Yochanan Twersky

Rabbi Yochanan Twersky (Menachem Av 5660 - 20 Kislev 5742/1900-1982) was the Rebbe of Rachmastrivka. He was the son of Rabbi David of Rachmastrivka and grandson of Rabbi Menachem Nachum of Rachmastrivka. He was crowned as Rebbe after his father's passing in 5710/1950, and immediately upon filling his father's position, he began a relationship of friendship and admiration with the Rebbe.

His Relationship with the Rebbe

The Rebbe of Rachmastrivka was always among the first to join the mitzvah campaigns and frequently expressed his admiration for the Rebbe and his sublime activities. In 5727/1967, he signed a letter encouraging the Rebbe's tefillin campaign, as a gesture of gratitude to Hashem for the revealed miracles during the Gulf War. He signed the blessing letter from Torah leaders on 11 Nissan of the seventieth year.

His grandson, Rabbi Nachman Yosef Twersky, son of the previous Rachmastrivka Rebbe, relates:

"a. I remember that several times my grandfather directed people who asked him for advice on certain matters to ask the Lubavitcher Rebbe. b. About 25 years ago, I asked my grandfather of blessed memory: 'Whom does grandfather appreciate more, the Rebbe of... (here I mentioned the name of one of the famous Rebbes) or the Lubavitcher Rebbe?' And he answered me with surprise: 'What kind of question is that?! The... Rav is very great for his community, but the Lubavitcher Rebbe is a Rebbe for the entire world!'"

The Importance of Learning Chassidus

When he had a yechidus (private audience) with the Rebbe on 6 Tevet 5727/1967, the Rebbe spoke with him about the obligation to study Chassidus in yeshivas before prayer ("not necessarily Tanya and Likkutei Torah but also 'Meor Einayim'"), in order to assist in fulfilling the halacha that one should not stand to pray except with a serious mindset and with contemplation of Hashem's greatness and man's lowliness. The Rebbe also cited the Vilna Gaon's commentary on Proverbs to him, stating that one who has not studied the inner dimensions of Torah cannot possibly know true judgment.

On that same occasion, the Rebbe told him: "The Chofetz Chaim was in great friendship with my father-in-law, the Rebbe. My father-in-law the Rebbe told me that he was certain that if they had asked the Chofetz Chaim, he would have said that there is an obligation to study the Torah of the Baal Shem Tov no less than Mishnah Berurah."

Following that yechidus, he began saying words of Torah and Chassidus at his Shabbos table, changing from his previous custom following his ancestors who did not have the practice of saying Torah at their Shabbos tables. His grandson Rabbi Twersky notes that this was a result of what the Rebbe discussed with him about studying Chassidic teachings.

He Came to the United States to Bring a Jew Back to Teshuva

In letter 7788, from 25 Menachem Av 5711/1951, the Rebbe responds to his announcement about the wedding of his firstborn son, the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Yisrael Mordechai Twersky, and explains to him the concept of the three makifim (encompassing lights) that are drawn down during the chuppah. In letter 1210 from 23 Elul 5711/1951, he writes about Elul matters, and in the years that followed, he received many more blessing letters from the Rebbe for family celebrations.

In 5714/1954, Rabbi Yochanan came to New York for the wedding of his son, the Rachmastrivka Rebbe of the United States, and he went into yechidus to receive a blessing for the wedding. A few days later, the Rebbe returned his visit at his lodgings (those in the know note that this is the only return visit the Rebbe made to Torah scholars who visited him).

During the yechidus, the Rebbe spoke with him about a Jew they both knew from Nikolayev, who had abandoned his Judaism and stopped observing Torah and mitzvos upon coming to the United States. The Rebbe asked him to meet with this person and try to bring him back to teshuva. In the book "Rosh Bnei Yisrael", there is a detailed account of how Rabbi Yochanan succeeded in bringing this Jew back to teshuva, to the point that the Rebbe himself called him after three weeks and said: "Surely your honor thinks that he came to the United States to marry off his son, but the truth is that he came here to bring this Jew back to complete teshuva..."

For Further Reading

Beis Moshiach Issue 465.