the Day I Die
On Simchat Torah the Chozeh fell out of a window and was badly injured. Some of the Chozeh's opponents openly rejoiced at this. Hearing of it, the Chozeh said, "On the day I die, they will weep." This statement was understood when the Chozeh passed away on the saddest day of the year — Tisha B'Av.
A Preview of the Coming Year
Reb Tzvi Elimelech of Dinov (the Bnei Yissaschar), in "Igra D'Kallah" (Pekudei), says in the name of his Rebbe, Menachem Mendel of Rimanov, that each of the first 12 days of Nissan represents one month of the year and contains all the forces of that month.
He says it is well known that the Chozeh of Lublin used to write down what would happen in the coming year, on the days of the Nesi'im, each day corresponding to a month. In the year of his passing, he stopped writing during the month of Av — he passed away on Tisha B'Av.
How to Make the Angels Laugh
Once two Chassidim of the Seer of Lublin decided to visit their teacher. They had only enough money for half the journey, but they decided to rely on the will of the Al-mighty — somehow they would get there…
So, the coachman brought them exactly to the point they had paid for, and then suggested they walk the rest of the way. Then one of the Chassidim said to his companion:
"Listen, you have a distinguished appearance, and your kapote (Chassidic coat) is new. Let's go to the nearest village, find a Jewish tavern-keeper there, and I'll introduce you as a wonder-working rav. I'll call myself your shamash (attendant). You'll give him some blessings, and in return he'll feed us and give us money for the road to Lublin."
So they did. They reached the nearest village and asked where the Jewish inn was. The plainer-looking Chassid ran ahead, while the "important rebbe" followed him.
Apparently the innkeeper saw them through the window, because he suddenly burst out the door to meet them, showering the pair of Chassidim with terrible curses.
"Dear Jew, why are you cursing us?" asked the Chassid playing the role of attendant, in surprise.
"We're seeing you for the first time, and by all appearances you've never met us either — what has upset you so much?"
The innkeeper calmed down a bit and continued the "conversation" in a calmer tone:
"It's already been 10 years since I got married — and G-d still hasn't blessed us with a child! I've gone to all sorts of wonder-working rabbis, paid them heaps of money — and not one of them has been able to help me! I see that you're probably more of these frauds too!"
"What are you saying!" replied the "attendant."
"There isn't a rav like my rav anywhere else in the whole world! If he can't help — then truly no one in the world can!"
"Really?" the tavern-keeper wondered. "But I've already even gone to the Seer of Lublin — nothing helps… Fine, I'll try one last time! Come in — I'll treat you, and give you money for the road! Just make sure it works!"
The dignified Chassid playing the wonder-worker asked for a piece of parchment, a quill, and ink, and wrote what he called an "amulet," after which the two friends spent the night under the roof of the nervous innkeeper, and in the morning set off for Lublin.
The trip went as usual — conversations with the Rebbe, Chassidic gatherings, inspired talk of the Divine over a glass of vodka.
The following year the friends had saved up more money and reached Lublin without incident. Upon arriving, they immediately got in line for the Rebbe's blessing. Imagine their horror when, in the man standing a few meters ahead of them, they recognized the innkeeper for whom they had written the "amulet"! The worst part was, there was a crowd all around, and the line was moving only in one direction — forward, past the Rebbe!
When the tavern-keeper reached the Rebbe, he greeted him and said:
"Dear Rebbe, a great wonder-worker appeared in our area! How many kabbalists I asked to cure my wife of barrenness — nothing helped! And then a year ago an unknown rabbi with an attendant came to me, wrote an amulet — and now my wife is nursing a baby! It's truly a miracle!"
Under some impulse the tavern-keeper turned around and saw the "rav" with his "attendant"!
"There they are!" he cried.
The Seer of Lublin smiled and beckoned the Chassidim over with his finger. They approached; the Rebbe let the tavern-keeper go and quietly said to the Chassidim:
"This man had an 'iron roof' — a decree from Heaven that all the blessings intended for him would not reach Ha-Shem."
And for years the blessings of great rabbis and Kabbalah scholars piled up 'under the roof'… But when you wrote your 'amulet,' the angels in Heaven laughed so hard that the 'roof' shook from their laughter and broke — and all the blessings reached the Al-mighty!"
Chassidic tradition says that the letters "samech-kuf-mem-dalet" were written in the "amulet." This apparently spelled out a phrase meaning "an old cow still gives milk" (it seems the Chassidim knew Russian).
Sandak
The Tzadik's Resting Place
If you go to the cemetery in Lublin, you will see that the Chozeh is buried next to Reb Shachna of Lublin. Here is how that came about.
As soon as the Chozeh passed away, his devoted talmid, Reb Naftali of Ropshitz, went to the cemetery to choose a fitting plot for his Rebbe. The town's rav, a misnagid who disliked the Chozeh, ordered the gravediggers not to give him any choice. Reb Naftali went to the cemetery at night with the gravediggers and managed to trick them into thinking they were digging a grave in an ordinary plot. In the morning they realized they had dug the plot right next to the famous Reb Shalom Shachna of Lublin, who had been the town's rav many years earlier. They went to the rav and asked him what to do. He told them that once the grave was dug it was already too late, and they had no choice but to bury the Chozeh there. During his lifetime, the Chozeh had often told people to go pray for their yeshuos at the grave of Reb Shachna.
He was injured as a result of falling from a window on Simchat Torah, and nearly a year later he died on Tisha B'Av from complications related to that fall.
The Chozeh of Lublin is buried in the Old Jewish Cemetery in Lublin.
May the merit of the tzadik Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak Horowitz protect us all!
Prayer for 9 Av in the Merit of the Tzadik, the Chozeh of Lublin
On the day of Tisha B'Av, the pure soul of the Chozeh of Lublin ascended.
The Chozeh was Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak HaLevi Horowitz, and he was called this because he was known for possessing signs and wonders, as well as spiritual vision, which earned him the nickname "Chozeh" (Seer).
It is known that at the beginning of the 19th century he walked for a long time with a covering over his eyes to protect himself from forbidden sights, and afterward gained spiritual sight.
He spread Chassidus throughout Poland, and it was said of him that he could perceive the subtleties of a person's soul and thoughts, as well as the world from beginning to end.
להדליק נר לטובת נשמת הצדיק ולומר: הריני מדליק/ה נר לזכות נשמת רבי יעקב יצחק בן רבי אברהם אליעזר, זכותו תגן עלינו.
2. לתת פרוטה לצדקה (אפשרי בקופת צדקה בבית ובכל מקום) ולומר: הריני נותנ/ת צדקה לזכות נשמת רבי יעקב יצחק בן רבי אברהם אליעזר, זכותו תגן עלינו.
3. לומר פסוקי תהילים, מזמור קי"ט לפי האותיות רבי יעקב יצחק נשמה ולפתוח אותם במילים : הריני אומר/ת פסוקי תהילים לזכות נשמת רבי יעקב יצחק בן רבי אברהם אליעזר, זכותו תגן עלינו
1. Light a candle for the benefit of the tzadik's soul and say: "Hareni madlik/ah ner lezechut nishmat Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak ben Rabbi Avraham Eliezer, zechuto tagen aleinu" - (behold, I am lighting a candle in the merit of the soul of Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak ben Rabbi Avraham Eliezer, may his merit protect us).
2. Give a coin to tzedakah (you may put it in a tzedakah box at home or anywhere else) and say: "Hareni noten/et tzedakah lezechut nishmat Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak ben Rabbi Avraham Eliezer, zechuto tagen aleinu" - (behold, I am giving tzedakah in the merit of Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak ben Rabbi Avraham Eliezer, may his merit protect us).
3. Recite the pesukim of Tehillim: Psalm 119 according to the letters of the name Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak and the word Neshamah (soul), preceding the reading with the words: "Hareni omer/et pesukei Tehillim lezechut nishmat Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak ben Rabbi Avraham Eliezer, zechuto tagen aleinu" - (behold, I am reciting pesukim of Tehillim in the merit of the soul of Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak ben Rabbi Avraham Eliezer, may his merit protect us).
(https://dailyzohar.com/tzadikim/773-Rabbi-Yaakov-Yitzchak-of-Lublin, http://zchusavos.blogspot.com/2007/07/chozeh-of-lublin.html; Based on a class by Rabbanit Chava Kupperman)
Pilgrimage site:
Grave: The Chozeh of Lublin