Thousands accompanied the Admor of Slonim, HaRav Sholom Noach
Barzovksy, zt"l, on his last earthly journey. The
Slonimer Rebbe, who led his flock valiantly for scores of
years, was niftar suddenly in his 89th year.
The Admor of Slonim was among those who renewed the worlds of
Torah and Chassidus in the generation after the Holocaust,
and one of the captains of chareidi Jewry in Eretz Yisroel.
Thousands of his chassidim and students participated
in his levaya which was led by the pillar of halachic
authority, HaRav Yosef Sholom Eliashiv as well as by
gedolei Yisroel, roshei yeshiva, admorim, members of
the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, rabbonim and
dayanim.
The Admor of Slonim, HaRav Sholom Noach Barzovksy,
zt"l, was born in the Polish town of Baranovitch. His
father, HaRav Moshe Avrohom, was rav of the community. As a
youth, he grew up in the sacred courtyard of Slonim and was
especially close to the Admor of Slonim, the Beis Avrohom,
who held him in high esteem, predicting that Rav Sholom Noach
was destined for greatness.
In 5696 (1936) he moved to Eretz Yisroel following the advice
of his mentor, the Admor of Slonim, who saw that the purpose
of Reb Sholom Noach's move would be to revive the Slonimer
community after the Holocaust. With the blessing of the Beis
Avrohom, he married the daughter of the Admor, author of the
Bircas Avrohom.
During the first years after his marriage he lived near his
illustrious father-in-law in Tiveria, and imbibed Chassidic
thought from him. It was a blend of peerless avodas
Hashem and omal baTorah. Together, he and his
father- in-law studied in the Ohr Torah Yeshiva located near
the grave of Rabbi Meir Baal HaNess.
In 5702 (1942), when the reports of the wicked Nazi fiend
wielding his sword over European Jewry reached Eretz Yisroel,
he rose up like a lion and founded the Beis Avrohom Yeshiva
in Jerusalem.
During the Holocaust, HaRav Sholom Noach lost his entire
family. Barely a vestige of the Slonim Chassidic sect
remained, and from the scores of shtiblach scattered
throughout Europe, R' Sholom survived and, with his vision,
perceived the designs of his rebbe. He understood
that the heavy task of reviving the Chassidic sect of Slonim
lay upon his shoulders, and with great courage he mustered
all his strength and began to rebuild the illustrious
community.
His father-in-law, the Bircas Avrohom, saw him as the one who
would bring about the revival of the Slonimer Chassidim and,
like a father to his son, he lovingly supported him in his
efforts.
The Admor opened his yeshiva with just a few students in the
shul of the Slonimer Chassidim in the Beis Yisroel
neighborhood in Jerusalem. He dedicated himself solely to
educating generations of talmidei chachomim and
gedolei Torah, personally instilling in each student
the aspiration to grow in Torah and Chassidus. In a
remarkable manner he merged the lamdonus of the
yeshiva world with the fervor of Chassidus. His
shiurim, which were well known for their depth, and
his discourses in Torah and Chassidus inspired his students
to serve Hashem with added zeal. In his discourses he
transmitted the spiritual legacy he had received from the
mentors of the Slonimer Dynasty.
He was well known for his outstanding knowledge of every
aspect of Torah. Throughout his life, he studied Torah in
depth and for its own sake, and over the years became one of
the gedolei haTorah vehaChassidus, leading his flock
with glory. With untold mesiras nefesh and great love
he attended to the education of each and every one of his
students, wisely passing on the Slonimer legacy to future
generations.
He assumed the tremendous burden of building the Beis Avrohom
yeshiva and the shul for the Slonimer chassidim
on a plot of land near Mea Shearim. Budding young students
from Eretz Yisroel and abroad streamed to his yeshiva
to bask in his light. In time, it became a beacon for many
students who became his loyal Chassidim.
The Admor of Slonim was blessed with many noble character
traits, such as rare gentleness and love for every human
being. His face always glowed with a special light, and he
was the pillar of prayer. With tremendous deveikus, he
would stand before his Maker in prayer, an inner fire raging
in his soul, his eyes shedding tears, his lips moving. His
prayer was a foundation in Torah. All who saw him while he
prayed recognized his loftiness of spirit.
He was a source of sagacious counsel for his fellow Jews, and
people from all streams flocked to his home to seek his
advice as one who had a deep understanding of the human soul.
Chinuch was his prime concern, and his sefer,
Nesivos Hachinuch, was the guidebook for many
mechanchim. His many students were deeply attached to
him, and he guided them like a loyal shepherd.
The Admor became known for his series of writings called
Nesivos Sholom, which were cornerstones of Chassidic
thought. He also compiled Beis Avrohom, based on
writings of the Slonimer admorim as transmitted to him
by his father-in-law. He even added his own impressions drawn
from memory from his youth in Baranovitch, where he had heard
his great mentor, the Beis Avrohom. He compiled these in the
sefer Beis Avrohom and also published Toras
Ovos, a remarkable anthology of deep Chassidic thought.
With his outstanding talent, great knowledge, clarity of
style and remarkable memory, he enriched the Chassidic world
with the seforim of the Slonimer Dynasty.
Thousands of shiurim that he delivered for decades to
his students have also been published. In these
shiurim, in which he explains his learning approach,
he emerges as a tremendous boki in all aspects of
Torah as well as a remarkable innovator. His pamphlet,
Hahorega Olecho, explains the Holocaust in an
outstanding manner. In this pamphlet, his great emunah
in Hashem which he sought to convey to future generations, is
evident.
His most outstanding work is the Nesivos Sholom, a
treasure of Chassidic thought and Torah ideas which has
become a foundation for all Beis Yisroel in this
generation. This series of five volumes on the Chumash
focuses upon avodas Hashem, Shabbos and holidays, and
has enriched the Chassidic world.
In 5741 (1981) he took over his father-in-law's position as
Admor of Slonim. At that time, his father-in-law transmitted
to him the secrets of the Ba'al Shem Tov and the Maggid.
The Admor of Slonim was one of the leaders of chareidi Jewry.
While still a young man, he was appointed by the
gedolim of the previous generation to the Moetzes
Gedolei HaTorah as representative of the Admor of Slonim, one
of the founders of Worldwide Agudas Yisroel.
He presided as a member of the executive board of Vaad
Hayeshivos in Eretz Yisroel for fifty years, during which he
made great efforts on behalf of the yeshivos. He was also
head of the executive board of Chinuch Atzmai and a member of
its presidium, devoting much of his time and energy to saving
future generations.
Hespedim were not delivered at the levaya.
Before the procession began, his brother-in-law, HaRav Dovid
Weinberg, tearfully read the words of the lamentation of
Selichos, "Anshei amono ovdu," with the entire throng
responding. He then announced that the Admor had left a last
will and testament and a letter to his Chassidim. He
announced that letter would be read at the end of the
shiva week. He stressed that the Admor had asked that
everyone pray for his soul and that Mishnayos be
studied and tzedoko be given on his behalf.
He is survived by two sons, HaRav Shmuel, rosh yeshiva
of Beis Avrohom and R' Yitzchok, a prominent Slonimer
chossid, as well as by sons-in-law, HaRav Yisroel
Luria, HaRav Shlomo Weinberg and HaRav Yisroel Kopolovitz,
all marbitzei Torah veyiroh.
He was buried toward chatzos on Tuesday night, the 8th
of Av on Har Hazeisim, beside his illustrious father-in-
law.
