1. Avrohom Bornsztain, spelled Avraham Borenstein or Bernstein, was a leading posek in late-nineteenth-century Europe and founder and first Rebbe of the Sochatchover Hasidic dynasty.
16 Facts About Avrohom Bornsztain
1. 2.
Avrohom Bornsztain is known as the Avnei Nezer after the title of his posthumously published set of Torah responsa, which is widely acknowledged as a halakhic classic.
3.
Avrohom Bornsztain was the first child of Dobrish Erlich, and Rabbi Zev Nachum Bornsztain.
4.
Avrohom Bornsztain's only son, Shmuel, was born in Kock in 1857.
5.
In 1863, Avrohom Bornsztain accepted his first rabbinical post as Rav of Parczew.
6.
Avrohom Bornsztain displayed tremendous devotion to his students, with whom he learned for eight hours each day, delivering several shiurim during the course of each day.
7.
Avrohom Bornsztain insisted that only those who were well-versed in Torah scholarship should visit him at his court.
8.
In 1876 Avrohom Bornsztain moved to the city of Nasielsk after the death of that city's rabbi, Rabbi Shmuel Shinover, author of "Romosayim Tzofim".
9.
Avrohom Bornsztain moved to Sochatchov in 1883 and served as its Av Beit Din until his death.
10.
Avrohom Bornsztain's responsa, covering all four sections of Shulchan Aruch, were published posthumously in seven volumes by his son and grandson under the title, She'eilos U'teshuvos Avnei Nezer.
11.
Avrohom Bornsztain became known as the Avnei Nezer after his death.
12.
Avrohom Bornsztain suffered from a heavy cough in his later years, due to his frail lungs.
13.
Avrohom Bornsztain died on 20 February 1910 and was buried in an ohel in Sochatchov.
14.
Avrohom Bornsztain had one daughter, Esther, who married his younger brother, Rabbi Meir Avrohom Bornsztain.
15.
Avrohom Bornsztain successfully petitioned the local authorities for permission to erect a fence around the perimeter of the original cemetery, and asked Rabbi Aharon Yisrael Bornsztain, a son of the Shem Mishmuel who lived in Tel Aviv, for his recollections as to the location of the ohel.
16.
Avrohom Bornsztain was similarly unsuccessful in employing a professional who used different kinds of machines to locate graves.