Reflections
Rebbe Simcha Bunim of Peshischa zt’l
A powerhouse of Mussar, Reb Simcha Bunim of Peshischa blazed a new path in the Derech of Chassidus. His teachings were the foundation of the Chassidic dynasties established by his many students: Kotzk, Gur, Vorki, Alexander, amongst others
Motti Meringer 01/09/2009 17:33
Reb Simcha Bunim zt’l was born in the city of Vadislav in 5525 (1765) to the Maggid Reb Zvi Hirsch, a profound Torah scholar and author of the Mussar Sefarim ‘Asarah l’Meah’ and ‘Eretz haTzvi’. While yet a child, young Simcha Bunim was brought by his father to the city of Mattersdorf, where he studied Torah in the Yeshiva of Rav Yirmiyah Mattersdorf zt’l. Later, Reb Simcha Bunim moved to the city of Nikolsberg, where he learnt in the Yeshiva of Rav Mordechai Banet zt’l.
After somewhat quenching his thirst in the delightful sea of Shas and Poskim, Reb Simcha Bunim returned to his hometown and married the daughter of Reb Moshe Bendin. He stayed in his father-in-law’s home for a number of years, where he continued to immerse himself in Torah. It was during this period that Reb Simcha Bunim discovered the light of Chassidus, and began to travel to the courts of Reb Moshe Leib of Sassov, and the Maggid Rebbe Yisrael of Kozhnitz.
Reb Simcha Bunim did not want to use his Torah as a ‘spade with which to dig’: a tool with which to support himself, and so with the intervention of the Maggid of Kozhnitz he found work as a clerk for the wealthy Dov Bergson of Prague, who eventually appointed him responsible for his wood and forest trade. After a number of years, Reb Simcha Bunim travelled to Danzig where he studied pharmaceutics – the science of preparing drugs and medicines. On completion of his studies, he received his qualification in pharmaceutics from the medical committee in Lvov, but before he even had a chance to begin his new profession he met Rebbe Dovid’l of Lelov zt’l, who impressed on him to travel to Lublin to the court of the Chozeh. Reb Simcha Bunim travelled to Lublin, and from that moment on he tied his soul with that of the Chozeh of Lublin. In Lublin, Reb Simcha Bunim met the ‘Yehudi haKodosh’ of Peshischa, who would later become his Rebbe.
Reb Simcha Bunim used to say that “Just as a person must find for himself a Rav in this world, as Chazal say in Avos, ‘Make for yourself a Rav’, so too a person must make for himself a Rav [who is] in the next World”. Reb Simcha Bunim himself envisioned the late Maharal of Prague as his personal Rav, and immersed himself thoroughly in the holy works and writings of this revered Sage.
On the 19th of Tishrei 5574 (1814), Reb Yaakov Yitzchak Rabinovits – the ‘Yehudi haKadosh’, passed away and his most outstanding student, Reb Simcha Bunim, took his place at the helm of Peshischa.
His was a novel approach to the world of Chassidus; Reb Simcha Bunim distanced himself from the concepts of ‘hislahavus’ (excitement) and its resultant ‘dveikus’ – closeness to Hashem. He leaned more towards the intellect - delving into the words of Chazal and the Talmud, and through plumbing its infinite depths reaching a new understanding of and closeness to Hashem.
The actions of Reb Simcha Bunim’s disciples were at times puzzling in the eyes of other Chassidim, and some of their activities aroused great opposition. One such example was their conduct on the holy day of Rosh haShana: at the first ray of dawn they would arise in a hurry, rush to daven the various Tefillos of the day, blow the Shofar and mention Malchiyos, Zichronos and Shofros in Mussaf. Whilst the sun was only slowly inching up the horizon and the rest of the Jewish Nation were making their tremulous way towards the Batei Knesses to pour out their hearts in prayer, the Chassidim of Peshischa had already finished their Tefillos for the Yom haDin. Without pause for a break, they would immediately sit down and begin to learn Gemara in depth for the rest of the day, and it seemed they hardly put their mind towards the holiness of the day. These and other behaviours aroused the anger of many, and a bitter dispute arose over the path blazed by Peshischa. The opposers turned to the elderly Admor Reb Avraham Yehoshua Heshel of Apta, the ‘Ohev Yisrael’, with a request that he ostracize the Chassidim of Peshischa.
Reb Simcha Bunim heard of this appeal to the Ohev Yisrael, and sent his close disciple Reb Yitzchak Meir Rottenberg of Gur (the Chidushei Harim) to defend the derech of Peshischa. The Chidushei Harim indeed met with the Ohev Yisrael of Apta, and began to plead for the cause of Peshischa. His efforts bore fruit, and the Ohev Yisrael did not lay a ban on the Chassidus of Peshischa.
Reb Simcha Bunim was known to all as a scholar of astounding wisdom and wit, and his many sayings are cornerstones in the teachings of Mussar. One Motzei Yom Kippur he gathered his Chassidim together, and told them that when the holy Baal Shem Tov travelled in his wagon from place to place with ‘kefitzas haderech’ (supernatural speed), the horses hovered in the air, and could not understand how they – horses – were flying in the air. The horses concluded that since they were flying, it’s a proof that they aren’t really horses but angels. When the Baal Shem Tov arrived at his destination and the wagon driver took the horses to a stable and gave them straw and hay to eat, then the horses understood that despite their ability to fly, they were still merely – horses. Reb Simcha Bunim cautioned his disciples: On Yom Kippur, the Jewish nation rises to the pinnacles of spirituality, reaching the level of angels - but a Jew must be careful that on Motze Yom Kippur when he sits down to eat, he doesn’t find that he is really… just a horse.
Reb Simcha Bunim used his keen perception and insight to fight against the Maskilim (Enlightenment) and their devious ways. Because of his great wisdom, the Maskilim themselves held him in high regard and would come to hold debates with him in matters of Judaism and philosophy. Reb Simcha Bunim never failed to provide a shrewd, caustic answer to these heretics, confounding them to no end. On one occasion a well dressed Maskil came before Reb Simcha Bunim, dressed in the garb of a typical wealthy gentile. The man presented his question: which garments did our forefather Avraham wear in his time? Reb Simcha Bunim glanced pointedly at the clothes of the Maskil, and did not hesitate with his response: Avraham Avinu looked what the gentiles around him wore, and wore exactly the opposite…
Reb Simcha Bunim ‘raised’ many students, who after his passing established their own, famous courts of Chassidus. Amongst his numerous followers were: Reb Menachem Mendel Morgenstern, the ‘Saraf’ of Kotzk zt’l; Reb Yitzchak Meir Rottenberg, the Altar of Gur (the ‘Chidushei Harim’); Reb Yitzchak Kalisch of Vorka; Reb Yaakov of Radzimin zt’l; Reb Yechezkel of Kuzmir zt’l; Reb Mordechai Yosef Leiner of Izbitzia zt’l; Reb Avraham of Tchechnov zt’l; Reb Chanoch Henoch of Alexander zt’l; and Reb Meir Yechiel of Mogilinzia zt’l, amongst countless others.
Reb Simcha Bunim of Peshischa zt’l was brought to his final resting place on the 12th of Elul 5587 (1827), at the age of sixty-two. His holy words of Torah are compiled in the Sefer ‘Kol Simcha’.
After somewhat quenching his thirst in the delightful sea of Shas and Poskim, Reb Simcha Bunim returned to his hometown and married the daughter of Reb Moshe Bendin. He stayed in his father-in-law’s home for a number of years, where he continued to immerse himself in Torah. It was during this period that Reb Simcha Bunim discovered the light of Chassidus, and began to travel to the courts of Reb Moshe Leib of Sassov, and the Maggid Rebbe Yisrael of Kozhnitz.
Reb Simcha Bunim did not want to use his Torah as a ‘spade with which to dig’: a tool with which to support himself, and so with the intervention of the Maggid of Kozhnitz he found work as a clerk for the wealthy Dov Bergson of Prague, who eventually appointed him responsible for his wood and forest trade. After a number of years, Reb Simcha Bunim travelled to Danzig where he studied pharmaceutics – the science of preparing drugs and medicines. On completion of his studies, he received his qualification in pharmaceutics from the medical committee in Lvov, but before he even had a chance to begin his new profession he met Rebbe Dovid’l of Lelov zt’l, who impressed on him to travel to Lublin to the court of the Chozeh. Reb Simcha Bunim travelled to Lublin, and from that moment on he tied his soul with that of the Chozeh of Lublin. In Lublin, Reb Simcha Bunim met the ‘Yehudi haKodosh’ of Peshischa, who would later become his Rebbe.
Reb Simcha Bunim used to say that “Just as a person must find for himself a Rav in this world, as Chazal say in Avos, ‘Make for yourself a Rav’, so too a person must make for himself a Rav [who is] in the next World”. Reb Simcha Bunim himself envisioned the late Maharal of Prague as his personal Rav, and immersed himself thoroughly in the holy works and writings of this revered Sage.
On the 19th of Tishrei 5574 (1814), Reb Yaakov Yitzchak Rabinovits – the ‘Yehudi haKadosh’, passed away and his most outstanding student, Reb Simcha Bunim, took his place at the helm of Peshischa.
His was a novel approach to the world of Chassidus; Reb Simcha Bunim distanced himself from the concepts of ‘hislahavus’ (excitement) and its resultant ‘dveikus’ – closeness to Hashem. He leaned more towards the intellect - delving into the words of Chazal and the Talmud, and through plumbing its infinite depths reaching a new understanding of and closeness to Hashem.
The actions of Reb Simcha Bunim’s disciples were at times puzzling in the eyes of other Chassidim, and some of their activities aroused great opposition. One such example was their conduct on the holy day of Rosh haShana: at the first ray of dawn they would arise in a hurry, rush to daven the various Tefillos of the day, blow the Shofar and mention Malchiyos, Zichronos and Shofros in Mussaf. Whilst the sun was only slowly inching up the horizon and the rest of the Jewish Nation were making their tremulous way towards the Batei Knesses to pour out their hearts in prayer, the Chassidim of Peshischa had already finished their Tefillos for the Yom haDin. Without pause for a break, they would immediately sit down and begin to learn Gemara in depth for the rest of the day, and it seemed they hardly put their mind towards the holiness of the day. These and other behaviours aroused the anger of many, and a bitter dispute arose over the path blazed by Peshischa. The opposers turned to the elderly Admor Reb Avraham Yehoshua Heshel of Apta, the ‘Ohev Yisrael’, with a request that he ostracize the Chassidim of Peshischa.
Reb Simcha Bunim heard of this appeal to the Ohev Yisrael, and sent his close disciple Reb Yitzchak Meir Rottenberg of Gur (the Chidushei Harim) to defend the derech of Peshischa. The Chidushei Harim indeed met with the Ohev Yisrael of Apta, and began to plead for the cause of Peshischa. His efforts bore fruit, and the Ohev Yisrael did not lay a ban on the Chassidus of Peshischa.
Reb Simcha Bunim was known to all as a scholar of astounding wisdom and wit, and his many sayings are cornerstones in the teachings of Mussar. One Motzei Yom Kippur he gathered his Chassidim together, and told them that when the holy Baal Shem Tov travelled in his wagon from place to place with ‘kefitzas haderech’ (supernatural speed), the horses hovered in the air, and could not understand how they – horses – were flying in the air. The horses concluded that since they were flying, it’s a proof that they aren’t really horses but angels. When the Baal Shem Tov arrived at his destination and the wagon driver took the horses to a stable and gave them straw and hay to eat, then the horses understood that despite their ability to fly, they were still merely – horses. Reb Simcha Bunim cautioned his disciples: On Yom Kippur, the Jewish nation rises to the pinnacles of spirituality, reaching the level of angels - but a Jew must be careful that on Motze Yom Kippur when he sits down to eat, he doesn’t find that he is really… just a horse.
Reb Simcha Bunim used his keen perception and insight to fight against the Maskilim (Enlightenment) and their devious ways. Because of his great wisdom, the Maskilim themselves held him in high regard and would come to hold debates with him in matters of Judaism and philosophy. Reb Simcha Bunim never failed to provide a shrewd, caustic answer to these heretics, confounding them to no end. On one occasion a well dressed Maskil came before Reb Simcha Bunim, dressed in the garb of a typical wealthy gentile. The man presented his question: which garments did our forefather Avraham wear in his time? Reb Simcha Bunim glanced pointedly at the clothes of the Maskil, and did not hesitate with his response: Avraham Avinu looked what the gentiles around him wore, and wore exactly the opposite…
Reb Simcha Bunim ‘raised’ many students, who after his passing established their own, famous courts of Chassidus. Amongst his numerous followers were: Reb Menachem Mendel Morgenstern, the ‘Saraf’ of Kotzk zt’l; Reb Yitzchak Meir Rottenberg, the Altar of Gur (the ‘Chidushei Harim’); Reb Yitzchak Kalisch of Vorka; Reb Yaakov of Radzimin zt’l; Reb Yechezkel of Kuzmir zt’l; Reb Mordechai Yosef Leiner of Izbitzia zt’l; Reb Avraham of Tchechnov zt’l; Reb Chanoch Henoch of Alexander zt’l; and Reb Meir Yechiel of Mogilinzia zt’l, amongst countless others.
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