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13 Elul 5759 - August 25, 1999 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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HaRav Boruch Auerbach, zt"l

by Yated Ne'eman Staff

Thousands of people, led by HaRav Yosef Sholom Eliashiv and other gedolei haTorah, roshei yeshiva, ramim, dayanim and bnei Torah, participated in the levaya of HaRav Boruch Auerbach, zt"l, on Thursday 7 Elul. He was the youngest son of posek hador ve'omud hahoro'oh, HaRav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt"l.

HaRav Boruch, only 46, was niftar ten days after having been severely injured in a traffic accident in Geula.

HaRav Boruch Auerbach was born on the 12th of Tammuz 5713, in the Sha'arei Chessed neighborhood of Jerusalem. He grew up alongside his brothers, all of whom are gedolei haTorah. His father named him `Boruch' because, when he was called up to the Torah on the day of his son's bris milo, one of the verses read was, Ki boruch hu.

Even as a child, the great hasmodoh and special talents of Reb Boruch were evident. He studied in Eitz Chaim and later married Hadassah, daughter of HaRav Moshe Miletzky, shlita, av beis din in Yerushalayim. Together they built a home of Torah and chessed.

After his marriage, HaRav Boruch studied for a number of years in the Kol Yaakov yeshiva and at the same time, he began to work on the manuscript of the Maharit Algazi. He redeemed and published the Maharit's writings and made notations on the text, publishing two volumes, one on Bechoros and one on Challoh.

Following the petirah of his mother, he and his family moved into the home of his father HaRav Shlomo Zalman. They lived there for eleven years, assisting him in all of his needs.

After Rav Shlomo Zalman'spetirah, four-and-a-half years ago, Reb Boruch continued that home's illustrious legacy of chessed for everyone requiring help and guidance.

He began to compile his father's chiddushei Torah. Whoever wanted to know the halachic rulings of HaRav Shlomo Zalman would ask Reb Boruch, who transmitted them to thousands of people. He was the authoritative source for his father's halachic rulings.

At the levaya of HaRav Shlomo Zalman, maspidim mentioned Reb Boruch's closeness to his father and praised his devoted service to him.

Reb Boruch's dignity, pleasant manner, and glowing demeanor were well known. He greeted everyone warmly. His davening was with deep kavono. He was one of the mainstays of the Sha'arei Chessed neighborhood where he lived his entire life, and one of its most illustrious figures.

Three weeks ago Sunday, while on the way to the sheva brochos of his daughter who had married the grandson of ylct'a HaRav Yosef Sholom Eliashiv, he was run over by an Egged bus on Yechezkel Street in Geula.

He was brought to Hadassah Hospital in critical condition. On the very first night after the accident, as he hovered between life and death, his family and close friends visited the grave of his father HaRav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach on Har Hamenuchos, and pleaded for rachamei Shomayim. They then went to pray at the grave of Maharit Algazi on Har Hazeisim. Two hours after the terrible accident the name Refoel was added to his own name, at the advice of gedolei haTorah.

Throughout the entire ten day period between the accident and his petirah, his family remained beside his bed and did not stop beseeching Hashem to have pity upon him and to heal him.

At the same time, thousands all over the world recited Tehillim and fervent prayers for his recovery, at the Kosel and in the yeshivos hakedoshos.

A few days before his petirah, his already critical situation began to deteriorate. Late Wednesday night, the 7th of Elul, he restored his pure soul to his Maker.

The levaya, attended by thousands, set out from his home in Sha'arei Chessed. Due to the extreme heat, only short hespedim were delivered.

Hespedim were delivered by his eldest brother, HaRav Shmuel Auerbach, rosh yeshiva of Ma'alos HaTorah; his father-in-law, HaRav Moshe Yosef Miletzky, av beis din in Jerusalem; his brother, HaRav Avrohom Dov, rav of Tiveriya; his brother, HaRav Ezriel, rav of Chanichei Hayeshivos in Bayit Vegan; his brother, HaRav Mordechai, rav in Tel Aviv; and his oldest son, Rav Chaim Chaikel Zev.

He is survived by his wife and three sons -- Chaim Chaikel Zev, Arye Leib and Yitzchok Meir -- as well as by three daughters, two of whom are married to prominent avreichim: one to Rav Elkono Deutsch and the other just married to Rav Arye Rimer.

He is also survived by his illustrious brothers as well as by his sisters who are married to great talmidei chachomim.

HaRav Shmuel wept profusely, and called out: "Death has come into our windows, come into our palaces, the great palace of Abba, in which you merited to serve for so many years. Apparently you were called to serve him in Shomayim, too. Tzar li olecho ochi, no'amto li ad me'od. But I am not the only one who feels that way. The hundreds of thousands of people who entered the home of our illustrious father all say, no'amto li me'od. You opened the door for people all over the world, with such pleasantness, such chessed. Your entire life was bedarkei Abba. When I saw you reciting bircas hamozone, I saw Abba bentching. When I saw you davening, I saw Abba davening. How much bein odom lechavero permeated your behavior."

His father-in-law, HaRav Moshe Yosef Miletzky, av beis din in Yerushalayim, wept over the petirah of his beloved son-in-law, and said: "Woe to us, for we have sinned. Who could have fathomed that we would have to recite a hesped over Reb Boruch. Where are you now? You were the symbol of sensitivity and of chinuch for leadership. In every step we take, we will feel our absence. You have left us bereft. Such a pure offering. How did you leave us? You had an answer for every question we asked. There are many praises we can say about you. But we can't. Hakodosh Boruch Hu will help. Be an offering for all of am Yisroel."

His brother, HaRav Avrohom Dov, rav of Tiveriya, cried out: "See what Hashem has done to us, and fear. What has Hashem done to us? For ten days, he struggled with the angel of death, until midas hadin prevailed. Darkness fell and his soul went up to Shomayim, along with his Torah. He went up to a world which is completely good. Hatzur tomim po'olo, ki chol derochov mishpot. Keil emunoh ve'ein ovel; tzaddik veyoshor Hu.

"May it be Hashem's Will be that his wife and his children merit life and may she be an eim habonim semeicho."

His brother, HaRav Ezriel, rav of the Chanichei Hayeshivos community in Bayit Vegan, cried out: "Parting from you is hard for us. The order of our lives has changed. These are the days of, kos yeshuos eso uvesheim Hashem ekro but instead, tza'ar veyogon emtzo. You were the perfect blend of chessed and justice. We never saw you perturbed or sad. Even when waves crashed over you, your equanimity and pleasantness did not fail you. Dying out of simcha and while involved in a mitzvah is a good sign. You possessed the genuine attribute of simcha and closeness to the mitzvos and to Hashem. The Shechina hovers over the bed of a sick person. For eleven days, the Shechina hovered over you. May it be Hashem's Will that death cease forever, and may Hashem wipe away the tears from every face."

His brother, HaRav Mordechai, rav and moreh tzedek in Tel Aviv, opened with: "Four-and-a-half years ago, on this sacred site, you cried out: `What has happened here?' And since then, you have not stopped thinking of the petirah of our father and couldn't reconcile yourself to it. `Zisse Tatte,' you cried out. `Zisse bruder.' Abba, you named you for the verse, `ki boruch hu.' Your name suited you, and you suited it. You greeted everyone warmly. How much respect for your fellow you displayed. Boruch is your name, and you rejoiced in the manner Hashem prescribes, `you shall rejoice before Hashem.' You directed all of your simcha toward Hashem. Now you are in a world which is all good. You merited to build an illustrious home. You began to derive nachas -- and our joy is lost. An eishes chayil, sons, and chassanim who are talmidei chachomim. Aseres yemei teshuvah are upon us, so that we should return to Hashem with a full heart."

His oldest son, Reb Chaim Chaikel Zev, wept bitterly over the petirah of his father, and read the following verse, "`Our dancing has become mourning. We have become orphans, and there is no father.' Why the repeated terms? Rashi explains: `Infants call their father's father, "Abba," too.' Abba, in all of his conduct, was like Saba. . . . You respected others and were respected by them. Your face always glowed with joy. Be a good interceder on behalf of our dear mother, on our behalf, and on behalf of your older brothers who dedicated themselves to our great Zeide. May we have strength. May the bitter pill be sweetened."

The levaya proceeded from Sha'arei Chessed on foot. HaRav Boruch was buried in the Rabbinical Plot on Har Hamenuchos, near his father's grave.

T.N.T.B.H.


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