We are in the ninth lesson of Shalsheles HaYachas, on the biography of Admur Hazaken - part eight. We stopped in the middle of the description of his sons: we learned about the first son, Admur HaEmtza'i, and about the second son, Rabbi Chaim Avraham, and now we will get to the third son.
The third son "3) His honor and holiness, the Rav and Chossid, Rabbi Moshe" Rabbi Moshe was born in Liozna in Tammuz 5539, and was named after Admur Hazaken's great-grandfather - Rabbi Moshe of Posen. Admur Hazaken loved him very much, and would say that by the grace of God his son Moshe has excellent talents, ten times greater than the one he is named after; and our teacher Rabbi Moshe of Posen was a highly exalted Jew, yet even so, he said that his son is ten times greater than him.
It is told that when Admur Hazaken was taken for his second imprisonment, on Isru Chag of 5561, the government gave him permission to take only two escorts with him - and one of them was his son Rabbi Moshe, who was then twenty-two years old. Afterwards, when Admur Hazaken settled in Liadi upon returning from his second imprisonment, as recounted in the previous section, he appointed his son Rabbi Moshe to manage all communal affairs in Liadi.
On one occasion, the two sons of Admur Hazaken - the older son, Admur HaEmtza'i, and Rabbi Moshe - were presented before Tsar Alexander I. Rabbi Moshe wondered and thought they were presented disrespectfully, since they presented the gentiles first and only then them, and he said a sharp word to the chief priest standing there. From the sharp words exchanged between them, a religious debate developed.
This happened in the month of Cheshvan 5576, three years after the histalkus of Admur Hazaken. The religious debate with the chief priests was very large and lasted an entire month - conferences of religious debates between all the priests and Rabbi Moshe, the youngest son of Admur Hazaken. In the end, Rabbi Moshe defeated them, and out of anger over his victory, they decided to arrest him, taking him under heavy guard to lead him to a certain place.
In the evening, while they were on the way, a deep sleep fell upon everyone, and Rabbi Moshe escaped from them. He received special Divine powers, and for twenty-four hours he ran without stopping. In that year, 5576, in the month of Kislev, heavy snow fell, and he ran and ran. The night he managed to free himself from their hands was the night of 19 Kislev, and afterwards, as recounted in the descriptions, it is detailed exactly where he arrived.
His household left Russia and traveled to Eretz Yisrael, and he was afraid to reveal himself, living in hiding until the end of his days - until Sivan 5638, when he had his histalkus at the age of ninety-nine. In the sefer "Beis Rebbe" many stories are brought about his entire period of exile: he would collect alms, but did not agree to receive more than a single prutah, and took only exactly what he needed; he always walked dressed in clean and tidy clothes, and lived as one of the hidden tzaddikim, without revealing himself at all. People did not even know his name, and even when they did know his name - he never had an aliyah to the Torah, so that his father's name would not become known.
Even before his passing, when the men of the Chevrah Kadisha realized that his time was near, they asked him, "Where are you from?", so they could pass information to his family - and he replied: "There is no need, they will know on their own." Even at this hour he did not want to reveal it. He passed away at the age of ninety-nine, and is buried in the city of Radomyshl in Russia. These are the sons of Admur Hazaken.
"The daughters" of Admur Hazaken, the first daughter "1) The Rebbetzin Freida" Rebbetzin Freida was born in the year 5524, and was very wise. Admur Hazaken would say maamarim of chassidus especially for her, and when he said the maamarim to her, permission was not granted even for her brothers to be present. Interesting stories are told, that her brother - Admur HaEmtza'i - yearned so much to hear maamarim of chassidus from his father, that he would send her to ask Admur Hazaken about various matters, and hide in the room, for he was officially forbidden to be there, and from there he would secretly hear the maamarim his father said to his sister. And sometimes, when it seemed to him that Admur Hazaken had not said everything and something was missing, he would send her hints about it.
Thus, for example, once Admur Hazaken taught her maamarim on all the garments of the Kohen Gadol, and went through garment after garment and explained them according to kabbalah and sod, but he did not speak about the avnet. Admur HaEmtza'i, who was lying under the bed at the time, threw his avnet - his gartel - in the air, so that his sister would understand that the avnet was not discussed. Admur Hazaken understood that he was sending the matter from there, and took him out.
Rebbetzin Freida was very special, and she had her histalkus about five months after her father Admur Hazaken, on 17 Sivan 5573.
"Her husband, the Rav and Chossid, Rabbi Eliyahu son of Mordechai" Not much is told about him, and we do not know who he was.
The second daughter "2) The Rebbetzin Devorah Leah" The famous stories are known about how she gave her life for her father and took upon herself to pass from the world, immediately after her son was born, a small child, when she heard there was a decree against her father. She made a beis din swear in advance that they would do whatever she asked of them, without them knowing beforehand what they were committing to, and they committed. Then she told them that she wanted them to rule that she must pass from the world so that her father would live. They were terrified, but had already committed.
And so it was: three days after that act, on 3 Tishrei 5553, she had her histalkus, and thereby saved Admur Hazaken. She passed away in Liozna.
"Her husband, the Rav and Chossid, Rabbi Sholom Shachna son of Rabbi Noach" and his family name was Altshuler. His father, Rabbi Noach, was a chossid of the famous Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Horodok, and passed away when Rabbi Sholom Shachna was a small child. Admur Hazaken brought the child very close, brought him to his home, and he grew up in the home of Admur Hazaken; and as the years went by, he married the daughter of Admur Hazaken, Devorah Leah. In the year 5556, when they printed the Tanya, he was among those engaged in the printing, and his name appears at the beginning of the Tanya as one of the publishers. This is the second son-in-law of Admur Hazaken.
The third daughter "3) The Rebbetzin Rachel" Rebbetzin Rachel was the youngest daughter of Admur Hazaken. One son was born to her, and she passed away in her youth, five years after her wedding, and is buried in Liozna next to her sister Devorah Leah. Even her only son passed away in his childhood, and there is no continuation from her.
"Her husband, the Rav and Chossid, Rabbi Avraham son of Rabbi Tzvi Sheines" His father, Rabbi Tzvi, was among the important Jews in the city of Shklov - a city of misnagdim - and among the greatest misnagdim to chassidus. Even the son-in-law of Admur Hazaken himself was a gaon, sharp-witted, and a great sage, but he was a very great misnagid, and although he was young in days, he participated in all the bans against the chassidim. In the sefer "Beis Rebbe" it is told at length how he was exposed to pnimiyus haTorah.
He began studying the sefer "Reishis Chochmah", which they did not want him to learn, and it is described there how he would hide it under his pillow so his father would not find out. His father discovered it and beat him until the bed broke from the force of the blows. He suffered very great agony at home until he ran away from there, and it is described there how he escaped and came to chassidus and to Admur Hazaken.
After a period of being with Admur Hazaken, his father asked him to come visit him and sent him a letter about this. Admur Hazaken said to him: "The father requests, perhaps you should travel to visit." He replied: "I am not traveling until I receive a commitment by oath that they will not harm me; if there is a commitment - I am willing to travel." And the commitment was indeed given, and he returned to them. It is described there that even there he lived with difficulty - they did not beat him, but they also did not particularly respect him.
After a long period, after he married a woman and became widowed, he returned to Admur Hazaken, and then Admur Hazaken asked him to marry his daughter Rachel. He requested consent from his father for the marriage, and it is described there that he sent to ask his father, and the latter replied to him: "I know that in any case you will not listen to my voice, and even if your Rebbe tells you to marry a maidservant - you will do it. If so, why should I do a thing that will cause you to go against your father? I hereby agree, and you will fulfill in this honoring one's father as well."
He therefore married Rachel, the daughter of Admur Hazaken, but they were married for only five years, after which, as mentioned, the daughter of Admur Hazaken had her histalkus. Admur Hazaken would study nigleh and chassidus with him personally, to bring him very close. After her histalkus, he married a woman for the third time, and children were born to him, great Torah scholars.