הרב יעקב יצחק הורוביץ

Rav Yaakov Yitzchak HaLevi Horowitz (c. 5505/1745–9 Av 5575/1815), known as the Chozeh — the Seer — of Lublin, was among the foremost Chassidic rebbes of Poland at the close of the eighteenth century. He was born in Yozefov to a distinguished family — his father, Rav Avraham Eliezer, served as av beit din, and he counted the Shelah HaKadosh among his forebears — grew up in Tarnograd, and learned under Rav Moshe Tzvi Meisels in Zolkiew. He became a disciple of Rav Shmelke of Nikolsburg, spent time at the court of the Maggid of Mezritch, and after the Maggid’s passing returned to Rav Shmelke; upon his passing he became a close talmid of Rav Elimelech of Lizhensk.

Around 5540/1780 he settled in Lancut and gathered a following of chassidim while Rav Elimelech was still alive. After his rebbe’s passing he became the leading figure of Chassidus in Galicia and Poland, a place he held for some thirty years. His court moved by stages toward Lublin, and in 5554/1794 he founded a beit midrash in the city, on Szeroka Street in the Jewish quarter; despite the opposition of the mitnaged rav of Lublin, Rav Azriel Horowitz, it was formally recognized in 5563/1803. Thousands learned there, among them hundreds who later became known rebbes across Poland.

He was called the Seer for the spiritual vision his talmidim and contemporaries ascribed to him, which tradition connects to the guarding of his eyes in his youth. His teaching centered on the role of the tzaddik and his bond with the common people, and drew both simple Jews and young scholars of distinguished lineage. Among his talmidim were the “Holy Jew” Rav Yaakov Yitzchak of Peshischa, Rav Simcha Bunim of Peshischa, Rav David of Lelov, Rav Naftali Tzvi of Ropshitz, and Rav Shalom Rokeach of Belz; his great-grandson was Rav Kalonymus Kalman Shapira of Piaseczna. His teachings are gathered in Divrei Emet, Zot Zikaron, and Zikaron Zot. On Simchat Torah night of 5575 he fell from the window of his home and, after some ten months, was niftar on Tisha B’Av; he is buried in the old Jewish cemetery of Lublin.