Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rokeach of Belz was born in 5614 (1854) to his father Rabbi Yehoshua Rokeach, the second Rebbe in the Belz dynasty, and to Rivka Miriam Rokeach, great-granddaughter of Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heschel of Apta. At fourteen, he married Batya Ruchama, daughter of the Rebbe Yeshaya Meshulam Zusia Twersky of Chernobyl, son of Rabbi Aharon of Chernobyl. After she passed away at a young age, he married Chaya Dvora, daughter of his cousin Rabbi Avraham Shmuel of Brzezna. Upon the passing of his father Rabbi Yehoshua Rokeach on the 23rd of Shevat 5654 (1894), he was crowned as Admor and Rabbi of the town of Belz and became one of the greatest chasidic rebbes in Galicia. With the outbreak of World War I, he temporarily settled in the city of Ratzfert in Hungary, then moved to Munkatch, and after the war ended, he returned to Galicia. He passed away on the holy Shabbat eve of the 22nd of Cheshvan 5687 (1926) and was buried in the town of Belz.
Once, the holy Rabbi Chaim Tzvi of Siget, author of 'Atzei Chaim' visited his son-in-law, the holy Rabbi Yechezkel Shraga of Cieszanów, who was the nephew of Rebbe Yissachar Dov of Belz. Rabbi Yechezkel Shraga of Cieszanów suggested that they travel to visit Rebbe Yissachar Dov, who was then staying in nearby Holoshitz. Rabbi Chaim Tzvi did not really have the time or the money to spend on the trip, but he reluctantly agreed to his son-in-law's entreaties.
Rebbe Yissachar Dov was very happy with his guest and ordered refreshments to be brought in. Rebbe Yissachar Dov instructed the Rabbi of Cieszanów to put sugar in his father-in-law's cup of tea, as it is ruled in Jewish law that "a person is obligated to honor his father-in-law." "We find that when Abraham welcomed his guests,” said Rebbe Yissachar Dov, “he immediately said to them, 'Refresh yourselves, then go on,' even before they entered his tent. Is it proper etiquette for a host to inform his guest that he must leave after he refreshes himself?! Moreover, what did it matter to Abraham if his guests remained under his roof a little longer, and why did he need to hurry to send them away? It must be that the holy Torah wanted to teach us a lesson for life,” Rebbe Yissachar Dov continued. If a guest comes who is not interested in visiting and whose entire visit is against his will, do not detain him. “Honor him with food and drink and tell him that if he wants, he can go… As I understand it," Rebbe Yissachar Dov concluded, "the Rabbi of Siget has no time and he is in a hurry." And immediately he rose from his place, extended his hand to the Rabbi of Siget, and accompanied him to the door of the house. As they left, the Rabbi of Siget was in great awe of the manifest Divine inspiration that Rebbe Yissachar Dov had shown him and found it difficult to calm down.
Meanwhile, they saw that there was still some time left until the train's departure from Holoshitz. The Rabbi of Cieszanów suggested to his father-in-law that they also visit Rabbi Aharon of Belz (who was the son of Rebbe Yissachar Dov) and discuss words of Torah with him. Rabbi Aharon was happy to see his guests and instructed his attendant to serve cakes and tea. Rabbi Aharon told his cousin to put sugar in his father-in-law's cup of tea, as it is ruled in Jewish law that "a person is obligated to honor his father-in-law"… Rabbi Aharon then said the same words of Torah they had heard earlier from his holy father. Without omitting or diminishing, not adding or elaborating, word for word he repeated the words – and when he finished, he rose and accompanied his guests to the door. To the great awe of the Rabbi of Siget from the Divine inspiration of Rebbe Yissachar Dov, an even greater amazement was added. He did not cease praising that spiritual connection woven between father and son, to the point that they draw their words from the same well and in the same words.
Besides Rebbe Yissachar Dov's penetrating interpretation, in another version of the story, two more interpretations are added: One is the guest's response to Rabbi Yissachar Dov's words – dealing with the fact that the tzaddik should influence and strengthen the hearts of those who come to him ("and refresh yourselves") so that the influence will continue further ("then go on"). The second is the host's reaction – when he saw that the Rabbi of Siget was hesitating to taste the refreshments.
Rabbi Yissachar Dov understood that his guest was fasting, and was deliberating whether to break his fast. Therefore, he told him that even Abraham sensed that the angels were hesitant about eating. After all, their work is done without eating… But Abraham promised them that "then you shall pass on," meaning that you will not become corporeal from this and will be able to continue your work.
From the fact that both of Rebbe Yissachar Dov’s interpretations dealt with angels and their work, it is evident that the subject is close to his heart. Indeed, Rabbi Aharon, who knew his father well and was inspired by him, expressed more than once: "Father is truly an angel!" (And as the Ibn Ezra wrote, that it is possible that the three angels who came to Abraham were prophets, and it is possible that they were actual angels).
Indeed, Chasidut teaches that there are special tzaddikim, whose souls were drawn from the union of chochmah (wisdom ) and binah (understanding). Although generally souls are drawn from the union of the six lower sefirot and malchut (kingdom), these tzaddikim are more similar to angels (as is the tradition, for example, about Rabbi Yechiel Michel of Zlotchov). Here, Rebbe Yissachar Dov reveals a sense of the swiftness of angels and the mission they are imbued with, both characteristics of chochmah and binah respectively:
Chochmah is described as "a lightning flash illuminating the intellect," characterized by the speed of light and the nullification of all other conscious sensations. Binah, whose inner essence is joy, expresses the internalization of this flash and the cleaving to it, while striving with joy and motivation to realize it in the world. When souls are born from these two, they are like angels imbued with Divinity and alacrity to fulfill their mission – just as the angels urged Lot to hurry and escape from Sodom.
It is interesting to see that the three interpretations in the story can be paralleled to another angelic work: the secret of the Chashmal in Ezekiel. According to the Baal Shem Tov's interpretation, the work of the Chashmal angels consists of two parts that are three – chash, meaning silence, and mal, meaning cutting, and also mal meaning speech. These three together form a complete process of submission, separation, and sweetening: The chash part is expressed in submission to the guest's hidden desire to hurry and go on his way. Although Rebbe Yissachar Dov was very happy with his guest, he silenced and nullified his opinion in the face of the will of the hurrying tzaddik. The separation is the promise that the physical abundance will not interfere with (and will even add elevation of feminine waters to) the spirituality of the angels, a trait belonging to the rectification of the covenant (mal). The sweetening is hidden in the interpretation of the Rabbi of Siget, that the abundance received from the tzaddik remains even after one takes leave of him.
After the elaboration about the angels, it should be noted that Abraham and his characteristics were part of Rabbi Yissachar Dov's service of God:
Once Rabbi Aharon asked his brother-in-law to say something he had heard from his father, Rebbe Yissachar Dov. The brother-in-law quoted a saying in his name: "Even if a person is deserving of karet (spiritual excision), he can rectify it by collecting charity for Jews!" Rabbi Aharon was very impressed and asked: "Is that so?! Say it again!"…
The Divine service of kindness rectifies a person by means of his following in the footsteps of Abraham, the secret of the world of Akudim (Binding): In this world, all the lights are "bound in one vessel." A person who does acts of kindness also unites with the Jews he cares for. This inclusion within the collective of Israel 'immerses' the sinner in the Congregation of Israel, thereby nullifying his flaws.
