Rabbi Chaim Chaikel M'amdur

Rabbi Chaim Chaikel was born to Rabbi Shmuel. His family for several generations were all exalted tzaddikim, holy and hidden ones. According to one version, he was a student of the Vilna Gaon (HaGra), and taught Torah to students. He engaged in fasts and self-afflictions, sometimes from Shabbat to Shabbat, and stayed awake for a thousand nights to study Torah.

His Journey to Chassidut

There are several conflicting accounts about his journey to Chassidut:

One version states that his connection to Chassidut came through Rabbi Aharon the Great of Karlin. During Rabbi Aharon's travels throughout Lithuania, he would visit towns and cities, and wherever he saw lofty souls, he would bring them closer to Chassidut. One day, he arrived in the town of Amdura and saw a Jew sitting and studying Torah. Rabbi Aharon asked him what he was studying. Rabbi Chaim replied: "Torah for its own sake (Torah Lishmah)." Rabbi Aharon asked him: "And where are the 'many things'?" For it is taught in Pirkei Avot that whoever studies Torah for its own sake merits many things. Without waiting for an answer, he immediately turned and left the synagogue, got onto his wagon and ordered the wagon driver to continue traveling. But Rabbi Chaim Chaikel was so inspired by this comment that he ran after the wagon and begged Rabbi Aharon to stop it, but he ordered the horses to be whipped and to gallop away. Until Rabbi Aharon saw that Rabbi Chaim had no strength left to run further, and then ordered the wagon to stop.

Rabbi Chaim asked Rabbi Aharon to reveal to him where one receives these "many things," and Rabbi Aharon told him to travel to Mezritch. When he came to Mezritch, the Maggid of Mezritch recognized his greatness and said to Rabbi Aharon: "You have brought a ready-made menorah that needs nothing but to be lit."

Even Rabbi Aharon expressed about himself the tremendous benefit he received from Mezritch, saying that although he had engaged in fasts and self-afflictions and studied Torah for a thousand nights, he still did not feel complete rectification in his soul until he came to Mezritch.

A second version states that his connection came when the Alter Rebbe and Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Horodok traveled on a mission from the Maggid to Shklov, to deliver a sermon in the "Sh' Geonim" synagogue. In his sermon, the Horodker quoted the above-mentioned statement of the Sages and posed the question, "If you study Torah for its own sake, where are the secrets of Torah that should have been revealed to you?" They then left the synagogue for the home of one of the Chassidim. Rabbi Chaim Chaikel was shocked by these words and searched for them throughout the town until he found them and asked the Horodker where one receives the secrets of Torah, and he sent him to Mezritch.

He served Hashem with excitement and bitterness. Once when a nobleman passed by him during his prayer, he remarked, "I am certain that even a murderer, if he heard his prayer, would have his heart melted and turned to water."

He passed away on the 23rd of Adar 5547 (1787), two days after his friend Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk passed away.

With the Alter Rebbe

He was among the devoted followers of the Alter Rebbe to the point of self-sacrifice.

After he became close to Chassidus and became an Admor himself, the Alter Rebbe once met with him near one of his students who was immersed in prayer. The Alter Rebbe praised that when this chassid prays, he merits a revelation of Eliyahu. The Alter Rebbe told him that this was not so remarkable, since it wasn't the chassid himself praying, but rather during his prayer, it was R' Chaikel himself who was praying. "But look at my chassid (pointing to one of his chassidim), in him shines the Yechidah of the soul."

His Sayings

In one of his letters that appeared in the Kherson Genizah writings, he writes to his son-in-law Rabbi Natan, the head of the rabbinical court of Makova:

"My teacher, the Maggid, explained the verse 'Be tamim (perfect/whole)' - if you desire to be whole and lack nothing, 'with Hashem your G-d' - rejoice in your divine portion and do not envy others..."

His Books

Chaim V'Chesed (Life and Kindness).

His Descendants

• His son Rabbi Dov Ber passed away without sons and was buried in Siedlce.
• His son Rabbi Shmuel is the son-in-law of Rabbi Aharon of Zelichov, author of Ohr HaGanuz and Siddur Keser Nehora.
• His son-in-law Rabbi Natan of Makova, a student of the Chozeh of Lublin.
• His son-in-law Rabbi Moshe of Kobrin, brother of Rabbi Aharon of Karlin.

Further Reading

The Writings of Rabbi Yoshiah Shochet, pp. 161-164