Chaim Zanvl Abramowitz | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Title | Ribnitzer Rebbe |
| Personal | |
| Born | Chaim Zanvl Abramowitz 1902 |
| Religion | Judaism |
| Signature |  |
| Began | 1930? |
| Ended | 18 October 1995 |
Chaim Zanvl Abramowitz (Yiddish: חיים זאנוויל אבראמאוויטש, Hebrew: חיים זנוויל אברהמוביץ, born 1902 – died 18 October 1995), was known as the Ribnitzer Rebbe (ריבניצער רבי), and considered a great Hasidic tzadik from Rybnitsa (present-day Transnistria, Moldova). Others, including singer Mordechai Ben David, who was the rabbi's close adviser, maintain that he was born in 1893, making him 102 at the time of his passing.[1]
Abramowitz was a prominent follower of Rabbi Avrohom Matisyohu of Shtefanesht.[2]
He managed to live a fully Jewish religious life even under Stalin's rule. He served as mohel and shochet. He often fasted and immersed himself many times daily in water that was sometimes only accessible by chopping away very thick ice. His Tikkun Chatzos (midnight prayer service) in sackcloth and ashes regularly lasted 6–7 hours, sometimes stretching as long as 12. He cried so much during Tikkun Chatzos that when he was done, the tears and ashes mingled so that he was sitting in mud.[3]
Abramowitz left the Soviet Union in 1970 and moved to the Mattersdorf section of Jerusalem, where he lived for a few years before moving to the United States. He lived in Miami, Los Angeles, and Sea Gate, Brooklyn, before he finally settled in Monsey, New York, where he died on Isru Chag (Succos). He was believed to be 92 or 93 years old. He is buried in the Vizhnitzer Cemetery. Nearly 30,000 people visited his gravesite on his 23rd yahrtzeit.[4]
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Rebbe Chaim Zanvil Abramowitz – The Rabbi of Ribnitz (1898-1996) was born in Botoșani, Romania and was orphaned from his father at the age of two and a half. An exceptional Torah genius, tsaddik and wonder-worker, he served as rebbe under the Communist rule in Romania jeopardizing his life. As a young orphan, he was raised in the house of Rabbi Yehuda Aryeh Leib Frankel of Botoșani and was ordained by Rabbi Yehuda Leib Tzirelson but was especially close to Rebbe Avraham Matityahu Freidman of Ştefăneşti. Stories are told that the Rebbe of Ştefăneşti who had no children called Rebbe Abramowitz "my dear son" and said that "You are my chiddush" and Rebbe Chaim Zanvil used to say of the Rebbe of Ştefăneşti, "I am his only son". On the rebbe's deathbed, he told Rebbe Abramowitz: "I am bequeathing you three things, my ruach hakodesh, my tzura (form) and my chen (grace)". He was an outstanding Torah genius and extremely erudite in Torah knowledge. He himself said that at the age of 18, he knew all the Talmud. In his youth, he was already known for his virtuous ascetic conduct. He used to practice self-denial, immerse in icy water, fast for days wrapped in his tallit and donning tefillin and he would say Tikun Chatzot wearing sackcloth and shedding bitter tears for many hours.
After World War II, many rabbis left the areas occupied by the Russians due to the difficult conditions conducting the life of a religious Jew under Communist rule, but he remained in the city of Râbniţa (today in Moldova) and devotedly served there as a Chassidic rebbe. In spite of the government's prohibitions, he continued observing all the mitzvoth openly, worked as a Shohet, performed circumcisions and taught Torah.
In his merit, full Chassidic life was preserved behind the Iron Curtain. The Communist officials knew of his activities but they respected him. Once he was taken into custody for his actions but he was released when he promised the judge that his wife would be cured if he was released. After the Iron Curtain collapsed, he ascended to Jerusalem but thereafter immigrated to the US where masses flocked to his door.
He was known to possess “ruach hakodesh” and he himself said that he could see “from one end of the world to the other”. He became famous as a tsaddik and a wonder-worker. Many thousands came to ask his advice and to receive his blessing and they saw incredible divine salvation. He would cure illnesses with his blessing and many found their matrimonial matches and gave birth to children in his merit. He was an exceptional Ohev Yisrael and would bitterly shed tears when he heard the pain of another Jew. He used to say that the salvations he brought were in the merit of the pain he felt for the other person and his tears and prayers on his behalf.
He died at a very old age, almost 100 year old. He is buried in the city of Monsey, NY and his grave is a frequently visited each year by thousands of people. Mordechai ben David (Werdiger), the Chassidic singer who was attached to him with all his heart and soul dedicated the songs “Oy, Rebbe” and “Ein Od Milvado” to the rebbe.