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.
