English Translation
From there, [the Malbim] went to Galicia and poured water on the hands of the holy Gaon Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh of Zidichov, of blessed memory, a disciple of the Seer of Lublin, may his merit protect us, who was among the greatest Kabbalists of that generation.
This righteous man, who was known by the title “Prince of the Zohar,” immediately recognized his quality and initiated him into the secrets of the hidden Torah despite his young age (and I heard from His Holy Honor the Admor of Slonim, author of “Netivot Shalom,” may he live a long and good life, in the name of his maternal grandfather, the Gaon Rabbi Asher Weisstain of blessed memory, who received the Malbim in his later years, and he told him then that when Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh of Zidichov blessed him with “Shalom Aleichem,” he felt as if he was extending his holy hand “from one end of the world to the other”).
The extent of reverence that the Malbim had for the “Ateret Tzvi” can be learned from his words in the introduction to “Artzot HaChaim”: “…in the wisdom of truth, in which my teacher in this wisdom illuminated my eyes, the holy man, genius of the hosts of Israel, our teacher Rabbi Tzvi of blessed memory from Zidichov.”
Rabbi Aharon Sorsky, may he live a long and good life, “In the Storm and Whirlwind” (Bnei Brak 5718 [1958]) p. 23
Original Hebrew Version
מִשָּׁם הָלַךְ [הַמַּלְבִּי”ם] לְגָלִיצְיָה וַיִּצֹק מַיִם עַל יְדֵי הַגָּה”ק רַבִּי צְבִי הִירְשׁ מִזִּידִיטְשׁוֹב זצ”ל, תַּלְמִיד הַחוֹזֶה מִלּוּבְּלִין זי”ע, מִגְּדוֹלֵי הַמְּקֻבָּלִים בַּדּוֹר הַהוּא.
צַדִּיק זֶה, שֶׁהָיָה יָדוּעַ בְּכִנּוּי “שַׂר בֵּית הַזֹּהַר”, עָמַד מִיָּד עַל טִיבוֹ וְהִכְנִיסוֹ בְּסוֹד תּוֹרַת־הַנִּסְתָּר לַמְרוֹת גִּילוֹ הַצָּעִיר (וְשָׁמַעְתִּי מִכ”ק אַדְמוֹ”ר שליט”א מִסְּלוֹנִים בַּעַל “נְתִיבוֹת שָׁלוֹם” בְּשֵׁם אֲבִי אִמּוֹ הַג”ר אָשֵׁר וַיְּסְשְׁטֵיין זצ”ל, שֶׁהִקְבִּיל אֶת פְּנֵי הַמַּלְבִּי”ם בְּאַחֲרִית יָמָיו, וְסִפֵּר לוֹ אָז כִּי בְּעֵת שֶׁהרצ”ה מִזִּידִיטְשׁוֹב בֵּרְכוֹ בְּ”שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם” הִרְגִּישׁ כְּאִלּוּ הָיָה מוֹשִׁיט לוֹ אֶת יָדוֹ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה “מִסּוֹף הָעוֹלָם וְעַד סוֹפוֹ”).
עַל מִדַּת הַהַעֲרָצָה שֶׁהֶעֱרִיץ הַמַּלְבִּי”ם אֶת הָ”עֲטֶרֶת צְבִי” נִתָּן לִלְמֹד מִדְּבָרָיו בַּהַקְדָּמָה לְ”אַרְצוֹת הַחַיִּים”: “…בְּחָכְמַת הָאֱמֶת, אֲשֶׁר הֵאִיר עֵינַי בָּהּ מוֹרִי בְּחָכְמָה זוֹ אִישׁ קָדוֹשׁ גְּאוֹן צִבְאוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל מוה”ר צְבִי זצ”ל מִזִּידִיטְשׁוֹב”.
הָרַב אַהֲרֹן סוּרְסְקִי שליט”א “בַּסְּעָרָה וּבַסּוּפָה” (ב”ב תשי”ח) עמ’ כ”ג
About The Story
Author:
Source:
