Living Legacy: Rebbe Yidele (Horowitz) of Dzikov

Yehuda Alter 

The 12th of Sivan marked the yohrtzeit of Rebbe Yidele of Dzikov, a kadosh who was a master of all areas of Torah and who served Hashem with all his might, despite the many yissurim that he incurred in his life. 

The tzaddik was born in the town of Dzikov in the year 1905. His father was Rav Alter Yechezkel Eliyahu who traced his lineage to generations of Admorim in Dzikov, and was a ben achar ben from the Ropshitzer Rov. His mother was Rebbetzin Chava, the daughter of the Ahavas Yisroel of Viznitz. Thus, the Rebbe was a scion of the two major Chassidic dynasties of Ropshitz and Viznitz. 

In his youth, he learned by the great Galician ga’on Rav Meir Arik, and considered him his rebbi muvhak. At the age of 20, he received semichah from the ga’onim of his time, and they foretold the greatness of the young man who came before them. 

In 1927, he married his first cousin, Rebbetzin Miriam, the daughter of Rebbe Chaim Meir of Viznitz, known as the Imrei Chaim. In the court of his father-in-law, he sat and learned with great hasmodoh and avodah, and corresponded in learning with the gedolim of the generation, all of whom were deeply impressed with him. 

Following the passing of his beloved grandfather, the Ahavas Yisroel, the Rebbe became an ardent chossid of his father-in-law, the Imrei Chaim. It was an incredible sight to observe as the Imrei Chaim would sit at the tisch with his son-in-law seated nearby, each of them on fire from their tremendous avodah. Rav Yidele once remarked about his shver, the Imrei Chaim: “He toiled to perfect his middos, and this is why he was given madreigos beyond what he asked for.” 

When the Nazis, ym”sh, came into Hungary, they herded all the Yidden into the ghettos, including the tzaddik Rav Yidele. His father and his entire family were murdered al kiddush Hashem, while he miraculously was able to smuggle across the border to Romania just before the deportation to Auschwitz. After the war, he made his way to Eretz Yisroel. 

Rav Yidele had a special connection to the Torah of the Chasam Sofer. His entire life, he dedicated himself to learning all the Torah of the Chasam Sofer, and he wrote commentary on some of the chiddushim of the Chasam Sofer. He also gave his meager funds to print manuscripts from the great tzaddik. “The Chasam Sofer speaks to my heart,” he would say. 

The Rebbe was an incredible ba’al emunah, and he would imbue everyone who came to him with fiery belief in Hashem. He would constantly speak about the Ba’al Shem Tov and the derech hachassidus. 

In Eretz Yisroel, he was mekushar to the Chazon Ish who referred to him as “a complete Yid.” He followed many of the pesakim of the Chazon Ish, such as not using electric on Shabbos. 

He was a tremendous masmid, and would spend his days and nights learning. Hundreds of sefarim in his home were marked all along the glosses with his chiddushim. Great ga’onim were deeply impressed by his mastery in all areas of Torah—both the hidden and revealed. 

Many of the leaders and Admorim of the next generation considered themselves talmidim of Rav Yidele, and he left a tremendous impact on everyone who met him and came to learn from him. Aside from his dedicated countless hours to help Yidden in material ways, the Rebbe’s brochos were known to be a great source of blessing, and many were helped as a result of the Rebbe’s brochos.

The Rebbe was instrumental in popularizing the tefillas Hasheloh for having pious children. His Torah was printed in a number of sefarim. 

In the end of his days, the Rebbe was very weak, and nevertheless continued with his superhuman avodas Hashem. He was niftar in England on 12 Sivan 1989, and interred there following a lifetime of intense avodas Hashem.