Reb Yitzchok Izaac Yehuda Yechiel Safrin zy”a
152nd yahrtzeit: Yud Iyar
BURIED: Komarna, Ukraine
The great Komarna was a most unique tzadik, a gaon in Torah, and a big Mekubal. He would weave together all parts of Torah in his heiligeh seforim.
He wrote many seforim and even wrote an autobiography. In all his writings, we can notice a pattern of astonishing shiflus and anivus (humility), together with extreme emunah and strength!
After the Komarna’s father had two daughters, he told his rebbe, the Chozeh of Lublin, that he really wanted to have a baby boy. The chozeh told him that he can give him some deep mystical intentions which will bring him a baby boy, but he will not be able to live long with this boy together. He said he would ask his wife. When she gave her go-ahead, the Chozeh taught him these great kavanos, and, shortly thereafter, the heiligeh Komarna was born. His father passed away when he was only twelve years old.
A Yid once came to the Komarna and cried that he got a draft notice for the army. The rebbe told him, “Don’t worry. You will be freed between my kids.” He didn’t understand what the rebbe meant, but believed that everything would end up fine.
When he was called for his appointment, he was in line with the Komarna’s two sons. The rasha in the office said that even though the Komarna’s sons had some disabilities, he wants them to be drafted. He also drafted this Yid. He wrote them all down on one page.
Soon thereafter, the rasha suddenly thought to himself, “Am I nuts? I am starting up with this Rabbi of Komarna! I myself saw that when there was a fire in town, he picked up his handkerchief and waved it at the fire and it dissipated!” He wanted to erase the Komarna’s children’s names from the paper. But he had already written them down, and erasing was not allowed in official books.
His friends told him, “Why don’t you just rip out that page?” This is exactly what he did, and this Yid, whose name was also on that page, also got saved!
I WANNA BE LIKE …The Komarna!
The Komarna writes that he once saw his heiligeh uncle, the Zhidichover, in a dream. He asked him what do they say in Shamayim about my sefroim? His uncle told him, “Your chidushim are said over in all the Yeshivos in Shamayim!”
One thing we can do to try to emulate the ways of the great Komarna is to be humble even when we do great things. Next time you do a mitzvah that you would be excited to tell other people about, try to hold back and keep it as a secret between you and Hashem!
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 78.