HaRav Yechezkel Shraga Halberstam zy"a, the Divrei Yechezkel

The Shineve Rav zy"a

דער שינעווער רב זי״ע

Years 1815–1898 Yahrzeit 6 Tevet
19 December 1898 · usually in December Kever / tziyun The Beis Hachaim, Sieniawa (Shinova), Poland

Upcoming yahrzeit: 16 December 2026 (5787)

The previous site listed 1815–5660/1899. Wikipedia and later accounts give 6 Tevet 5659 / 19 December 1898. Some older references give 1813 as the birth year; the previous site and several biographies give 20 Shevat 5575 / 1815.

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Biography

HaRav Yechezkel Shraga Halberstam zy"a, the Shineve Rav, was the eldest son of the Divrei Chaim of Sanz zy"a. The earlier site recorded: he was born in Tarnograd, Poland (others say Rudnik, Galicia), on 20 Shevat 5575 / 1815. His mother was Rebbetzin Rochel Feiga, daughter of Harav Baruch Teomim, the Baruch Taam. Some later references give 1813 as the year he was born.

He married young into the family of the Aryeh D'bei Ilai and spent time near Reb Moshe Teitelbaum of Ujhel zy"a. He was rav in Rudnik, Rozdol, Shinova, Stropkov, and, after his father's histalkus, for a short time in Sanz itself, before returning to Shinova in 1881. He was known for practical, halacha-centered hanhaga and a fiery davening, in the Sanz tradition.

He traveled to Eretz Yisroel (accounts mention 1869–1871, and a later visit is also described) and founded a shul and mikveh in Tzfas that is still called the Sanz shul. He was niftar in Shinova and laid to rest there on 6 Teves 5659 (19 December 1898). His son, Reb Moishele of Shinova zy"a, was memaleh makom. The earlier site listed the year as 5660 / 1899; that should be confirmed against 6 Teves 5659.

Historical background

The Shineve Rav zy"a lived through most of the nineteenth century in Austrian Galicia. The Sanzer hoif stood strong in Torah and avodah, while new winds of haskalah and yeridah were blowing in the world. He lived to see the early mass emigration from Galicia, including Sanzer Chassidim who settled in New York, and he himself spent more than a year in Eretz Yisroel.

Before & after

Who came before

The Divrei Chaim of Sanz zy"a — His father; after the Divrei Chaim's histalkus he served for a short time in Sanz itself
Reb Mendel of Rimanov zy"a, through Reb Tzvi Hirsh of Rimanov zy"a — Reb Tzvi Hirsh, memaleh makom in Rimanov, was one of the Shineve Rav's rebbeim

Who came after

Reb Moishele of Shinova zy"a — His son, his memaleh makom

In his dor

Reb Shayele of Kerestir zy"a — He traveled to the Divrei Chaim zy"a, the Shineve Rav's father; their years overlapped until 1898
The Aryeh D'Bei Ilai zy"a, Reb Aryeh Leibush Lipschitz of Brzesko — The Shineve Rav married young into this family, as already recorded on this page.

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.

Rebbeim

His father, Reb Chaim Halberstam, the Divrei Chaim of Sanz zy"a
Reb Asher Yeshaya of Ropshitz zy"a
Reb Tzvi Hirsh of Rimanov zy"a (in the line of Reb Mendel of Rimanov zy"a)
The Sar Shalom of Belz zy"a; he also learned with the Yitav Lev, Reb Yekusiel Yehuda Teitelbaum zy"a, in Ujhel

Seforim

Divrei Yechezkel — Torah on the parshiyos, Yomim Tovim, Tehillim and more, with teshuvos and minhagim, gathered by talmidim and first printed in 1901
He also brought to press two seforim of Reb Avraham Azulai on the Zohar: Zoharei Chamah (1881) and Or HaChamah (1897)

What he is known for

Dikduk in halacha and a shem of emes — he was prepared to pasken differently even from his father when it came to a halacha
A “rebbe of rebbes”; he founded the Sanz shul and mikveh in Tzfas during a stay in Eretz Yisroel

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