The Rebbe’s Great-Grandfather, Rabbi Avraham David Lavaut



    Name*

    Email*

    Message

    The Rebbe’s Great-Grandfather, Rabbi Avraham David Lavaut

    Reb Avraham's Kashrus seal

    Rabbi Avraham David Lavaut (5575 – 18 Adar 5650) was the Rav of Nikolayev, Ukraine and the surrounding settlements, and author of Seforim. The Rebbe’s great-grandfather. The Rebbe wrote about his character: “Reb Avraham David excelled in his sharp intellect, great talents and wide knowledge of the Talmud. And also with his righteousness he gained followers that loved him all his days” • Full Story

    Born in the year 5575, to his father Rabbi Yehuda Leib, and to his mother Rebbitzin Feiga. Around the same time, his family moved to live in the Romanovka settlement, based on the directives of the Mitteler Rebbe.

    Even in his youth he was known as a sharp mind, with a sharp mind and great talents. Over time, he acquired extensive knowledge of Gemara, Halacha and Chassidus. On the one hand, he dealt a lot with the complex laws of Gitin and Chalitza, and on the other hand, he wrote Chabad customs concerning everyday life. It is no wonder that the residents of his town appointed him to be their Rav.

    Rabbi Lavaut began his career in the rabbinate as a rabbi in the Romanovka settlement, and due to his righteousness and kindness, he gained many admirers from all walks of life.

    When he was about thirty-five years old, Rabbi Lavaut was appointed to the council in the city of Nikolaev, and about ten years later he was appointed the rabbi of the city, and the rabbi of forty settlements in the area.

    The head of the community in Nikolaev at the time was Rabbi Shlomo Yeshaya Rafalovitz, a ship contractor. In about 5607 , Rabbi Shlomo Yeshaya passed away. His son Rabbi Sender, who was also a shipbuilding contractor, also filled his place as the head of the community, and he decided that the community also needed a rat who would help the community in Paskening Halachos. For this purpose, he brought Rabbi Lavaut in about 5617. When the rabbi of the city passed away between the years 1877 and 1987, Rabbi Lavat was appointed rabbi of the city as well as the forty surrounding settlements. The appointment was agreed upon by both the community and the government.

    After a few years, the government again allowed the Jews to settle in the city and the community continued to develop, until in the year 5657 there were about twenty thousand Jews who made up about twenty percent of the total population.

    Rabbi Lavat acted and did a lot for the benefit of Nikolaev Jews and the surrounding area, taking care of their spiritual and physical condition as well. He made many efforts to forge special ties with the authorities, with whom he worked hard to improve the economic situation of the Jews of the city and the colonies. He also breathed life into the spiritual activity in the city, and amended important regulations to improve the keeping of Torah and Mitzvos. These regulations were preserved long after his passing.

    His great influence worked throughout the region, and as the Rebbe described it when he wrote the history of his life: “Thanks to his good influence, the entire Cherson region, became a place of Torah and Mitzvah.”

    The authorities recognized his deeds, and awarded him two medals of honor, one of silver and the other of gold, about this was written after his passing in the newspaper Hamelitz: “One is for his honest work, and the other for what he himself tried to do in the past through the colonies, to give help and find a balm and a cure for some colonies that the people suddenly fell ill In a severe disease that spread, and until this became known to the city officials, he prepared hospitals and brought doctors to the unfortunate people from the plague. He was also named a distinguished citizen.”

    Rabbi Avraham David was Niftar on Monday the 18th of Adar 5650 in the city of Nikolaev. His resting place is there too. All the Jews of his city took part in the Levaya that took place that day. All the shops in town were closed. Many of the attendants burst into tears for their beloved rabbi who did a lot for each and every Jew in the city and in the colonies around it.

    Rabbi Lavaut authored many important halachic Seforim as well as helped poor other Seforim together:

    Sha’ar Hakolel, Kav Naki, Derech Chaim Aim N’siv Chaim, Beis Aharon V’Hosafos, Sidur Tora Ohr, Piskei Pri Megadim L’Shu;chan Aruch.

    144

    Never Miss An Update

    Join ChabadInfo's News Roundup and alerts for the HOTTEST Chabad news and updates!

    Add Comment

    *Only proper comments will be allowed

    Related Posts:

    The Rebbe’s Great-Grandfather, Rabbi Avraham David Lavaut



      Name*

      Email*

      Message