Shabbos Shira: Sing During the Galus

For Parshas B'Shalach, here is a story and vort that I have heard numerous times from the Rebbe about his father-in-law, HaRav Yisroel Avrohom Stein, Rav of Faltichan, Romania:

Yahrtzeit: Rebbe Eluzer Twersky of Faltichan (Tamuz 21)

Click to enlarge.

This past Shabbos (Tamuz 21) was the yahrtzeit of the Faltichaner Rebbe, Rav Eluzer Twersky.

Rebbe Yitzchak of Skver (one of the Chernobyler Magid's eight sons) had a son named Reb Dovid who had a son named Reb Shlomo. This Reb Shlomo married the daughter of Rebbe Aryeh Leibish Rokeach of Magrov, a son of Reb Sheya'leh Belzer. Rav Eluzer of Faltitchan was the son of Reb Shlomo. Hence, he was a direct descendant (ben achar ben) from Skver, and living until his chassunah with his uncle, Rebbe Yissachar Dov Belzer, he became heavily influenced by Belz.

Reb Eluzer had a daughter named Sarah who eventually married Rav Avrohom Stein. The names are familiar because Rav Avrohom and Rebbetzin Sarah Stein were our Rebbetzin's parents.

2nd of Sivan - Four Yahrtzeits (Part 2)

(3) Rebbe Yisroel Hager of Vizhnitz, known as the "Ahavas Yisroel":
A connection to between the Ahavas Yisroel and Milwaukee exists by way of Rav Avrohom Stein, the Rebbe shlit"a's father-in-law. As a young man he was very close with the Ahavas Yisroel. The Rebbe, shlit"a, related the following story as he heard from his father-in-law:

The Ahavas Yisroel of Vizhnitz (Center)

When Rav Stein was a young man, the Ahavas Yisroel was accustomed to taking him on long walks. On one of these excursions, the Rebbe stopped and gave out a krechtz, “Oy! What must one have for Shabbos?”
The other Chassidim who were there immediately began discussing amongst themselves what the Rebbe could possibly need for Shabbos. What have we not prepared for him?
They continued and the Ahavas Yisroel said it again. “Oy! What must one take for Shabbos?” But then he turned to Rav Stein and added, “If I have a kepeleh (a head) and hartzeleh (a heart), it is already enough!”

(4) Rav Yosef Irgas (1685-1730):
An major Italian kabbalist, he authored Divrei Yosef and the better known Shomer Emunim. Shomer Emunim Hakadmon, as it is also known, was first published in Amsterdam in 5496 (1736). It is written in two sections and explains the basic principles and concepts of kabbalah in the form of a dialogue. Written as an introductory book for beginners in kabbalah, it also provides a history of the development of kabbalah as well as the importance of its study.
Rav Shloime Twerski, ztz"l, Hornosteipeler Rebbe of Denver, had an order of seforim for one new to kabbalah to learn. The significance of Shomer Emunim is clearly seen by the fact that it was selected to be the first sefer in this program.
While most sources record his yahrtzeit as Sivan 2, some maintain he passed away a day later.

A Baby-Naming in Faltitchan

The Pekudas Elazar of Faltitchan

In my search for some info regarding the Radviller siddur, I came across something seemingly insignificant yet very intriguing. It is an invitation by none other than Rav Eluzar Twersky, ztz"l, the Faltitchaner Ruv and our Rebbetzin's grandfather (to the left), to his newly born daughter's "baby naming Shabbos". The text is in Hebrew and what appears to be German. This is not something we would have expected to find coming from pre-war Faltitchan (a Skver-Belz combo) where modernity was shunned to the greatest degree. One theory is that for "political" reasons, the Rav felt it worthwhile to invite particularly influential individuals to come to Faltitchan but needed an "excuse".

On Shabbos Parshas Yisro of 1924, the baby, the Rebbetzin's aunt, was named Malka. The Faltichaner had two daughters: Rebbetzin Sarah Stein, a"h, (the Rebbetzin’s mother) and,  yblch"t, Malka Katz.

Just for the sake of mentioning some Torah here, I saw in his sefer, Pekudas Elazar, that we say in Shmoneh Esrei, "ki atah shomea tefilas kol peh" - "for You hear the prayers of every mouth". The word for mouth is peh. The Rebbe Reb Burich'l of Mezhbizh said it like this, "For You hear the prayer so of everyone, even those whose prayers are feh!"