Rav Uri Klughaft of Strelisk

Early years

Rav Uri Klughaft of Strelisk zy"a, known as the Strelisker and as the Imrei Kodosh, was born in 5517 (1757) in a small village near Yanov. His father, Rav Pinchos, had received a berocha from the Mezritcher Maggid that he would merit a son who would light up the Jewish world.

After his marriage Rav Uri settled in Lvov (Lemberg), where he devoted himself to learning Torah with great diligence.

Torah and leadership

Rav Uri traveled to the courts of many leading Rebbes, among them Rav Elimelech of Lizhensk, Rav Pinchas of Koritz, Rav Yaakov Yosef of Ostroha and Rav Zusha of Anipoli. At last he met Rav Shlomo of Karlin and became one of his foremost talmidim.

In 5552 (1792) Rav Shlomo of Karlin was tragically murdered, Hy"d. Rav Uri returned to Lvov and opened his own court. He later moved to Strelisk, and it is by the name of that town that he became known.

Rav Uri was famous for the fervor of his tefillah. Thousands of chassidim flocked to his court, and the fire of his davening awakened them to teshuvah. Every day before he went to daven, he would take leave of his household, in case his neshoma left his body while he prayed with his usual burning intensity. He would also tell them that the manuscripts in the drawer were not his own but belonged to his Rebbe, Rav Shlomo of Karlin.

He taught his chassidim to work on their middos and to root out of themselves any desire for money. It is said that there was not a single wealthy Jew among the Strelisker chassidim, and Rav Uri himself lived in extreme poverty.

His talmidim

His foremost talmid was Rav Yehuda Tzvi of Stretyn, with whom he shared an extraordinary bond. After Rav Uri's petira, Rav Yehuda Tzvi became a Rebbe in Stretyn.

Another of his talmidim was the Sar Sholom of Belz. Once, as he sat at Rav Uri's tisch, he cried out, "Oy, Tatte." The Strelisker gave a roar, as was his custom, and shouted, "And maybe He is not your Father?" Rav Sholom understood that Rav Uri still had lessons to teach him for his growth in ruchniyus, and he remained in Strelisk for an entire year.

Teachings and seforim

Some of Rav Uri's divrei Torah were gathered by his talmid, Rav Binyomin Zev Sheinblum of Lvov, and published under the name Imrei Kodosh.

Later years and passing

Two days before his passing, Rav Uri spoke of four separate courts in Heaven: a Sanhedrin of seventy-one, a smaller Sanhedrin of twenty-three, a Heavenly Bais Din and an earthly one. He said that Rav Yechiel Michel of Zlotchov had served in one of these Botei Din, but because he was so punctilious and strict, he was promoted to the greater Sanhedrin. He had left a vacant place in the Bais Din, which awaits a tzaddik to fill it.

Those who heard these words did not dream that he was foretelling his own imminent petira. Two days later, on 23 Elul 5586 (1826), Rav Uri returned his neshoma to its Creator.