The Legendary Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk
A captivating legend tells of how the Nazis sought to desecrate his resting place during the Holocaust but were stunned to find his body intact. 10 facts about Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk.
- צוריאל גביזון
- פורסם כ' חשון התשע"ד
#VALUE!
- Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk was born in 1717 in the village of Lupochu, near Tyktin, to Rabbi Eliezer Lipa Weisblum.
- His brother, Rabbi Zusha of Anipoli, introduced him to the world of Hasidism. He then studied Hasidism under Rabbi Dov Ber, the Maggid of Mezritch.
- Known for his intense asceticism, he and his brother, Rabbi Zusha, traveled across Europe in a humble pilgrimage, becoming known as "the holy brothers."
- In 1773, upon the passing of the "Maggid," he, along with Rabbi Yechiel Michel of Zlotshov, took the mantle of leading Hasidism in Galicia. Initially, he settled in the town of Shinova, but a dispute led him to relocate to Lizhensk.
- Rabbi Elimelech intended to move to the Land of Israel, but this plan ultimately did not materialize.
- He passed away on the 21st of Adar in 1787 and was laid to rest in Lizhensk. His gravesite remains a place of pilgrimage to this day.
- A legend tells that during the Holocaust, the Nazis attempted to obliterate his tombstone and remove his remains. But upon discovering his body intact, they were so astounded that they refrained from disturbing it further. The grave was repaired and restored in 1960.
- His most famous work is 'Noam Elimelech' on the Torah, a foundational text in the world of Hasidism.
- Among his other, less known writings are "The Holy Adornment" and "The Small Note" (The Holy Warning).
- His work 'Prayer Before Prayer' became famous and even included in some prayer books. From it comes the famous line set to music: "Moreover, grant in our hearts to see the virtue of each other and not their faults, to speak to each one directly and with grace, that no hatred mounts in one against another from the depths, that you strengthen us to love and reverence You, that everything be pleasing before You.”
