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Rabbi Naftali Tzvi
of Ropshitz
Born: Linsk, Galicia (now Poland), 1760
Died: Lanzut, Galicia (now Poland), 1827
Rabbi Naftali, was born on the day the Baal
Shem Tov died, and he proved to be one of the Baal Shem Tov's primary
successors.
The Ropshitzer Rebbe was born into a distinguished family of mitnagdim,
opponents of Chassidism. His father was the eminent Rabbi Menachem Mendel of
Linsk. His mother Bayla, famous for her brilliant mind, was the daughter of the
gaon R' Yitzchak Horowitz of Hamburg.
During his early years he studied in the Yeshiva of R' Meshulem Igra, one of the
Torah giants of the time, where his fellow students were R' Mordechai Benet and
R' Yaakov Loberbaum, who were to become two of the leading scholars of the next
generation.
When R' Naftali decided to join the chassidic movement he chose Rabbi
Elimelech of Lizensk as his mentor. He subsequently became a dedicated
chasid of the "three patriarchs:" the Chozeh
of Lublin, the Maggid of Koznitz, and
Rabbi
Menachem Mendel of
Rymanov.
During the Napoleonic wars the Tzaddikim were divided in their attitude towards
Napoleon. Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Rymanov strongly supported Napoleon and
felt the wars represented Gog and Magog and were a prelude to the Messiah. His
disciple Rabbi Naftali, as well as Rabbi
Shneur Zalman, the Baal HaTanya, were
strongly opposed, sensing that Napoleon's victory would introduce changes
which would threaten the Jewish community's way of life.
After the passing of these three luminaries he settled in Ropshitz, which then
became the focal point for thousands of chassidim. Ropshitz chassidut
distinguished itself for the captivating niggunim it created, soul
stirring melodies of ecstasy and of yearning for nearness to G-d.
Reb Naftali is a crucial figure in the development of Galician Chassidut and
there are many "minhagei Ropshitz", which are followed in Galicia. He was
known for his profound wisdom, sharp sense of humor and musical gifts. He
was a master of kabbalistic interpretation of the Torah, a fact reflected in
his writings. His demeanor, his sermons, and his witticisms concealed a depth of
thought that could be grasped only by his closest students, foremost among whom
was Rabbi
Chaim of Tzanz.
A great number of chassidic rebbes of the Ropshitz lineage were murdered in
Poland during the Holocaust. A few surviving descendants escaped to the United
States (Brooklyn & New York City), where they established thriving chassidic
communities.
Rabbi Naftali emphasized the power of prayer and stressed that a person must be
able to pray in all circumstances and never say "I don't have the head for
prayer now". In answer to the question how can a tzaddik undo a divine
decree, he replied that through his actions and prayer a tzaddik creates a
new world, to which the old decree does not apply. He commented that Moses
was shown each generation first, and then shown their leaders, because he might
be dismayed at seeing Naftali as a leader. However, having first seen the
generation, he understood that Naftali was appropriate for his
generation.
Rabbi Naftali was particularly devoted to the mitzvah of sukkah and it is
said that every day he was preoccupied with some aspect of that mitzvah, which
was particularly suited to his neshama.
Rabbi Naftali refused to give permission for the publication of his writings, but
with the concurrence of his famous disciple, Rabbi Chaim Tzanz, his two
works, Zerah Kodesh, chassidic-style
commentary on the Torah, based on Kabbalah and Ayala Shelucha were
finally published.
*** For more stories about the life of Rabbi Naftali Tzvi of
Ropshitz please check Rabbi
Naftali Tzvi of Ropshitz(Hebrew)
*** For Shabbat wisdom from the house of Ropshitz,
please check Shabbat
Beit Ropshitz (Hebrew).
May the merit of the Tzaddik Rabbi
Naftali Tzvi of Ropshitz
protect us all, amen.
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