On Shabbos chol hamoed Pesach, HaRav Chaim Menachem
Ginzburg, rav of the Lev Someach beis medrash of
Jerusalem's Bayit Vegan neighborhood, located at 99 Bayit
Vegan Street, returned his pure soul to its Maker.
The niftar was born in 5671. His father, R' Sholom
Gershon, was the av beis din of Stornitz and the son-
in- law of R' Yisroel Yaakov of Chust, son of R' Mordechai of
Nadvorna. Even as a youth, R' Chaim Menachem was known as an
outstanding genius whose Torah innovations appeared in
various journals and anthologies. His grandfather, R' Yisroel
Yaakov of Chust, was very fond of him, and enjoyed engaging
in Torah discussions with him.
When he came of age, the Admor, R' Chanoch Henoch Twerski of
Malin took him as a son-in-law. After his marriage, he
continued to progress in Torah and yirah, and
published Messilos Chaim on the Torah, which contains
approbations of R' Yehuda Leib Tzirelson of Kishinev and the
gaon of Tchebin.
Before the outbreak of World War II he arrived in the United
States with his father-in-law, who settled in Chicago. A
short while later, R' Chaim Menachem was invited to preside
as the av beis din of Minneapolis, where he instilled
the entire community with a spirit of Torah and drew many
closer to Yiddishkeit. He opened his home to every
meshulach who arrived in Minneapolis, and conducted
himself with kedusha and tohoroh, refraining
from eating meat for forty years. His entire life was one
long saga of kiddush Hashem.
Twenty years ago, after the petirah of his father-in-
law, he moved to Eretz Hakodesh, where he officiated as rav
of a beis medrash in Bayit Vegan. During those years,
many consulted him. Recently, he became very weak, but
continued his avodas hakodesh and received everyone in
a warm, genial manner.
He is survived by an illustrious family, which consists of
his sons, Rav Sholom Gershon and Rav Yosef Yisroel, and his
sons-in-law, HaRav Dov Eichenstein, the av beis din of
Belle Harbor; HaRav Meir Stern, the rosh yeshiva of
the Passaic Yeshiva in New Jersey; a grandson, who is the
Admor of Trisk, and many other grandchildren and great-
grandchildren who are great in Torah and yirah.
