11 Adar – Avnei Nezer2 min read
11 Adar Aleph is the yahrzeit of Rav Avrohom (ben Zev Nochum) Bornstein of Sochatchov zy”a, author of sefer Avnei Nezer (responsa) (by whose title he is bets known), and Eglei Tal (on the 39 melachos).
His Rebbe and father-in-law, the Kotzker Rebbe, told his chassidim that the reason Reb Zev Nochum of Biala merited having a son like the Avnei Nezer was because one Purim, while all the great tzaddikim were eating their Purim seuda, there was no one in the world learning Torah excepting Reb Zev Nochum. Because he lit up the world with his Torah, he had the merit of having a son that lit up the world (Sipurei Chassidim, Purim).
The Avnei Nezer passed away in the first Adar. Most years, his yahrzeit will fall out a few days before Purim. 11 Adar is the first day that small towns were allowed to read the Megillah (as discussed at the beginning of Meseches Megillah). 11 is equal to ו–ה which are the letters of Hashem’s Name that Amalek covers over, so to speak. 11 times יום is equal to 616, the gematria of עשו עמלק and התורה, the antidote to Amalek. This value is also exactly equal in gematriya to רב אברהם בן זאב נחום.
אסתר may be seen as the initials of תורת רבי אברהם סאכטשובער.
As is well known, we are supposed to increase our simchah in Adar.Perhaps one of the best-known teachings of the Avnei Nezer which is known to even those that don’t learn his seforim, is from the introduction to Eglei Tal, where the tzaddik writes that while people think that if one enjoys his learning it is considered Torah Lishmah, this is a big mistake, as the main requirements of the mitzvah of learning Torah is to do so with great simcha.
The Avnei Nezer passed away the day after parshas Tetzaveh was read. As is known, Tetzaveh does not contain the name of Moshe Rabbeinu, which – according to many – teaches us about the great humility of Moshe Rabbeinu. I heard from Reb Menashe Yisroel Reisman shlita in the name of the Tchebiner Rov that the reason the Avnei Nezer’s seforim are so widely accepted is because of his extreme humility.
In parshas Tetzaveh (28:12), the pasuk says: ושמת את שתי האבנים על כתפת האפד אבני זכרן לבני ישראל ונשא אהרן את שמותם לפני יקוק על שתי כתפיו לזכרן. Perhaps these words allude to the following.
שתי האבנים may allude to the tzaddik’s two primary seforim (in addition to Sefer Neos Deshe on Chumash and Moadim put out after his passing from manuscripts).
אבני זכרן contains the letters אבני נזר, which I presume, he used as the title of his sefer because it contains the initials of אברהם בן רב זאב נחום.
The letter כ may allude to his great humility as, in numerous places, the Bas Ayin teaches that כ alludes to humility.
The words האפד אבני are equal to עגלי טל (with the kolel).
On Purim, we read about our encounter with Amalek, where it says: כתב זאת זכרון בספר ושים באזני יהושע.
כתב זאת זכרון בספר hints to writing down one’s Torah thoughts (as the Kav HaYashar teaches).
The word באזני contains the initials of אברהם בן זאב נחום.
The Segula of the Avnei Nezer
The Kozhoklover Rav (Rav Tzvi Frommer Hy”d, Rosh Yeshiva of Chachmei Lublin after Rav Meir Shapiro), says that the Avnei Nezer assured before his passing that if one learns his seforim, he will be a shield and helper for them after his passing exactly as when he was alive (Eretz Tzvi al HaTorah, P. 242).
May we all be zoche to study and understand the seforim of the Avnei Nezer!
Zechuso Yagen Aleinu!
