Hundreds of mourners participated in the levaya erev
Shabbos of HaRav Chaim Shalom Yisrael zt'l, head of
Yeshivas Ner Shmuel and Mosdot Ner Shmuel in Har Nof,
Jerusalem, who passed away unexpectedly Friday morning at the
age of 57. Bnei Torah including roshei yeshivos,
rabbonim, dayonim, former talmidim from
Yeshivas Novardok in France and talmidim, past and
present, from Yeshivas Ner Shmuel, accompanied their rov and
lamented the painful loss of a tzaddik who helped
establish and elevate the Torah world in Israel and France
and, with tremendous mesirus nefesh, taught them the
fountainheads of truth in accordance with the mesorah
handed down from our rabbonim and the teachings of the Alter
of Novardok.
Rav Chaim Shalom Yisrael was born in Morocco to Rav Meir. In
his youth he was noted for his exceptional talents and for a
heart open to ahavas Torah. At the age of 10 he went
to Yeshivas Novardok in France where he studied under HaRav
Gershon Liebman and acquired Torah learning and
hashkofoh handed down as a legacy from the Alter of
Novardok.
Later he married and, together with his wife, worked hard at
bringing other Jews closer to our Father in Heaven. Their
home was always open and drew many people seeking help in
ruchniyus and gashmiyus.
His life's ambition was to raise up the Torah world,
particularly in Eretz Hakodesh. To this end he moved to
Jerusalem where he founded Yeshivas Ner Shmuel, Mosdot Ner
Shmuel and Talmud Torah Or Chadash in Har Nof.
He was bound heart and soul to HaRav Gershon Liebman, and was
also one of HaRav Chaim Zeitchik's leading talmidim.
Just two weeks ago he helped work on a new edition of
seforim written by HaRav Zeitchik--the namesake for
Talmud Torah Or Chadash--to prepare them for publication.
Rav Yisrael helped support numerous yeshivos and other
institutions, trudging along with every rosh yeshiva who came
to France to help him raise funds, never considering that his
actions could divert donations that might otherwise come to
his own institutions.
Even when involved in fundraising he had a regular
chavrusa together with him in the car so he could
delve back into his studies while in transit.
He strongly encouraged young men to publish seforim
and just days before his petiroh he gave a substantial
contribution to an avreich trying to publish a
book.
The levaya set out from Yeshivas Ner Shmuel. HaRav
Shlomo Zafrani, rosh mosdot Ohel Moshe in Har Nof,
gave a hesped about the deceased's mesirus
nefesh for chinuch. HaRav Yisrael David Nivoner,
formerly one of the roshei yeshiva of Ner Shmuel and a close
friend for 50 years, reminisced about how he had been a man
of chesed whose every deed was lesheim
Shomayim. HaRav Betzalel Toledano, rosh yeshivas Zohar
HaTorah, said Rav Yisrael spent his entire life thinking
about how to elevate Torah in Eretz Hakodesh and noted his
joy and effusiveness in tefilloh. HaRav Chaim Sarna,
rosh yeshivas Chevron (Geulah), recalled how he originally
wanted to build Torah institutions in France, but when he
realized social conditions made it difficult to do so in
keeping with the true Torah hashkofoh he made
aliyah and built exemplary Torah institutions in Eretz
Yisroel.
Rosh Yeshivas Ner Shmuel, HaRav Yaakov Yisrael, speaking with
a choked voice, described how his brother poured his energies
into harbotzas Torah in the face of persecution and
blatant degradation. The deceased's eldest son, HaRav Shimon
Yisrael, principal of Talmud Torah Or Chadash, tearfully
recounted how his father never held a grudge against anyone
and despite the trials and hardships he underwent, he always
received people with a pleasant countenance and a dignified
manner.
When the levaya reached Har Hamenuchos additional
hespeidim were delivered by HaRav Yitzchok Ezrachi,
one of the heads of Yeshivas Mir, and HaRav Reuven Elbaz,
rosh yeshivas Or HaChaim. As the sun began to set on erev
Shabbos Chayei Soroh, HaRav Yisrael was interred in the
section for rabbonim. Following the burial short words of
parting were offered by his son-in-law, HaRav Yaakov Ben-
Porat, a ram at Yeshivas Or HaChaim.
HaRav Chaim Shalom Yisrael zt'l, is survived by sons,
daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren, all of whom are
talmidei chachomim dwelling in the tents of Torah and
following in his illustrious footsteps.
