It was with great sadness that klal Yisrael received the terrible news on Motzaei Shabbos that the Skulener Rebbe, Rav Yeshayah Yaakov Portugal, zt”l, had passed away in Cornell Hospital at the age of 68. He was oldest son of the previous Skulener Rebbe, Rav Yisrael Avraham, zt”l, known as the Noam Yisrael. Sadly, he was only able to lead the chasidus for five and a half years after his father’s passing, but he left behind a legacy of avodah, hasmadah and chesed. He also endured great suffering for many years, which he accepted with unshakable emunah and ahavas Hashem.
The Rebbe was someone about whom it can be said, “Ish asher ruach Elokim bo.” From his earliest childhood until his final day he truly lived with the Eibershter. The Rebbe had no ego and was only concerned with others, and he had no interest in anything that was not in full accordance with the mesorah of previous generations. Following in the ways of his father, the Rebbe fought against the nisyonos posed by the modern world and worked to bring Yidden closer to Hashem, and always with warmth and a loving smile.
The Rebbe was an oved Hashem without compromise, living an exalted life of kedushah and taharah. He would learn for many hours at a time and was completely disconnected from olam hazeh.
The Rebbe was born on 26 Adar 5716 (1956) in Bucharest, Romania, where his family lived under the communist regime. In 5720 (1960), after much suffering and persecution, they were finally allowed to emigrate. When they reached the shores of America, they settled in Crown Heights, where the Rebbe was raised at the knee of his grandfather, Rav Eliezer Zusia Portugal, zt”l, known as the Noam Eliezer. It was from his holy zeide that the Rebbe learned how an ehrliche Yid conducts himself, only acting l’sheim shamayim, keeping the Eibershter’s mitzvos and learning His Torah. He was very beloved by his grandfather and would constantly repeat his divrei Torah in public.
As a child, the Rebbe learned in the Satmar cheder and then in the Satmar yeshivah under the Satmar Rebbe, zt”l. The Rebbe then went to the Ruzhiner Tiferes Yisrael yeshivah in Eretz Yisrael, where he learned with many of the rebbes of today’s generation.
The Rebbe married the daughter of the Tetcher Rav, Rav Meir Greenwald, zt”l, who was the son of the Ungvarer Rav, zt”l, and the grandson of the Arugas Habosem, zt”l. Although his shver was no longer alive when he got married, the Rebbe was accepted as a beloved son-in-law in the home of his step-shver, Rav Yitzchak Isaac Moskowitz, the rav and rosh yeshivah of Me’or Hagolah in Montreal. After Rav Moskowitz’s passing, the Rebbe succeeded him as rav and av beis din in his kehillah.
Despite his physical weakness, the Rebbe did everything that needed to be done with great mesiras nefesh, demanding much from himself while also giving chizzuk to everyone who came to his door. Every Yid who entered the Rebbe’s room found a listening ear to which he could pour out his broken heart. Many were uplifted and helped by the Rebbe’s brachos.
Twelve years ago, the Rebbe fell seriously ill and required a liver transplant. Yidden the world over davened for a refuah shleimah for Yeshayah Yaakov ben Raizel. After the Rebbe’s passing, the family revealed that before the transplant, the Rebbe’s father, the Noam Yisrael, had gone to the Gaavad of Yerushalayim, Rav Yitzchak Tuviah Weiss, zt”l, and told him that as the mara d’asra of Eretz Yisrael, he had the power to issue a psak for his son’s recovery. Surely the beis din shel maalah would have to obey the psak din shel matah. And so, Rav Weiss gathered the members of his beis din and wrote out a psak din stating that the Rebbe had to recover and be able to attend his daughter’s chasunah, which was scheduled to take place a short time later.
It read as follows: “Thursday night of Parshas Vayeitzei 5772. We the undersigned, the beis din tzedek of the holy city of Yerushalayim, rule that Rav Yeshayah Yaakov ben Reizel, shlita, son of the Skulener Rebbe, shlita, will have a refuah shleimah very soon and will be able to partake in the simchah of his daughter’s wedding in a good and auspicious time with bodily health and good vision, and he will merit arichus yomim and good years.” It was signed by Rav Weiss, Rav Naftali Hirtzka Frankel, zt”l, and yl”t, Rav Moshe Shternbuch.
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