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17 Cheshvan 5761 - November 15, 2000 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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NEWS
HaRav Dovid Rotberg, zt"l
by S. Bruchi

The bitter news about the petirah of HaRav Dovid Rotberg, zt"l, former ram in the Chofetz Chaim yeshiva of Kfar Saba and the spiritual director of the Kaplan Beis Yaakov Seminary for Girls in Boro Park, spread quickly across the United States. He was niftar after an illness in the 83rd year of his life.

HaRav Rotberg, son of Reb Tuvia, was born in 5678 (1918). In the home of his illustrious father, he imbibed an abundant measure of Torah and yiras Shomayim, and it was there that his unique personality was forged. Already as a child, the character traits which accompanied him throughout his life and on whose account he was highly admired by all of his students and acquaintances were evident: the traits of hasmodoh, refinement and a special chein.

Reb Tuvia Rotberg was very close with HaRav Shimon Shkop, the rosh yeshiva of Grodno. This special friendship manifested itself in many areas, and Reb Tuvia once even set out with HaRav Shimon to raise funds for the yeshiva. Quite naturally, Reb Tuvia sent his son to study under Reb Shimon. In time, the young Dovid, who had been one of the finest students in HaRav Shimon Shkop's yeshiva, went on to study in the Mir yeshiva, where he quickly become beloved by the yeshiva students and heads, who regarded him as destined for greatness in Torah.

Prior to World War Two he arrived in Eretz Hakodesh and joined the Lomza yeshiva in Petach Tikvah. There he continued to study with tremendous diligence, toiling and exerting himself in avodas Hashem and serving as a role model of the ben yeshiva who never ceases his Torah study.

After his marriage, he was asked to be a ram in the Chofetz Chaim yeshiva in Kfar Saba, headed by HaRav Aharon Leib Steinman. In this yeshiva, he was beloved by all of the students who acquired eternal Torah kinyonim as well as yiras Shomayim from him, along with outstanding character traits and deep understanding of halocho. They regarded him as a compassionate father figure who sought only their benefit, guiding them on the true Torah path which he had acquired from his mentors, the great gedolei hador.

He later assumed the burden of upkeep of the yeshiva, attending to all the needs of scores of students while continuing to deliver remarkable shiurim. Over the years, he merited to produce many students and to influence each one of them in his warm, unassuming and glowing manner, encouraging and strengthening them with every fiber of his soul. His relationships with his students continued for many years, even after they had left the yeshiva and they remained attached to him with deep bonds of love.

When his brother, ylct'a, HaRav Zalman Rotberg founded the Beis Meir yeshiva in Bnei Brak, he rallied to his aid, sharing the financial burden with him. In the United States, he was asked to be menahel ruchani of the large Esther Shoenfeld Beis Yaakov, which at that time had more than a thousand students. At the advice of his mentors, he accepted this challenge. When the seminary closed, due to the fact that Jews had left the area, he was asked to be menahel ruchani of the Kaplan Beis Yaakov Seminary in Boro Park on 14th Avenue. For the past forty years he served in that capacity, guiding thousands of young Jewish women and instilling in them the ideal of establishing Torah homes.

There, too, he was admired and respected by all who knew him. His co-workers described him as a model of middos tovos, greatness and pleasant ways who always found the golden mean in every issue while remaining staunch in all that pertained to raising Jewish children according to the derech transmitted to us from generation to generation.

Despite his tremendous involvement in chinuch he continued his Torah studies and delivered Torah shiurim in various heicholei Torah in the United States, a well as regular daily shiurim. These shiurim gained fame throughout the Torah world.

Many bnei Torah flocked to his droshos, and he became famous for his unique gift of speech. At every important Torah gathering he was one of the main speakers, and the heartfelt words which emanated from the depths of his pure heart penetrated the hearts of his avid listeners.

His home in the United States was open to all visitors from Eretz Hakodesh, and rabbonim, roshei yeshiva and gedolei haTorah would stay with him whenever they visited the United States. All his guests felt as if his were their private home, and he, in turn, gave them the feeling that he was benefiting from their visits.

Due to his humble and unassuming nature, many unfortunate people approached him with their woes. He, in turn, rejoiced in their simchas and grieved over their sorrows.

He initiated and founded the rest and recuperation programs of Vaad Hayeshivos in Eretz Yisroel, convincing the owner of a certain rest home in Ramat Gan to donate his building for that purpose. Thanks to the Vaad Hayeshivos' contacts with that owner, the Mifal Beis Havro'oh for Bnei Yeshiva, which accommodates roshei yeshiva, gedolei haTorah and mussar as well as the finest bnei yeshiva in the country, bore fruit.

Recently he fell ill, and on Wednesday, the 10th of Cheshvan, he returned his pure soul to its Maker. His levaya, which took place in Boro Park, was attended by masses of mourners, headed by roshei yeshiva and gedolei haTorah. Before the levaya set out, hespedim were delivered by HaRav Malkiel Kotler, the rosh yeshiva of Lakewood; HaRav Chaim Sarna, the rosh yeshiva of Chevron Geula; HaRav Binyomin Tzielberger, the rosh yeshiva of Beis HaTalmud; HaRav Eliezer Horowitz, the rav of the Aguda shul of 17th Avenue; HaRav Chaim Epstein, the rosh yeshiva of Zichron Melech; HaRav Yeruchom Olshin, one of the roshei yeshiva of Lakewood; HaRav Hellman, the principal of the Beis Yaakov Seminary in Boro Park; HaRav Yechiel Kaufman, the rav of the Sephardi shul; HaRav Rotberg's oldest son, HaRav Tzvi Rotberg and HaRav Shmuel Steinharter, HaRav Dovid's son-in-law.

At the end of the levaya in America, the aron left for Eretz Yisroel. In Eretz Yisroel a levaya was held Thursday afternoon.

HaRav Rotberg's aron arrived in Eretz Yisroel Thursday 11 Cheshvan, and his levaya set out from the Beis Meir yeshiva in Bnei Brak. Many students from the Chofetz Chaim yeshiva participated in the levaya, which was headed by gedolei Yisroel: HaRav Aharon Leib Steinman, HaRav Chaim Shaul Karelitz, HaRav Moshe Shmuel Shapira, HaRav Nissim Karelitz, and HaRav Chaim Kanievsky. Hespedim and divrei his'orerus were delivered by: the niftar's brother, HaRav Zalman Rotberg, the niftar's nephew, HaRav Tzvi Rotberg as well as by HaRav Nosson Zochovksi who had been one of the niftar's students, HaRav Eliezer Markowitz, HaRav Shmuel Yaakov Bornstein and HaRav Zeidel Epstein.

The maspidim stressed his outstanding character traits, his good heart which wanted only to benefit others, and his strong link with his many students which lasted many years after he had left Eretz Hakodesh.

They also noted that in all of his many droshos, he spoke about the golden chain which has continued over the generations. His outstanding character, the maspidim said, mirrored the home of his illustrious father, HaRav Tuvia, and with HaRav Dovid's petirah the Torah world has lost the glory and the grandeur of the previous generation, as it was reflected in his image.

At the end of the hespedim, the levaya left for the Chevron Geula yeshiva in Jerusalem, where HaRav Tzvi Markowitz delivered a stirring hesped. From there, it proceeded to Har Hazeisim, where he was buried.

HaRav Rotberg is survived by five sons and a daughter. His oldest son is HaRav Tuvia the head of the Machon Mishnas Rav Aharon Kotler. His other sons are HaRav Avrohom, HaRav Moshe and HaRav Yosef, one of the prominent avreichim in Lakewood. His daughter is married to HaRav Shmuel Steinharter, and his brother is HaRav Zalman Rotberg, rosh yeshiva of Beis Meir.

 

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