Chaim of Krasna

Rabbi Chaim of Krasna was among the close circle of the Baal Shem Tov's companions, and was held in great esteem among the Chassidim.

The Baal Shem Tov told him that he always remembered him in his prayers, and even gave him a mnemonic by which to remember his name in return: eshet chaver — "a companion's wife" — Chaya bas Rachel; k'chaver — "like the companion" — Chaim ben Rivka.

He longed all his life to ascend to the Land of Israel. Already in 1781 (5541) he is mentioned in a letter of Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk, who wrote of this longing and urged that nothing be done to dissuade him from making the journey. After the passing of Rabbi Pinchas of Koritz, he began making practical preparations to go — but according to tradition, Heaven itself prevented his ascent. While at sea, a fierce storm arose and wrecked his ship; only through open miracle did he survive. He grieved deeply that he had not merited to reach the Land.

He passed away on the yahrzeit of the Arizal, the 5th of Menachem Av, 1793 (5553), in the city of Mogilev, where he is buried.

Descendants

• His eldest son, Rabbi Yosef Moshe, was a distinguished Torah scholar who received rabbinic ordination from both Rabbi Menachem Nachum of Chernobyl and the Rebbe of Shpitovka. He served as av beis din of Krasna.
• His son Rabbi Yisrael Yehudah Leib ascended to the Holy Land together with his father-in-law, Rabbi Yaakov Shimshon of Shpitovka.
• His son Rabbi Yeshaya was a son-in-law of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev.
• His son-in-law was Rabbi Yisrael Dov, son of Rabbi Zev of Zhitomir, the author of Ohr HaMeir. (This is how it appears in the biography of the Ohr HaMeir printed in that work — though it is likely an error; Rabbi Avraham, a brother of the Ohr HaMeir, was apparently the actual son-in-law of Rabbi Chaim of Krasna.)
• His grandson was Rabbi Yaakov Yochanan of Krasna.

Sources

• Shem u'She'eris p. 16
• Ohr Yekaros, vol. 1, pp. 155–165.