Rabbi Yitzchak Twersky, Admur Skvira

Rabbi Itzikl, the seventh son of Rabbi Mordechai of Chernobyl and Reb Hershele's son-in-law, was the next rabbi of Skver.

According to Hasidic legend, Reb Itzikl was given the honor of leading the Atoh Horeiso prayer on the night of Shemini Atzeres, and his prayers moved the townspeople so much that he was immediately chosen to be the next rabbi. The election of a successor to Reb Hershele as the town rabbi, which had been scheduled to take place after the Sukkot holiday, was canceled as the townspeople had already agreed on their rabbi.

Rabbi Itzikl was married three times.

1. He married his first wife, who was a granddaughter of Rabbi Yitzchok of Radvil and the Apter Rov, in 1783. They had two sons, Avrohom Yehoshua Heshil of Makhnovka and Menachum Nochum of Shpikov.

2. His second wife Chaya Malka was a daughter of Rabbi Yisroel Friedman of Ruzhin.

3. His third wife Chana Sima was the daughter of Rabbi (Tsvi) Hershele of Skver.

Unlike his father, Itzikl was a reticent sort and did not deliver public discourses as was common among other Hasidic rebbes. His successors generally did the same. The philosophy of general reticence and understatement in devotional behavior characteristic of Skver can be traced to this practice.

While Reb Itzikl was not a preacher, people traveled from afar to discuss their personal matters privately with Reb Itzikl. He established his Hasidic court in the center of the city, occasionally traveling to other towns in Ukraine.

Reb Itzikl is known in Hasidic legend as the filozof eloki, the Godly philosopher. He is said to have studied the works of Maharal extensively. There is evidence that he also studied medieval and pre-medieval works of Jewish philosophy, in departure from the common Hasidic practice to shun philosophical studies of fundamental faith issues.

The Haskala movement (the Jewish Enlightenment, not to be confused with the more general Age of Enlightenment), was sweeping through Eastern Europe in the late eighteenth century, and Reb Itzikl frequently attempted to debate and confront the Maskilim. A well-known tale relates that Reb Itzikl engaged in a fierce debate with a Maskil, and won the debate after citing an argument from Sefer Haikarim.

There are no published works by Reb Itzikl himself, although a collection of oral teachings (name needed) has been published by Skverer chasidim in recent years under the imprint of Mechon Mishkenos Yakov.

Also known as Reb Itzikl

Founded the dynasty of Skver, a branch of the Chernobyl dynasty

one of the eight sons of Rabbi Mordechai, the Maggid of Chernobyl

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skver

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האדמו"ר הראשון של חסידות סקווירא היה רבי יצחק טוורסקי. נולד בשנת תקע"ב לאביו רבי מרדכי טברסקי. בזיווג ראשון היה חתנו של רבי דן מראדוויל בנו של רבי יצחק (בנו של רבי יחיאל מיכל מזלוטשוב) וחתנו של רבי אברהם יהושע השיל מאפטא. לאחר פטירת אשתו נישא לבתו של רבי ישראל מרוז'ין אך זו נפטרה בלא שהיו להם ילדים. לאחר פטירת אשתו השנייה נישא לבתו של רבי נפתלי צבי (בנו של רבי אהרן מטיטוב בנו של רבי צבי בן הבעל שם טוב) רבה של העיירה סקווירא ועבר להתגורר לידו. לאחר פטירת חמיו בשנת תר"ח, מונה לכהן במקומו כרב העיירה ואז החל לשמש באדמו"רות (שלא כשבעת אחיו שהחלו לשמש באדמו"רות אחר פטירת אביהם בשנת תקצ"ז). רבי יצחק אדם עצור ונמנע ממתן דרשות ציבוריות, וכך נהגו גם ממשיכיו. לעומת זאת, בניגוד לנוהג החסידי, עסק רבי יצחק בלימוד פילוסופיה יהודית. נפטר בי"ז בניסן תרמ"ה.

(ויקיפדיה)