Auction 50
Lot 108:
“To my friend…vayavo Yaakov Shalom like Mohar Yaakov shlita, may he merit blessings to grow his sons and students…may they rise in Torah and avodah like his soul and that of his friend signed with blessings.” At the bottom of the page is another handwritten explanation of the above: “Letter from the Admor of Skvira-Poltischan shlita to a member of his yeshiva on Wednesday of Parshat Bo, 1968.” All written on the back of an announcement from the Admor’s Beit Midrash inviting the public to a Seudat Hilula for the Admor (Rabbi Yehoshua) of Belz, 23rd of Shvat 1968. Size: 21.5x14cm. Creases, overall good condition.
Admor Rabbi Eliezer Twersky (1893-1976) was the rabbi of Poltischan and Admor in Romania and the USA. He was born in Belz, son of Rabbi Shlomo Twersky, son of the Admor Rabbi David Twersky of Skvira and Feiga bat Rabbi Aryeh Leibush Rokach of Mogrov, son of Rabbi Yehoshua of Belz. He was also named after his grandfather Rabbi Eliezer Rokach of Amsterdam. When he was 1.5 years old his father returned to Skvira, and his father-in-law Rabbi Aryeh Leibush—who was considered about the child’s health on the journey—begged him to leave the child with him. So he grew up in his grandfather’s house (Rabbi Aryeh Leibush Rokach of Mogrov). Later he moved to his uncle’s house, the Maharid of Belz, where he was raised like one of his own sons. When he was 15 he was known in Belz as a great lamdan. When he was 16 he married the daughter of Rabbi Meir Moskowitz of Shatz.
In 1919 his uncle of Belz ordered him to act as Admor to the chassidim of Skvira and Chernobyl living in Romania, since they couldn’t travel to their rabbis who lived in Russia, and indeed he made journeys then across Romania, and was called by masses of Jews as he was wonderfully handsome and an eloquent preacher. In 1920 he settled in Poltischan, where he was appointed rabbi and his followers built for him a huge beit midrash which followed the minhag of Belz in which he had grown up. On 7th of Adar I (1921) his father died (Rabbi Shlomo of Skvira) and came to him in a dream, telling him that he could begin saying in kaddish “Vayikarev Ketz Meshichei” (following the unique minhag of the Chernobyl dynasty), for which he knew that his father had died and he began to say “ketz.”
One of his students in Bucharest was Rabbi Eliezer Zusha Portugal, whom he certified to serve as Admor of Skolen.
In 1949 he managed to reach the US and after a period settled in Boro Park, where he served as Admor of Skvira in his uncle’s Beit Midrash (who lived then in Williamsburg). Then he opened a Poltischan Beit Midrash on 49th street in Boro Park. Admor Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum of Satmar greatly admired him, and Rabbi Yosef Greenwald of Papa considered himself a follower of his—when Rabbi Eliezer would come twice a year for Shabbos in Williamsburg, he would give him his beit midrash and he would serve as one of the Gabayim and distribute the songs and arrange the seats at the table.
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