A large throng of Bnei Brak residents accompanied HaRav
Shmuel Tzvi Spekoina, zt"l, on his last earthly
journey on Tuesday, 17 Sivan. He was niftar after an
illness in the 84th year of his life.
HaRav Spekoina was born in Jerusalem in 5676 (1916). His
father, Reb Yitzchok Zerach Spekoina, was an eminent student
of the Toras Chaim Yeshiva in Jerusalem. His mother, Rochel
Leah, was the daughter of HaRav Reuven Miletzki
zt"l.
Reb Shmuel Tzvi grew up in the famous Chotzer Strauss, where
he absorbed good character traits, yiras Shomayim and
love of Torah. He studied in Eitz Chaim yeshiva, which at
that time was located in Churvas Rabbi Yehuda HeChossid in
the Old City. He later studied in the Chevron Yeshiva. He
lost his father a short while before his bar mitzvah.
His mother continued to raise her two sons with great
mesiras nefesh. When Reb Shmuel Tzvi was still young,
she sent him to the Slobodke yeshiva in Kovna, where his
older brother, Reb Moshe, yibodel lechaim, was already
studying. There, Shmuel Tzvi grew in Torah, mussar and
yirah.
He returned home on the last boat to leave Europe for
Eretz Yisroel before the outbreak of the Second World
War. In Jerusalem he continued to study in the Chevron
Yeshiva until his marriage to the daughter of Reb Moshe and
Fruma Weinstock.
Although he was very humble and unassuming, he was well known
for his fervent devotion to the upholding of the honor of
Hashem and His Torah, refusing to compromise or reconcile
himself to any breach in the walls of faith. He would make
valiant efforts to eradicate whatever seemed to him to be a
distortion of Hashem's Will. He was even jailed in the Kishle
prison by the British for his protests of Shabbos
desecration. On another occasion, he resigned from an
excellent educational position on a matter of religious
principle.
The four years in which he spent in Cholon -- where at the
request of his Uncle, HaRav Dovid Shmaya Wein, he served as a
kashrus supervisor -- marked a fascinating period in
his life. The previous tenant of his apartment had been a
shochet. When HaRav Shmuel Tzvi moved in, many chicken
owners brought him their chickens for shechita. He
told them that he wasn't a shochet, and they then
asked if he prefers that they slaughter the chickens with a
pocket knife. . . . Upon hearing this, he was shocked to the
depths of his soul, and decided to save them from eating
treifos. Even though he was very meticulous in his
observance and constantly feared causing others to stumble,
he studied shechita and became a qualified
shochet. However, he refused to accept payment for his
efforts and did it all lesheim Shomayim. Cholon
residents were envious of him, as one said: "I envy you when
every Shabbos from the window of my home I see you crossing
the sand dunes on the way to the distant synagogue. Neither
the heat of the sun nor the cold, rainy and windy winter days
deters you."
HaRav Shmuel Tzvi studied for many years in the kollel
of the Heichal HaTalmud yeshiva in Tel Aviv, and later on
held various Torah positions. He raised hundreds of students
to Torah, yirah and midos tovos, serving as
role model to them in his outstanding character traits and
sweet, fervent pre-dawn prayers. Every word of his prayers
was recited slowly, clearly and with great intent, as if he
was counting precious pearls.
His kiddush and havdoloh -- and indeed all of
his brochos -- overflowed with emotion. When he
recited a brocho under a chuppah his feelings
would gush forth and pierce the heavens. All who heard him
sensed the sincerity of his entreaty that the couple build a
true bayis ne'eman beYisroel.
The warm manner in which he greeted people stemmed from a
sincere desire to benefit others and was a true expression of
his love for his fellow. HaRav Shmuel Tzvi was the epitome of
"sonei matonos yichye" to the point that he refused to
accept any gift whatsoever. However, he himself would give of
his warm heart to others, sharing their happiness and
sorrows. He warmly thanked others for whatever kindness they
bestowed upon him, but refrained from asking for favors, even
when quite ill.
Throughout his life he personified the mussar he had
imbibed from his mentors, the gedolim of Lithuania. At
every opportunity he would quote the words of the Gaon of
Vilna from Even Shleima which teach that man's main
purpose in life is to perfect his character traits. This
maxim was his guiding light throughout his entire life, and
he demanded of himself as well as others that they consummate
it.
He was a rare combination of "intelligence and heart." On the
one hand he would study every single sugya of the
gemora in depth. On the other, he had a deep feeling
toward the great gedolei haChassidus whose teachings
he sought to convey to his avid students through stories.
Recently he fell ill, and after having undergone much
suffering, he returned his pure soul to its Maker. His
levaya, which left the Tiferes Tzion yeshiva in Bnei
Brak, was attended by a large throng. Hespedim were
delivered by his bother, HaRav Moshe Spekoina, HaRav Meshulam
Meshulmi, HaRav Reuven Shapira, and HaRav Avrohom Trop.
The maspidim spoke about his unique image, focusing on
how he concealed himself in his humility despite his
greatness in Torah and midos. They called him a
vestige of dor de'oh, an outstanding talmid
chochom, and a genuine oved Hashem who did not
derive enjoyment from this world in any matter and lived in
amazing sparseness. They noted that for many years during the
Shovavim weeks he would fast every Monday and
Thursday. His aim in life was to do Hashem's Will and to
sanctify His Name.
At the end of the hesped by HaRav Avrohom Trop, his
grandson, the levaya headed toward the Har Hamenuchos
cemetery in Jerusalem. He is survived by his wife, a son,
daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, all of whom
are following in his footsteps.
