The Chozeh of Lublin, Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak Horowitz zy"a

The Chozeh of Lublin zy"a

החוזה מלובלין

Years 1745–1815 Yahrzeit 9 Av 5575, Tisha B'Av
15 August 1815 · Tisha B'Av, usually in July or August Kever / tziyun The old Jewish cemetery on Grodzisko hill, ul. Kalinowszczyzna, Lublin

Upcoming yahrzeit: 12 August 2027 (Tisha B'Av) (5787)

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Biography

The Chozeh of Lublin zy"a, Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak Horowitz, was born in 1745 (5505) in Józefów, and was niftar in Lublin on Tisha B'Av, 9 Av 5575 (15 August 1815). He was a leading talmid of Reb Elimelech of Lizensk zy"a, whose page is on this site. His court on Szeroka Street in Lublin drew Chasidim from all over Poland.

He is called the Chozeh — the Seer — because of the ruach hakodesh that his Chasidim, and later the mesorah, attributed to him. From his talmidim grew the Peshischa school, and from there much of Polish Chasidus in the nineteenth century. Reb Mendel of Rimanov zy"a was of the same dor of Polish Rebbeim; the Bnei Yissaschar, Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech of Dinov, learned under the Chozeh, as his own page records.

He rests in the alte Beis Hachaim on Grodzisko hill, at ul. Kalinowszczyzna in Lublin, in an ohel that remains a central stop for those who come to the cemetery. A shliach brings your kvittel to his tziyun and sends back a photograph.

Historical background

The alte Beis Hachaim of Lublin, on Grodzisko (sometimes called Grodzka) hill between Kalinowszczyzna and Sienna Streets, is among the oldest remaining Jewish cemeteries in Poland. The oldest standing matzeivah is from 1541. The cemetery was closed to regular burials around 1830, when a new cemetery was opened. It was badly damaged in the wars and under the German occupation, when many stones were taken up. A few hundred matzeivos and several ohels survive, including the ohel of the Chozeh. Restoration in later decades has been helped by institutions in Lublin, including Brama Grodzka – Teatr NN.

Before & after

Who came before

Reb Elimelech of Lizensk zy"a — A main rebbi of the Chozeh.

Who came after

The Bnei Yissaschar, Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech of Dinov zy"a — He learned under the Chozeh, among other Rebbeim.

In his dor

Reb Mendel of Rimanov zy"a — A leading Rebbe of the same dor in Galicia.

Sources

The facts on this page come from the earlier site and from the sources listed here. Where the sources are not one shittah, it is written in the text.

Pictures of the tziyun

The reconstructed matzeivah of the Chozeh of Lublin, Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak Horowitz zy"a, in the old Jewish cemetery on Grodzisko / Kalinowszczyzna in Lublin. The inscription names him Yaakov Yitzchak ben Avraham Eliezer HaLevi Horowitz.
Photo: Comik, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Rebbeim

Reb Elimelech of Lizensk zy"a, a main rebbi
Among others, Reb Shmelke of Nikolsburg and the Maggid of Mezritch in the same dor of Chasidus

Seforim

Torah and letters later gathered under names such as Zos Zikaron / Divrei Emes, printed from his teachings

What he is known for

Called the Chozeh, the Seer of Lublin, for the ruach hakodesh that Chasidim attributed to him
A father of Polish Chasidus; from his talmidim came the courts of Peshischa and, after that, much of the Polish derech
His tziyun in the alte Beis Hachaim of Lublin is a major place of pilgrimage, especially on 9 Av

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The Chozeh of Lublin zy"a — The old Jewish cemetery on Grodzisko hill, ul. Kalinowszczyzna, Lublin

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