Naftali Tzvi Horowitz

Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Horowitz studied with a variety of Jewish scholars, including the famed Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk and other chasidic masters. He began to attract followers of his own and became the first Ropshitzer Rebbe and an influential figure in Galician Chasidut as a whole. Rabbi Horowitz stressed classic Torah study as the essence and foundation of chassidic esoterica, and warned against laxity in details of Jewish observance. He was renowned for both wisdom and humor, often using jokes or stories to convey his lessons, as well as for his musical skills.