R' Meshullam Issachar Horowitz, A.B.D. Stanislawow

Author of Bar Livoey שו"ת בר לואי and Kli Chemda כלי חמדה.

His decsendants published the Sefer Eiyn Demah a collection of eulogies on Mesholem Halevi Horowitz.

"Rabbi in Zalozce, and from the years 5605-5648 (1845-1888) rabbi in Stanislav. The author of the book of responsa "Bar Livai" on charity; "Klein Chemda" on the Torah; "Shibcha Demara" on the Passover Haggadah." -- Rabbis of Stanislav of the Horowitz Family (Notes from the Family Tree), translated by Jerrold Landau, http://www.jewishgen.org/Yizkor/stanislawow-arim/staph064.html

After the death of his father, Rabbi Meshulam Yissachar inherited his seat and replaced him as the rabbi of Stanislawow. According to the biographers, the official appointment was in the year 5605 (1845), which is one year after the death of his father. Rabbi Meshulam Yissachar was a native of Stanislawow, where he was educated and raised. We do not know much about his childhood other than that he had a sharp intellect, was known as a genius, and was a temperamental child, lively and vivacious, who climbed over fences, trees and gardens. During his youth, he had a friend for his pranks whose name was also Meshulam. Once the mother of this Meshulam entered the house of Rabbi Leibush, shouting, “Rabbi your Meshulam did such and such to Meshulamke the apple of my eye”. She continued to rain curses and invective on the son of the rabbi, who had been so brazen as to provoke her dear child. At first the rabbi was silent and did not say anything. When he was no longer able to restrain himself, and wished to put an end to her flood of disparagement, he answered: “It does not matter. My Meshulam will be a rabbi, and your Meshulamke – what will he be?” I heard this story when I was six and a half years old from my Rebbe, Rabbi Hershel the teacher in Uœcie Zielone where my father occupied the rabbinical seat. I already incidentally told above about Reb Tzvi Mendelsberg of Kazimierz. He was a scholar of a good family, very wealthy and with connections to the government. This wealthy man had a daughter who came of age, and he wished to obtain a groom of good family and a scholar for her daughter, who was educated in Bible, Targum, the Polish language and also French. Reb Tzvi, who was the son-in-law of the Gaon Rabbi Meshulam Igra of Tysmienica, heard that the rabbi of Stanislawow, who was his wife's cousin, had a son who was a genius. Therefore he traveled to Stanislawow to get to know him and to examine him to see if he could make a match for his daughter if he would be found appropriate. Rabbi Aryeh Leibush received his relative with love and honor, and when he found out the reason fore the visit, he asked his sexton to summon Meshulam, so that he can introduce him to the guest. The sexton went out and found Meshulam jumping through one of the gardens. He surprised him, and brought him to his father's house. The lad made a strange impression upon Reb Tzvi, and he lost his spirit: Is this the genius whom I thought to take for my daughter? He thought in his heart that apparently, G-d had not made his journey successful, and that he had undertaken such a long journey for naught. Rabbi Aryeh Leibush sensed this, saw the perplexity of the guest, turned to him with a smile and said: “Do not worry, in-law, do not fear, the matter came from G-d, and I promise you that my son will be a rabbi and great teacher in Israel.” The match was concluded.

This shows that Rabbi Meshulam was not among the diligent ones during his youth, but his sharp mind, sharp grasp and good memory stood for him. However, once he got married at about the age of 20, and was supported at his father's table, as was the custom in those days, a change came over him. He began to sense that he was missing the appropriate expertise in areas of Torah. What did he do? He gathered together several students, entered the Old Beis Midrash, and began to study with great diligence. He did thus for an entire year. He occupied himself with Tractate Ketuvot for nine whole months. He delved into all the difficult discussions in this tractate – for the scholars had said that this tractate encompasses the entire Talmud, and is known as the little Talmud. He did this with great concentration, wide scope and sharp depth. After this year, he left the Beis Midrash with great character and stature, and became the great person, as he was later known to the world.

At first, Rabbi Meshulam did not want to accept the yoke of the rabbinate. His wife Reizel worked in business. She ran a liquor distillery, and he occupied himself with Torah and Divine service. Once his father returned from a journey that had brought him to his birthplace of Zalozce. He blessed his son with a Mazel Tov and informed him that he had received for him the writ of the rabbinate (consis) of Zalozce. Rabbi Meshulam was very surprised by this event, for this was not his desire, but he did not any choice, for he could not go against the word of his father. He turned to his father and said, “But father, I am not yet sufficiently expert in the Shulchan Aruch so that that I can be a rabbinical teacher.” When his father heard this he agreed to postpone his journey to the place of his rabbinate, so that he could prepare himself for the rabbinate. Rabbi Meshulam closed himself up in the four ells of Halacha, and within a few months had mastered the four sections of the Shulchan Aruch, to the extent that they were fluent on his tongue.

He lived in Zalozce for approximately 15 years until he was called by his father to Stanislawow, apparently around the year 5600 (1840), to help him run the rabbinate. The children of Rabbi Meshulam Yissachar were born in Zalozce, except for the youngest of them, which included my father of blessed memory and three younger daughters, who were apparently born in Stanislawow. Rabbi Meshulam occupied the rabbinical seat of Stanislawow and was greatly honored and loved by the entire city, from great to small. Everyone recognized his righteousness, greatness in Torah, pure character, clean hands and love of truth, which contained no taint of favoritism. The politeness on his face was so great that every utterance of his mouth was seen as a portent. A wondrous network of legends and stories were woven around him. Everybody knew how to tell something about “their own” rabbi, and thus were legends formed in the hearts and mouths of the people. These were preserved in the city for decades after his death. We cannot delve into the depth of these legends, but I will mention some here.

On account of his diligence in studying day and night, rumor spread through the community that one could not find the rabbi sleeping even for an hour. Reb David Lebensart (the father of the poet Avraham Lebensart) told me the following: during my youth when I came to Stanislawow and heard the wonderful stories about your grandfather, I had my doubts and cynicism about such matters, that I considered to be exaggerations. When I was told that nobody knows when the rabbi sleeps, I kept this matter in my heart. One night, I went to the mikva early in the morning. It was 2:00 or 2:30 a.m. – and I remembered that story about the rabbi. I thought in my heart that now I would certainly catch him sleeping. I will go to prove this to myself and dispel this exaggeration. I went secretly to the house of the rabbi. How surprised was I when I approached the back of the window and saw the old man sitting with a Gemara opened before him and a tallow candle in his hand. I said to myself: “Okay, this time I did not succeed.” Once, an important visitor came to my father-in-law's house. A fine party was arranged for him, and we sat down until midnight. I went with the guest to accompany him to his hotel which was close to the house of the rabbi. Now, I thought, it would be good try again, for if the rabbi gets up early at 2:00 a.m., he is certainly sleeping now. I went and approached the window. I was indeed surprised when I saw the same thing: he was sitting with an open Gemara and a tallow candle in his hand.

That Reb David told me another story: A resident of Vienna who lives in Stanislawow, Freund, built the first steam mill in Stanislawow. In the winter, he wanted to grind flour for matzos in his mill, and he invited the rabbi to examine and approve the kashruth of the mill. He sent a find wagon hitched to two galloping horses for the rabbi. As Rabbi Meshulam left the house, his wife followed him and said to him before he ascended the wagon, “For the sake of G-d, do not take less than a “ten' from this wealthy German for your work.” Rabbi Meshulam spent the entire day in the mill. He searched through the cracks and crevices and found everything to be in the finest order, kosher for the strictest of people, and he granted him the certificate of kashruth. When he finished his work and he took leave of the owner of the mill, the latter placed a five bill into his hand. Rabbi Meshulam saw that this was not a ten, and turned to him apologetically, “Mr. Freund, it is not my manner of granting kashruth certification for profit, or to dispute the amount, but what can I do this time, for I am forced in this matter to retain the peace in my home. For the rebbetzin told me that I should not be satisfied with less than a ten.” When Mrs. Freund saw the sincerity of the rabbi, he gestured to him that he understood well, and made sure to give him something more. [6]

The renowned Rabbi Meshulam lived in a small dwelling: A room with a bed chamber on the first floor in which he studied, conducted the offices of the Beis Din, and held worship services morning and evening. There, they also housed the grandchildren who were always in his house. There was a similar room with a bed chamber on the second floor, where the rebbetzin took care of her affairs, and the female grandchildren stayed. There was also a separate kitchen. The kitchen also served as a place for feeding the poor, a sort of miniature public kitchen. The oven was always on, and one could always find something hot for anyone in need: in the morning coffee, and soup during the day. The rebbetzin had a sensitive heart and a generous hand. The heads of the community felt that it was not in accordance with their honor that their rabbi should live in such a meager home. They advised him to move to a larger home that they wish to prepare for him, but he refused, for he did not want to alter their standard of living. His great father had also lived in this home, and Heaven forbid that he should ask for more…

There is a story of a certain man, Chaim Meisel, who opened his store on the Sabbath. Rabbi Meshulam sent people to him to entice him with all types of enticements that he should repent of his public Sabbath desecration and that there should be no breach in the city, where everyone from great to small honors the Sabbath. Not only did Meisel not want to agree, but he also mocked the delegation and spouted words of disparagement against the rabbi who sent them. The rabbi arose and went himself to the man who disparaged him, attempting to speak words of reproof to his heart. The rabbi promised him that he would suffer no loss from this, and on the contrary, his influence would increase, and a blessing will reside on the work of his hands. However, the man persisted with his rebellion and refused to listen. The rabbi left him in anger and cursed him. The curse of the rabbi was fulfilled very quickly. Meisel fell ill with a severe and unusual illness that year. He then repented of his deeds and sent for the rabbi to appease him and to ask him to forgive him. The rabbi told him that he was indeed prepared to forgive him for the slight to his personal honor, but he was not able to cancel the decree that had been sent down over the breach of the honor of the Torah. This story was on the mouths of the people of Stanislawow until the last generation.

Reb Avraham Halpern was great among the wealthy people, not only in the city of Stanislawow, but also throughout the breadth of the State of Galicia, for not even in Lvov could a Jew as wealthy as him be found. He would customarily go to the rabbi on the Eve of Yom Kippur to receive a blessing from his mouth. He would bring a bag full of coins and give it to the rabbi to distribute to the poor at his own discretion. One on Yom Kippur Eve; Reb Avraham entered the house of the rabbi and found him weeping with bitter tears. When the good hearted, wealthy man turned to the rabbi jovially and said, “Rabbi, why are you weeping? Behold you, thank G-d, are sitting on our seat with honor without any want, your children are following in your path and most of them are already renowned rabbis, you have satisfaction, so why are you worrying?” The rabbi answered him, “But my heart is broken as I remember that there are Jewish youths in the army, and some of them do not have the ability, perforce, to rest and celebrate this great awesome Day of Judgment…” Reb Avraham Halpern had many children and all were exempt, of course through the intercession of the father, from army duty. That particular year his youngest son Mendel was drafted to the army, and the treasures of his father did not succeed in freeing him.

One man, who had large scale business enterprises, who was regarded as a G–d fearing man, and his wife was regarded as even more pious, would often come to the rabbi with detailed questions about what is forbidden and what is permitted. In the city, there were rumors about this “pious” man that he was not careful about monetary laws. Once they came to the rabbi, as usual, with a question. The rabbi first answered the question about what was permitted and what was forbidden, and added at the end: “But I wish that you would come to me with a gold coin, so that I can examine to see whether or not it is kosher…”

Reb Izak Halpern, who was known is Izi the Shochet, had fine character traits from his youth. He was a scholar, knowledgeable in Halacha like one of the experts, an expert shochet, and his chalaf (shochet's knife) was second to none. He was hired by the community as an assistant to the shochet when he was still young, and he remained in this position for many years. Despite his personal talents and his special connections, he did not succeed in being promoted to a regular shochet. The community felt that this was on account of the “elder”. The story goes as follows: Izi was one those would worship at the rabbi's house, and perhaps was also his student. He was beloved and dear to him. However once the group of young men and youths who worshipped in the rabbi's minyan in his room played a joke, and Izi got angry and displayed traits of anger that were not pleasant. The “Edler” noticed this and to him in a joking manner in Russian: “Izi, nie budish popom” (You will not be a priest…).

His wife Rebbetzin Reizel was known for her sharp statements and adages. Once someone attempted to tell her some gossip that someone had said about her. She did not want to hear and said, “First, I do not believe you that he said thus, and second, even if he did say thus, he at least said it no in m presence, and now you want to tell me this in my presence...” The Rebbetzin had an independent streak. She conducted a business with pearls and precious stones, which was not pleasing to her husband the rabbi, but the household peace was not disrupted because of this. When she was old she purchased a field adjacent to the house of the rabbi and built a two story home on it. The rabbi did not agree that the rebbetzin should own a mansion, and objected to this. The scoffers said that the building of the house cost her several times its value, for the suppliers of material and workers cheated her and padded the accounts. The house was finished, but the rabbi would not step into it. Once, one of the tenants made a circumcision and honored the rabbi with being the Sandek. The custom in Stanislawow was that the circumcision was conducted in the home of the father of the child. However, this time, they were forced to bring the baby to the rabbi, since he did not want to enter that house.

Rabbi Meshulam never dealt with money. All of the money that came in was immediately turned over to his wife the rebbetzin. Reb Yudel Haber told me that, despite this, he would keep some money from the eyes of the rebbetzin and guard it so that he would be able to perform secret charitable acts that even his wife would not know about. This secret money was kept with one of his confidantes or students who were faithful to him. Everything was kept as a great secret. Reb Yudel himself served as the faithful trustee for some time, and that is how he knew about this.

Reb Meshulam was very handsome. His gaze, countenance and splendor of conduct instilled awe upon anyone who saw him, even gentiles. Many of those who looked up to him, especially his descendents, desired to have a picture of him, but he never agreed to have himself drawn or photographed. Stories also arose regarding this: Photographers tried to secretly direct their cameras to him many times on the street. Despite the fact that he was already blind, he sensed this and turned his face to a different direction.

Throughout his days, he disseminated Torah and had many students. Some of his students later became Torah giants, famous and learned rabbis. As far as I know, the following were among them: Reb Yankel Widenfeld the rabbi of Grzymalow; Rabbi Alexander Shmuel Halpern the rabbi of Gologory and later a rabbinical judge and preacher in Lwow Rabbi Binyamin Aryeh HaKohen Weiss the rabbi of Chernovitz; Rabbi Pinchas Rimalt the rabbi of Chorow and Zalukhuv; The grandson of Rabbi Chaim Aryeh Leibush the rabbi of Krakow; Dr. Netanel Lipa Karpel who later lived in Iasi and was one of the founders of Chovevei Tzion and Zionism, one of those who encouraged aliya to the Galilee and the president of the First Zionist Congress; Dr. Yeshayahu Gelbhaus, a teacher in the rabbinical seminary of Vienna; and Rabbi Aharon Tzvi Hirschel Weishaus, the renowned erudite wealthy man of Stanislawow. Every important youth attempted to be counted among his students, for the saw this as a status symbol. They were a something if they were a student of the rabbi. Anyone who wished to be known as a possessor of Torah was considered splendorous if he could say that he studied with the “elder”. Once I met the refugees of Stanislawow in Vienna. Among then was Karl Hauswald the owner of a knife workshop and enterprise who spoke Yiddish as one of the Jews. When he heard that I was a grandson of the “elder” rabbi, he said in Yiddish, “Of which rabbi, Rabbi Meshulam? I studied with him.” Even this “gentile” knew the custom of the city, that if one mentions Rabbi Meshulam, one takes personal pride in claiming that he studied with him…

His prayers were recited with emotion, devotion, and deep pouring out of the soul. Whatever was recited out loud before the congregation, in the manner of rabbis, such as the reading of the Shema which he started from “Vesamtem et Devarai”, Kiddush, Havdalah, the blessing of the Omer, Sheva Brachot, etc. he would say in a clear, pleasant voice with a special melody, which would make a deep impression upon the listeners. This melody was passed down from him to his sons and grandchildren as a family style. I remember how as a young child, in my heart, I was filled with holy awe when I heard his recitation of Havdalah at the conclusion of the Sabbath, as he recited “Veshavtem Mayim Lesason Mimayanei Hayeshua” (And you shall draw water with joy from the wellsprings of salvation”[7]

The custom in Stanislawow was that the rabbi leads the Neila service in the Great Synagogue on Yom Kippur, and that he comes to the old Beis Midrash on Simchat Torah night to worship and recite Atah Hareita. The Gabbaim (synagogue trustees) would go to the house of the rabbi along with the honorable members of the Beis Midrash on Shmini Atzeret in the late afternoon. The sexton would bring a pot of mead, and they would celebrate a party until the time for the evening service came. Then they would accompany the rabbi to the Beis Midrash for the Hakafot (Torah processions).

On the eve of Rosh Hashanah, he would elongate the Mincha Shmone Esrei greatly, and he would order the prayer leader to not wait, as was customary, until he concluded his prayers. On one occasion, the congregation had concluded the evening service while he was still reciting the Mincha Shmone Esrei. They would say that this Mincha service was a form of introspection on the year that was passing.

Some of his grandchildren, the sons of his sons, were knowledgeable in secular subjects, languages and sciences. These included Rabbi Chaim Aryeh the rabbi of Krakow, and Rabbi Aryeh Leibush the son of my uncle Rabbi Yaakov Yokel who was still a bachelor during my grandfather's lifetime. Their knowledge of secular wisdom was not a secret before grandfather, and he treated this positively. He also did not find it problematic that the peyos of these grandchildren were combed and trimmed, so long as they excelled in the study of Torah. On the contrary, it is said that when his grandchildren who lived in the region of Belz visited, and their peyos were grown unkempt in accordance with the Belz style, he was not happy with this style.

Rabbi Meshulam Yissachar wrote three books, which he brought to publication himself. He was his first of his lineage who did this. This fact was already pointed out by his grandson Rabbi Pinchas the son of my uncle Rabbi Shaul, who stated in his eulogy for Grandfather (Ayin Dima page 66): “I will bring one more favorable fact about my grandfather of blessed memory, and that is that he was the first among the entire chain of holy Gaonim, his fathers and grandfathers from generation to generation to whom G-d gave the favor of being able to publish his precious books to the light of the earth while still alive. This was not the case with his fathers (up the paternal line) even though they were known as true and holy Gaonim on all corners of the earth. Nevertheless, they were not able to publish their didactic and sharp words to the world.” His books include: a) responsa Bar Livai, Volume I and Volume II; b) Shibcha Demara on the Passover Haggadah; c) Kli Chemda on the Torah. It is said in the aforementioned eulogy (page 48) that the order of publication of the books is in the order of his spiritual growth; a) Bar Livai Volume I was published as the first fruits of the author. In it, he displays wondrous sharpness and didactic depth appropriate for such a great person as he, and he shows his first delving in to the Torah; Bar Livai Volume II is centered more on practical Halacha; Shibcha Demara is his first step away from didactics, in which he delves deep into the path of private scholarship, in the easiest path of lore; Kli Chemda on the Torah was directed to the wider audience. Approximately 20 years after his passing, my brother-in-law Rabbi Moshe Berger of Bucharest published Bar Livai Volume III. The book Shivcha Demara on the Haggadah was no longer available in the marketplace shortly after its publication. My father published a second edition in the year 5655 (1895). The largest renown in the world of scholarship was reached by the book Bar Livai. As was customary in those days, when famous authors were nicknamed after their books, he was known by the name “The Bar Livai”. The following small episode demonstrates for us the reason that the scholars held Bar Livai in esteem. When I visited Rabbi Chaim Heller when he was in Tel Aviv, the conversation turned to the Bar Livai. When Rabbi Chaim Heller heard from me that I knew him in person, he looked at me in surprise and said, “This is not possible, it is certainly a mistake on your part.” It was with difficulty that I was able to convince him that my words were true, and furthermore, that he was my grandfather. Rabbi Heller said to me, “In my mind, the Bar Livai is etched as one of the early ones.” (Incidentally, some of the rabbis in Rabbi Meshulam's generation refrained from turning to him with questions of practical Halacha, for he would always draw from the early sources, and it did not bother him to derive Halacha in a manner that was different from the famous latter decisors. As is known, not everyone could deal with this methodology.)

Rabbi Meshulam Yissachar was a staunch Misnaged. He worshipped in the Ashkenazic style, did not want to familiarize himself with the ways of the Rebbes, and did not allow them any influence in matters of his community. However, his opposition to Hassidism was not extreme. He did not participate in bans or persecution of Rebbes, and did not distance from himself Hassidim who traveled to Rebbes. He held in esteem those Rebbes who were known to him as scholars on account of their Torah. Some of those whom he recognized as pure in their ways he esteemed because of their honesty. However, it was impossible not to have some specific clashes, and we know about these from several stories. As is known, the Rebbes would travel for Sabbaths to various cities in which they had Hassidim. Stanislawow was a major city, and there were many Hassidim there. However when it came the turn of Stanislawow for the Sabbath, the Rebbes, such as the Admorim of Kosow, Vishnitz and others would not come to the city itself, but would rather stay in one of the nearby villages such as Brodshin (Bohorodczany), Ottynia, etc., for this rabbi was a difficult for them. It was not possible not to visit him, for he was the rabbi of the city. However, if they were to visit him, there was no certainty that he would honor the Tzadik in a way that was appropriate for his honor, both in the Tzadik's eyes and in the eyes of his Hassidim. Therefore it was best to bypass the city. Once Rabbi Avrahamche of Stratyn spent the Sabbath in Stanislawow. On the Sabbath after the services he went to the house of the rabbi for a Kiddush. The “reception” was not apparently up to the high standards of the guest. The Tzadik left the house of the rabbi with a grievance. He took revenge and went strait to the mikva, as if to say: one gives a greeting to the rabbi, and then one has to immerse… The legend continues on – he was punished for this. In any event, that Tzadik never came to Stanislawow again for the Sabbath. There was a friendship between the renowned Tzadik Rabbi Chaim Halberstam of Tsanz (Nowy Sacz) and Rabbi Meshulam. Once Rabbi Chaim was traveling to the son of the Rizhiner in Sadagora. On his way there or back, he passed through Stanislawow and visited Rabbi Meshulam. During the conversation, Rabbi Meshulam asked him in surprise, “Rebbe of Tzanz, why is it in your honor to travel to them? If the Rebbe desires you honor, he has the pedigree of his fathers no less than yours, your honor is great in Torah and there is not, so why do you undertake the journey?” Rabbi Chaim answered him, apparently with a bit of chastisement: “Rabbi of Stanislawow, we are traveling to unite Jews!” To this Rabbi Meshulam answered in jest, “Rabbi of Tzanz, yichud is forbidden from the Torah”[8].

Rabbi Meshulam participated in the large rabbinical convention in Lvov in the year 5640 (1880). As is known, the court of Belz conducted high politics, so to speak, and Rabbi Meshulam did not approve of this manner. However, the hand of Belz and its “Machzikei Hadas” was on top when they began to organize the statutes in the German language. Rabbi Meshulam objected to the participation of the government authorities in internal communal matters, and advised that the book of statutes be written in Hebrew. He offered the following reason for his recommendation: If you organize the statutes in German, the language that they (i.e the Reformers) know very well and we do not, we will have the lower hand, for they will be able to place stumbling blocks before us without us noticing. This will not be the case if we write the statutes in our own language, which we have full command of and they do not… However, as has been said, the power of Belz was superior, and Rabbi Meshulam left the convention, which did not leave a recognizable stamp upon the life of Galician Jewry.

Regarding his relationship to Hassidism, it is appropriate to point out that his eldest son Rabbi Elazar, the rabbi of Rohatyn, tended to Hassidism and used to travel to the Tzadik Rabbi Yehuda Tzvi of Rozla, and his father did not object. On the contrary, my father told me that when Rabbi Elazar was a guest at his father's home for the Sabbath, the local Hassidim of Rozla would come to visit. On Friday night, Rabbi Meshulam left the room and went upstairs, as if to go to sleep, so that Rabbi Elazar could sit with the Hassidim in celebration without interruption. The Hassidim would sing and dance there until late at night, as was their custom. It is also worthwhile to point out that after the incident took place with the son of the Rizhiner Rabbi Dov of Leva, and Rabbi Chaim Halberstam of holy blessed memory of Tzanz started his great attack on the Sadagora Hassidim who were all descended from the Rizhiner, Rabbi Meshulam stood on the side. He also took issue with the deeds of Rabbi Dov Leva. Even though Rabbi Chaim, the Tzadik of Tzanz, was very dear and honorable to him, Rabbi Meshulam restrained himself and did not enter the dispute. Only after the Sadagora supporters gathered in Russia, declared a ban upon Rabbi Chaim of Tzanz and poured vituperation upon him, was the Tzanz side able to convince Rabbi Meshulam to also publish a letter in support of Rabbi Chaim and against his disputants. This letter was completely in support of Rabbi Chaim, protected him, and cast aspersion upon the proclamation that was published in the name of Rabbi Ber of Leva. It dissected the proclamation with a sharp knife. However later, when Rabbi Chaim of Tzanz issued an further proclamation in which he broadened his attack to the Hassidim of Sadagora, saying, “as long as they persist in their rebellion, they are separate and set apart from the Jewish community, it is forbidden to marry them, their bread is considered as gentile bread and their wine as gentile wine, and we one cannot join with them in any holy mater…” (Smashing the Sinners, 5644 / 1884), did Rabbi Meshulam step back from the dispute. He said that as long as the Rabbi of Tzanz disputes with the Rebbes of Sadagora, he is prepared to support him, but if his goes out against the Hassidim and extends the dispute and chasm in the Jewish community, saying that they cannot marry each other, is it possible to hear of such a thing? He regretted that he had written his letter and demanded that it be retracted and not be published, but this was to no avail, for the letter was already published (Yalkut Haroim, 5644). Father told me that when the matter of Rabbi Ber became known, the Rabbi of Tzanz declared, “How great are the words of the wise! The Rabbi of Stanislawow warned me not to travel to them.”

After the elder rabbi reached the age of 80, approximately two and a half years before his death, his eyes dimmed and he became blind. The doctors said that he had damaged his eyes by studying so much at night to the light of the tallow candle. However, his mouth never desisted from study even during his blindness. He sat and studied by heart, taught his students, and even answered questions, including questions about chickens[9].

Rabbi Meshulam had five sons and four daughters. The five sons were all rabbis who were Jewish leaders. They are a) The eldest son Rabbi Elazar who was, as has been mentioned, the rabbi of Rohatyn. He died at the age of 42 during the lifetime of his father. My father told me that when the news of the death of his son, who was particularly dear to him, reached Rabbi Meshulam, he accepted the judgment in silence, and only one large tear rolled down his cheek. However, his anguish was so great that his memory weakened for an entire year. b) Rabbi Yitzchak the Rabbi of Zurawno, who filled his place in Stanislawow after the death of his father. c) Rabbi Shaul the rabbi of Tysmienica. d) Rabbi Yaakov Yokel the rabbi of Delatyn. e) Father of blessed memory, Rabbi Yosef, the Rabbi of Uœcie Zielone.

During the last year of his life, he called his son Yosef, my father of blessed memory, and ordered him to move to Stanislawow to assist him in fulfilling the duties of the rabbinate. A day or two before Grandfather's death, a husband and wife came before Father to get divorced. Father asked them why they wished to get divorced, and they told him their complaints. Father began to speak to their hearts to reconcile and make peace between themselves. He tried various approaches, but they both agreed that it is impossible, there is no way of reconciling, and they request that the rabbi arrange the Get (bill of divorce). When my father saw that there was no choice, he wished to fulfill their desire. At that time, Grandfather was lying in the next room, seriously ill and on his deathbed. Suddenly he called Father to enter and told him, “Please hear me, I do not agree to write a Get for this couple, as I have heard from their complaints, should not get divorced. Go tell them in my name that they should reconcile.” Father entered the room and told them, “Be aware that Father told me that you must not get divorced, but rather must reconcile.” The husband answered first and said, “Is this what the holy rabbi said? And what, if the rabbi tells me to jump off the roof, would I not listen to him?” They both left and reconciled. It is possible that this incident was a symbol, for the final rabbinical matter that he dealt with before his death was to bring peace between a man and his wife…

On the 20th of Cheshvan 5648 (1888, Rabbi Meshulam Yissachar passed away at the age of 84, after he had served as the rabbi of Stanislawow for approximately 48 years. There was a very deep mourning in the city that day. All of the stores were closed, and all of the residents of the city went to accompany him on his final journey. Crowds also came from the nearby cities for the funerals. From among all of the important eulogizers, it is worthwhile to mention those of his sons whose eulogies were published: Ayin Dima – the eulogies of his son Rabbi Shaul of Tysmienica and of the two children of Rabbi Shaul who were Rabbi Chaim Aryeh the rabbi of Krakow and Rabbi Pinchas who was later a rabbi in Bohorodczany; Medor Dima – the eulogy of his son Rabbi Yaakov Yokel the rabbi of Delatyn; Alon Bachut – the eulogy of Father of blessed memory in the Great Synagogue of Stanislawow on the 30th day (shloshim) after the death of his father.

Rabbi Meshulam did not leave a written or oral will. He was buried in the cemetery of Stanislawow, and the community erected a canopy over his grave.

http://www.jewishgen.org/Yizkor/stanislawow-arim/sta068.html

הרב הגאון משולם יששכר הלוי, אבד"ק סטאניסלאב, מח"ס שו"ת בר ליואי ג"ח, כלי חמדה, ושבחא דמרא ועוד. (נשא לאשה את מרת רייזל, נכדתו של הרב הגאון משה משולם איגרא, אבד"ק פרעסבורג, שאשתו מרת רבקה אסתר היתה בתו של הרב הגאון האדיר רבן של ישראל מו"ה יצחק איש הורוויץ אבד"ק אה"ו

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http://www.sztetl.org.pl/he/article/harsz/23,-/15424,-/

שמות הרבנים בסטינסלבוב

   אריה-לייב אאורבך, כיהן כרב בסטניסלבוב בשנים 1750- 1740.

   הרב יהודה, כיהן בשנים 1764-1784.

• הרב אריה לייב הורוביץ, כיהן בשנים 1784-1844.

בנו של הרב לייב הורוביץ, הרב משולם יששכר הורוביץ, כיהן בשנים 1845-1881

. בנו של משולם יששכר, הרב יצחק הורוביץ, כיהן בשנים 1887-1904.

[%D7%AA%D7%A8%D7%92%D7%95%D7%9D: יעקב קירשבראון, 2011]

http://www.sztetl.org.pl/he/article/harsz/23,-/15424,-/

https://books.google.ca/books/about/%D7%96%D7%A2%D7%9B%D7%AA_%D7%9C...