Sunday, January 22, 2006

Not only Chassidim



(Zushe O"H at the microphone, to his left is Arik Sharon)

It turns out that Zushe Vilimovsky, aka Zushe Partisan, the Rebbe's man in Israel, was originally from a non-Chassidic home. His father, Reb Yosef Yitzchok, hy"d, was a "Eylimishe" Rov in Russia, who happened to have a Kesher with the Rebbe Rashab N"E. When WWII broke out Zushe escaped over the border into free Lithuania and joined the Baranovitcher Yeshiva under the auspices of HaGaon Reb Elchonon Wasserman, hy"d in Trok, near Vilna.

Once there he alerted the entire town about the impending massacre that was to happen at the hands of the Nazis one morning, after getting the information from the Balleboste of his "apartment". Only after telling the whole town did he himself leave, thus saving hundreds of Jews.

Later he was herded into the Ghetto Lida, with 15,000 other Jews, and from there he escaped to the forest, joining the local partisan brigades. There, under the most difficult circumstances, he too had Mesiras Nefesh for Shabbos, Kashrus, and Matzos on Pesach, as well as being careful of Chometz.

Is it any wonder that after the war he was Niskarev to the light of Lubavitch?

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think he had a brother who lived on the Lower East Side, a Litvishe rov, who had a different surname for some reason .Kurentizer,where are you?

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

his brother's name was Reb Yaakov Meir (?) Kohn.

I second the request for Kurenitzer.

Anonymous said...

Is it any wonder that after the war he was Niskarev to the light of Lubavitch?

Why? cause his fathers name was Yosef Yitzchok so he adopted the Rebbe R Yosef Yitzchok in place of his father?

Anonymous said...

Bewildered, can you please grow up or find another blog more to your taste.

Anonymous said...

So why didnt R Oshry join Lubavitch?

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

farshtay

are we on the same planet here? what are you talking about?

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

bewildered

All I'm saying that a Mesiras nefesh Yid found a group whose basic premise is Mesiras Nefesh, his father's name not withstanding.

Anonymous said...

You wrote Is it any wonder that after the war he was Niskarev to the light of Lubavitch? What was that supposed to mean? Because he was moser nefesh its no wonder he became Lubavitch? So why didn't R Oshry do the same?

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

what can I tell you, I don't know why Rabbi Oshry did NOT. One thing's for sure, he didn't join the Litvishe establishment.

Anonymous said...

It seems some people think that eylemshe yidden dont have dedication for mitzvos so if one does he will leave them and join lubavitch.I have news for you.There are many non lubavitchers who have mesiras nefesh for Toyrah and mitzvos.

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

Chas Vesholom!

You miss my point completely, I live between Eylemishe Yidden and it's simply not the case. Dedication, however, is not Mesiras Nefesh, and we're talking about a Yid that comes from a time where most Yidden in his country did not have Mesiras Nefesh, unfortunately.

Anonymous said...

Tzig,
You don't know what 'mesiras nefesh' is, despite your previous post about the guy who according to you starved his wife and kids to death.I believe that the way you portrayed the story is incorrect, but in your eyes it was 'mesiras nefesh' in reality the story is untrue or it's the story of a chosid shoteh, who won't save a drowning woman

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

oy vey vml, your sineh is dir ingantzin maavir al hadas. I don't know about the zeide dayner who saw the Rashab, but the kashes afen eibershten hustu geyarshent fun an andere zeide!

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know if R' Zushe was invovled with the Beilsky Brothers?