Rav Yaakov Leizer, the Pshevorsker Rebbe, also known as RebYankele of Antwerp
(1907-1999). Born in the small village of Roig near Riminov in Galicia, he
joined the yeshiva in the town of Dukla after his bar mitzvah. From Dukla, Reb
Yankele moved on to Yeshivas Zera Kodesh in Koloshitz. Staying there from 1924
to 1939, Reb Yankele regarded the Koloshitzer Rav as his Rebbe and mentor. His
first position was as Rav of Yashlisk, at the age of 24. After his marriage to
the daughter of Reb Itzikel, the Rebbe of Pshevorsk in 1934, he lived in the
shadow of his shver for the next forty years. When the Germans arrived in
Pshevorsk, Reb Itzikel and Reb Yankele fled to Lemberg, which was under the
control of Russia. On the 23rd of Sivan 1940 the KGB swooped down on Lemberg and
arrested all those who had refused Russian citizenship, among them Reb Itzikel
and Reb Yankele. The Jews were put on trains to Siberia. The Germans entered
Lemberg a short while later and brutally murdered almost the whole Jewish
population. Those who had been exiled to Siberia were the lucky ones. After the
war's end, Reb Yankele took up the position of dayan in Breslau, and then moved
to Paris, and then Antwerp. With Reb Itzikel's petirah on Yom Kippur 1976, Reb
Yankele was chosen as his shver's successor. He was succeeded by his only son,
Rav Leibish Leizer.
Friday, 28 Cheshvan
Rabbeinu Yonah (ben Avraham) of Gerondi,France(1200 [1180]-1263). The Ramban's
mother and Rabbeinu Yonah’s father were siblings. Many years later, the Ramban’s
son, Rav Shlomo, married the daughter of Rabbeinu Yonah. Thus, the two great
rishonim were mechutanim as well as first cousins. He was a student of Rav
Shlomo ben Avraham Min Ha'Har. When King Louis XIV of France, "Saint" Louis,”
burnt all the copies of the Talmud in Paris in the Square of the Louvre,
Rabbeinu Yonah, one of the Rambam’s main detractors, felt that the events in
Paris were a sign that he and the other opponents of the Rambam were seriously
wrong. He then composed his work Shaarei Teshuvah, in which he outlined the
methods of doing Teshuvah, and he traveled from place to place preaching about
the need to back away from matters which cause division among the Jewish People.
Among his talmidim are the Rashba and Ra’ah. [Others cite his yahrtzeit as 1, 8,
or 11 Cheshvan]
Rav Tzvi Bochtinsch (1592 or 1692), An expert in the intricate halachos
Shechita, bedikos, and nikkur, he authored Shechitos U’bedikos Mahartaz and is
frequently quoted in these matters by the Mahari Weill.
Rav Zev Wolf , Rav of Salik, author of Nachlas Binyamin (1686).
Rav Eliezer Lieber of Berditchev (1770)
Rav Shalom Eisen. Moreh Tzedek in the Beis Din of the Aida Hachareidis in
Yerushalayim for over 50 years, he was a talmid of Rav Isser Zalmen Meltzer.
Next Shabbos, 29 Cheshvan (Parashas Toldos)
Rav Yitzchak Eizik Chover, author of Responsa Binyan Olam and Si’ach Yitzchak.
One of his talmidim, Rav Yitzchak Kahane, wrote Toldos Yitzchak (1852)
Rav Efraim Dov Ber Halevi Greenberger, Rav in the Odesser Congregation for 30
years (1933).
Rav Avraham Abish Kanner, the Tchechover Rebbe of Haifa (1983)
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