The Tzemach Tzedek’s Trusted Rov Who Fought the Czar’s Chappers

R. Aharon Lifshitz, known as R. Aharon Belinitcher, was the rov of Belinitch, a town in the Mogilev region in Belarus. Originally a chossid of Harav Aharon of Strashele, after the Stasheler’s passing he became a chossid of the Viledniker Rebbe, Harav Yisrael Dov Ber, and finally a chossid of the Tzemach Tzedek.

A great talmid chacham and strong personality, R. Aharon had a good relationship with the Russian authorities and worked closely with the Tzemach Tzedek on communal affairs. He was one of the senior Chassidim that the Tzemach Tzedek sent yungeleit to learn from.

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Around 5602, “chappers” began once again snatching young children for the Czar’s army. R. Aharon, then a yungerman, was sent by the Tzemach Tzedek to instruct all communities in the Mogilev and Vitebsk region – the majority of which were led by chassidim – to remove the “chappers” from their community and excommunicate them.

Yisroel Yehuda, the chapper from Bichov, informed the Vitebsk governor, and this prompted the Tzemach Tzedek to be summoned to Petersburg in 5703, under the guise of a Rabbinic conference.

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The Tzemach Tzedek would send groups of bochurim or yungeleit to various chassidim – such as R. Aizik Homiler and R. Aharon Belinitcher – for guidance (shimush chachomim) and for the study of Niglah. Each chossid had a different style of learning, and the Tzemach Tzedek would decide who to send where.

The Tzemach Tzedek said about R. Aharon, “He is a master of psak, a lamdan, and a wise person.”