הרב יחזקאל שרגא הלברשטאם

Rabbi Yechezkel of Shinova, Rav Yechezkel Shraga Halberstam (20 Shevat 5575/1815–6 Tevet 5659/1898), known as the Shinover Rav and, after his sefer, as the Divrei Yechezkel, was the eldest son of the Divrei Chaim, Rav Chaim Halberstam of Sanz, and the founder of the Shinova dynasty. Born in Tarnogrod, he married at fifteen Toube, daughter of Rav Aryeh Leib Lipschitz, author of Aryeh Devei Ilai, and settled near his wife’s grandfather, Rav Moshe Teitelbaum, in Ujhel in Hungary, where he learned bechavruta with Rav Moshe’s grandson, the Yitav Lev, Rav Yekutiel Yehuda Teitelbaum. He travelled to many tzaddikim, some to know them and some to take them as rebbeim; his rebbeim muvhakim were Rav Asher Yeshaya of Ropshitz, Rav Tzvi Hirsh of Rimanov and the Sar Shalom of Belz.

He served as rav of Rudnik and, from 5608/1848, of Rozdol, then of Shinova, of Stropkov and — after his father’s passing — of Sanz itself, before returning to Shinova, where he led as Admor and became known as a poel yeshuot. Zeal for truth and exactness in halacha marked him, and on these grounds he at times differed even with his father, in halacha and in matters of the klal; like his father he davened with a fiery, stormy tefillah. In 5629/1869 he travelled to Eretz Yisrael and stayed in Tzfat and Yerushalayim; in Tzfat he founded a shul and mikveh, known to this day as the Sanz shul, and in 5631/1871 he returned to Galicia.

The Darchei Teshuvah called him “the Rebbe of the Rebbes,” for Admorim and their sons travelled to him: among his talmidim were Rav Tzvi Hirsh Shapira of Munkacs and his son Rav Chaim Elazar, Rav Meir Yechiel of Ostrovtza, Rav Yechezkel of Radomsk, author of Knesset Yechezkel, and Rav Yisrael Chaim Friedman of Rachov, author of Likutei Maharich. He did not say Torah at set times; his sons wrote that he spoke only what was sent to him from Heaven, after weighing it in solitude and devekut. His talmid Rav Akiva HaKohen Lieber gathered his teachings into the Divrei Yechezkel, first printed in 5661/1901 — Torah on the parshiyot, the festivals, Tehillim, Mishlei, Shir HaShirim, tefillah, Shabbat and Avot, with notes on Mishnayot, Gemara and Shulchan Aruch and drafts of halachic teshuvot. He also brought to press two works of Rav Avraham Azulai on the Zohar, Zoharei Chamah in 5641/1881 and Or HaChamah in 5657/1897.

Twice widowed, he married five times in all and had nine children; his sons served as rabbanim across Eastern Europe, among them Rav Naftali, whose Torah he published as Ayalah Sheluchah, Rav Avraham Shalom, father of Stropkov chassidut, and Rav Moshe, who succeeded him in Shinova and afterwards in Sanz. He was niftar on 6 Tevet 5659/1898.