Tonight, the 4th of Cheshvan, is the yahrtzeit of the Rebbe of Piaseczno [pronounced “pee-ah-setch-naw”], Reb Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, zt”l, Hy”d. Rabbi Shapira was born in Grodzisk, Poland. He was named after his maternal grandfather, the renowned Ma’or VaShemesh and was the scion of a distinguished family, which included the Rebbe Reb Elimelech of Lizhensk, the Chozeh of Lublin, and the Maggid of Kozhnitz. In 1909 (at the ripe old age of 20!), he was appointed as Rav of Piaseczno, a city near Warsaw.
He was one of the greatest expositors of Chassidus in modern times and attracted many Chassidim. He also authored several sefarim including Chovos HaTalmidim, Hachsharas HaAvreichim, Derech HaMelech, and Aish Kodesh. The latter, perhaps his most famous work, was written in the Warsaw Ghetto from 1940 to 1942, where the Rebbe was a source of inspiration, encouragement, and hope for the Yidden there.
Fully aware of what was to befall them, the Rebbe gave discourses on almost every Shabbos and Yom Tov, wherein he encouraged his faithful to trust in Hashem, to be strong, and if necessary, to give their lives al Kiddush Hashem.
When it became apparent to Reb Shapira that the end of the ghetto and all its inhabitants was near, he buried the book in a canister under a dilapidated home. This canister was later found by a construction worker after the war had ended and eventually found its way back into Jewish hands. The sefer, originally entitled “Torah Chiddushim 5700-5702,” was published in Eretz Yisroel in 1960 under its now famous, new title.
When one reads this miraculously saved manuscript, one gains a clearer understanding of the love that Hashem has for us, His children, even when we find ourselves in the most foreboding of circumstances. It is no wonder that he is still looked upon as a source of hope and emunah, from the darkest moments of WWII Warsaw and beyond.
The Rebbe had a musical side as well. He was entranced by the ‘music’ of Creation and expressed it both in word and in tune. The works he eventually wrote were not just Chassidic classics, but are classics of poetic prose. He was known to have said, “A person sometimes needs to make ladders for himself, with which to ascend to Heaven. A niggun is one of these ladders, especially when sung joyously, with the joy of a mitzvah and a humble heart.”
After the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising was crushed, Reb Shapira was taken to the Trevaniki work camp near Lublin. Prisoners who were completely worked to starvation and exhaustion were removed and sent by cattle car to Treblinka. He spent his last few months in Treblinka, where he, along with his fellow prisoners, perished at the hands of the Nazis, y’mach sh’mam.
Reb Kalonymous Kalman ben R’ Elimelech – Zechuso yagein aleinu v’al kol Yisrael – may the Piaseczner Rebbe’s merits protect us all!
Besides for the hundreds of world-famous niggunim that we all know, R’ Shlomo Carlebach also shared countless stories and lessons that he had gleaned throughout his life. He would use them as introductions and interludes, interspersed within his precious tunes, as a way to extract the deep emotions and messages behind the songs’ inspiration.
One his more famous of such stories was of a street cleaner that he had met in Tel Aviv who turned out to be a survivor from Piaseczno. While the man was bent and broken from the horrors he had witnessed and survived, in his mind remained the vibrant glow of his Rebbe’s countenance and the everlasting lesson he imparted; That the greatest thing you can do in the world is to do someone else a favor.
The story had never been put to song, but that changed when famed musician extraordinaire Aaron Razel adapted the powerful words to create a raw and thoughtful musical experience. Hagiban Hakodesh – The Holy Hunchback was released as a single in 2019 accompanied by an emotional video depiction of the song’s transcription. The track can also be found on Razel’s most recent studio album called Haneshama Rotzah Yoter, an outstanding production that he released later that same year. I have included the audio from the track below as well as links to the videos that were made in both Hebrew and English.
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