On the first yahrtzeit of HaRav Moshe Hagar, zt"l,
rosh yeshiva of Seret-Vizhnitz in Haifa, a seudas
mitzvah and a siyum of Mishnayos was held
in the Kollel Beis Tefillah leMoshe. It was attended by a
large crowd from all circles, headed by admorim and
rabbonim. The current Admor of Seret-Vizhnitz is president of
the kollel.
The siyum and the hadran were delivered by the
grandson of the niftar, HaRav Boruch Hagar, the
rosh kollel. The main address was delivered by HaRav
Menachem Dovid Hagar, av beis din of Shaatz, Vizhnitz
and rav of the beis hamedrash, who seasoned his words
with divrei Torah and Chassidus in the name of his
father.
He spoke about his father's greatness in Torah and his unique
character traits. He related how, when people visited his
father during his illness -- among them many great
admorim and rabbonim -- and blessed him with refuah
sheleimo, he would always add the words, ". . . besoch
she'or cholei Yisroel." Even at such times he was
concerned about the situation of all the ailing of all Am
Yisroel.
The next speaker was the Admor of Meilitz, who cited the
ahavas Yisroel and the love and respect the rosh
yeshiva had for every Jew. He spoke about the special
relations between the Hagar brothers. This type of
relationship, he said, prevailed not only between his father,
the Mekor Boruch and his brother, the Imrei Chaim of
Vizhnitz, but between all Vizhnitz admorim.
HaRav Chaim Pesach Horowitz, rav of the Belzer community of
Ashdod, spoke of the importance of the days of
sefiroh. He noted that the tikun for the
failure of Rabbi Akiva's students to treat each other with
respect is ahavas Yisroel, in which the niftar
excelled.
After the seudas mitzvah, the group sang Av
Horachamim and Rannenu Tzadikim.
The Admor of Pittsburgh was then invited to speak. He opened
with words of praise for the avreichim of the
kollel and for its head who organized the siyum
in honor of one of the staunchest upholders of Torah in our
times. He then spoke about the lofty character traits of the
niftar.
Closing remarks were delivered by the rosh kollel,
HaRav Boruch Hagar, who linked the event to the parsha
of Behar, saying that the character trait of humility
of Moshe Rabbenu was one of the character traits of the
niftar. He was admired by people from all circles,
because of his unassuming behavior.
HaRav Tzvi Vizhnitzer, rav of the Vizhnitz community in
Ashdod, was honored with bircas hamozone.
After the event, seforim and journals published in
memory of the niftar were distributed to those
present.
