Rav Yitzchok Yaakov Rabinowitz

Early years

Rav Yitzchok Yaakov Rabinowitz zt"l, known throughout the Torah world as Reb Itzele Ponevezher, was born in 5614 (1854). His father, Rav Shmuel Leib, was a wealthy man and a great scholar who spent the last years of his life in Riga, where he was a well-known businessman with a good name.

Little is known of Reb Itzele's childhood, and no wondrous stories about it have been handed down. One thing is clear: he was a child prodigy with exceptional gifts.

At fourteen he married Chava, the daughter of Rav Yaakov Dov Eisenstadt. His father-in-law, a very wealthy man, supported him for twenty-eight years. Throughout that time Reb Itzele stayed in his village, learning Torah day and night until he became a great gaon (Torah genius). In all those years the Torah world did not know of him.

Torah and leadership

In 5649 (1889) he was appointed Rosh Yeshiva (head of the yeshiva) of Slabodka, and the Torah world saw a new star rise on the horizon. In his shiurim he presented a new approach to the study of Gemara. His explanations were original and brilliant, and his listeners were captivated. The talmidim loved and admired him for his sharp mind and also for his kindness, for he treated them like a brother and a friend.

He remained at Slabodka for seven years, and through him the yeshiva grew and gained great distinction. Bochurim came from all across Russia to hear him, and he had hundreds of talmidim, among them men who became the greats of their generation and leading figures in the Torah world.

For several reasons Reb Itzele left the yeshiva and became Rav of Gorzd, in the province of Kovno. There he also taught exceptional young students who had traveled with him from Slabodka. After about two years he became Rav of the large and famous city of Ponevezh, and its name became his.

The people of Ponevezh honored and cherished him. He had grown up in wealth, so the rich did not impress him and he did not favor them. He always judged fairly for the poor and needy, and he did not allow the wealthy to exploit their downtrodden workers. His goodness had no limit. He gave away everything he had, while his family found it hard to manage even on his large salary. When the leaders of the city saw what he did with his money, they began paying his salary directly to his wife. The Rav then found another source for the poor: he sold his seforim and gave them the proceeds.

Guarding Shabbos

During his years as a Rav, Reb Itzele would leave his house a few hours before candle lighting on Erev Shabbos and walk through the town. When people saw him coming, they hurried to close their shops. Once, a merchant let a customer in through the back entrance, and this pained the Rav. When that merchant later passed away, Reb Itzele postponed the burial until the merchant's son promised in writing that he would keep Shabbos properly from then on. He brought these Shabbos customs with him wherever he lived, not only in Ponevezh.

During the First World War he was forced into exile in Mariopol, in southern Russia. One Erev Shabbos, as he walked through the town urging people to close their shops, a shopkeeper refused. Reb Itzele went into the shop and insisted, speaking forcefully, that the man close at once. The merchant struck him and threw him out. The town was in an uproar. When the merchant learned whom he had attacked, he bitterly regretted it, ran to Reb Itzele, fell at his feet and begged forgiveness. When Reb Itzele told this story afterwards, he would say that such an outcome was worth being assaulted for Shabbos.

In Mariopol he also taught Torah, and many came to hear his shiurim. He lived in great poverty, giving the little money he received from the wealthy to the yeshiva students.

Communal work

Until 5670 (1910) Reb Itzele took no part in communal affairs and spent most of his time answering shailos (halachic questions) sent to him from near and far. Together with Rav Chaim Soloveitchik of Brisk and Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzinski of Vilna, he founded an Orthodox organization in Russia called Knesses Yisroel, which later merged with Agudas Yisroel in Frankfurt.

He traveled constantly for the needs of the community, attending meetings on public problems and ably defending the laws of the Torah and the mitzvos. He did a great deal of good for Jews in dealing with the Russian government, for he was the only rav who understood Russian well and knew how to speak with the authorities.

All this travel weakened his health, and he aged before his time, for he was also very careful about kashrus. He would not eat bread baked by non-Jews, and he avoided milk and butter, and meat even more so. He took matzos with him and ate only matzah with tea. It is no surprise that his health suffered.

Later years and passing

In 5678 (1918) Reb Itzele managed to leave Russia, where he had been in exile during the war years, and returned to Ponevezh utterly exhausted. He found the city devastated by the war and almost empty, and the remaining residents struggling with a typhus epidemic. Paying no attention to his own health, he spent much time visiting the sick, until he himself was struck by typhus.

On 20 Adar I 5679 (1919), his lofty and pure soul ascended to Shamayim.