The Slaughter Knife of the Rebbe of Ribnitz (Râbniţa)

The slaughter knife used by the Rebbe, the miracle worker Rabbi Chaim Zanvil Abramowitz – the Rebbe of Ribnitz.
Enclosed is a signed conformation by the rabbi who had received the knife from the Rebbe.
It is common knowledge that the Rabbi of Ribnitz, while living in Russia, was a slaughterer despite the prohibition of the government. He devoted himself to the Mitzvah so that the Russian Jews will be able to eat Kosher meat.
Rabbi Chaim Zanvil Abramowitz, the Rebbe of Ribnitz, (1898-1996) was born in Botoşani, Romania. His father died when he was two and half years old.
He was a great genius and miracle worker who devotedly served as a Rebbe under the Communists in Romania.
As a young orphan, he was raised by the Rebbe Rabbi Yehuda Aryeh Leib Frankel of Botoşani and was his Hassid.
He studied with Rabbi Yehuda Leib Tzirelson who ordained him.
He was a close disciple of the Rebbe Rabbi Avraham Matityahu Friedman Freidman of Shtefansht. It is told that the Rebbe of Shtefansht, who had no children, called him "My dear son". He, in turn, used to say of the Rebbe of Shtefansht: "I am his only son". Before he died, the Rebbe of Shtefansht told the Rebbe of Ribnitz: "I leave you three things: my Divine Spirit, my form and my grace".
The Rebbe of Ribnitz was a genius who at the age of 18 knew the complete Talmud.
Already as a youth, he was known for his asceticism: he used to immerse himself in ice, not caring that he turned blue. Once, when he immersed himself during the winter in the icy water of the river, non-Jewish boys saw him and threw stones at him. The Rebbe came out of the water and looked at them for a short while. One of them immediately became paralyzed. The event became known throughout the city and everyone acknowledged the Rebbe's holiness.
The Rebbe used to fast day after day, wrapped in his prayer shawl and Tefillin. He then would say "Tikun Chatzot", weeping bitterly for hours, until dawn. His grief was intense as if the Temple was burning right in front of his eyes. His prayer was so long that sometimes his finished his Shacharit prayer only with sunset.
He was known as of the Divine Spirit and he himself said of himself that he could see "from the one end of the world to the other".
After World War II, many rabbis left the area of the Russian occupation due to the difficulties encountered when trying to maintain Jewish religious lives under the communists. Yet he remained in Ribnitz (Râbniţa, today in Moldova), where he started to serve as a Rebbe. Despite the prohibition, he continued to observe the Mitzvot, including Shechita and Milah and Torah lessons. Thanks to him, there was Hassidic life behind the Iron Curtain.
In 1973, his wife died and he immigrated to Israel, living first in Bnei Berak and later in Jerusalem. In 1974, he moved to the USA and remarried. He lived in Miami, Crown Heights, Brooklyn and eventually, Monsey, New York. During that time, thousands came to him for advice and blessing and saw exceptional miracles and salvation.
He died at a very old age of more than a hundred years old. His grave in Monsey attracts thousands of people every year.