אורי מסטרליסק

Uri of Strelisk, Rav Uri Klughaft (5517/1757–23 Elul 5586/1826), called the Saraf, was a chassidic Rebbe who spread chassidut through Galicia and founded the Strelisk dynasty. He was born in Janow to Pinchas, a poor and simple man already old, after the Maggid of Mezritch had promised his mother a son who would be a light to the world. He married Beloma, daughter of Rav Yaakov Koppel Chassid, a talmid of the Baal Shem Tov. His rebbeim were Rav Elimelech of Lizhensk and Rav Shlomo of Karlin, whom he regarded as his rebbe muvhak, and he also looked to Rav Yaakov Yosef of Ostraha as his teacher.

When Rav Shlomo of Karlin was killed (shot by a Cossack named Armilos in a conflict) in 5552/1792, Rav Uri began leading chassidim in Lvov, and from there moved to Strelisk, all the while still travelling to tzaddikim — Rav Aharon Aryeh Leib of Premishlan and the Chozeh of Lublin. After the murder his companions Rav Asher of Stolin and Rav Mordechai of Lechovitch went to Rav Baruch of Mezhibuzh; Rav Uri would not join them, saying that he did not find there the avodat hatefillah he had known by his rebbe. He was known for his bekiut, for his sight into the roots and gilgulim of souls, and for his refusal to work mofsim.

He led his chassidim in poverty and want, and would say that his path was avodat Hashem out of poverty. He once told Rav Yisrael of Ruzhin that his chassidim did not want wealth; when the young men present were asked whether they wished to become rich, they answered as one that they did not — all but one, who said that his wife wanted it, and who indeed grew rich and became a nagid of the court. His chassidim said of him that so long as Rav Uri had not made havdalah on motzaei Shabbat, the keys of Gehinnom stayed in his hand and the souls freed from punishment on Shabbat could still roam the world undisturbed.

Among his talmidim were the Sar Shalom of Belz, Rav Tzvi Hirsh of Rimanov, Rav Yehuda Tzvi of Stretin, Rav Yitzchak Isaac of Zhidachov, Rav Moshe of Sambor and Rav Dov Berish of Olesk. The poet Uri Tzvi Greenberg, his descendant, was named for him, and Shai Agnon drew his figure in the story “The Beginning of the Saraf’s Service.” He was niftar in Strelisk on 23 Elul 5586/1826 and is buried there; his teachings were gathered into the Imrei Kadosh. His son Rav Shlomo succeeded him as the second Rebbe of Strelisk, though after his passing many of his chassidim went to Rav Yisrael of Ruzhin.