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The Yahrzeit of Rabbi Gedalia of Linitz z‘l (d. 1784) is commemorated on the 29th of Kislev. The following praise of his works appeared in Sefer HaHasidut, Meah Tzadikim, Raphael, Yitzchak, 1961, Tel Aviv. (Freely translated by Gabbai Seth Fishman.)

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev on His Writings

When the son of the Rav, the author, (i.e., he, who brings into view the hidden light, renowned elder, religious authority and righteous teacher of our community, the holy congregation of Linitz, may his Rock preserve him), showed these writings, to our teacher the Rav Levi Yitzchak, (ztzvk’l, the holy Rav, the Gaon, the renowned one, luminary of the exile, the religious authority and righteous teacher of the holy congregation of Berditchev, may his Rock  preserve him), Reb Levi Yitzchak said:

“Many people will not be able to discern the intent of the Rav, the author (z’l), because of his profundity. And if after the careful reading of all this, it seems that something was incorrect in its section, in all the cases it will have been justified by the Rav, the author, in another place and he will have suspended the doubt with his explanation, for while his intent might have been stated briefly, containing little, it was so that the words would receive exactly that which the Rav intended to place in them.”

(In the introduction of Reb Yehudah Leib of Linitz on “Yields of Grace”)

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The Yahrzeit of Reb Binyamin of Zalozitz z‘l (d. 1793) is commemorated on the 25th of Tishrei. The following praise of his works appeared in Sefer HaHasidut, Meah Tzadikim, Raphael, Yitzchak, 1961, Tel Aviv. (Freely translated by Gabbai Seth Fishman.)

From the Endorsements by Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev on his Essays

1)

“Through the Jewish activities in the holy congregation Lvov, the son of the tzaddik Reb Binyamin, who himself is our teacher, a holy Rav, wonderful, distinguished, erudite and an elder, came to me. His father was that tzaddik, holy source of light, godly man, the Rav, who is at rest, our teacher, the Rav Reb Binyamin his memory a blessing for life of world to come. Reb Binyamin was upright preacher of the holy congregation of Zalozitz.

“In the son’s hand, a bundle filled with the holy writings which attest to the glory of his father who is at rest, his soul in Eden and, he tells me he wants to bring them up onto the altar of publishing to establish words of his father so that they should remain for many days to be a reminder and preserver of him.

“The content makes a nice connection with Song of Song and it’s called ‘Love of Lovers’. Inside, I saw some words that are sweet for the palate and explanations for all their longings, verily, in revealed teachings and verily in esoteric teachings all in equal amounts, for good,  also laid out in a nice way for good understanding and certainly, it is a tree of life to those who grasp it…”

(At the beginning of the Sefer “Ahavat Dodim”)

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The Yahrzeit of Rabbi Moshe Shoham of Dolina (“Doliner”) z‘l (1730-1800) is commemorated on the 24th of Tishrei. The following praise of his works appeared in Sefer HaHasidut, Meah Tzadikim, Raphael, Yitzchak, 1961, Tel Aviv. (Freely translated by Gabbai Seth Fishman.)

From the Approbations for his Books

1)

“I know ‘this man Moshe’, [cf., Numbers 12:3],  that he is great, verily, in revealed teachings and verily, in esoteric teachings. And from ever, he would not depart from the tent of Torah.

“Of him, I know that he served the great ones of his generation.

“Also, he is a sage and, from his knowledge, an expert. And, I recognized it from the first instance of encountering Moshe’s spoken eloquence.

“It’s a pleasure to mention it.”

(Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heshel in the approbation for sefer Divrei Moshe)

2)

“I saw the precious comments about the holy book Pri Etz Chayim from the great holy one of the generation, an offspring of holiness, a man of God, an awesome one, our teacher, the Rav Moshe z’l, who is called in the mouths of all, ‘Reb Moshe son of Reb Dan.’ Already his greatness has become well-known in the book Divrei Moshe.

“And behold, I saw that the precious words came out of the mouth of a person who is great among giants. And these words are fit to be set on the printing press.”

(Rabbi Chaim Halberstam of Sanz in the approbations for Sefer “Seraph Pri Etz Chayyim“)