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R. Naftali Hertz son of R. Natan Klatzkin

Skaistkalne / Schimberg

Born on Rosh Hashanah 55831) (16 September 1822) in Dvinsk. From a young age he studied at yeshivas in Minsk and in Vilna, and in 5597 arrived at Pressburg, where he studied for three years and three months at the yeshiva of the Chatam Sofer.

Afterward he drew close to Chabad Hasidism and attended R. Chaim Avraham, son of the Alter Rebbe author of the Tanya and Shulchan Aruch, and the Lubavitcher Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek and his sons. He was ordained for halakhic rulings by the Lubavitcher Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek, and also by R. Yehuda Leib Batlan, rabbi of Dvinsk, under whom he studied for seven years. He also learned from and received from the well-known Hasidim R. Hillel of Paritch and R. Eliyahu Yosef Rivlin of Dribin.

After the passing of the Lubavitcher Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek he became attached to his son the Lubavitcher Rebbe R. Chaim Shneur Zalman of Lyady, and after his passing in 5640 he traveled to Lubavitch to the Lubavitcher Rebbe (Maharash).

In the years 5607–5617 (1847–1857) he served as rabbi in Ušpaliai (Ushpal), district of Kovna.2)

He served as rabbi here for 37 years — from 5617 (1857) until his passing on Rosh Chodesh Shevat 5654 (8 January 1894), and his resting place is here.3)

Author of the responsa Ayala Shlucha (Warsaw 5657, complete edition Warsaw 5672).

In his book a responsum from the Lubavitcher Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek to him was printed (section 6), and likewise from his son the Lubavitcher Rebbe (Maharyan of Nizhyn, section 28).4)

His biography was printed in several places.

Collection Heikhal HaBe'sht, booklet 34, pp. 152 ff., “Rabbinate and Hasidism: the Hasidic Rabbis of the Klatzkin Family.” Introduction of his son to his book Ayala Shlucha.5) Di Geshikhte, pp. 189 ff. Collection Yagdil Torah, New York, booklet 20, p. 445, note 14.

Latvia and Rabbis

1)
According to another source — 5582.
2)
Words of his son in the introduction to his book Ayala Shlucha, that he served there for ten years. But R. Avitzinsky writes in his books that he was there as rabbi from 5611. In Ohalei Shem, p. 196 — from 5606, and in 5620 he was accepted as rabbi here. See below the note of R. Yehoshua Mundshein on this matter.
3)
He is signed as rabbi in the registration books from the month of Nisan 5619 (March 1859).
4)
Also printed in the responsa Tzemach Tzedek, Yoreh De'ah, section 249.
5)
In the introduction to the responsa Zekher Yehuda (Ohalei Shem Institute, 5751), note 53, R. Yehoshua Mundshein writes: “In the opening of the first edition of Ayala Shlucha his sons printed the biography of their father as it was published at the time in HaTzfirah (28 Shevat 5654), and in the details of the years there is no correspondence between what is stated there and what is stated in the second edition and in Ohalei Shem, and I will not elaborate. From HaTzfirah it was also copied to Dor Rabbanov veSoferav (Vilna 5662, p. 32) and to Shem HaGedolim HaShlishi; also in Toldot Yeshivat HaYehudim BeCourland (p. 154) this source was relied upon primarily, but additions were made.”