Shmelke of Nikolsburg

He was named Shmuel ben Tzvi Hersh HaLevi (Horowitz) (commonly known by the diminutive "Shmelke") and was the oldest son of Tzvi Hirsh Horowitz of Chortkiv. A Levite, Shmuel Shmelke traced his lineage back directly to the prophet Samuel who was also a Levite.

In their early years, he and his brother Pinchas - who would also become a famous rabbi - studied Torah together.[3] After traveling to Mezritch and meeting the great hasidic master Dovber of Mezeritch, they became his ardent followers.

After serving as rabbi in Ryczywół and Shineva, Horowitz was invited, in 1773, to become the rabbi of Nikolsburg in Moravia, where he served until 1778.[4] On the first day of his being rabbi of Nikolsburg, Abraham Trebitsch, a native of Nikolsburg, reported him performing a miracle and bringing rain. It is told that his strong attachment to hassidism angered many members of the community, which led to bitter quarrels that were quelled as a result of the personal intervention of Elimelech of Lizhensk.

He was a mentor of Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev;[3] they were both disciples of the Maggid of Mezritch.

Horowitz established a major yeshiva that attracted numerous outstanding students. Among these were such luminaries as Rabbis

• Yaakov Yitzchak of Lublin
• Menachem Mendel of Rimanov,
• Yisroel Hopsztajn
• Mordecai Benet[5] and
• Moshe Leib of Sassov.

Another student, Baruch of Kalev, also became his son-in-law.[2]

At the time of the founding of the Nikolsburg dynasty, Nikolsburg was the capital of Moravia, a province within Austria-Hungary (subsequently a part of Czechoslovakia).[6]

Earlier rabbis of the area included Yom-Tov Lipman Heller and the MaHaRaL of Prague.

As capital of Moravia, the chief rabbi of Nikolsburg was automatically chief rabbi of Moravia[6] - as per Shmuel Shmelke, in his time.

The Nikolsburg Hasidic dynasty and the Boston Hasidic dynasty descend from him.

His works included:

• Divrei Shmuel (1862)[7]
• Nezir HaShem (1869)[8]

• Eliasberg, A. (2004). Legendy Żydów polskich. Kraków. ISBN 83-85888-96-9.