Rabbi Yisrael Zisel Dvoretz (1885 – 29th of Shevat, 1968) was born into the Kapust Chassidic community and joined the Slabodka Yeshiva in his youth, becoming an ardent disciple of the Alter of Slabodka. He served as a rabbi in several Lithuanian towns, immigrated to the Land of Israel, and edited the Torah journal "Tevunah" under the pseudonym "Palatin." He was born in 1885 to Rabbi Betzalel Dvoretz, a member of the Chabad-Kapust community in Dvinsk. In his youth, he studied at the Lithuanian Slabodka Yeshiva, where he formed a close bond with the Alter of Slabodka, Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel. He maintained this relationship throughout his life, providing significant support for the yeshiva. After completing his studies, he married his wife, Chana Chaya Feiga Loft.
During World War I, he relocated to Kremenchug, which was distant from the front lines. There, he met Slabodka Yeshiva students and assisted financially in maintaining the yeshiva. After the war, he, along with his brother, established a network of Talmud Torah schools throughout Lithuania and helped found the Zionist party "Masoret V'Cheirut" while simultaneously founding the Torah journal "Tevunah," aiming to create a central platform for rabbis and yeshiva students to publish Torah insights.
In 1926, he immigrated to the Land of Israel to raise funds and facilitate the relocation of the Slabodka Yeshiva to Israel. Initially, he settled with his family in Jerusalem, but later moved to Hebron, where he founded the "Bank for Hebron's Development" and established connections with key figures in the city.
In the month of Tammuz, 1929, during the visit of the Rebbe Rayatz to the Land of Israel, he utilized his connections (alongside the efforts of Rabbi Eliezer Dan Slonim) to secure permission for the Rebbe Rayatz and his entourage to enter the Cave of the Patriarchs. He accompanied the Rebbe during the visit, documenting his impressions, which were discovered in 2013.
Around 1935, he founded the "Torah and Tevunah Company," publishing manuscripts of early Torah scholars, including the works of the Rashba, Ramban, Rabbeinu Chananel, the Meiri, and others, sending his books to the Rebbe's library.
Following the 1929 Hebron riots, he moved to Petach Tikva, returning to Jerusalem in 1940, where he resided until his passing on the 29th of Shevat, 1968. His funeral took place on the samחבדפדיהe day, and he was buried at the Mount of Olives Cemetery.
The article highlights a historical visit by the Rebbe Rayatz (Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn) to the Land of Israel in Tammuz 1929, with a particular focus on his visit to Hebron and the Cave of the Patriarchs. During this visit, the Rebbe expressed his desire to pray at the burial site of the Patriarchs, a longstanding aspiration among the Jewish people. Entry into the cave had been prohibited for both Jews and Christians by the Arab authorities for many years, allowing Jews only to ascend to the seventh step outside the entrance.
Through the efforts of Rabbi Eliezer Dan Slonim and the use of his strong connections with the local Arab leaders, special permits were secured for the Rebbe Rayatz and three of his companions to enter the Cave of the Patriarchs, a rare exception. Additional permits were obtained through bribes paid to members of the influential Husseini family, allowing three more people to join the Rebbe’s entourage, including Rabbi Yisrael Zisel Dvoretz, a resident of Hebron.
Due to concerns that the accompanying Muslim escorts might understand Hebrew, the Rebbe decided to pray in Russian to ensure his words would not be comprehended by the escorts. Despite efforts to form a quorum for prayer, only seven Jewish visitors were present in the cave, including the Rebbe, his son-in-law Rabbi Shmaryahu Gourary, and Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Slonim.
The article also provides background on Rabbi Yisrael Zisel Dvoretz, an important figure in the Jewish community in Hebron. Born in Dvinsk, Latvia, in 1885, he became a devoted student of the Slabodka Yeshiva and a close associate of Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel, the Alter of Slabodka. During World War I, he played a key role in supporting the yeshiva and founded the Torah journal "Tevunah," which became a major platform for publishing Torah innovations.
In 1926, Rabbi Dvoretz immigrated to the Land of Israel with his family, settling initially in Jerusalem and later in Hebron, where he established the "Bank for Hebron's Development" to support the local yeshiva. He was part of the Rebbe Rayatz's entourage during the historic visit to the Cave of the Patriarchs.
Rabbi Dvoretz later founded the "Torah and Tevunah Company," through which he published and edited manuscripts of early Torah scholars, such as the Rashba, Ramban, Rabbeinu Chananel, and the Meiri. He regularly sent his published works to the Rebbe’s library, receiving letters of acknowledgment in response.
Rabbi Dvoretz also initiated efforts to establish a Charedi agricultural settlement in the Negev and sought to create a non-partisan political party in Israel, requesting the Rebbe’s support. The Rebbe, in his letters, emphasized the importance of focusing on non-partisan activities, particularly the dissemination of Judaism and Torah values, especially among the youth.
Rabbi Dvoretz passed away on the 29th of Shevat, 1968, and was one of the first to be buried on the Mount of Olives following its liberation. His life and achievements were recently documented in the book "Kuloh Lev," which details his contributions to the Jewish community and Torah scholarship.