M.robin at 21:30, 18 June 2026

2026-06-18T21:30:25Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:30, 18 June 2026
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	[[File:ניקשלבורג.jpg~~\|left~~\|thumb\|250px\|The resting place of Rabbi Shmuel Shmelke in Nikolsburg]]		[[File:ניקשלבורג.jpg\|thumb\|250px\|The resting place of Rabbi Shmuel Shmelke in Nikolsburg]]
	{{About\|a disciple of [[the Maggid of Mezeritch]]\|other uses\|Shmuel Horowitz (disambiguation)}}		{{About\|a disciple of [[the Maggid of Mezeritch]]\|other uses\|Shmuel Horowitz (disambiguation)}}

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	On the day of his passing, Rabbi Shmelke told his disciples that he was a spark of the soul of [[Samuel the Prophet]], and that this was why he was departing at the age of 52 — the same number of years the Prophet Samuel had lived.		On the day of his passing, Rabbi Shmelke told his disciples that he was a spark of the soul of [[Samuel the Prophet]], and that this was why he was departing at the age of 52 — the same number of years the Prophet Samuel had lived.

	~~== Notes ==~~
	~~<references/>~~

	== Sources ==		== Sources ==
	* [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-N2CyELtxOyJCMd7vznJ0cv9sVrqgpoD/view?usp=sharing ''Shmu'os VeSipurim'', vol. 1, p. 241]		* [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-N2CyELtxOyJCMd7vznJ0cv9sVrqgpoD/view?usp=sharing ''Shmu'os VeSipurim'', vol. 1, p. 241]

			==References==
			{{reflist}}

	[[Category:Disciples of the Maggid of Mezeritch]]		[[Category:Disciples of the Maggid of Mezeritch]]
	[[he:שמואל שמעלקא הורביץ מניקלשבורג]]		[[he:שמואל שמעלקא הורביץ מניקלשבורג]]

Raphaelwilmowsky: Created page with "The resting place of Rabbi Shmuel Shmelke in Nikolsburg {{About|a disciple of the Maggid of Mezeritch|other uses|Shmuel Horowitz (disambiguation)}} '''Rabbi Shmuel Shmelke Horowitz of Nikolsburg''' (1726–1778) was one of the foremost disciples of the Maggid of Mezeritch, and a towering rabbinic figure in the early spread of Chassidic Judaism across Poland, Moravia, and the German lands. == Life == Rabbi Shmelk..."

2026-06-18T19:00:04Z

Created page with "left|thumb|250px|The resting place of Rabbi Shmuel Shmelke in Nikolsburg {{About|a disciple of the Maggid of Mezeritch|other uses|Shmuel Horowitz (disambiguation)}} '''Rabbi Shmuel Shmelke Horowitz of Nikolsburg''' (1726–1778) was one of the foremost disciples of the Maggid of Mezeritch, and a towering rabbinic figure in the early spread of Chassidic Judaism across Poland, Moravia, and the German lands. == Life == Rabbi Shmelk..."

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[[File:ניקשלבורג.jpg|left|thumb|250px|The resting place of Rabbi Shmuel Shmelke in Nikolsburg]]
{{About|a disciple of [[the Maggid of Mezeritch]]|other uses|Shmuel Horowitz (disambiguation)}}

'''Rabbi Shmuel Shmelke Horowitz of Nikolsburg''' (1726–1778) was one of the foremost disciples of [[the Maggid of Mezeritch]], and a towering rabbinic figure in the early spread of Chassidic Judaism across Poland, Moravia, and the German lands.

== Life ==

Rabbi Shmelke was born in 1726 in Chortkov, to Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh, the town's rabbi, who was himself regarded as a [[tzaddik]] — a righteous and spiritually elevated individual.<ref>According to the Divrei Yechezkel of Shinowa, citing the leading scholars of his generation, Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh would fast from one Shabbos to the next.</ref>

The Admor Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh of Munkatch recorded<ref>In his work ''Tiferes Banim'' (Parshas Devarim), in ''Darkei Teshuvah''.</ref> a tradition that the [[Baal Shem Tov]] sent Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh, the rabbinical judge of Chortkov, to Rabbi [[Chaim of Brody]] to request a blessing for children. Rabbi Chaim blessed him that he would merit "sons who would be luminaries of the exile" — and from that blessing were born his two holy sons: [[Rabbi Pinchas Horowitz|Rabbi Pinchas]], author of the *Hafla'ah*, and Rabbi Shmelke of Nikolsburg.

Rabbi Shmelke maintained a major yeshiva, whose students included the celebrated [[Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak Horowitz]], later known as the Seer of Lublin.

Together with his brother [[Rabbi Pinchas Horowitz]] (the *Ba'al HaHafla'ah*), Rabbi Shmelke began traveling to [[the Maggid of Mezeritch]], the successor to the Baal Shem Tov and the central figure of the second generation of Chassidus. Under their influence, a remarkable circle of disciples was drawn into the Chassidic world as well, including Rabbi Yisroel Hopstein ([[the Maggid of Kozhnitz]]), [[Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev]], [[Rabbi Moshe Leib of Sassov]], [[Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Rimanov]], and [[Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak of Lublin]].

While Rabbi Shmelke was still in the court of the Maggid, the [[Alter Rebbe]] — Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of [[Chabad-Lubavitch]] — came before him with the manuscript of his [[Shulchan Aruch HaRav|code of Jewish law]]. Rabbi Shmelke encouraged him warmly to bring the work to publication.<ref>Introduction to the Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe.</ref>

Rabbi Shmelke passed away on the 2nd of Iyar, 5538 (1778), and was buried in Nikolsburg.

== Communal Leadership ==

In 1754, Rabbi Shmelke accepted the rabbinate of the town of Ritchwal, where he established a yeshiva that attracted outstanding Torah scholars. Among those who studied there and rose to lead the Chassidic world were Rabbi Yisroel Hopstein ([[the Maggid of Kozhnitz]]), [[Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev]], and [[Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak of Lublin]].

Around 1763, he was appointed rabbinical judge (*av beis din*) of Shinova, and relocated his yeshiva there as well. It was during this period that the [[Seer of Lublin]] studied under him.

In 1773, Rabbi Shmelke moved to serve as rabbi of [[Nikolsburg]], in the Moravian region, once again bringing his yeshiva with him. There he was joined by such students as [[Rabbi Moshe Leib of Sassov]], [[Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Rimanov]], Rabbi Yitzchak Eizik of Kaliv, and [[Rabbi Mordechai Benet]], who later served as rabbi of Nikolsburg himself. It is in Nikolsburg that Rabbi Shmelke rests.

== Family ==

* His son, Rabbi Tzvi Yehoshua Horowitz, served as rabbinical judge of Trebitsch, and married a daughter of his father's brother, [[Rabbi Pinchas Horowitz]].
* His daughter Teyba married Rabbi Yaakov Horowitz, rabbinical judge of Katzelburg near Pressburg.

== Works ==

* '''''Divrei Shmuel''''' — on the Torah.
* '''''Nazir Hashem''''' — on the section of [[Shulchan Aruch]] dealing with marriage law (*Even HaEzer*).
* '''''Shemen HaTov'''''.

== Encouragement of the Alter Rebbe ==

The sons of the [[Alter Rebbe]] attest in the introduction to the [[Shulchan Aruch HaRav]] that before Rabbi Shmelke departed to assume the rabbinate of Nikolsburg — and before his brother [[Rabbi Pinchas Horowitz]] left for the rabbinate of Frankfurt — while both were still in the Maggid's court, they saw the Alter Rebbe's manuscript and praised it in the highest terms, urging him: "Be strong and courageous — go forth and complete this work. It befits you, and the merit of the Torah will stand for your descendants and for all of Israel."

On the day of his passing, Rabbi Shmelke told his disciples that he was a spark of the soul of [[Samuel the Prophet]], and that this was why he was departing at the age of 52 — the same number of years the Prophet Samuel had lived.

== Notes ==
<references/>

== Sources ==
* [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-N2CyELtxOyJCMd7vznJ0cv9sVrqgpoD/view?usp=sharing ''Shmu'os VeSipurim'', vol. 1, p. 241]

[[Category:Disciples of the Maggid of Mezeritch]]
[[he:שמואל שמעלקא הורביץ מניקלשבורג]]

Shmuel Shmelke of Nikolsburg - Revision history

M.robin at 21:30, 18 June 2026