The Passing of the Esteemed Chassid Tzvi Pesach Who Supported the Righteous

Today, Tuesday, the 22nd of Sivan 5778, one of the most distinguished among the elders of Anash, the Breslov chassidim in the Holy City of Jerusalem, was summoned to his Heavenly Home: the chassid Rabbi Tzvi Pesach Frank zt"l, son-in-law of the chassid Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim Rosen zt"l and brother of the chassid Rabbi Nachum Yitzchak Frank zt"l.

The funeral took place today, Tuesday, the 22nd of Sivan 5778, from his home on Avinadav Street in Jerusalem at 12:00.

Generally, Rabbi Tzvi Pesach zt"l was a man who hid his light under a bushel; one barely heard from him, and he almost never intervened in any of the burning issues that arose daily among the Breslov chassidim... And yet, Rabbi Tzvi Pesach found it necessary to step out of his usual character and wrote a letter to the members of the Beis Din Tzedek of the Edah HaChareidis in Jerusalem, nearly 26 years ago, in the month of Kislev 5752.

This was when a portion of Anash fought with self-sacrifice—just as they do today, even then—against R' Lazer Berland (the tzaddik Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a). They made every effort to strip him of all administrative matters in Uman near the holy gravesite of Rebbe Nachman zya"a. The story is well-known and famous, and this is not the place to elaborate on how much the Rav conceded and humbled himself before those people, even after he had acted with self-sacrifice to fly the elders of Anash to Uman during the Iron Curtain era. After he sacrificed himself for the gravesite of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, people of controversy rose against him and sought to strip him of everything he had established up to that time. But the Rav, in his inconceivable humility, stepped aside and fled from all controversy, then as today.

Here is the letter before you in the handwriting of Rabbi Tzvi Pesach zt"l, and may it be the will that this too shall be for the benefit and elevation of his soul, and may he advocate for us to be saved with salvation and mercy.

The text of the letter:

B"H

14 Kislev 5752

Life and Peace --- The Geonim, members of the Badatz of the Edah HaChareidis shlit"a.

Greetings of peace!

I have come in these lines to introduce the chassid Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a in a place where he is not known. He is a great Torah scholar and a quintessential chassid who brings many souls closer to Hashem and instills in them pure faith without any blemish, Heaven forbid. And now, his heart has moved him to do a good deed: to acquire the gravesite of our holy Rebbe of Breslov zya"a in Uman and to make it a place of gathering for Torah and prayer.

Rashi has already written regarding the verse, "And the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah... was made sure to Abraham as a purchase," that the field and the cave experienced an elevation, for they left the possession of a commoner like Ephron and entered the possession of a king like our forefather Abraham, peace be upon him.

Likewise, in this matter, there will be an elevation for the gravesite and all that surrounds it, to remove them from the hands of commoners and bring them into the hands of a Torah scholar and chassid. And certainly, one must strengthen and encourage him.

With honor for the Torah and those who study it,

Tz. P. Frank

Son-in-law of the chassid Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim Rosen z"l

Founder of the Yeshiva of Breslov chassidim, who was privileged by Heaven to build and establish, with superhuman strength, the great and magnificent Beis Midrash for the Breslov chassidim in the Holy City of Jerusalem.

Thanks to Rav Motta Frank for the information and the letter.