זאב Sachs [Zera Kedoshim], Trosk, Chalutz

source: http://toladot.blogspot.com/2009/04/blog-post_20.html

Ze'ev Wolf Sachs is the progenitor of my father's branch of the Sacks זק"ש family in Jerusalem.

He arrived in Jerusalem in 1857 in order to perform "chalitza" for his brother's widowed and childless wife, Rachel daughter of Ephraim from Trisk.

According to Jewish law, when a childless wife is widowed, she automatically becomes a "yevamah", bound in betrothal to her late husband's brother. In order to release her from this betrothal so that she can marry someone else, the widow and her brother-in-law must perform a ritual ceremony called "chalitsah" (literally, "extraction").

Ze'ev Wolf Sachs was living in Trisk (today Tryškiai) Lithuania with his family, when his brother Yaakov and sister-in-law Rachel made aliyah to live in Jerusalem. When Yaakov died childless in Jerusalem, Ze'ev knew that he had to go to Israel to perform the chalitsah ceremony for Rachel, but he took advantage of the situation to make aliyah himself, taking his wife and children as well, and making this relocation a permanent one.

The widowed Rachel Sachs, released from her obligation to Ze'ev Sachs, went on to marry one of the great saints of Jerusalem, R. Zundel Salant, who was also a recent widower. He is best known as the teacher of R. Israel Salanter, the founder of the Mussar movement.

רעייתו הראשונה של ר' יוסף זונדל (1866-1786), מרת רבקה, נפטרה עוד לפני ר' יוסף זונדל, ולאחר שנתאלמן נשא לאשה את מרת רחל, [%D7%94%D7%99%D7%90 היתה אלמנתו של ר' יעקב זק"ש, ומכיוון שנתאלמנה ללא ילדים, היתה זקוקה לחליצה ואחי בעלה - ר' זאב זק"ש, היה עדיין בליטא, ומכיוון שנזדמנה לו השעה ליסוע לארץ ישראל, אסף את אשתו ואת בניו ועלו כולם לארץ ישראל, ומהם נשתלשלה משפחת זק"ש בירושלים עד ימינו]. היא נפטרה כעשרים שנה אחריו וקברה רשום בחלקת מחוקק ז' מחברת ב' שורה יא סי' ט"ז, 'פ"נ רחל ב"ר אפרים מטריסק, נפטרה ח' לחו'[%D7%93%D7%A9] טבת תרמ"ו'.

The Montefiore Censuses, 1875: Name Zeev Zaks. Kolel: Samit-Courland, Jerusalem. Age 50. Status Married, Male. Place of Birth Tryskiai, Lithuania. Year of Arrival 1857. Occupation The Kolel's Beadle. Notes He makes time for Torah study. He is a poor, weak man and needs help for his daughter's marriage. Relationship Father of Yehoshua Zaks. Name Hena Zaks Status Married, Female. Name Leib Zaks Status Son, Male. Name Moshe Zaks Status Son, Male. The Montefiore Censuses, 1866: Name Zeev Trosk Zk"sh. Kolel: Vilna-Samit, Jerusalem. Age 45. Status Married, Male. Place of Birth Tryskiai, Lithuania/ Year of Arrival 1858. Occupation Beadle of kolelim. Economic Status Poor. Notes Fixes time to study Torah. Name Hena Trosk Status Married, Female. Name Nisan Trosk Age 7 Status Son, Male. Name Yehoshua Trosk Age 11 Status Son, Male. Name Leib Trosk Age 14 Status Son, Male.