He Saw the Tzemach Tzedek in the Rebbe Maharash’s Chair

Appointed by the Tzemach Tzedek as the chief shochet in Vitebsk, R. Mendel Yitzchak Lioznov held the position for 58 years. After the histalkus, he entered yechidus to the Rebbe Maharash, only to find the Tzemach Tzedek sitting in his place.

R. Mendel Yitzchak Lioznov (c. 5590-5670) was born in Starodub, and was a grandson of R. Yechezkel Lioznov, a chossid of the Alter Rebbe who chose his family name after the town of Liozna. R. Mendel Yitzchok was a chossid of the Tzemach Tzedek, who appointed him to serve as the chief shochet in Vitebsk, a position he held for 58 years. Later, a chossid of the Rebbe Maharash and Rebbe Rashab, he would visit Lubavitch twice every year, for Shavuos and during Kislev.

R. Mendel Yitzchok’s son, R. Moshe Shmue, was a Rov in Chicago, and his grandson Yechezkel (Charles) Lissner was a financial supporter of Lubavitch during its early years in America.

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On Shavuos 5659, R. Mendel Yitzchak shared with the Frierdiker Rebbe a story about his grandfather:

R. Yechezkel was a devout chossid of the Alter Rebbe, and he would travel to Liozna by foot. When the Alter Rebbe was imprisoned, he fasted many days, and spent his time in tearful davening and Tehillim. As a result, he fell ill and passed away.

When they were told of the Alter Rebbe’s release on a Friday, thirty of his fellow chassidim visited his kever to notify him. They drank l’chaim there and wished, “L’chaim! You should live as a chossid lives in the World of Truth, and we should live as chassidim in this world.”

That night, he came in a dream to three chassidim, and told them that they were three days late. On Tuesday after Mincha, the Baal Shem Tov had visited the Maggid’s chamber in heaven, followed by several of the Maggid’s talmidim and thousands of other neshamos, and the Maggid said a Torah teaching on the possuk “Padah b’shalom nafshi,” on the role of the Moshe in each generation to connect neshamos to Hashem through Torah. From this event, he had already learned of the Alter Rebbe’s release.

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After the Tzemach Tzedek’s histalkus when several of his sons became Rebbes, R. Mendel Yitzchok, with other Vitebsk chassidim, decided to go to the Rebbe Maharash in Lubavitch. On Shabbos, they heard the maamar, and on Sunday, they stood in line for yechidus.

As he entered the yechidus room, R. Mendel Yitzchok was shocked to see the image of the Tzemach Tzedek sitting in the chair. He recoiled in fright, but he was afraid to leave since he would lose his spot in line. He stepped forward, but again he saw the Tzemach Tzedek and recoiled. Finally, the Rebbe Maharash called him, and then he saw the Rebbe Maharash sitting on the chair.

For sources, visit TheWeeklyFarbrengen.com