Rav Tzadok HaKohen Rabinowitz of Lublin

Early years

Rav Tzadok HaKohen Rabinowitz zy"a was born on the 22nd of Shevat, 5583 (1823), in Kreisburg, Latvia. His father, Rav Yaakov, was the Rav of Kreisburg, and his mother, Rebbetzin Yuta, was a descendant of the Shelah HaKadosh. Even in childhood people expected him to be great.

It is told that as a small boy he learned Gemara with great intensity, sometimes by the light of the moon, because his parents could not afford candles. When he was six, his father passed away, and he moved into the home of his father's brother, Rav Yosef, author of Kapos Zahav. When his uncle became Rav of Krinik, near Bialystok, Tzadok went with him, and he came to be known as the iluy of Krinik.

At twelve he was already answering halachic she'eilos, and at his bar mitzvah he gave a complex pilpul that astounded everyone. He corresponded with the leading rabbanim of the day, among them Rav Yitzchok Elchanan Spector of Kovno, and he received difficult she'eilos from far and wide. Besides his many chiddushim on the Gemara, he wrote essays on astronomy, geometry and algebra.

Torah and leadership

At fifteen he married the daughter of a wealthy wine merchant and continued to serve Hashem with growing fervor in his home. In 5600 (1840), at seventeen, he completed Shas, as he mentioned in a letter. In these years he wrote Otzar HaMelech on the Rambam, Meishiv HaTa'anah on ibur hashanah (the leap year calendar), and Sefer HaZichronos.

His success stirred up the anger of some townspeople, who spread cruel and baseless rumors about his household. He was forced to leave his father-in-law's home and seek a Heter Meah Rabbonim. As a result he traveled widely and met many rabbanim and Rebbes. He was drawn to Chassidus and became a close talmid of Rav Mordechai Yosef Leiner, the Bais Yaakov of Izhbitz. For his first twenty-four years he had studied only nigleh (the revealed Torah), and from 1847, a turning point in his life, his writings dealt only with nistar (the hidden parts of Torah) and the mystical themes of Kabbalah.

After Rav Mordechai Yosef passed away in 5614 (1854), many of his chassidim followed his son, while others chose Rav Yehuda Leib Eiger of Lublin as their Rebbe. Rav Tzadok became a devoted chassid of Rav Leibele, traveling to him in Lublin, and was also his close friend. During this period he lived in seclusion, giving himself entirely to avodas Hashem.

He refused the pressure of many communities to take any rabbinic post for most of his life, and was once even offered the rabbanus of Lublin, which he turned down. He lived from hand to mouth, earning a small living from a little used-clothing shop. He devoted his life to writing his seforim and serving Hashem.

Teachings and seforim

In 5648 (1888), after Rav Leibele passed away, many chassidim chose Rav Tzadok as their Rebbe, and he agreed to lead them. He led them for nearly thirteen years.

He wrote many seforim, among them Pri Tzaddik, on the Torah and the festivals, Tzidkas HaTzaddik, Resisei Laila, Takanas HaShovim, Kedushas Shabbos, Machshavos Charutz and Dover Tzedek. His works made a deep impression with their profound thoughts. In them he records many chiddushim that were revealed to him in dreams. Many of his manuscripts remain unpublished.

He remarried and raised his wife's children as his own. He turned away from every worldly pleasure and lived with humility and kedushah. He ate very little, and only at the daily siyum that he made. The only money he took from chassidim was what was given to him at a pidyon haben, which was his by right as a Kohen.

Later years and passing

Chassidim said that on Shabbos he looked entirely different than during the week, and that on motzei Shabbos he had to be revived when he parted from the neshamah yeseirah, the extra soul that a Jew receives for Shabbos.

In 5660 (1900) he grew much weaker. He had no children of his own, so he asked his stepchildren to print his seforim. Rav Tzadok passed away on the 9th of Elul, 5660 (1900), and was buried in the ohel of his beloved Rebbe, Rav Yehuda Leib of Lublin.

Legacy

Rav Tzadok's seforim are a precious inheritance for Jews of every background who seek closeness to Hashem, since they cover the whole range of the revealed and hidden sides of Torah.