Reflections
The Admor Rabi Osher zy”a of Stolin (the first)
The Admor Rabi Osher zy”a of Stolin was the son of the founder of the Karliner chassidic dynasty which originated with Rabi Aharon HaGadol zy”a of Karlin. He was, however, the third Rebbe in the dynasty, since the second was Rabi Shlomo Karliner zy”a, the most prominent talmid of Rabi Aharon HaGadol, who also raised Rabi Osher from his early childhood.
Motty Meringer 15/10/2009 12:22
The third Admor of Karlin-Stolin was the Admor Rabi Osher zy”a (the first) of Stolin. Rabi Osher was the son of the founder of the Karliner dynasty, Rabi Aharon HaGadol zy”a, who was also a talmid of the great Maggid of Mezritch, Rabi Dov Ber zy”a.
Rabi Aharon HaGadol was recalled to the Heavenly Yeshivah on the 19th of Nissan in the year 5532 at the age of just thirty-six. He left behind him a young son, Rabi Osher, who was just ten years old at the time. A lottery was held among the talmidim of Rabi Aharon HaGadol, to determine who would bring up the young orphan. Rabi Shlomo zy”a of Karlin emerged the one to merit this honour – and it was also he who now stood at the helm of the chassidus and perpetuated the derech of Rabi Aharon HaGadol.
Rabi Shlomo Karliner led the Karliner chassidim for around twenty years, until he was murdered at the hands of a Russian Cossack in the town of Ludmir. At the time of his murder, Rabi Osher was still a young man, thirty years old. The Karliner chassidim now turned to him and requested that he take on the mantle of leadership, to become their new Rebbe and continue the Karliner dynasty that had been established by his great father, Rabi Aharon HaGadol. Rabi Osher acceded to their request and took over the leadership of the chassidus, guiding the chassidim in the manner of his holy father.
Already prior to the appointment of Rabi Osher as Rebbe, a fierce dispute between chassidim and misnagdim had broken out in Karlin and had extended until it encompassed the entire region of Pinsk. This dispute was over the appointments of rabbanim and community leaders in the area. Rabi Osher, who was noted for the extreme measures he took in order not to become embroiled in controversies, packed his bags, took up his wandering staff and moved to the nearby town of Stolin, from where he continued to lead his chassidim. From then onwards, the Karliner dynasty was known as ‘Karlin-Stolin’, and later Karliner Rebbes also spent part of their time in Stolin. Only after the dispute had died down, in the year 5570, after more than ten years spent in the little town of Stolin, did Rabi Osher return to his original residence in Karlin.
Many of Rabi Osher’s energies were directed to his support of the yishuv in Eretz Yisrael, specifically to his own chassidim who chose to settle there. It was Rabi Yaakov ztz”l, a son of Rabi Aharon HaGadol and a brother of Rabi Osher, who founded the Karliner yishuv in the Holy Land, planting its first seeds. Rabi Osher greatly encouraged the aliyah of his chassidim, and also maintained close contact with Rabi Avraham haKohen zy”a of Kalisk, who was one of the first chassidishe leaders to ascend to Eretz Yisrael. Even today one can still find old batei medrash established by Karliner chassidim in the early days of their settlement in the holy cities of Tiveria, Tzfas and Yerushalayim.
Rabi Osher conducted himself with great piety, and could not abide those of his chassidim who came to him feigning to be great tzaddikim when in fact they were yet far from reaching such a level. On one occasion he exclaimed in regard to these types of chassidim that; “they are peasants made of clay – they are Cossacks made of straw.” Rabi Osher then explained his words, saying that these days, when a chassid comes to his Rebbe, he conceals his sins and only displays his meritorious deeds with pride, as if he were a great tzaddik; whereas he himself, whenever he had travelled to his Rebbi Rabi Shlomo Karliner, he had concealed the good in him and shown only his negative aspects, according to the Torah law that one must show the Kohen the signs of tzara’as upon oneself, in order to receive instructions on how to re-attain purity.
It is related that once a Jew came to Rabi Osher who had sinned greatly – so greatly, in fact, that for his specific sin it states that he was to receive no portion in the World to Come. Rabi Osher nevertheless reprimanded the Jew, and commanded him to return to HaShem in teshuvah. The Jew, however, argued that it was impossible to do teshuvah for his sins and so he could not return to HaShem. Rabi Osher answered the man that, as a Jew, he was obligated to do teshuvah regardless – and as far as his portion in the World to Come was concerned, have not Chazal already taught us that; “one hour of teshuvah and good deeds in this world is worth more than all the life of the Next World”?
Rabi Osher especially cherished the mitzvah of Chanukah licht, and on the eighth and last night of ‘Zos Chanukah’ he would dance after kindling the flames and sing ‘Hadran alach ner Chanukah v’hadran alan’, using the wording customarily recited when one completes a masechta of Shas. Several of his chassidim who were astonished at this custom went to Rabi Osher’s son, Rabi Aharon, and asked him to explain his father’s conduct. One of the arguments they used to question Rabi Osher’s special emphasis on the holiness of Chanukah was Chazal’s statement that the Chanukah flames are lit at a height below ten tefachim, intimating, they suggested, that they are of a lesser level of kedushah.
Rabi Aharon replied to the chassidim, telling them that Chazal had not intended for their words to be interpreted as meaning that Chanukah was on a lower level than the other festivals – quite the opposite is true. The fact that the light of Chanukah can reach even the lowest levels and the darkest places where the level of impurity is the greatest indicates its great power to banish tumah, and that is why Rabi Osher so valued the mitzvah of Chanukah licht.
The Admor Rabi Osher zy”a of Stolin was recalled to the Heavenly Yeshivah on the 26th of Tishrei in the year 5587, after having led the Karlin-Stolin chassidim for more than twenty years.
The position of leadership was then transferred to his son, Rabi Aharon zy”a, known as the ‘Beis Aharon’, who was named after his grandfather Rabi Aharon HaGadol.
Rabi Aharon HaGadol was recalled to the Heavenly Yeshivah on the 19th of Nissan in the year 5532 at the age of just thirty-six. He left behind him a young son, Rabi Osher, who was just ten years old at the time. A lottery was held among the talmidim of Rabi Aharon HaGadol, to determine who would bring up the young orphan. Rabi Shlomo zy”a of Karlin emerged the one to merit this honour – and it was also he who now stood at the helm of the chassidus and perpetuated the derech of Rabi Aharon HaGadol.
Rabi Shlomo Karliner led the Karliner chassidim for around twenty years, until he was murdered at the hands of a Russian Cossack in the town of Ludmir. At the time of his murder, Rabi Osher was still a young man, thirty years old. The Karliner chassidim now turned to him and requested that he take on the mantle of leadership, to become their new Rebbe and continue the Karliner dynasty that had been established by his great father, Rabi Aharon HaGadol. Rabi Osher acceded to their request and took over the leadership of the chassidus, guiding the chassidim in the manner of his holy father.
Already prior to the appointment of Rabi Osher as Rebbe, a fierce dispute between chassidim and misnagdim had broken out in Karlin and had extended until it encompassed the entire region of Pinsk. This dispute was over the appointments of rabbanim and community leaders in the area. Rabi Osher, who was noted for the extreme measures he took in order not to become embroiled in controversies, packed his bags, took up his wandering staff and moved to the nearby town of Stolin, from where he continued to lead his chassidim. From then onwards, the Karliner dynasty was known as ‘Karlin-Stolin’, and later Karliner Rebbes also spent part of their time in Stolin. Only after the dispute had died down, in the year 5570, after more than ten years spent in the little town of Stolin, did Rabi Osher return to his original residence in Karlin.
Many of Rabi Osher’s energies were directed to his support of the yishuv in Eretz Yisrael, specifically to his own chassidim who chose to settle there. It was Rabi Yaakov ztz”l, a son of Rabi Aharon HaGadol and a brother of Rabi Osher, who founded the Karliner yishuv in the Holy Land, planting its first seeds. Rabi Osher greatly encouraged the aliyah of his chassidim, and also maintained close contact with Rabi Avraham haKohen zy”a of Kalisk, who was one of the first chassidishe leaders to ascend to Eretz Yisrael. Even today one can still find old batei medrash established by Karliner chassidim in the early days of their settlement in the holy cities of Tiveria, Tzfas and Yerushalayim.
Rabi Osher conducted himself with great piety, and could not abide those of his chassidim who came to him feigning to be great tzaddikim when in fact they were yet far from reaching such a level. On one occasion he exclaimed in regard to these types of chassidim that; “they are peasants made of clay – they are Cossacks made of straw.” Rabi Osher then explained his words, saying that these days, when a chassid comes to his Rebbe, he conceals his sins and only displays his meritorious deeds with pride, as if he were a great tzaddik; whereas he himself, whenever he had travelled to his Rebbi Rabi Shlomo Karliner, he had concealed the good in him and shown only his negative aspects, according to the Torah law that one must show the Kohen the signs of tzara’as upon oneself, in order to receive instructions on how to re-attain purity.
It is related that once a Jew came to Rabi Osher who had sinned greatly – so greatly, in fact, that for his specific sin it states that he was to receive no portion in the World to Come. Rabi Osher nevertheless reprimanded the Jew, and commanded him to return to HaShem in teshuvah. The Jew, however, argued that it was impossible to do teshuvah for his sins and so he could not return to HaShem. Rabi Osher answered the man that, as a Jew, he was obligated to do teshuvah regardless – and as far as his portion in the World to Come was concerned, have not Chazal already taught us that; “one hour of teshuvah and good deeds in this world is worth more than all the life of the Next World”?
Rabi Osher especially cherished the mitzvah of Chanukah licht, and on the eighth and last night of ‘Zos Chanukah’ he would dance after kindling the flames and sing ‘Hadran alach ner Chanukah v’hadran alan’, using the wording customarily recited when one completes a masechta of Shas. Several of his chassidim who were astonished at this custom went to Rabi Osher’s son, Rabi Aharon, and asked him to explain his father’s conduct. One of the arguments they used to question Rabi Osher’s special emphasis on the holiness of Chanukah was Chazal’s statement that the Chanukah flames are lit at a height below ten tefachim, intimating, they suggested, that they are of a lesser level of kedushah.
Rabi Aharon replied to the chassidim, telling them that Chazal had not intended for their words to be interpreted as meaning that Chanukah was on a lower level than the other festivals – quite the opposite is true. The fact that the light of Chanukah can reach even the lowest levels and the darkest places where the level of impurity is the greatest indicates its great power to banish tumah, and that is why Rabi Osher so valued the mitzvah of Chanukah licht.
The Admor Rabi Osher zy”a of Stolin was recalled to the Heavenly Yeshivah on the 26th of Tishrei in the year 5587, after having led the Karlin-Stolin chassidim for more than twenty years.
The position of leadership was then transferred to his son, Rabi Aharon zy”a, known as the ‘Beis Aharon’, who was named after his grandfather Rabi Aharon HaGadol.
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