The Great Printer

His life story ■ Serving the great Breslov Chassidim ■ His books ■ Spreading Torah and Chassidus on a worldwide scale ■ His connection with Rabbi Berland shlit"a ■ “Avraham was one”

On the 24th of Adar is the day of the passing of the chassidic Rav, Rabbi Avraham Nachman Simcha Weitzhandler zt"l. He was one of the people who did the most in recent decades for Breslov Chassidus—magnifying the glory of the Torah and the holy mission of Rebbe Nachman zy"a throughout the world. His great life’s work was founding the publishing house “Meshech HaNachal” to print Breslov Chassidus sefarim. He was a pioneer in many areas: producing refined editions, translation, indexes, footnotes and annotations, and making the learning of the holy books easier and more accessible—by adding vowelization to Rebbe Nachman’s works, expanding abbreviations, translating difficult words, and more.

Rabbi Avraham was born in 5717 (1957) to his father, Rabbi Elazar Weitzhandler z"l, who was among the תלמידים of the gaon and chassid Rabbi Avraham Sternhartz zt"l, a grandson of Moharnat. Through him, he drew close to the light of Rebbe Nachman. When a son was born to him after his rebbe’s passing, he named him after him as well—this was Rabbi Avraham Weitzhandler, named for Rabbi Avraham Sternhartz.

Rabbi Avraham first learned in the well-known yeshivah “L’Flagos Reuven.” But following his journey to Uman on the famous Kishinev trip, Rabbi Avraham also transferred to the Breslov yeshivah in Bnei Brak. There he rose and grew in Torah and in avodas Hashem. It was there, too, that Rabbi Avraham began his mission of printing Rebbe Nachman’s sefarim.

The Meshech HaNachal Association

Rabbi Avraham, together with his brother, Rabbi Yitzchak (may he be blessed with long life), founded the Meshech HaNachal Association—the first publishing effort that broke the path for printing Rebbe Nachman’s sefarim in large quantities. From then until today, they have edited and printed countless books. As part of the dissemination project, they distributed books for free in various places, and in this way many Jews merited to draw close to the light of Rebbe Nachman.

Rabbi Berland shlit"a was among the first to sign a public call, together with the elders of Anash—Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Bender, Rabbi Shmuel Shapira, and Rabbi Binyamin Zev Chashin zt"l—on behalf of the Meshech HaNachal Association and its world-spanning activity.

Books from His Torah

Beyond Rebbe Nachman’s sefarim—which he printed in the tens of thousands—Rabbi Avraham also produced additional works that deeply impressed all who saw them. One is the sefer Erchei HaKodesh, a five-volume series on the full range of terms in Lashon HaKodesh—a series that received tremendous admiration from the public.

Faithful to Rebbe Nachman’s instruction to engage extensively in halachah, and to the importance of learning Shulchan Aruch, Rabbi Avraham composed a work on taharah called Mishnah VeHalachah Berurah, in which he summarized—clearly and systematically—the views of the Shulchan Aruch, the Rema, and the Mishnah Berurah. This work, too, was received with great appreciation among Torah learners. The gaon Rabbi Moshe Yadler, the well-known posek in the laws of Shabbos, said that this work is the best summary and condensation ever produced on the laws of Shabbos—even compared to what was written by great Torah giants. Besides the volume already printed, there are several additional volumes in manuscript that he did not merit to publish in his lifetime.

In addition to these works, he wrote a large and wondrous composition, Ma’adanei Melech, on Likkutei Moharan, containing thousands of novel insights and beautiful explanations on the teachings of Rebbe Nachman. The core of the work is the fruit of Rabbi Avraham’s own mind, and he also cites there insights he heard and received from the elders of Anash.

His sefarim are adorned with enthusiastic approbations from the gedolei hador of all communities, who could not finish praising the quality of his works.

Greatness in Torah

Rabbi Avraham used every single moment for unceasing holy activity. For him, there was no such concept as “wasting time.” Indeed, Rabbi Avraham was thoroughly immersed in all areas of Torah. There was nothing he did not know. One can see this as well in the Erchei Lashon HaKodesh volumes—books he prepared manually, not by computer.

His son, Rabbi David (may he live), adds that beyond all the works he printed, he left behind another thirty compositions that he had already prepared. Such a vast Torah output is rare for a single individual—if it exists at all.

With the Great Elders of Anash

Rabbi Avraham served the elders of Anash directly. Each day he merited to sit with Rabbi Levi Yitzchak in a personal chavrusa, recording all his conversations—many of which he later published as wonderful sefarim. His bond with Rabbi Levi Yitzchak was personal, and Rabbi Levi Yitzchak repeatedly expressed his esteem for Rabbi Avraham and gave approbations for his books. Rabbi Levi Yitzchak also served as sandek for his children.

The Rav’s Recommendation

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak possessed a vast treasure of precise conversations and stories from Anash in Uman, but he was afraid to hand these matters over to someone who was not sufficiently responsible. It was Rabbi Berland shlit"a who suggested to Rabbi Levi Yitzchak that Rabbi Avraham Weitzhandler was the right person to write and edit the talks in a responsible way. Joining this as well was the chassid Rabbi Nachman Borshtein z"l. Thanks to their recommendation, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak indeed took Rabbi Avraham to edit the talks that were published in the magnificent eight-volume series Siach Sarfei Kodesh.

Likewise, Rabbi Avraham sat with other elders of Anash to record—by tape or in writing—their holy conversations and stories, including Rabbi Naftali Galant, Rabbi Yochanan Galant, Rabbi Hirsh Leib, and others.

Rabbi Avraham also undertook a special project of distributing cassette tapes of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s shiurim. This endeavor was called Kol HaNachal, and it disseminated many hundreds of tapes from the great ones of Anash—foremost among them Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Bender.

With Rabbi Berland shlit"a

Rabbi Avraham was deeply connected to Rabbi Berland shlit"a, and his esteem for the Rav was immense. He would come from time to time—especially on the days of Rebbe Nachman’s hillulah—to hear the Rav’s shiurim, and in all matters of publishing he relied greatly on Rabbi Berland.

In the Siach Sarfei Kodesh series as well, he received many editorial notes from the Rav, and he would always speak in praise of the Rav’s knowledge—his precise mastery of Breslov conversations and stories.

Once he said to Rabbi Shmuel Stern, Rosh Yeshivah of Nachalei Netzach, one of Rabbi Berland shlit"a’s תלמידים, regarding the Siach Sarfei Kodesh series he published: “Rabbi Berland is more expert in Siach Sarfei Kodesh than I am.”

His son related that on one occasion, when he spoke with Rabbi Berland shlit"a about the work of dissemination, Rabbi Berland shlit"a took out $5,000—an enormous sum in those days—and gave it to him. Rabbi Berland always stood at his side in the work of printing.

To Illuminate the Tzaddik’s Light in the World

Rabbi Avraham was constantly active for the honor of Rebbe Nachman’s name. Tens of thousands of Rebbe Nachman’s sefarim were distributed by him for free—to individuals and to synagogues, where he would typically donate a full set of sefarim. His car was always filled with books; wherever he went, the books were with him, and he would distribute them with great generosity.

He also brought many people close to Rebbe Nachman’s light. Dozens of Breslov chassidim from today’s communities of Anash are people he drew near to Rebbe Nachman. He had a unique approach to kiruv: he would not offer opinions; rather, he would learn a teaching of Rebbe Nachman with the person, saying, “Rebbe Nachman will already do the work, and we should not interfere with it.” The radiance of his face made people want to draw close. His middos were wondrous beyond words. He guarded his mouth and tongue in an exceptional way, and even about someone who harmed him he would not say anything.

Rabbi Avraham traveled to many places in Eretz Yisrael and around the world to give shiurim in Rebbe Nachman’s Torah. He made no calculations of honor or anything else—only to bring close and to illuminate. He even gave shiurim in prisons, reviving souls.

“And She Laughs Toward the Last Day”

“This teaches that Hashem sits and completes the years of the Tzaddikim from day to day and from month to month, as it says: ‘I will fill the number of your days.’” (Kiddushin 38a).

Rabbi Avraham Weitzhandler merited that Heaven testified to his righteousness, for his passing occurred on the very date of his birth—24 Adar.

On the afternoon of the day of his passing, he prayed Minchah Gedolah in shul, where he also said Tachanun (vidui)—and of course, this was a day he began with immersion in a mikveh. After the prayer, he went to the chassidic Rav, Rabbi Shalom Arush, and asked him to take upon himself the funding for a new edition of Siach Sarfei Kodesh, and Rabbi Arush indeed accepted it.

After that he traveled to the yahrtzeit of his father-in-law. In the middle of the trip he suffered a heart attack. Rabbi Avraham asked to be taken immediately to the nearby Bikur Cholim hospital, but a cruel policeman prevented him from reaching it. Even the words of the rescue volunteer and man of kindness, Rabbi Tzachi Kassler (who was taken from us recently), did not help—though it was indeed necessary to bring him to the hospital. A short time later he returned his pure soul to its Creator at the age of fifty-seven. At midnight he was buried in a burial plot that he had purchased during his lifetime, alongside his son, the young man Shmuel z"l.

May his soul be bound in the bond of life.