Historic Film of Skolya Rebbe Zt"l Lekovid his Yahrtziet 6 Shvat

Rabbi Dovid Yitzchak Rabinowitz, the Skolya Rebbe (1898-1979)

He was the Author of Sefer Tzemach Dovid

"His brilliance in Torah was matched by his concern for his fellow Jews".

The Rebbe was a seventh-generation descendant of both the Ba'al Shem Tov and the Zlothichver Maggid.

He traced his lineage to Rashi, Maharal, Rema, and the "Sheloh" (R. Isaiah HaLevi Horowitz 1565-1630)

Skolye, a town in Western Galicia, had been his home from age four till his marriage. His father, Reb Baruch Pinchos, a Ba'al Mofes (one who effects miracles) to whom Jews from far and wide flocked, made sure to devote time to his young prodigy, to develop his vast potential.

At an early age, young David Isaac displayed a rare talent and desire for originating chiddushei Torah. His father, however encouraged him to better devote his time to studying the vast sea of Torah literature. Though he heeded his father's words, Isaac'l could not abstain entirely from writing down his chiddushim and would do so late at night, in secret. In the frost of the Galician winter, he would climb up to the attic and write until the ink would freeze.

Shortly after World War 1 erupted, the jews of Skolye were forced to flee their city. The Rebbe's father and family made their way to Vienna, where Sklolye Chassidus was revived. In Vienna, the Rebbe married the daughter of Rabbi Dovid Moshe Landau, the Burstyner Rav, who had also fled to Vienna during the war.

The Rebbe was still living in Vienna at the time of the Nazi Anschluss in 1938. Rabbis were high on the Nazi list of wanted Jews. A disciple sacrificed his visa to America for the Rebbe, though with G-d's help he too was able to leave. The Rebbe left Austria by plane for Switzerland; it was the last flight carrying refugees out of the country. When the Rebbe left Austria, he was forty years of age. By that time, he had written most of his more than twenty sefarim on a wide range of topics.

Upon arriving in America, the Rebbe took up residence on New York's Lower East Side, before moving to Williamsburg in 1945. In 1973, he relocated to Boro Park, along with his beis medrash. He lived there until his passing in early 1979.

The Rebbe was an outstanding shaliach tzibbur. His sweet voice was complemented by the feeling of love and awe of his Creator, which permeated his words. His work was revered by Talmudic giants and he received approbations from Rabbi Aharon Kotler, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein and Steipler among others.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Skolya
• Rebbe
• Ribnitz
• Rimnitz
• Rabbi