Wednesday Rosh Chodesh Adar, HaRav Chaim Fishel Rizhi,
formerly a dayan in Yerushalayim and an av beis
din in Beersheva, returned his pure soul to its Maker,
after a difficult and pain-wracked illness. His
levaya, which set out from the Shamgar funeral home,
was attended by many gedolei haTorah, roshei yeshiva,
dayanim, rabbonim and admorim.
Rav Chaim Fishel Rizhi was born 67 years ago in Russia. His
father, Reb Gershon, a prominent Chortkover chossid
and his mother Chaya Soro, from the Ukrainian kehilla
kedosho of Shmeinka, devoted themselves to his education
with utmost mesiras nefesh. Despite the fact that the
Bolshevik regime had forbidden the teaching of Torah, they
sent him to study in a talmud Torah which was situated
in a cellar.
Rav Chaim was orphaned of both his parents when very young.
At the age of nine, relatives sent him to Eretz
Yisroel. But there, some relatives, members of the Shomer
Hatzair, decided that so talented a child was destined to be
a great socialist writer and thinker, and pressured him to
remain in one of the kibbutzim in the North. Young Chaim
bravely withstood these pressures, and when his relatives saw
that all of their efforts were in vain, they agreed to enroll
him in the Blumenthal orphanage in Yerushalayim, with the
hope that he would later comply with their goals.
The directors of the Blumenthal orphanage discerned the
treasure which had fallen into their hands, and made great
efforts to help him become a ben Torah, sending him to
the Etz Chaim Talmud Torah, where he was very successful in
his studies. From there he went on to study in the Tifferes
Tzvi yeshiva under R' Shlomo Tzimbalist and R' Michel
Shelpovarski.
As soon as he began his studies in the Hevron yeshiva, his
diligence and keen analytic ability became evident to all. He
was beloved by the roshei yeshiva, HaRav Yechezkel
Sarna and HaRav Aharon Cohen, and was very close to the
mashgiach, HaRav Meir Chodosh.
He married Malka Yadler, daughter of Rav Eliyahu Yadler, one
of the great Torah scholars of Yerushalayim and a student of
HaRav Isser Zalman Meltzer. Together they built their home in
the Knesset B quarter of Yerushalayim. Their modest home was
based on omeil haTorah and yiras Shomayim.
After his marriage, he studied in the outstanding Kollel Beis
Zevul, where he pored over his studies with amazing
diligence. Later on, he became one of the editors of Otzar
Haposkim, where his expertise and proficiency in Torah
came to the fore. As soon as he finished his work, he would
go to the Mirrer yeshiva, where he would study until the late
hours of the night. In the Mir, he became very close with
HaRav Arye Finkel.
In 5739, he was appointed to the position of dayan in
the Jerusalem beis din, where he was known for his
staunch adherence to halocho. In that capacity, he
also made great efforts to bring about sholom bayis.
Later on, he became the av beis din of the Beersheva
beis din. When asked why he didn't request to be
transferred to Yerushalayim, where he lived, he modestly
replied: "There are many better and greater dayanim
who deserve to preside in Yerushalayim."
When traveling to Beersheva became too difficult for him he
retired, and returned to his regular studies in Yerushalayim,
learning bechavrusa in the Har Tzvi shul in the
Kerem neighborhood, or in the Beer Shmuel shul in
Unsdorf.
Eight years ago, he was diagnosed with a very serious
illness. Despite his suffering, he continued to pore over his
studies as usual, and accepted his pain with love. Half a
year ago, he became so ill that it was difficult for him to
walk, and he barely left his home.
Last week, he was hospitalized in Sha'arei Zedek due to
pneumonia, and on Wednesday, rosh chodesh Adar, he
returned his pure soul to its Maker.
Before the levaya left from the Shamgar funeral home,
hespedim were delivered by HaRav Yitzchok Ezrachi, one
of the roshei yeshiva of Mir; R' Chaim's son, R'
Gershon, and R' Chaim's son-in-law, R' Moshe Aharon
Goldblatt. When the procession reached the Hevron-Geula
yeshiva, a hesped was delivered by the rosh
hayeshiva, HaRav Chaim Sarna. Towards evening, he was
buried in Har Hamenuchos.
He is survived by his wife and by outstanding sons,
daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren, all of whom dwell
in the tents of Torah and are following the course he charted
for them.
