Memory Lane: Rav Meir Tzvi Cohen

In the year 1924, just about one century ago, the sefer Keren Tzvi saw its second printing. The sefer is a collection of minhagim, dinim, and instructions that pertain to shul life throughout the year—organized by month. It was authored by one Rav Meir Tzvi Cohen who hailed from Lita, and writes about the illustrious lineage of both his own, as well as his wife’s families. The name and address of the author are written on the flyleaf: Meyer H. Cohen, 1379 45th Street. 

Rav Meir Tzvi was born in the year 1863 in the town of Rutki, a short distance from Lomza, where many of his family members lived. His father was Rav Dovid Hakohen Kohn, the son of Rav Shmuel, the son of Rav Meir Hakohen of Tiktin (Tycocin), a short distance from his hometown.     

The following story is related about Rav Meir of Tiktin in relation to Rav Meir Simcha Hakohen of Dvinsk who was born in the year 1843. Rav Meir of Tiktin was once traveling, and made a stop in the tiny hamlet outside Vilna where Rav Shimshon, the father of Rav Meir Simcha was known as a great ga’on and machnis orchim. After staying in the home of Rav Shimshon and his Rebbetzin, he was overwhelmed by their hospitality, and benctched them that they shuld have a son who would light up the world. When a son was born to them, they named him Meir Simcha, in tribute to Rav Meir  

Coming to America 

The story is told in the family that upon coming to America, one of the few possessions that Rav Meir Tzvi brought with him was a precious megillah which was written by his father, Rav Dovid. “He carried it all the way across the ocean to America, and was passed down from father to son,” relates a grandchild.  

It is precious indeed, for, analyzing the handwriting, it is very rare for megillos of that era to be this beautiful, and it has been remarkably preserved by the family to this day—a remnant of their family’s history and their travails in arriving to this country. 

The aforementioned Keren Tzvi was printed in 1924, and in it he credits his children for the care they gave him when he arrived here. “From the time that I arrived to live in this new land, they watched over me with an open eye that I should not lack for bread to eat and for clothing to wear. And I ask from the One who sits in Heaven that he should bless my children with long life and wealth, and they should reap the rewards of kibbud av, even in This World, as the Mishnah in Pe’ah tells us.” This sefer garnered haskomos from the greatest Rabbonim in America of that time, including Rav Hillel Hakohen Klein, Rav Sholom Elchonon Yaffe, Rav Velvele Margolis, and Rav Baruch Kohn. 

There, he writes in humility that, “I aggregated all the minhagim of beis hakneses, and although anyone could have looked in the seforim and found these precious gems like I did—for it is work, not wisdom, and it is nothing to boast about—nevertheless, not everyone has aceess to the seforim of the rishonim and acharonim.” 

In addition to this, he published sefer Tiferes Tzvi on Pirkei Avos in the preceding year, 1923. 

In the spring of 1925, one year after printing his sefer, Rav Meir Tzvi was niftar, and interred in Mount Hebron Cemetery, after settling in—and contributing to Jewish American Judaica literature from—Boro Park of yesteryear.