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Rabbi
Pinchas Halevi Horowitz
Born:
Chortkov, Galicia, 1730
Died: Frankfurt-on Main, Germany, 1805
Rabbi Pinchas Horowitz, together with his younger brother, the future Rabbi
Shmuel Shmelke of Nikolsburg, studied under their father, Rabbi Tzvi
Hirsh of Chortkov. Early in life they joined the chassidic movement , becoming
dedicated followers of the Maggid
of Mezritch.
As a young man R' Pinchas served as rabbi in Vitkova and Lechovitz, and in 1772
he received the appointment to serve as rabbi of the prestigious community of
Frankfurt-on-the-Main and as dean of its yeshivah. He served as the rabbi of
Frankfurt for 33 years, until his death. His gracious and kindhearted character
gained him the instant affection of the entire community. The gentile population
too admired the new rabbi for the compassion and benevolence he displayed toward
the needy of all creeds.
Taking an active part in public affairs, he spoke out forcefully against the
German translation of the Bible, by Moses Mendelssohn, with its commentary
called Buir. Mendelssohn wrote this translation as a means of introducing
Jews to the German language and culture. It proved to be the first step on the
road to integration and assimilation, and the forerunner to intermarriage and
conversion.
Rabbi Pinchas's greatest achievement was his work as a posek, or leading
halachic authority. The most complex halachic queries from far and wide were
addressed to him, and were published in the collection of responsa entitled
Teshuvot
Givat Pinchas.
His prodigious greatness in Torah is evident in his work Haflaah,
which consists of talmudic and halachic novellae. His commentary on the Torah, Panim
Yafot,
is written in the spirit of Chassidism and reflects the influence of his mentor,
the Maggid
of
Mezritch. His son, Rabbi Tzvi Horowitz, succeeded him as Rabbi of Frankfurt.
R'
Pinchas Horowitz and R' Shmuel Shmelke of Nikolsburg meeting the Maggid of
Mezritch
R'
Shmelke and R' Pinchas Horowitz first came to the Maggid on Erev
Shabbat.
Although they expected a lengthy discussion with him, the Maggid dismissed them
after a few words. they had hoped to hear impressive Torah at his table, and
were deeply disappointed when they felt nothing from his words, which -
unbeknownst to them - contained deep secrets of Torah. Like the Maggid upon
meeting the Baal Shem Tov, they decided to go home. Aware of their intention, R'
Zusha (a student of the Maggid) cautioned, "We have learned, 'if a rabbi is
like an angel of God, seek Torah from his mouth' [Chagigah 15b]. Has any of us
ever seen an angel? Nevertheless, if one came your way, you wouldn't question
him, test him, or seek a sign from him. So it is with a true Tzaddik: from him
you should seek Torah! "With these words, the brothers returned to the
Maggid and asked him to teach them the revealed part of Torah. The
Maggid then posed a very difficult question about a Gemara and offered an answer
so simple and straightforward that they were amazed they hadn't arrived at it
themselves. This was followed by a strong refutation, and another solution.
After nine such exercises, the Maggid closed the Gemara and asked, "Why
have you traveled here? Do great ones like yourselves need the likes of
me?" He then referred to their ascetic lifestyle, which he knew through ruach
hakodesh:
"One who prays and ascends into the upper spheres but remarks at the end of
the day, 'You know, today I was not so bad!' - his Divine service is cast out of
Heaven. "When
they heard this, R' Pinchas and R' Shmelke said, "You ask why we traveled
to see you. We would have walked even a thousand miles to hear such words!"
The
Holly Sparks
[At the time of Creation, the sparks from the Divine Light
fell to earth in a primordial cataclysm called shevirat HaKeilim, the
breaking of the vessels. The sparks of holiness-nitzotzot hakedoshim scattered
and were mixed with the dross of earthly existence. It is Israel's specific task
to correct the primal flaw by freeing the entrapped sparks. This can be done
through the proper observance of the Torah. When all the sparks are released,
Mashiach will come.]
R' Pinchas Horowitz comments in these words:
The purpose of all the exiles of the Jewish people to the four corners of the
earth is to release the sparks of holiness that are imprisoned in those places.
When the children of Israel left Egypt it was a complete redemption, for not
even one holy spark was left in that country, as it is written, "The
Israelites drained Egypt"(Exodus 12:35)...The ultimate redemption of Israel
from the exile will not arrive until the coming of Mashiach. Then all the
nitzotzot hakedoshim that are scattered throughout the world will have been
released, just as it happened in Egypt. (Panim
Yafot, Yitro)
May the merit of the tzaddik Rabbi
Pinchas Halevi Horowitz
protect
us all, Amen.
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