By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com It is a tragic, tragic day,and we are all in mourning. Not only has klal Yisroel lost its leading Torah sage, we lost our leader, the person that our Rabbonim went to to clarify anything in Torah.  He was the tzaddik we went to for brachos, and for chizuk. He was the Moshe Rabbeinu of the generation, and the Aharon HaKohain combined in one. How so? The Moshe Rabbeinu role is well known.  His remarkable hasmada and prolific in-depth writing were well known. He finished Shas, Rambam, Shulchan Aruch and Midrashim every year.  His multiple seforim became the go to sefer on each topic. His restatement of the Mishna Brurah known as the Shoneh Halachos became an instant classic.  His derech Emunah on shmitta and trumos umaasros became authoritative.  His understanding of Hilchos Beis HaMikdash was unparalleled and is reflected in his sefer Derech Chochmah.  His Shekel HaKodesh on Kiddush HaChodesh too.  He clearly patterned much of style in the manner of the Chofetz Chaim – whom he had the most profound respect for – even though his daily practices were to follow the opinion of the Chazon Ish.  There were many other seforim as wll. He wrote a mussar sefer too, Orchos Yosher, and made great efforts in promoting the study of Mussar throughout Eretz Yisroel and beyond.   No one, to this author’s knowledge, ever questioned him about this – that this was a slight aberration from the mehalech of his uncle.  Some attributed it to the fact that his father, the Steipler zt”l shtammed from the Novardik school of Mussar. His citation of references that addressed an underlying issue peripherally demonstrated an in-depth mastery of kol haTorah kullah. But what about the Aharon haKohain aspect of things? This author once asked his son how he deals with the fact that the thousands of yearly visitors must surely affect his prodigious learning schedule.  The answer revealed a true, in-depth understanding of what really matters in life.  “What do you mean?  It is chessed.  That is what Torah is all about.” Wow!  I felt guilty even asking the question.  It was so obvious and simple. His love of Klal Yisroel was reflected in his psak about treating terrorists, “let them die, they are rodfim and will continue murdering.”  [Rav Elyashiv zt”l, his father-in-law, ruled that they needed to be treated because otherwise the aiva will cause grave possible dangers to other Jewish patients elsewhere.] Rav Chaim took responsibility to help thousands of Bnei Torah – families who were in desperate need of kimcha d’pischa and others.  He did this through his Orchos Yosher organization too.  These efforts were done l’zaicher nishmas his wife a”h, Rav Elyashiv’s daughter. Rav Chaim’s loss is a staggering blow to this generation, as we are now truly orphaned.  A prominent Rebbitzen pointed out to this aauthor that there is another frightening aspect of his loss.  Eretz Yisroel was always protected by its tzaddikim.  Now that we have lost Rav Chaim – the threat from Klal Yisroel’s enemies is much more profound.  Clearly, we need to double down on our Torah learning and Mitzvah observance. BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION Rav Chaim was born in Pinsk, then in Poland, in January of 1928. His father, the Steipler Gaon was his sandek and named […]

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