Rabbi Meir Horowitz – The Dzikover Rebbe

Rabbi Meir Horowitz Zatzal was the son of Rabbi Eliezer Zatzal, the Dzikover Rebbe, who was the son of the holy Rabbi Naphtali of Ropshitz. In his youth, Rabbi Meir was known as a genius who could absorb raw information in an astonishing way. He worked in secret, elevating himself in Torah and Chassidut to such an extent that many said he was the pillar of Torah in his generation. After the death of his father, Rabbi Meir took upon himself the yoke of leading the community. Thousands gathered around him, and every Shabbat he had three tables at which he related his Torah insights. These talks were later printed in his Torah commentary Imrei Noam, a book that was accepted as authoritative throughout the Diaspora. All during his life, Rabbi Meir said that a person must live in order to know how to die. In fact something extraordinary is said to have happened just before he died. On Tammuz 8, 5637, he suddenly sat in his chair and said: “Today there will be a sign.” A few moments later he said, “The soul is Yours and the body is Your work. Have pity on Your work.” At that instant his soul departed in holiness and purity towards the light of life, a light reserved for the tzaddikim in the World to Come.

Rabbi Meir Horowitz left behind sons who were well-known tzaddikim, namely Rabbi Naphtali Chaim, Rabbi Yechiel, Rabbi Aaron, Rabbi Asher, Rabbi Tuvia, and Rabbi Yehoshua (who succeeded his father as the Dzikover Rebbe). Rabbi Meir’s son-in-law was Rabbi Israel Hager, the Rebbe of Viznitz and author of Ahavat Israel. May his merit protect us all.