הרב יחזקאל טויב מקוזמיר

Rebbe Yechezkel Taub of Kuzmir (5532/1772–17 Shevat 5616/1856) was the founder of Kuzmir chasidut and the forebear of its branches, among them Modzitz. Born in Plonsk to Rav Tzvi Hirsh Taub, he traveled in his youth to the courts of the Chozeh of Lublin — who said of him that he has “the form of Avraham Avinu” — the Maggid of Kozhnitz, and the Yid HaKadosh of Peshischa. After their passing he became the foremost chasid of Rav Shmuel of Karov, and then of Rav Shmuel’s talmid Rav Yitzchak of Vengrov; both marked him as their successor. He also traveled at times to Rav Simchah Bunim of Peshischa.

In Plonsk he supported himself from a shop selling shoemakers’ supplies, and when the heads of the kehillah looked askance at his chasidut he moved for a year to the Radom district. In 5587/1827 he began to conduct himself as Admor, settling in Kuzmir (Kazimierz Dolny), where his chasidim came to number in the thousands and he became known as a baal ruach hakodesh. His way was warm and open to the simple Jew, and he began the negginah of Kuzmir, composing many niggunim — a musical inheritance carried on by his descendants, above all in Modzitz, founded by his grandson Rav Yisrael Taub, son of his son Rav Shmuel Eliyahu of Zvolin. Among his chasidim were Rav Shlomo of Radomsk, Rav Nosson Dovid of Shidlovtza, and Rav Yisrael Yitzchak of Radoshitz.

He was niftar on 17 Shevat 5616/1856 at eighty-four, and thousands accompanied him to his kevurah in the old beit hachaim of Kuzmir, inside the taharah room. Under the Nazis the matzeivot were torn out and the site was forgotten; in 5773/2013, during a visit of the Modzitzer Rebbe, Rav Chaim Shaul Taub, the exact spot was identified anew. His torah is gathered in Nechmad MiZahav (printed 5669/1909) and in the later collections Torat Yechezkel and Ma’amar Yechezkel.