HaRav Chaim Zanvil Abramowitz zt’l, the Ribnitzer Rebbe, was born in Botoshan (Botosani), Romania in 1902 (according to some, 1898, others 1896, and according to others still, 1893) and was niftar on Isru Chag Sukkos, the 24th of Tishrei, 5756 – October 18, 1995. A tremendous tzaddik, an exceptional talmid chacham and ba’al moifes, The Ribnitzer Rebbe (or sometimes referred to as “The Rimnitzer Rebbe”) served as Rebbe under Communist rule in Rybnitsa, Romania (present-day Transnistria, Moldova).
R’ Chaim Zanvil, orphaned of his father at the age of two and a half, was raised in the house of Rav Yehudah Aryeh Leib Frankel of Botoshan. He became especially close to Rav Avraham Matisyahu Friedman of Stefanesht (Stefanesti), a grandson of the holy Ruzhiner. The Rebbe of Stefanesht, who was not blessed with children of his own, adopted him and raised him as his son. On the Rebbe’s deathbed he told his “son,” “I am bequeathing you three things: my ruach hakodesh, my tzurah, and my chein.”
During his formative years, he studied shechitah and milah – two mitzvos to which he dedicated himself with outstanding mesirus nefesh – literally risking his life on countless occasions to perform them under Stalinist rule.
Although his Torah learning is not talked about as much as his kedushah, his avodah and his mofsim – his chassidim relate hearing from him that by the age of 18, there was not a single Rashi in Shas that he did not know by heart. He also related learning the complex halachos of shechitah and melichah 101 times together with the previous Skverer Rebbe. “Every spare moment that he had was spent learning Gemara or Shulchan Aruch,” relates one of the close gabo’im.
Known already from his youth for his ascetic conduct, the Ribnitzer would engage in fasts and sigufim (acts of self-denial) that were reminiscent of the practices of the Talmidei Ba’al Shem. He fasted every day for most of his life while always wrapped in his tallis and tefillin. He would immerse in a mikvah twice daily, regularly having to break the frozen river with an axe in order to toivel before davening. And his Tikkun Chatzos – complete with sackcloth and ashes – shook the room, as his heartrending sobs could be heard for hours on end.
In the wake of World War II, many rabbanim left Russian-occupied areas due to the difficulties in maintaining frum life under Communist rule, but he remained in the city of Ribnitz and devotedly served there as Chassidic Rebbe. In spite of governmental prohibitions, he continued observing all the mitzvos openly, working as a shochet, mohel and Torah leader. Reputedly, he was once arrested for his actions, but was released upon promising that the judge’s wife would be cured of her illness if he was freed. He was… and of course she was healed immediately.
After the Iron Curtain fell, he moved to the Mattersdorf neighborhood of Yerushalayim where he lived for a few years before moving to the United States, where masses flocked to his door. He lived in Miami, Los Angeles, Boro Park, and Sea Gate (Brooklyn), before he finally settling in Monsey, New York.
The Ribnitzer was a wonder worker known to possess ruach hakodesh. He once revealed that he could see “from one end of the world to the other.” Many thousands came to ask his advice and to receive his blessings, and would always see incredible Divine salvation. His brachos helped cure illnesses, helped many find their matrimonial matches and give birth to children in his merit. He was an exceptional Oheiv Yisroel and would shed bitter tears when he heard of the pain of another Jew. He used to say that the yeshuos he brought about were due to pain he felt for another person’s troubles.
His incredible yeshuos continue to this day, as the multitudes who seek his help are drawn to his tziyon today – on his yahrtzeit – as well as around the year.
Today’s post features the moving Niggun HaRebbe (or Rebbe’s Niggun) which was sung as an emotional ode to the Ribnitzer Rebbe by one of his devoted chassidim, R’ Mordechai Werdyger – or better known as Mordechai Ben David. The lyrics were written by the Ribnitzer’s wife, Rebbetzin Freida Milka, who wrote the words after the Rebbe’s passing as a testimony to the amazing personality that was lost, and were given to MBD to sing as an expression of longing for the tzaddik who would now act as a meilitz yosher in shomayim.
The song includes a unique twist, with the insertion of the Rebbe’s favorite, and now famous niggun (tnuah) as the chorus. The remainder of the song’s melody was written by the famed composer and arranger Moshe Mona Rosenblum and was recorded and released on MBD’s Ain Od Milvado album back in 1997.
MBD says:
This niggun was very special to my Rebbe zt’l, who was known worldwide as being a gevaldike ba’al moifes and poel yeshuos. I has the zechus to be able to serve the heilige Ribnitzer Tzaddik for many years in his home and became very close to him over the years. In fact, it was the Ribnitzer’s advice that kept me in the music world all those years ago. I asked him if I should stop performing publicly as a singer and the Rebbe told me that the talent of singing is a gift from the Aibishter and that I had no permission to stop. And so it was – I kept singing, Baruch Hashem. L’illui nishmas, R’ Chaim Zanvil ben R’ Moshe, zeicher tzaddik l’vracha. Zechuso yagen aleinu!”
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