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18 Sivan 5760 - June 21, 2000 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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HaRav Nissim Yagen, zt"l

by Yated Ne'eman Staff

After a long and difficult illness, HaRav Nissim Yagen zt"l was niftar this past Shabbos, parshas Beha'alosecho in Eretz Yisroel.

HaRav Nissim Yagen, 59, was born in Jerusalem. His father, Chacham Yaakov Yagen shlita, was a student of the mekubal, HaRav Mordechai Sharabi for many years.

As a youngster HaRav Nissim studied in Jerusalem, and then went on to Lakewood in the United States. After five years he returned to Eretz Yisroel, where he married Malka, tichyeh.

When he was still a young avreich, he attended the sichos of HaRav Chaim Shmuelevitz on a steady basis, and every Shabbos night would himself deliver talks to students from the Chevron yeshiva on parshas hashavua and other issues in his home.

He then founded a large Torah community in the city of Zichron Yaakov, which included a few hundred families.

When he returned to Jerusalem a few years later, he was appointed menahel ruchani of Or Somayach, and then mashgiach in Or Boruch, and one of the roshei yeshiva of Ohel Moed.

In 5739 (1979), he founded the Kehillas Yaakov kollel on Yosef ben Mattisyahu Street for baalei teshuva. He later invited avreichim who were not baalei teshuva, to join the kollel. Avreichim would arrive in the yeshiva for shacharis and eat their morning meal in the kollel in order to quickly return to their learning. HaRav Yagen would in turn offer them an additional stipend for their willingness to begin studies so early in the morning.

HaRav Yagen was one of the significant figures of the teshuva movement in Eretz Yisroel and worldwide. For 10 years, he occupied a senior position in the Arachim movement, and conducted seminars all over the world. He also produced 300 cassettes on parshas hashavua and other Torah topics.

He was known to consult Maran the Steipler on every issue, and would not do a thing without hearing the latter's opinion. The Steipler once said that HaRav Yagen was one of the few machzirim beteshuva who did so lesheim Shomayim. HaRav Yagen was also very close to Maran HaRav Eliezer Menachem Shach shlita, and to many of the gedolei hador.

Two years ago, he fell ill with a devastating disease. For many months, prayers were recited for his recovery. During that period HaRav Yagen often went to medical centers in Israel and abroad for treatments. Maranan verabonon often visited him at home to encourage and strengthen him.

He spent the last month of his life hospitalized in Hadassah in Jerusalem.

He was buried in the Sephardic plot on Har Hamenuchos. He is survived by his wife and eleven children, five of whom are married. His sixth child,a son, became engaged a few days ago.


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