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Malchus ShebeMalchus: The Chortkover Rebbe Reb Yisroel Friedman zt'l

by F. Avrohom

This was originally published in 1995.

For Part I of this series click here.

Among the great tzadikim and gedolim who illuminated the Torah world in the generation before the Second World War, a select few stand out as the major path finders of Klal Yisroel, and whose every thought and deed was given over to help Klal Yisroel as a whole. They made the important decisions and carried the heavy burden on their shoulders. One of these select few was the Chortkover Rebbe, Rabbi Yisroel Friedman zt'l. His chassidim numbered in their tens of thousands, and included quite a few famous rebbes and rabbonim. The poseik hador, Reb Meir Arik of Tarnov and also the Lubliner Rov, Reb Meir Shapiro zt'l were faithful chassidim of the Rebbe of Chortkov, as were the rebbes of Slonim, Amshinov and Radomsk. It was not an uncommon sight to see up to 200 rabbonim sitting at the Rebbe's tish.

The Kloiz in Chortkov

Part II

Avoda of Tzedoko

Even though great sums of money were deposited in the Rebbe's hands by those who had been helped through him, the Rebbe was very careful never to use money received from non-kosher sources. This point is illustrated through the following story which was told over by Reb Dovid Prever zt'l from Antwerp. Reb Dovid who was a well known Chortkov chassid lived in Berlin.

One Friday night Reb Dovid's door bell rang. An assimilated Jew who had heard that Reb Dovid intended to visit his Rebbe soon and he wanted to ask for a brocho for himself. The assimilated Jew took out a kvittel and some money and put them down on Reb Dovid's table, asking him to please hand them over to the Rebbe.

Reb Dovid, aghast at this open display of chilul Shabbos, thought at first that he would not take the kvittel with him. On second thought however, he decided that since he had been asked to carry out a mission, he would do so and whatever the Rebbe would do with the kvittel and pidyon was none of his business.

When Reb Dovid entered the Rebbe's room he put down on the Rebbe's table the two sums of money: his and the other Yid's. He made no mention of how the money from the other Jew had arrived into his hands. Normally the Rebbe never looked at the pidyon. He would ignore it leaving it to a gabbai to clear away. This time however the Rebbe took the money which the assimilated Jew had sent, and put it in his breast pocket. Reb Dovid noticed this sudden change but said nothing. Reb Dovid's money stayed lying on the table as usual, awaiting the gabbai.

After the conversation came to a close, the Rebbe told Reb Dovid that he had to go somewhere and that he wanted Reb Dovid to accompany him. On the way, a priest came over to the Rebbe asking him for a donation for an orphanage that had just opened. The Rebbe put his hand into his breast pocket and took out the money that Reb Dovid had brought from the assimilated Jew, and handed it over to the priest. Reb Dovid understood that the Rebbe wanted to show him that he knew the money was not from a kosher source.

The Rebbe used to say that the only merit that he had on which he could ask Hashem to answer his tefillos was the mitzva of tzedoko. The Rebbe distributed sizable sums of money each week to dozens of families. These families never found out from where the money came and only when the Rebbe was niftar and the money stopped did they realize where it had come from. The Rebbe would hand over the money to a few messengers who would deliver the money.

On one occasion the Rebbe's wife commented to one of the messengers about her own difficult financial position. Even for basic health treatment that needed to be done there was no money. The messenger decided to tell over the rebbetzin's words to the Rebbe. The Rebbe listened to him in silence and didn't comment, but from that day on the Rebbe did not ask him anymore to distribute money. Although there was no money for the day to day running of the household, the Rebbe was makpid to live in a palatial house.

The Rebbe's Palace in Chortkov

The Rebbe then lived in fabulous luxury. This was in keeping with his royal status. His house was decorated with the most expensive furniture and designs. The most expensive woods and materials adorned the walls. The Rebbe however did not benefit at all from this luxury. Most of his day was spent in his private study which was totally undecorated. Just a simple wooden chair on the plain stone floor. The luxury was just a show for the outside world. To what extent the Rebbe ignored his surroundings we can see from the following story.

When the Rebbe escaped to Vienna at the beginning of the World War he arrived without any of his personal belongings. A few months later the furniture was brought over. Three years later the Rebbe commented that at long last the furniture had finally arrived! Until then he had simply not noticed it.

A recent picture of one of the Jewish homes in Chortkov

Avoda When Eating

The Rebbe laid great stress on the derech of "kedoshim tiheyu." His whole outlook was governed by the principle that a person has to sanctify himself in all his mundane acts. Chazal tell us that if someone eats without making a brocho it is as if he has stolen from Hashem. The Rebbe understood this to mean that a person must have more enjoyment from making the brocho than from the food itself, otherwise one hasn't given what one has taken.

On one occasion, the Rebbe was asked by one of his close chassidim, Reb Shmuel Halpern z'l, how it was possible for a person to achieve such a high madreigah.

"What's the problem?" the Rebbe answered. "Rabbi Yehuda Hanossi declared that he had never benefited from this world."

"Who can compare to Reb Yehuda Hanossi?" asked Reb Shmuel.

"Why not? My zeide the Ruzhiner made a similar declaration," said the Rebbe.

Again, Reb Shmuel exclaimed, "Who can compare himself to the Great Ruzhiner?"

The Rebbe however did not understand what Reb Shmuel found so difficult to understand and told him, "You should at least know that if you can't achieve this madreigah, then you have not yet achieved anything."

This statement echoes a similar remark by the Rebbe's father, Reb Dovid Moshe zt'l who once said, "A person can live 70 years learning and davening, but if he hasn't learned how to eat properly, it's all worth nothing."

The Rebbe lived by his father's words and would constantly urge his chassidim to better themselves in all their mundane acts. It was his opinion that the only way to conquer the yetzer hora was by eating lesheim Shomayim.

The grave of the HaRav Dovid Moshe of Chortkov

Avoda Lesheim Shomayim

All the Rebbe's actions had only one kavono: `lesheim Shomayim.' It once happened that a Karliner chassid came to the Rebbe's gabbai in the middle of the week to ask if he would be able to daven in front of the omud on Shabbos as he had yahrtzeit that Shabbos. The gabbai said that the Rebbe did not approve of the Karliner method of screaming and shouting during davening and therefore if he wanted to lead the tefillos in the Rebbe's minyan he would have to daven softly and quietly as was the minhag in Chortkov.

The Karliner chassid agreed to the condition, but when it came to Shabbos he forgot totally about his promise and screamed and shouted the whole way through davening. After the davening, realizing his mistake, the man was hesitant to approach the Rebbe. The Rebbe however made no mention of the broken promise and thanked the man for davening, adding that he had enjoyed his davening.

"But I thought the Rebbe doesn't like this type of davening?" the man queried.

"If a man comes in the middle of the week and says that when Shabbos comes he is going to shout out during the davening, that's what I don't like, but if in the middle of davening his voice starts to rise by itself, that is something else altogether," the Rebbe explained.

Eretz Yisroel and Zionism

Although it was the Rebbe's fervent wish to settle in Eretz Yisroel in keeping with the brocho that he had received from his father Reb Dovid Moshe zt'l before his petiroh, his wish wasn't fulfilled. In his last years the Rebbe explained that the reason that his father's brocho had not been fulfilled was because the Rebbe had not answered "Amen" as instructed, but "Amen together with you."

When the Rebbe was asked why he does not go to visit Eretz Yisroel, he answered, "I have the strength to travel to Eretz Yisroel, I just don't know from where I will find the strength to leave!"

The Rebbe encouraged his chassidim to settle in Eretz Yisroel and when a group known as "Beis Dovid" left to live in Eretz Yisroel the Rebbe wrote to them an enthusiastic letter telling them of his joy that they would be settling in the Holy Land.

Even so, the Rebbe did not always agree to let his chassidim move to Eretz Yisroel. He felt that only three types of people were able to cope with the difficult situation in Eretz Yisroel at that time. Only a single person, or someone with a job at hand or a well-to-do person were allowed to settle there.

The financial situation in Eretz Yisroel was very precarious and a poor man with a wife and children would not be able to make ends meet. This would result in their going back to Europe and the Rebbe held that this gave a bad image to the Holy Land.

The Rebbe never publicly spoke out against Zionism, but he made his opinion quite clear to the various communal leaders who would seek his advice.

On one occasion the Rebbe said there were three occasions on which Moshiach had been ready to come and each time it was ruined. The first time was during Bayis Sheini and Oso ho'ish ruined it. The second time the Shabsai Zvi spoilt things and Zionism ruined it the third time. The Rebbe wrote in one of his letters that if frum Yidden would control and run Eretz Yisroel, this alone would be enough to bring the Geula. The yetzer hora however, knew about this and sent his messengers to gain control of the land, thereby preventing the Geula.

The Rebbe used his utmost power to advance the study and spread of Torah. In 1906 the Rebbe helped to open a yeshiva in the town of Stanislav. The yeshiva was called Keser Torah and the famous gaon, Reb Arye Leibush Horowitz (author of Harei Besomim) was appointed rosh yeshiva. The Rebbe publicized a letter telling of his immense pleasure that the yeshiva had opened, and he was hopeful that it would be the first of many such yeshivos.

He wrote of his great pain and anguish that until now due to the lack of yeshivos the Torah has become deserted and forgotten. He hoped that the new yeshiva would rectify this downhill trend, bring an increase in Torah learning and knowledge and lift up the kovod haTorah.

When the Rebbe's faithful chassid, Reb Meir Shapiro announced his plans to build Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin, the Rebbe backed him fully, writing letters to people to ask them to give money. The Rebbe travelled especially to Lublin to lay the foundation stone and then he travelled a second time to open the yeshiva.

At the opening ceremony, the Rebbe met Reb Shmuel Eichenbaum, the person who had donated the plot of land on which the yeshiva was built. When the Rebbe saw him, he said to him, "I am not jealous of the mitzva that you did to donate this land, it was a mitzva which was done in the public eye and you are receiving a lot of honor as a result. Chazal tell us that one mitzva brings another (mitzva goreres mitzva). I do envy the precious mitzva that you did in private that has brought you this mitzva."

The Rebbe stayed in Lublin for four days. During those four days not one person died in Lublin. The chevra kadisha attributed this to the zchus of the Rebbe. Lublin had forty thousand Yidden and there was never a day without a levaya.

Four days without a levaya was literally a miracle. No one could find any other explanation except to say that it had been the Rebbe's zchus.

Reb Meir Shapiro used to say that the Rebbe was his Urim veTumim. No matter, small or large, was done without first consulting the Rebbe.

The Rebbe also used to use Reb Meir as his spokesman on many occasions. A lot of times Reb Meir would pass over the message as his own in keeping with the Rebbe's wishes that he remain anonymous. Reb Shlomo Zalman Horowitz zt'l the rov of Potik who lived on the Lower East Side in New York City (he was niftar about a year ago) and who was a close talmid of Reb Meir, used to tell over what Reb Meir had told him: that the idea of daf yomi had not really been his own but the Rebbe's idea. The Rebbe had asked him to say it over in his own name.

Reb Meir Shapiro was not the only one who followed the Rebbe blindly. Reb Meir Arik who was one of the most famous poskim of his era was also an unswerving chassid of the Rebbe. Reb Meir Arik was the rov of Tarnov which, like many towns, had a high wall surrounding it that was locked every night.

On one occasion late at night Reb Meir Arik heard that the Rebbe was on a train which would be passing by not far from Tarnov. Reb Meir Arik went right away and with a talmid's help climbed up the high wall and down the other side to be able to go and greet his Rebbe. The Tschebiner Rov who was also a frequent visitor in Chortkov, would always marvel at the number of rabbonim sitting around the Rebbe's tish. Each tish looked like a small Knessia Gedola.

Avoda on the Road

Although the Rebbe lived in Vienna after the War, and refused to move back to Chortkov, he did agree to visit there once a year during the month of Sivan. Every year the town of Chortkov would come alive again for the four weeks the Rebbe was there. Tens of thousands would pour into the town to be with the Rebbe.

On one occasion when the Rebbe visited the town of Lemberg in 1921 for a Shabbos, the police estimated that thirty thousand chassidim arrived to spend Shabbos with the Rebbe. Due to the size of the crowd it was impossible for the Rebbe to leave the house where he was staying and he had to daven with a small minyan in the house.

Even the buildings in Chortkov, which had been specially built to handle large numbers, were also packed. The Rebbe's beis hamedrash could comfortably hold five thousand people. On Yom Tov after the tefillos were over, the Rebbe would go out onto a balcony overlooking a large courtyard where the chassidim would dance while the Rebbe watched them.

The yearly journey of the Rebbe from Vienna to Chortkov became a major event in the lives of his chassidim. The Rebbe travelled by train and at each town on the way thousands came to greet him. This is how Reb Yosef Mordechai Baumel shlita remembers the event.

"The Rebbe's train was due to pass through the town late at night. Already a few days beforehand the unusual flurry of activity was noticeable. The railway station was specially cleaned for the occasion until it shone like new. It was almost as if there was a family simcha. Everyone was excited at the chance to see the radiant face of our holy Rebbe.

"Finally, at the appointed time, the whole town left towards the station: men, women and children all dressed in their Shabbos best. Chairs were prepared on the platform station for the rabbonim of the town and the elderly. As the train came into view, the whole crowd respectfully rose to their feet. Suddenly their hearts missed a beat. Standing at the window was their Rebbe, the Rebbe who cared for all their needs and problems. During the ten minutes that the train was in the station, the assembled filed past to receive the Rebbe's brocho. After the train left, the crowd dispersed, each one going home with a full and contented heart and treasuring the few words the Rebbe had exchanged with them all."

Avoda Before the Umos

The Rebbe's concern for the feelings of others extended even to the feelings of goyim also, to be careful not to upset them.

The Sadigerer Rebbe, Rav Avrohom Yaakov zt'l was once sitting with the Rebbe on a park bench in a park in Vienna. While they were sitting there a non-Jewish woman came and sat herself down at the other end of the long bench. The Sadigerer Rebbe wanted to straight away jump up, but the Rebbe held his hand restraining him down. After a minute the Rebbe looked at his watch and exclaimed loudly in German, `Oh it is already very late, we have to be on the way.' The Rebbe had not wanted to insult the woman's feelings by leaving the second she arrived.

Already during Sukkos 1934 it became noticeable that the Rebbe's strength was leaving him and he was becoming weaker and weaker. On leaving the sukkah at the end, he used to make a lechayim, make al hamichya and say the yehi rotzon and then get up and leave the sukkah. That year, after saying the yehi rotzon as he got up to leave the sukkah, he stood for a long time, deep in thought. Then he left the sukkah, but, after taking but a few steps, he went back inside the sukkah and stood by the door for a few minutes more, before departing for the last time. With his last strength he still managed to dance on Simchas Torah.

Soon after he became seriously ill and the doctors gave up hope, saying that it was a miracle he was still alive. The family was scared to inform the Rebbe of the sudden petiroh of his close chassid Reb Meir Shapiro zt'l on the seventh of Cheshvan, but the Rebbe had felt it by himself and said that Reb Meir had gone ahead to prepare the way for him.

On the eighth of Kislev the yahrtzeit of his zeide Reb Aharon of Chernobyl, the Rebbe spoke about the petiroh of tzadikim and said that if a person can see that he is about to depart this world, he should try and hold out until erev Shabbos after chatzos.

Thursday evening the 13th of Kislev the Rebbe's condition took a turn for the worse. The next morning, erev Shabbos, the family and close chassidim stood around the Rebbe's bedside. The Rebbe lay in bed and sang to himself the deveikus niggunim that he used to sing during a tish. The Rebbe sang for a few hours until after chatzos. Then the Rebbe lifted up his head and looked at the people assembled around his bedside, he stared into the eyes of each and every person present, and then he lay down again on his bed and his holy neshomoh ascended upwards.

Tens of thousands participated in the levaya on Sunday. To this very day the Rebbe's kever is a place of tefillah for many who go to Vienna specially to daven at his grave. The Rebbe's position was filled by his two sons, Reb Nochum Mordechai zt'l and Reb Dov Ber zt'l who together led the chassidim and guided them.

Zechuso yogeyn oleinu.

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