Thursday, June 14, 2007

The man who saved Stoliner Chassidus


Reb Loozer Brizel passed away last week at the age of 97. He was a Galicianer Yid from a family of Sanzer/Shinover Chassidim who discovered Karliner Chassidus in Yerushalayim and never left. (He remained a Galicianer Yid somewhat, with his Kano'us for Yerushalayimer Minhogim and Levush, something I don't think he learned in Karlin, but you can argue that point.) In many ways Reb Loozer was the one who allowed for Stolin to wait around till the present Rebbe was of age to take the leadership mantle. Had that not happened who knows where they'd be today? Many left right away to Reb Moshe Mordche of Lelov, a Chossid of Reb Yochanon of Stolin, his brother Reb Zalman among them. Others waited around and left anyway years later, when Stolin split from the Eidah HaCharedis and began to receive state funding, a cardinal sin amongst Kanoyim.

Reb Loozer was a traveling "Kiruv" organization, spending most Shabbosim away from home in cities and towns across Israel, awakening Jews to become closer to Hashem. He was also an active leader of the Vaad HaTznius, not looking after wrongdoing, and not harrassing "Shababnikim," but rather trying to correct and prevent the secularization of Yerushalayim. He was the one instructed by the Beis Yisroel of Ger to put up the Mechitzah at the Kosel after it was captured in the Six-Day War, and he got his way, against the better wishes of the Government. He would "live" with his first Rebbe, Reb Avrohom Elimelech of Karlin HaYaD, who was killed during WWII, and would say that the Rebbe's blood "Kocht zich noch" and knows no rest. This after more than sixty years had passed. I had the good fortune of seeing Reb Loozer quite often as a Bochur in Eretz Yisroel, and saw his complete devotion during davenen and tishen.

Why do I think he saved Stolin? quite simple. The Kanoyishe Chassidim in the Holy Land became Stoliner Chassidim, but most were Gevorener. They had not been around when the Yenukah of Stolin, Reb Yisroel, was crowned as Rebbe at the age of four. Yes, there was a precedent for taking a child as a Rebbe, but to do it again on the hope that he'll turn out like his Elter Zeide was? I think not. There was also the fact that he was an American-born child who's parents certainly were not your typical Chassidim, Rebbishe kind or not. For these Jews to accept that as their current situation was definitely not what you expected, yet a large part of Stolin went along with it and is there to this very day, as one of THE most devoted Chassidisen as far as Hiskashrus to a Rebbe is concerned. There was a long education process for the boy, where Eltere Chassidim took him under their wings and made a Layt out of him, but in the end, all's well that ends well. Reb Loozer left a family of hundreds of descendants, all of whom go in his ways. (at least BeChitzoynius.)

יהי זכרו ברוך

18 comments:

  1. There was an article about him in this week's (Parshas Korach) Kfar Chabad [-Chadashot section]. Unfortunately, I didn't get to go through it.

    (It may have also been based on other protim, thus not אא"כ משום חידושו, and you'd have virtually covered the topic)

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  2. I am not sure why you say all ended well. I know the Stoliner Rebbe, and I an NOT impressed to say the least.

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  3. The Stoliner is not out to impress you as a person like R'Tzvi Meir etc.. he is like amolige rebbes no "belitos" as the say in Chabad, If your Neshome would be affilated to his Neshome Kelolis you would have seen the light.

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  4. Somehow it all ends up with Loshon HoRah when it comes to any of the Jewish public figures. The point here was not to discuss whether you're impressed with the Stoliner or not. He has gantz a feiner chassidus as those things go. At least Chassidus Farnemt an ort by them, and not just the trappings.

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  5. I am not a Karliner but you have to admit there are a lot of Talmidie Chachomim and real chasidim by them. And most of them are from the todays Rebbe era.

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  6. What is Karlin-Stolin Chassidus about? What is their niche, if you will.

    What I have noticed from my time in Yerushalayim is that:

    -their Shabbos Psukei D'Zimrah is B'Raash Godol

    -the Rebbe does not want his picture taken,

    -There is a gabbai who goes around during davening to make sure every stranger has a place to eat,

    -From what I saw, the Rebbe does not speak at the tish.


    What inyan holds it all together?

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  7. I am the first anonymous. And I spent years in Stolin, and have greatest respect for the many talmiday chacomim etc there, mainly younger guys. And will NOT back down from my assertions as to the Rebbe.

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  8. There's an interesting loshon the Rebbe says to the current Karlin-Stolin Rebbe, when he came to comfort the Rebbe after 22 Shvat. The Rebbe starts off, (toichen): "פותחין בדבר הלכה מעניני אבילות, שמן הדין הי' לעמוד בפני נשיא בישראל".

    The Rebbe had much hadros kovod fo him, although he was many years his junior.

    (The full discussion is printed in the 'Toras Menachem - Menachem Tziyon' set).

    A unique perspective, of the Rebbe's dialogue with Gedolei Yisroel, amongst others by Nichum Aveilim - it's available for sale online:

    http://store.kehotonline.com/index.php?stocknumber=HRE-TMMT&deptid=3264&parentid=76&page=4&itemsperpage=10
    *

    Bichlal, Karlin-stolin and Lubavitch had a good yachas. R' Yisroel of Stolin had a prominent seat by the Rebbe's farbrengens in the early years. (One picture is in Yemei Breishis).

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  9. The picture is not of Reb Yisroel, but of his son, Reb Yaakov Chaim, who lived in Williamsburg and passed away in Detroit. he's known as "Di Detroiter." It's also not at a Farbrengen, but at the wedding of Reb Shmuel Levitin's son Binyomin, Tzu lange yohren. Binyomin married the daughter of Nissen "zeidy" Pilchik, a Stoliner Chossid.

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  10. The Pilchik brothers went to Lubavitch on Dean and Bedford.
    R'Brizel was born in Yeusholayim, I don't think you'd call him a classic Galicianer.
    The Karlin in Eretz Yisroel is more a kehilla, less a chassidus.Unless things have changed since I learned in Yeusholayim around the corner from Karlin, which was at the time that the Karliner decided to start taking money from the Israeli Goverment and there was tension with the Eida Hachareidis and Satmar, but he firmly stood his ground and the kannoim left.
    A very modest guy.Quite .

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  11. yehupitz-

    Did you know that Stolin's "loud davening" traces back to the early days of this chug Chassidus.

    Interestingly enough, in the halshonos on Chassidus, which was directed to the Alter Rebbe - one was the very loud davening. Although that was -even then- only Stolin's hanhoga.

    (The entire halshono and the Alter Rebbe's answers, was printed in recent years, and available by Heichal Menachem).

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  12. anon2,

    The Alter Rebbe's actual answers in writing? (or a transcript?) What publication by Heichal Menachem has this?

    I know that Toldos Aharon has this davening hanhaga all week.

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  13. Karlin daven loud all year round.Go to the Stoliner shul in Boro Park and see
    You must be from ek velt or yehupitz if you did not know that

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  14. Do you have any substantial evidence that relations between Chabad and Stolin-Karlin were cordial in White Russia ?
    Lets not put too much importance on modern day manifestations as today Tzandz and Rizhin get along fine too.Ger and Aleksander today are buddies too.
    My own impression is that Anash were closer to their Litvishe neighbors than to their neighbors who were Stoliner, Koidenower, or Slonimer chassidm.
    In the inter war years between 1919-1939 I have never heard of a bachur froma Chabad home in Western White russia. going to the Slonimer , Koidenower or Karliner yeshivos , while many went to "rein" Litvishe yeshivoth at that time like Navarodok.
    My late father would gently poke fun at the varuious rebbes from those gezas who would visit Kurenitz(Vileyka the t city of K was a center of Koidenower and Siner chassidim) ) and praveh tisch, their rolling of the eyes, dress and "modne tenuos". These were all foreign to the Chabad follower . My father's description of the Rayaatz whom he saw (yechiduth) in the Vilna area 2-3 times was leyla uleyla.

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  15. While it's true that the Modne Tnu'es were very foreign to them, does that mean that they weren't cordial?

    Slonim and Karlin have this old anymosity going with Chabad since the times of the Alter Rebbe. It's about Shitas Chabad and Teyras Chabad, and maybe the Kolel Raysin. So maybe they weren't. What do I know?

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  16. I guess you young whippersnappers don't remember R. Avrohom Blosofsky the Stoliner and his fiery davening in 770 during the 1960s.

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  17. everyone remembers reb avrohom blesofsky who davened in 770 until the mid 70's
    ps from your commetns elsewhere u seem to be a bit of a misnaged too, not just an ailemesher
    how do u know what went on in 770 in the 60's or is that when u broke away?

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