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IN-DEPTH FEATURES
He was born on rosh chodesh Tammuz 5675 (1915) in the
town of Lapitsh which is in the Minsk area of the Ukraine.
His father served as a ram in the town's Yeshiva for
youngsters together with the town's rabbi HaRav Yisroel Isser
Shapira zt"l (son of Rav Rephoel Shapira, av beis
din of Volozhin).
Little is known about his childhood years. It was a time when
Jewish communities were forced to wander from place to place
because of riotous mobs which dominated that part of Europe
during those war-torn years. The internal Russian battles
added to the general upheaval of World War I. Civilians were
forced to move often to stay out of the way of the
fighting.
HaRav Reuven's family was not spared these wanderings. His
father served as rabbi of some small towns in the Sovalk
district, being forced to leave each place due to the events
of the time.
In the winter of 5685 (1925) he became rov of Zhabinka, a
small town situated between Brisk and Kamenitz, whose
population consisted mostly of very religious baalei
batim who sent their sons to yeshivos. Despite his heavy
learning schedule, the rov was totally dedicated to his
kehilla. All the town's residents knew that the rov's
house was the address for all their problems.
That same year, in the summer, Rav Reuven was taken by his
father to the yeshiva for youngsters in Lida, which was far
from home. He avidly absorbed everything he heard from his
rabbonim, HaRav Mordechai Shmukler zt"l, a
distinguished gaon and tzaddik who served as
ram in the yeshiva at the time (he was killed during
the Second World War and has been totally forgotten, having
left no descendants) and the rosh yeshiva HaRav Yaakov
Neuman zt"l.
In those days it was customary for bochurim to be
dependent on the hospitality of local baalei batim.
Rav Reuven's delicate and noble nature made it difficult for
him to feel at ease in this situation, especially when he was
forced to witness the poverty prevalent in those households.
Consequently he did not eat regularly at the homes of the
townsfolk, and long periods would pass where his sole
nutrition consisted of the frozen potatoes which were readily
available at the yeshiva. For about half a year he stayed at
the yeshiva, studying diligently.
After Lida he went to Kobrin to learn in the yeshiva of HaRav
Pesach Pruskin zt"l. According to one his friends he
also learnt for a period in Baranowitz with HaRav Elchonon
Wassermann Hy"d, returning afterwards to Kobrin.
HaRav A. Y. L. Steinman shlita relates that Rav
Reuven's diligence was so intense that except for his studies
he spoke about nothing else, adding that even as his roommate
in yeshiva he was sure that Rav Reuven did not know his name -
- such was his single-minded dedication to his studies.
Rav Reuven was a young bochur when he arrived at
Kamenitz in the summer of 5691 (1931) to study under HaRav
Boruch Ber zt"l. Here he would spend days toiling in
Torah without interruption, his sitting position remaining
unchanged. Contemporaries from the yeshiva relate how the
mashgiach called his beloved student a "locomotive"
who worked nonstop creating his own chiddushim despite
being only a young bochur.
A friend of his remembers an incident when the yeshiva was
learning Yevomos one winter zeman. He noticed
Rav Reuven about to finish the masechta on erev
Chanukah. When he asked him about it, he said that he had
decided it would be useful to learn the whole masechta
through first with Rashi and Tosafos and afterwards to review
it be'iyun. He continued this practice every
zeman so that eventually he became fluent in all the
masechtos he had learned in the yeshiva.
He was sent food parcels from home but he would distribute
them among his friends, sustaining himself with the small
amount of food available from the yeshiva.
He was greatly influenced by the personality of HaRav Boruch
Ber zt"l, the author of the Bircas Shmuel, from
whom he absorbed methods of in-depth reasoning. Rav Reuven
quickly stood out amongst the yeshiva bochurim as a
remarkable innovator, whose straight thinking was permeated
with clarity. Friends from later years in the Lomza Yeshiva
in Petach Tikva recall how apparent it was from his style of
learning when he first came to the Yeshiva that he was a
talmid of HaRav Boruch Ber, and he was even given the
title "R' Boruch Ber'nik."
He became totally fluent in the works of his rov, sparing no
effort to fathom the depths of his Bircas Shmuel.
Until his last days, whenever he wanted to encourage his
students to acquire the desire to toil in Torah
be'iyun, he was full of emotion when he conveyed to
them something of his illustrious rov's personality and how
he would put all his strength into Torah. He would tell them
about the wonderful depth and clarity of his shiurim,
his yiras Shomayim and his insistence on going to any
lengths to understand the works of the rishonim
properly and not give them a false interpretation, chas
vesholom.
Once he related how, when his rov was young, some people
thought it would be better for him to learn more
beki'us instead of spending many hours delving into
the depths of one statement of his own rov, Rav Chaim of
Brisk. However in the end everyone realized that Rav Boruch
Ber was right in his method of learning, since he had
eventually became one of the greatest disseminators of Torah
in his generation, producing disciples of incomparable
quality.
Leaving Europe
At the end of 5695 (1935), Rav Reuven's father left the
rabbinate and came to Eretz Yisroel, leaving his
family behind in Zhabinka while he came to check out the
country and to decide where they would live. During the time
that the rov was away, some activists from the Mizrachi and
other Zionist organizations wanted to open up a school called
"Tarbut" for the local youth. Previous attempts had been made
to start such a school but the rov had managed to forestall
them by bringing in Rav Boruch Ber zt"l to speak to
his congregants.
Rav Reuven had just returned home from Kamenitz yeshiva when
he heard about the plans to open up the school. He called
upon everybody to be present at the beis hamedrash on
Shabbos afternoon, where he made a fiery speech. His sister,
Rebbetzin Lefkovitch, remembers him shouting the following
during the speech, "Every Jew wants his son to say Kaddish
after him! You must realize that a Kaddish recited
by a son who has been educated at the Tarbut school will not
be received in Shomayim!"
His strong words had the desired result and the organizers
changed their minds.
In 5696 (1936) the whole family came to Eretz Yisroel,
only Rav Reuven and his oldest brother Rav Shmuel Dovid
Hy"d staying behind. His brother was appointed to
replace his father in the rabbinate, a position he held until
he was killed al kiddush Hashem during the years of
the churban together with his wife, daughter and the
whole community.
Rav Reuven left for Eretz Yisroel at the end of 5696,
becoming a talmid of Lomza Yeshiva in Petach Tikva
where other immigrant yeshiva bochurim were learning
at the time. He immediately endeared himself to the roshei
yeshiva and students, being distinguished by his
diligence, intellectual acumen and broad knowledge.
During this period Rav Reuven became close to the Chazon Ish
zt"l who was very fond of him and praised him greatly.
Rav Reuven would frequently present the Chazon Ish with
chiddushim which were highly commended by him. Upon
entering the Chazon Ish's room, the latter would turn to him
and say, "Nu, `delight me with your dainties' [a play on
words on Shir Hashirim 2:5], `the law of Hashem is
perfect, restoring the soul.'" This would be the invitation
for Rav Reuven to commence the recitation of his
chiddushim.
HaRav Chaim Kanievsky recalls that in 5700-5701 (1940-41) Rav
Reuven would visit his father, the Kehillos Yaakov
zt"l regularly on Fridays to talk to him about Torah
topics. Each conversation would go on for several hours, the
Steipler enjoying the experience of hearing R' Reuven's
straight and clear logic.
HaRav Yaakov Edelstein (Rav Reuven's brother-in-law)
remembers that already during this period Rav Reuven's noble
personality shone through and complemented his intellectual
capabilities. Those surrounding him during his
tefillos could not help but be affected by the audible
emotions accompanying them. No one, he adds, who witnessed
the terrible weeping which was part and parcel of his
tefillos during World War II when rumors spread about
the slaughter of European Jewry, can forget that
experience.
The younger talmidim at Lomza yeshiva gathered around
him and were eager to be guided in the ways of in-depth
analysis. He was more than happy to meet their requests and
he taught them regularly.
In 5706 (1946) the rosh yeshiva HaRav Reuven Katz, rov
of Petach Tikva, asked him to give "chaburos"
regularly to the younger students of the yeshiva. [This was
on the advice of HaRav Aba Grossbard zt"l, who was the
yeshiva's mashgiach until that year.]
Many of those talmidim who today serve as ramim
in yeshivos consider him their teacher who enlightened them
in the ways of Torah understanding and logic. They also point
out his comprehensive command of Shas and
rishonim and of divrei Torah transmitted orally
of the great roshei hayeshivos zt"l the Bircas Shmuel,
the Sha'arei Yosher and others.
During this period HaRav Shach shlita was a ram
at the yeshiva and the two of them would often speak in
learning. HaRav Shach praised his brilliance to everyone. The
close relationship between them continued over the years,
with Rav Reuven always submitting himself to the authority of
HaRav Shach. As HaRav Shach put it soon after Rav Reuven's
petirah: "He was with me during all the periods and in
all situations."
When HaRav Eliyohu Dushnitzer came to Lomza yeshiva, Rav
Reuven developed a close link with him and drew from the
wellsprings of his magnificent yiras Shomayim.
An Important Shidduch
During chol hamoed Pesach 5706 (1946) Rav Reuven got
engaged to his Rebbetzin, the daughter of HaRav Zvi Yehuda
Edelstein zt"l, rov of Ramat Hasharon. The Chazon Ish
made an effort to attend the engagement meal which took place
in Ramat Hasharon. He thus demonstrated the extent of his
admiration and fondness for the young gaon. The father
of the kalla was considered one of the most important
rabbonim in Eretz Yisroel, well-known for his
greatness in Torah and unceasing hasmodoh. He was
close to the Chazon Ish and the Brisker Rov both of whom
greatly respected him. HaRav Zvi Yehuda's wife was from the
famous Mowshovitz family and was the sister of the
geonim Rav Yisroel, Rav Doniel and others, originally
from Russia and later rabbonim in Tel Aviv and
Herzelia. His brothers-in-law were HaRav Yitzchok Berman,
HaRav Mordechai Shmuel Kroll, rov of Kfar Chassidim and
others.
The kalla's uncle HaRav Yisroel Mowshovitz said at the
seudas tenoim that it could be stated in all honesty
that the chosson was totally fluent in Shas and
rishonim. Rav Reuven's brother-in-law Rav Yaakov
Edelstein relates that after the chosson finished his
drosho about one of the complicated sugyos in
Na'aro Hame'oroso, he heard his father saying softly,
"He's a total genius." HaRav Zvi Yehuda was known to be
especially particular about not giving undeserving
compliments, so that his words were taken as a genuine
reflection of his amazement.
After his marriage he continued his studies at Lomza yeshiva
as well as teaching the younger students. In 5711 (1951) he
started giving shiurim on a daily basis, dedicating
himself totally to his students and guiding them in the paths
of limud haTorah and mussar.
His students from that period recall how Rav Reuven would
learn bechavrusa with each talmid individually.
Naturally there was only a limited amount of time for each
student, but it was sufficient to instill each one with
qualitative "muscles."
He became a byword for hasmodoh in Torah. Despite the
severe poverty in his home he did not allow himself to get
distracted from his Torah studies, spending whole days in his
room at the yeshiva toiling in Torah without interruption. He
would spend many hours learning while standing up, holding a
sefer in his hand.
In 5714 (1954) his father, HaRav Avrohom Yitzchok zt"l
rosh yeshiva of Tiferes Zion passed away and his
mother came to live with him. His practice of mitzvas
kibbud eim was a wonder to behold. Due to the size of the
flat and his economic situation he gave up his bed for her
whilst he would sleep on an armchair in the kitchen. She
lived in his house for eleven years until she passed away in
5725 (1965).
Rav Reuven spared no effort to relieve his mother of the
intense pain from which she often suffered, everything being
done with the greatest respect. Many incidents could be cited
of Rav Reuven's scrupulous observance of this mitzva. We will
bring one example. His mother was meant to receive a sum of
money on a monthly basis from a certain source. They did not
fulfill their obligations and months passed without the
Rebbetzin receiving anything. Rav Reuven, knowing how upset
she would be if she heard about it, used his wages from Lomza
yeshiva to give her a sum of money once a month in such a way
that she thought that she was being given her money from that
source. That way he gave her the feeling that she had a sum
of money with which to help her children and give
tzedoko, whilst Rav Reuven himself supported his
family with the utmost difficulty.
In 5725 (1965) he became rosh yeshivas Chemdas Shmuel
in a moshav called Chemed. At first he kept his
position at Lomza yeshiva, giving two shiurim be'iyun
on two different masechtos every Monday.
When Lomza yeshiva closed down he devoted himself totally to
the yeshiva at Chemed. During the week he would be in the
yeshiva on his own, his family coming to stay with him on
Shabbosos. His apartment was speckled with cracks and
holes, rain falling on his bed during the winter and the sun
burning with intensity in the summer. In these difficult
conditions he still managed to learn standing up for eight
hours at a stretch with a gemora or Shulchan
Oruch and Rambam in his hand.
Students who remained in close touch with him until his last
days refer to his devotion and love for them and his
endeavors for their success in Torah. Rav Reuven himself once
told a member of his family off the cuff that he would fast a
lot for his students' success in Torah and yiras
Shomayim.
He also aimed to provide his talmidim with the tools
for their self-improvement both intellectually and
spiritually. In addition to his role as rosh yeshiva
teaching Talmudic skills, he also imparted messages of
mussar. This dedication to their spiritual welfare
went hand in hand with his concern for their material well-
being, and he made sure that everyone received enough food.
Although they related to him as to an angel of Hashem, a
close emotional bond developed between the talmidim
and the rosh yeshiva, since they felt that he was like
a devoted father and they turned to him with all their
problems.
Talmidim from those days recall that he would spend
whole nights learning consecutively, making sure that no one
noticed what he was doing. Whenever rumors spread about the
wonderful effects of his tefillos and brochos
on individuals who had recognized his greatness and turned to
him in times of trouble, he would beg people not to talk
about it, belittling the whole matter. He had siyata
deShmaya and for many years was successful in concealing
himself so that apart from his students and close associates
no one (including his family) knew the true extent of his
wisdom and kedusha.
To Netivot
In 5736 (1976) Rav Reuven was called upon by HaRav Yissochor
Meir to serve as rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Hanegev. He
immediately devoted himself totally to the yeshiva and its
talmidim. He would sit in the beis hamedrash
for all three sedorim with a chavrusa like a
regular bochur. The weekly shiur kloli was the
outcome of seven chavrusas he had during the week
during which the subject matter of the shiur would be
laboriously analyzed. His demeanor when delivering the
shiur was full of fire and you could feel that every
fiber in his being was dedicated to the transmission of the
shiur.
Rav Reuven was an example of the maamar Chazal,
"Whoever learns Torah in secret, will be declared [a scholar]
in public." Despite his modesty and attempts to escape public
attention, he became famous as a gaon of stature, a
brilliant disseminator of Torah and a saintly personality
whose prayers and blessings were answered in Shomayim.
Masses of people streamed to his house from all over the
world seeking advice and a brocho. Each visitor was
warmly received by the rov and made to feel special. He would
kiss and hug bnei Torah who had never met him before,
much to their astonishment.
The brokenhearted, widows, orphans, the sick and others who
needed emotional and spiritual assistance all turned to him
for succor and comfort. He was a source of solace and hope,
patiently and devotedly boosting their emunah and
bitochon in Our Creator, the Merciful Father. Many of
these visitors benefited personally from his brochos
and tefillos. He shed tears for the troubles of each
person and beseeched his Creator for the salvation of both
the community and the individual.
Yissurim
About thirteen years before his petirah Rav Reuven's
health deteriorated and thereafter he was in constant pain
the extent of which he kept secret even from those closest to
him. With unparalleled effort he managed to keep his daily
routine totally unchanged.
During the last few years he became very weak and his
physical situation worsened. He was forced to stop learning
in the beis hamedrash and instead to learn with
chavrusas in his house during the time of the
sedorim as had been his habit throughout the years. In
addition, a minyan was organized in his house when he
could no longer walk to the yeshiva.
It was during these years that the full force of his
personality was revealed even more, since he could no longer
conceal his behavior as he had managed to until then.
Everyone could now learn from and witness his pure mesiras
nefesh in kiyum haTorah vehamitzvos.
His mind remained immersed in Torah despite his terrible
suffering. During difficult hours of his illness he would
feel the pain of his fellow man and shed tears for the
yeshu'o of the Jewish nation, whilst remaining totally
oblivious to his own situation.
One of Rav Reuven's close associates who had the merit of
spending time with him during the period of his illness kept
a diary from which we shall quote some excerpts.
"Kislev 5754 (1993). Erev Shabbos. Hadassah
Hospital. The Rov is lying in his bed next to two other
patients. One is a young immigrant from Yemen who has some
connection with religion, the other a lonely beggar. Upon my
arrival, the Rov greets me cheerfully and immediately asks me
to see to the needs of the latter fellow-patient who had lost
his kippa. I find one, much to the Rov's delight. Then
I am told to make sure that he will receive a proper Shabbos
meal and various other things. You would think that I had
come to assist the beggar. After Shabbos came in, he made an
effort to sit in his chair and davened kabolas Shabbos
and ma'ariv enthusiastically. After nightfall he asked
me to make sure that all the patients on his floor could hear
kiddush, only relaxing when I assured him that
everyone was taken care of. He then made kiddush and
with great difficulty managed to eat a kezayis, the
minimum quantity required to be eaten for the Shabbos meal,
all the while insisting that I and the other patients eat
properly. He encourages me to go and get more food for
everybody, saying, `A lot of chessed can be
accomplished here.'
"During Friday night excruciating pain prevents him from
falling asleep, but he doesn't complain or say anything. He
lays on his bed learning parsha with Rashi for several
hours then put down the sefer. It looked as if he had
fallen asleep, but then I notice him murmuring to himself,
reviewing his learning. The next day he again gathers his
strength and sits up on his chair to learn for a number of
hours.
"During the day the news spreads that the Rov is staying in
the upper floor of the hospital and many patients come to him
to receive a blessing. The Rov, using the remainder of his
strength, comforts and blesses them. He asked one secular
patient who came to receive a blessing whether he kept
Shabbos. When he saw him stuttering, he said to him, `If you
don't keep Shabbos how can I give you a brocho!'"
After his release from the hospital he straight away went
back to his daily routine. With apparently superhuman
strength he continued his shiurim with the customary
clarity, so that the talmidim could gain fully from
them. After each shiur he would return to his house
totally exhausted but profoundly happy at having managed to
give another shiur. On Erev Rosh Hashana 5755
(1994) Rav Reuven gave a shiur in the yeshiva. At the
end of it he delivered words of chizuk for the
upcoming yomim noraim, blessing everyone present with
a shonoh tovah and adding, in a voice choked with
tears, that a lot of tefillos had to be directed to
Hakodosh Boruch Hu that we should all stay together
during the coming year in health and happiness.
He strained himself to keep the mitzvos of the yomim
tovim personally without making use of an agent. Thus he
built his own succa, put on sechach, chose a
set of arba minim by himself and so on. These
activities were the source of his vitality.
After the yomim tovim, increasing weakness and pain
forced him to be readmitted to the hospital. His only
distress during this period stemmed from the fact that he
could not learn be'iyun, but only gemora with
Rashi, the doctors having forbidden him to exert himself.
When they noticed Rav Reuven's distress, they permitted him
to learn for half an hour with his regular chavrusa.
However, each time he would continue beyond that time until
he reached the stage where he said that any further study
would be bordering on pikuach nefesh, and with a heavy
heart he would stop learning. His chavrusa relates
that even during these difficult situations when Rav Reuven
was hardly able to speak, he would read and explain the words
of the gemora and hold the gemora in his hand
as was his habit.
In the last Kislev of his life, the doctors discovered that
he was suffering from a terrible disease and decided that he
had to be operated on. We will cite a few more paragraphs
from the above diary.
"Friday 22 Kislev 5755. The Rov is in Hadassah
hospital. The doctors have decided that he has to be operated
on urgently after Shabbos. As soon as I arrive he asks me if
I know any details about a certain young man who is in need
of help and what his situation is. That was his "Sholom
Aleichem." On Friday night the Rov is forbidden to eat or
drink. His whole being is focused on prayer and study. No
strength is left in him and he speaks little, but he is
totally relaxed and at peace.
"On Shabbos afternoon he starts complaining that he can't
learn regularly, that he is bedridden and that he can't
daven properly, especially during this period of
Chanukah, days of Hallel and thanksgiving. He quotes
the gemora that there are two levels of
yissurim. There are yissurim which entail no
bitul Torah, for `those whom Hashem loves He
reproves,' . . . `but now I have yissurim which
involve bitul Torah!' Then there is the level of those
who accept yissurim with happiness and love, of whom
the posuk says, `They that love Him shall be as the
sun that goes forth in its might.' It is written that this
level was achieved by Avrohom Ovinu and it can be attained by
those who are happy to receive yissurim. This calmed
him down.
During the day he asked me about the welfare of some other
patients and was happy to hear about the ones who were doing
well. In the afternoon he was visited by some people who had
health problems. The Rov said to one of them, `Of course, you
have done everything, you have davened, given
tzedoko and increased your Torah studies, but I think
that there is one thing you haven't done yet that perhaps you
should start to do now: start davening for others that
Hashem should help them and then you yourself will have your
problems solved. However, don't pray with that purpose in
mind, just daven earnestly for your friend's welfare
and your own problems will go away on their own.'
"The Rov's family was astonished later on to find the Rov --
who had been up all night and hadn't slept during the day --
lie with his eyes closed davening for the recovery of
that visitor, for hadn't he told him that you have to
daven for your friend's welfare?"
"Sunday 24 Kislev. The operation was scheduled for
8:00 a.m. but the doctor arrives late unexpectedly. All those
around him are tense, but the Rov is calmness itself. He is
happy that the operation will be delayed until the evening,
since this will give him a chance to light the first Chanukah
candle in his room. During one of the nights after the
operation a family member sat next to the Rov and noticed his
lips moving. Moving his ears closer he heard him say,
`Boruch Hashem, we have had the merit of analyzing and
summarizing this sugya.'"
When he returned home, he used all his remaining strength to
deliver the shiur kloli in the yeshiva, saying it was
his "korbon todah." He gave a few more shiurim
but then at the end of one of them after being helped home by
some talmidim he said, "That was the last
shiur".
Even during these difficult days he still received people
suffering from problems. When the Rebbetzin suggested that
visitors be restricted from seeing him, Rav Reuven responded,
"It says in Mishlei, `He that turns away his ear . . .
even his prayer is an abomination.'" and he repeated the end
of the posuk, "even his prayer is an abomination".
On one occasion during Adar I, when he was already bedridden,
someone asked him to daven for a childless couple in
chutz la'aretz whom he did not know at all. As soon as
he heard about the couple, Rav Reuven asked to be helped to
his table and with great effort sat down to write them a
letter. By this stage he was so weak that he found it
difficult to hold a pen in his hand. Nevertheless, he wrote
some words to reinforce their emunah and added his
advice that they should secretly donate a chomesh of
their income to chessed institutions which give out
food to needy families and to babies whose families could not
afford to buy them healthy and nutritious food. "I am
confident" -- so the letter concluded -- "that HaKodosh
Boruch Hu will grant you salvation very soon."
Three days before his petirah he heard from them that
the woman had become pregnant.
During his last days he became so weak that it was difficult
for him to speak, but when it came to tefillah he
found the strength to raise his voice and daven with
great enthusiasm. He davened only from a siddur,
turning the pages with great effort even for chazoras
hashatz so that his finger could follow the shliach
tsibur. During the last month, despite intense pain and
weakness, he would not listen to anybody's remonstrations and
insisted on being taken down for kiddush halevono.
Remaining oblivious to his suffering, he was just happy to be
able to perform the mitzva.
When his brother Rav Moshe shlita from the United
States came to visit him, Rav Reuven's extreme weakness did
not prevent him from sitting in his chair as normal so that
his brother would not get upset at seeing him in his real
state of distress.
The last time he left the house was for the hesped on
HaRav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt"l. He was carried by
his talmidim, saying that, "it was all worth it," for
kovod haTorah and strengthening the yeshiva and how
happy he was to hear that the yeshiva had adopted some
chizzukim because of his illness.
On his last day he still had the merit of saying Bircas
Ho'ilonos in the presence of many others.
During the last night he turned to the Rebbetzin who had
looked after him with supernatural powers and said, "I have
to get dressed and go." He did not explain what he meant.
5 Nisan 5755. Sunrise. Rav Reuven wakes up, washes his
hands, makes a shehakol and has something to drink.
One senses a special, majestic sort of tranquility on his
pure face. His son-in-law recites the bircos haTorah
and bircos hashachar in order to be motzi him.
Rav Reuven, who is no longer able to utter a sound, somehow
builds up the strength to answer omen excitedly.
However, with each brocho he becomes weaker.
His students and members of the kehilla stand behind
the door getting ready to join tefillas shacharis . .
. an urgent phone call to the doctor . . . a blood test . . .
I feel no pain, he hints to the Rebbetzin -- and then
suddenly Rav Reuven closes his pure eyes. The family present,
suspecting that he had been taken into heaven, shout out
Shema Yisroel, Hashem hu Ho'Elokim, followed
immediately by the talmidim standing behind the door,
who cannot believe that the pillar of fire who accompanied
them by day and by night is no more. They tear their clothes
for their father and their rov.
T.N.Z.B.H..
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