A huge throng in both Boro Park and Jerusalem accompanied
HaRav Chaim Grozovsky, zt"l on his last earthly
journey. HaRav Grozovsky was the rosh yeshiva of Beis
Reuven in Brooklyn, the grandson of HaRav Boruch Ber
Leibowitz zt"l and the son of HaRav Reuven Grozovsky
zt"l, roshei yeshiva of Kaminetz. The latter was the
author of Chiddushei Reb Reuven.
HaRav Chaim Grozovsky was born in Kaminetz on the 11th of
Shevat, 5686 (1926). While growing up he was very close to
his grandfather, HaRav Boruch Ber. In 5700 (1940) the family
fled Kaminetz, and he joined the Baranowitz Yeshiva, which
was at that time in Vilna and Troki. He remained there for a
year, during which he attended the shiurim of HaRav
Leib Gavia and HaRav Elchonon Wassermann.
In 5701 (1941) he arrived in America with his family, where
he studied in Torah Vodaas under the tutelage of HaRav Shlomo
Heiman and of his father. From there he transferred to the
Beis Medrash Elyon, then headed by his father and, after a
number of years, he went to Lakewood where he was close with
HaRav Aharon Kotler.
In Lakewood he married Feige, tibodel lechaim arukim,
the daughter of R' Chaim Litenstein. He studied in Lakewood
for nine years until his father asked him to serve as a
ram in the Kaminetz Yeshiva in New York. A number of
years later he opened the Beis Reuven Yeshiva.
R' Chaim was like his name: filled with life. Whoever spoke
with him even once felt deeply attached to him. He received
everyone pleasantly, and every guest who would enter the
beis medrash would be greeted with a warm "Sholom
Aleichem. The fire of Torah was imbedded in his makeup.
He
seemed a part of Kaminetz of yore and when he delivered
shiurim, his students felt that the gedolim of
the past were standing beside him.
He toiled in Torah his entire life, sometimes as a marbitz
Torah and sometimes as an omel beTorah who studied
with chavrusas throughout the day. In his late years,
even when he was over 70 he managed to maintain three
sedorim a day. He was one of the remnants of the past
generation and his deep appreciation of the value of Torah
was evident. He always had a rav and when his father fell
ill, HaRav Aharon Kotler became his rav. He studied Torah out
of duress his entire life.
Twice a year he would convene a special assembly in his
beis medrash: on the yahrtzeit of HaRav Boruch
Ber
and on his father's yahrtzeit. Many former Kaminetz
students would attend, and HaRav Chaim would deliver a
shiur based on the teachings of his great forbears.
His levaya, which took place on 12 Cheshvan in his
beis medrash in Boro Park, was attended by a huge
throng. In his hesped, HaRav Shmuel Birnbaum, the
rosh yeshiva of Mir, said Reb Chaim had devoted his
entire life to imparting the Torah of his grandfather, HaRav
Boruch Ber, and of his father, HaRav Reuven, and that he
nullified himself before them.
HaRav Elya Svei, rosh yeshiva of the Philadelphia
Yeshiva, said that R' Chaim had waged Hashem's battles and
had made valiant endeavors to ward off alien ideas.
His brother-in-law HaRav Dan Ungarisher, the rosh
yeshiva of Beis Medrash Elyon, said that the
niftar
studied Torah lishmo throughout his life; he toiled in
Torah with chavrusas and disseminated Torah. As a
result, he merited the acquisition of the traits the
Mishnah ascribes to such people when it says, "The
Torah clothes him in humility, and molds him to be righteous
and fair. . . . "
Hespedim were also delivered by HaRav Shmuel
Orenstein,
a student of HaRav Boruch Ber; HaRav Arye Malkiel Kotler,
the rosh yeshiva of Lakewood; and the Admor of
Nadvorna, HaRav Shlomo Leifer, who had been R' Chaim's
chavrusa.
"Before our study session, he would always say: `Lomir
lernen de heilege Torah,' HaRav Leifer related. "He would
say these worlds with utter simplicity and temimus,
even though he was familiar with all the recesses of the
Torah."
All of the maspidim spoke about R' Chaim's illustrious
family and about the fact that all of his sons and sons-in-
law are outstanding talmidei chachomim. They also
mentioned his rebbetzin, who was a genuine ezer
kenegdo
throughout his life.Hespedim were also delivered by
his
sons and sons-in-law, who stressed how R' Chaim lived and
breathed the spirit of Kaminetz and all of its
kedusha,
even when he lived on America's shores.
In Jerusalem, the levaya at the Kaminetz Yeshiva was
attended by a large thong. Hespedim were delivered by
HaRav Yitzchok Sheiner, the rosh yeshivaof Kaminetz;
HaRav Tzvi Markowitz, the rosh yeshiva of Karlin; R'
Chaim's mechutan, HaRav Yaakov Wolpe, the rosh
yeshiva of Ashkelon; HaRav Leib Rotkin, the rosh
yeshiva of Beis Yosef Arye; HaRav Leib Heiman, the rav of
the Gra shul of Bayit Vegan; R' Chaim's son, HaRav
Yisroel Eliezer, a ram in Kaminetz; HaRav Shachne
Zahn,
a student of HaRav Boruch Ber; HaRav Chaim's son, HaRav
Boruch Ber, the menahel of the Kaminetz Talmud Torah
in
Lakewood; and R' Chaim's son-in-law, HaRav Chagai Preschel, a
ram in the Ner Yaakov yeshiva.
He is survived by his sons HaRav Yisroel Eliezer and HaRav
Boruch Dov. His sons-in-law are HaRav Yitzchok Altusky,
ram in the Yeshiva Gedola of Los Angeles; HaRav
Yisroel Birnbaum, ram in Mir Yeshiva of America; HaRav
Yisroel Lichtenstein, ram in Sha'arei Torah of Monsey;
HaRav Chagai Preschel, ram in the Ner Yaakov Yeshiva,
and HaRav Yeruchom Fensterheim, a prominent avreich in
Lakewood.
