This past Monday night, the 22nd of Tammuz, a large throng,
headed by maranan verabonon the gedolei
haTorah, accompanied the great gaon, HaRav Avrohom Dovid
Rosenthal zt"l on his last earthly journey. HaRav
Rosenthal was the ravad of the beis din of
HaRav Shmuel Salant and of the beis din of HaRav Tzvi
Pesach Frank. He was also the rav of the Sha'arei Chessed
neighborhood, and the author of Be'er Hamelech on the
Rambam. He was niftar after a brief illness, at the
age of 95.
HaRav Rosenthal was born in the Old City of Jerusalem on the
9th of Teves, 5664 (1904), and his father, R' Chaim Shlomo
Rosenthal, was one of the greatest talmidei chachomim
of the city. As a youth, R' Avrohom Dovid studied in the
illustrious Eitz Chaim institutions, and was the outstanding
talmid of HaRav Isser Zalman Meltzer.
Even when he was young, he was known for his brilliance in
Torah which is reflected in his seven profound
seforim. This brilliance was attested to by the
gedolim of the previous generation, among them HaRav
Isser Zalman Meltzer, who cited it in his recommendation to
Be'er Hamelech. He was also well known for his
remarkable hasmodoh, which didn't slacken until his
final day, as well as for his many acts of chessed,
done in secrecy, and his compassionate and warm manner of
relating to people, a trait which drew many people back to
their roots.
Along with his brother, HaRav Yitzchok, he founded the Toras
Eretz Yisroel Kollel for the study of the laws relating to
living in Eretz Yisroel. Many gedolei Torah emerged
from that beis medrash.
In 5699 (1939), he was appointed to the position dayan
in the beis din of HaRav Tzvi Pesach Frank, an
extension of the beis din of HaRav Shmuel Salant. He
presided in this beis din for sixty years, and with
the petirah of HaRav A. Ram was appointed av beis
din. After the passing of HaRav Y. M. Charlap, HaRav
Rosenthal's uncle, he was appointed rav of the Sha'arei
Chessed neighborhood.
With the encouragement of HaRav Isser Zalman Meltzer, he
composed the seven volumes of Beer Hamelech on the
Rambam, and merited to have it annotated by the Chazon Ish,
who thought very highly of the sefer.
He was rosh yeshiva of the Kesser Torah yeshiva, head
of the General Committee of Knesset Yisroel, a charity, and
president of the Bikur Cholim hospital. He served
Yerushalayim's gedolei haTorah of the past generation.
He attended the founding rally of Degel HaTorah out of his
desire to honor Maran HaRav Eliezer Menachem Shach, even
though he generally did not appear at political rallies.
He was amazing in his diligence and brilliance and had a
phenomenal memory. Until three weeks ago, whoever entered his
home would find him poring over the Rambam, the Shulchan
Oruch, the Mishna Berurah or the gemora.
His levaya set out from his home in Sha'arei Chessed,
and headed toward the Gra shul where he had davened
for scores of years in his capacity as rav of the
neighborhood. Tear-filled hespedim were delivered by
his illustrious sons, HaRav Yaakov Nisan, HaRav Yissochor
Dov, HaRav Moshe Aharon, HaRav Yehoshua Meir, and his son-in-
law HaRav Yitzchok Isaac Prag. HaRav Eliezer Waldenberg, a
senior dayan and author of many volumes of Tzitz
Eliezer, also spoke, saying that with his passing it is
like losing HaRav Tzvi Pesach Frank as well.
He is survived by a vast family of several generations
following in the path he tread.
