Heichal HaNegina

This Shabbos, the 16th of Kislev, is the 57th Yahrzeit of the second Modzitzer Rebbe, Rebbe Shaul Yedidya Elazar Taub.

On Friday night, the 16th of Kislev 5708, Rav Shaul was semi‑comatose. This was the day of the UN partition vote (November 29, 1947), and the creation of state of Israel. The people in the room noticed him tapping his fingers rhythmically and humming a niggun. On Shabbos morning, Rav Shaul was niftar [passed away] at the age of 61.

Rav Shaul was accustomed to learning through Tanach many times. During Chazoras Hashatz, he looked into a little Tanach between answering the brachos. A few days before his petira, the last time he looked in his little Tanach, he left the Tanach open to the last page of Zechariah where it is written that Moshiach will stop at Har HaZeisim.

There was a question where to bury Rav Shaul, as the Arabs were rioting over the UN. The family had wanted to bury him on Har HaZeisim, but it was a dangerous to travel from Tel Aviv to Yerushalayim. The Chazon Ish said, "a Jew who came to Eretz Yisrael to die, after so many trials and tribulations, should be buried on Har HaZeisim, regardless of the danger".

Rav Shaul was the last person buried on Har HaZeisim until after the Six‑Day War. There was no chance to put a matzeva on his grave until after the Six-Day War in 5727 [1967].

During the period that the Imrei Shaul led the Modzitzer Chassidim, he traveled to Eretz Yisrael four times. The first time was in 1925, where he composed many new musical compositions. He said that he had much more inspiration to compose in Eretz Yisrael than in Chutz la’Aretz. When he returned, one of the Chassidim asked, "What did the Rebbe bring us home from Eretz Yisrael?”

Rav Shaul answered that the Chassidim would hear the answer on Friday night. That Friday night at the tish, Rav Shaul sang Kah Ribon with a niggun known simply as "the Kah Ribon Niggun". Until that time he had not sung this Zemer, because his predecessors had not sung it.

from the words of Reb Shlomo Carlebach, about this niggun:
“Basically, I only have the right to sing my own melodies. But I want you to know that there is something which is so deep in my heart: ‘cause when the old Modzitzer Rebbe (Reb Shaul זצוק"ל) came to America the first time -- I think it was 1940 or 1941 -- he came via Siberia, and my brother and I, we were little kids. We were walking Friday night, and this is the first niggun I heard him sing. It got so deep in my heart, and it’s clear to me in my heart, that if I have anything to do with singing or even have the privilege of making up a song, it’s only because of Modzitz.

So just the memory of the holy of the holiest, the old Modzitzer Rebbe, who was the master of melodies, a master of singing, was this niggun. He made it up on Shavuos night at the Holy Wall, and he sang it to Kah Ribon Olam.”

It should be noted that Reb Shlomo often sang this niggun, and also set it to the words of Rosh Chodesh bentching - the Blessing for the New Month.