Yisrael Yitzchak Pikarsky

Rabbi Yisrael Yitzchak Pikarsky (1905 - 23 Elul 1992) served as a rabbi in Poland, London, and Forest Hills, New York. He served as the Rosh Yeshiva of Tomchei Tmimim Central at 770 (between 1988-1992). He was requested by the Rebbe to be his rav for halachic matters. He was born in 1905 in Poland and passed away in Elul 1992 in New York.

Life History

Rabbi Pikarsky was born in 1905 in Sosnowiec, Poland, to Rabbi Mordechai Menachem Pikarsky, an Amshinov chassid. In his youth, he studied under Rabbi Aryeh Tzvi Frumer, Av Beis Din of Kozhiglov (author of "Eretz HaTzvi") and under Rabbi Avraham Weinberg (author of "Reishis Bikkurim") who was a student of the Sochatchov geonim, the Avnei Nezer and the Shem MiShmuel. In 1936, he married his wife, the daughter of Rabbi Aryeh Klapman, who was the son of Rabbi David Klapman, rabbi of Geneva, Switzerland. After his marriage, he served briefly as rabbi in Mondziv, Poland. In 1938, he was appointed as rabbi in London, and before he could bring his family there, World War II broke out. Only after seven years, at the end of the war, did the family reunite.

In 1947, Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner obtained a visa for Rabbi Pikarsky's family and they moved to New York. Upon arriving in the United States, he was appointed as Moreh Tzedek in the Beis Medrash of Tzeirei Agudas Yisrael in the Bronx. In early 1951, he was appointed as Rosh Yeshiva of Tomchei Tmimim Central at 770 in Brooklyn, New York, while simultaneously serving as rabbi of the Orthodox community in Forest Hills.

Rabbi Pikarsky educated thousands of talmidei chachamim and ordained hundreds of rabbonim, morei hora'ah, and dayanim.

He passed away on 23 Elul 1992.

Family Background

He came from a family of Amshinov chassidim and was himself a chassid of Rabbi Yosef Kalish of Amshinov. After the Holocaust, he became close to Rabbi Yosef's brother and son, Rabbi Shimon Shalom Kalish and Rabbi Yitzchak Kalish.

He married Mrs. Esther Abramowitz, a Ger chassid. Rabbi Pikarsky had 3 sons and 2 daughters. His son Rabbi Yosef is a Ger chassid, and previously served as a Rosh Mesivta in Yagdil Torah Yeshiva of Ger chassidus in the United States.

Connection with the Rebbe

Rabbi Pikarsky's teachers, Rabbi Aryeh Tzvi Frumer and Rabbi Avraham Weinberg, greatly admired the Alter Rebbe and from them he received his connection to Chabad chassidus. In 1950, he first came to 770 and participated in Mincha with the Rebbe. After davening, Rabbi Pikarsky approached the Rebbe saying "Shalom Aleichem" and they spoke for several minutes in learning. Later, Rabbi Pikarsky related that those minutes left an immense impression on him, and despite having been close to many gedolei hador in Poland, this was a spiritual experience unlike any he had known. From then on, Rabbi Pikarsky became 'mekushar' to the Rebbe. Over the years, he regularly participated in the Rebbe's large farbrengens and in kinusim and Rambam siyumim.

Rabbi Pikarsky frequently discussed Torah matters with the Rebbe, both in writing and verbally. For an extended period, he would enter for yechidus with the Rebbe once a month to present his questions, and the Rebbe would answer them. On 24 Teves one year, the Rebbe completed a masechta in Shas and gave a pilpul on the topic of "chatzi shiur" at a farbrengen. A few days later, the Rebbe approached him warmly and asked, "Don't you have any questions about the hadran?"

In his shiurim, he would develop many halachos based on the Rebbe's precise words to him, usually regarding the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch. He would frequently enter for yechidus with the Rebbe, even at unusual times. Sometimes the Rebbe would delay Mincha due to the extended duration of his meeting with Rabbi Pikarsky. The Rebbe requested that they send him Rabbi Pikarsky's pilpulim that were delivered in Eretz Yisrael.

In the introduction to the first volume of his sefer "Chikrei Halachos" printed in 1957, he writes: "Although I know my humble worth, who am I to approach the holy of holies, but I supported my endeavors on the instruction of his honor, the holy Gaon, the Rebbe shlita of Lubavitch." In 1960, he sent a letter to the Rebbe with difficult questions regarding hilchos Shabbos in the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch. The Rebbe answered his letter, and Rabbi Pikarsky marveled at the Rebbe's response and even printed it as an introduction to "Chikrei Halachos" Volume 3. In Volume 9 of "Chikrei Halachos", he printed the Rebbe's chiddushim on the topic of "Lo sachsom shor bedisho" and extensively discusses it. Many sugyos were clarified thanks to Rabbi Pikarsky's questions to the Rebbe. Most of these have not reached us.

Rabbi Pikarsky's son, Rabbi Menachem, writes in the introduction to the new edition of "Chikrei Halachos" about his father: "...On one hand, the special fondness his heart had for acquiring knowledge of the Shulchan Aruch HaRav, and on the other hand his close connection with the Lubavitcher Rebbe, these gave birth to the idea of composing this sefer, 'Chikrei Halachos' with all its volumes and editions..."

On Simchas Torah 1976, the Rebbe spoke about learning halachos before marriage. Following this sicha, Rabbi Pikarsky proposed to the Rebbe a learning program and tests for hora'ah and rabbanus. The Rebbe's response was: "If it's estimated to be within the students' capabilities... May it be with great success... I will mention it at the tziyun." On Thursday of Parshas Bo 1978, Rabbi Pikarsky reported on the successes in the exam he conducted.

In 1986, the Rebbe requested that everyone should make for themselves a rav, based on the Mishna in Pirkei Avos "Asei lecha rav." Subsequently, the Rebbe called Rabbi Pikarsky to his room and told him that he wanted him - Rabbi Pikarsky - to be his rav. Rabbi Pikarsky agreed, and afterward, the Rebbe would occasionally ask him halachic questions. At the farbrengen of Yud Shvat 1976, the Rebbe organized a kind of 'beis din' with seventy-one dayanim to rule that Eretz Yisrael belongs solely to Am Yisrael and that it's forbidden to give territories to Arabs. During the event, important people spoke before the Rebbe. One of them was Rabbi Pikarsky.

In 1982, approaching the Rebbe's eightieth year, they printed a sefer called "Vayehi BiYeshurun Melech" which contained, among other things, Rabbi Pikarsky's Torah chiddushim. Additional chiddushei Torah of his were printed in the kovetz "Hadras Melech" published in the United States for the first siyum haRambam in 1985. In his seforim, he would write "One who longs to be batel to ovdei Hashem" referring to the Rebbe.

Rabbi Pikarsky was one of three rabbanim, along with Rabbi Chaim Hodakov and Rabbi Nissan Mindel, who were called on 14 Sivan 1988 to come to the Rebbe's room regarding the will. In 1992, he signed a psak determining that all the Rambam's signs were fulfilled in the Rebbe and he is "bechezkas Moshiach" and they bless him with the blessing of "Yechi HaMelech."

Rescue by the Rebbe

Rabbi Pikarsky recounted: "One year when I entered to say farewell and receive a blessing for my journey, the Rebbe inquired about how and when I was returning. I mentioned the date and noted that according to the plan, I was traveling on a particular flight. The Rebbe suddenly responded: 'Why stay there for so long? You can return two days earlier.' This was very surprising to me, as everything was already arranged in advance - the ticket, flight reservation, and it fit perfectly with my schedule to stay there until that day. However, since it came from the Rebbe's mouth, I followed the instruction and traveled two days before the planned date. In the end, the plane I was supposed to return on was shot down in Bulgaria and its passengers were killed Rachmana Litzlan (G-d have mercy). This story, by the way, made waves throughout the community."

Quotes About the Rebbe

Selected quotes from Rabbi Pikarsky's speeches and writings on various occasions:

• At the Rambam completion celebration in 1988: "With my own eyes, I saw how in places where a Chumash hadn't been seen for hundreds of years, yeshivas were established that produce magnificent Talmidei Chachamim. Through what power did all this splendor come? Only through the power of the messenger, the Tzaddik of the generation, its glory and splendor, Shlita."
• At the Rambam completion celebration in 1989: "Our master the Rebbe Shlita, who established the ordinance of studying Rambam... there is no one who sanctifies Heaven's name like him. In all remote places where no Torah-observant Jew had set foot, he affected change from one extreme to the other, bringing the Jewish people under the wings of the Shechinah. We truly cannot grasp how much the Rebbe invests his strength day and night to bring Jews closer to their Father in Heaven..."

His Books

• Chikrei Halachot (nine volumes) - Novellae on Shulchan Aruch HaRav

• A new edition was printed by the author's son (with Kehot's permission) in 2016

• Otzrot HaShiurim - Collection of lectures given at the Central Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva 770
• Pesach Haggadah with his explanations - published many years after his passing
• The book 'Otzrot HaShiurim' - HebrewBooks website
• His series 'Chikrei Halachot': Volume 1 • Volume 2 • Volume 3 • Volume 4 • Volume 5 • Volume 6 • Volume 7 • Volume 8 • Volume 9 - HebrewBooks website

Further Reading

• Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Keller, History of Temimim in the United States
• Sholom DovBer Wolpo, Shemen Sasson Meichaveirecha, Volume 4 pages 49-61
• Siach Sarfei Kodesh page 260
• B'Sod Siach page 288
• Nesi'ei Chabad U'Bnei Doram pages 145-147, The Rebbe's responses to his questions on Shulchan Aruch HaRav, Laws of Shabbos
• HaTamim 17 Beis Moshiach Weekly Magazine Supplement page 60
• The Man of Halacha and the Rebbe's Rav, Kfar Chabad Weekly Issue 1961 page 42
• Mendy Kortz, Don't You Have Any Questions About the Hadran?, 'Orchim' Supplement 2081, Kfar Chabad Weekly Sukkot 5785 page 28