Grave
Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech Shapiro of Dynów
the "Bnei Yissachar"
Yahrzeit (Hillula)
- 18 Tevet — Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech Shapiro of Dinov "Bnei Yissaschar"
- 5 Nisan — Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech Shapiro of Blazhov - "Tzvi La-Tzadik"
- 1 Nisan — Rabbi Elimelech Shapiro of Grodzisk - "Divrei Elimelech"
Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech Shapiro of Dynów (1783-1841) is known to many as the "Bnei Yissachar" after the title of his book.
Yahrzeit - 18 Tevet;
Resting place - Dynów, Poland;
When his mother was pregnant with him, she went to her illustrious brother, the Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk, to receive a blessing. The Rebbe told her that if the child was a boy, she should name him Elimelech. She grew afraid that her brother would die, since by Ashkenazi custom one does not name a child after someone still living, so she named him Tzvi Elimelech instead. When Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk learned what the child had been named, he told his sister that had the child been named simply "Elimelech," the boy would have been mamash like "Melech" - that is, exactly like himself. Now, he said, the boy would only be half like him.
Connection to Chanukah
Rebbe Tzvi Elimelech of Dynów felt something unusual when it came to Chanukah. He knew he was not descended from the Hasmonean family, since he was not a Kohen. He decided to go to his teacher, the Chozeh of Lublin, to find out why. As soon as he entered the Chozeh's room, the clairvoyant tzadik told him that he was descended from the Tribe of Yissachar - and that was precisely why he felt such an uplift on Chanukah, since many of the judges at the court of the Hasmoneans were from the Tribe of Yissachar.
For this reason he named his book "Bnei Yissachar" and devoted much attention in it to the subject of Chanukah.
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 gave during Creation:
The first blessing was given to the 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, to Shabbat, and to the fish - are fulfilled through us.
(the "Bnei Yissachar")
(From a trip to the resting place of the "Bnei Yissachar" with Gaon Yaniv Assuri, "Yodei Bina")
Gallery
