After a long and difficult illness, HaRav Nissim Yagen
zt"l was niftar this past Shabbos, parshas
Beha'alosecho in Eretz Yisroel.
HaRav Nissim Yagen, 59, was born in Jerusalem. His father,
Chacham Yaakov Yagen shlita, was a student of the
mekubal, HaRav Mordechai Sharabi for many years.
As a youngster HaRav Nissim studied in Jerusalem, and then
went on to Lakewood in the United States. After five years he
returned to Eretz Yisroel, where he married Malka,
tichyeh.
When he was still a young avreich, he attended the
sichos of HaRav Chaim Shmuelevitz on a steady basis,
and every Shabbos night would himself deliver talks to
students from the Chevron yeshiva on parshas hashavua
and other issues in his home.
He then founded a large Torah community in the city of
Zichron Yaakov, which included a few hundred families.
When he returned to Jerusalem a few years later, he was
appointed menahel ruchani of Or Somayach, and then
mashgiach in Or Boruch, and one of the roshei
yeshiva of Ohel Moed.
In 5739 (1979), he founded the Kehillas Yaakov kollel
on Yosef ben Mattisyahu Street for baalei teshuva.
He later invited avreichim who were not baalei
teshuva, to join the kollel. Avreichim would
arrive in the yeshiva for shacharis and eat their
morning meal in the kollel in order to quickly return
to their learning. HaRav Yagen would in turn offer them an
additional stipend for their willingness to begin studies so
early in the morning.
HaRav Yagen was one of the significant figures of the
teshuva movement in Eretz Yisroel and worldwide. For
10 years, he occupied a senior position in the Arachim
movement, and conducted seminars all over the world. He also
produced 300 cassettes on parshas hashavua and other
Torah topics.
He was known to consult Maran the Steipler on every issue,
and would not do a thing without hearing the latter's
opinion. The Steipler once said that HaRav Yagen was one of
the few machzirim beteshuva who did so lesheim
Shomayim. HaRav Yagen was also very close to Maran HaRav
Eliezer Menachem Shach shlita, and to many of the
gedolei hador.
Two years ago, he fell ill with a devastating disease. For
many months, prayers were recited for his recovery. During
that period HaRav Yagen often went to medical centers in
Israel and abroad for treatments. Maranan verabonon
often visited him at home to encourage and strengthen him.
He spent the last month of his life hospitalized in Hadassah
in Jerusalem.
He was buried in the Sephardic plot on Har Hamenuchos. He is
survived by his wife and eleven children, five of whom are
married. His sixth child,a son, became engaged a few days
ago.
