This past motzei Shabbos, 11 Shevat, a large thong
accompanied Reb Meir Shmerler z"l on his last earthly
journey. One of the finest avreichim of the Vishnitz
Chassidim, he was niftar in the 36th year of his
life, after a prolonged and difficult illness.
Reb Meir, the son of Reb Yaakov Yitzchok Shmerler,
ylct"a, a prominent Vishnitz chossid, was born in
Bnei Brak. The niftar's grandfather was the Admor of
Gorahmor, who later became known as the Admor of Shatz-
Premishlan of Acco. Meir was named after the Admor HaRav
Meir of Shatz, the grandson of HaRav Meir of Premishlan.
As a youth, he studied in the Talmud Torah of Vishnitz, and
then continued in its yeshiva ketana and gedola,
where he was very close with the Admor of Vishnitz
shlita.
He married the daughter of Reb Tzvi Klein, ylct'a, a
prominent Dushinsky chossid of Jerusalem. After his marriage
he continued to study in the Vishnitz kollel in Jerusalem.
Later on, he became very active in communal affairs, not
only within Vishnitz circles, but also on a broad basis.
He made great efforts on behalf of large families, helping
them to solve their housing problems, and was one of the
founders of the Mishkenot Revacha neighborhood in Ashdod,
and the Shaarei Tzion neighborhood in Ramat Shlomo. In
Ashdod he built a beis medrash, a kollel, mikveh and
even brought in a sefer Torah. He called the beis
medrash Beis Meir to be a good name for himself. He
served as a member of the Jerusalem Municipality on behalf
of the UTJ party as a representative of Agudas Yisroel, and
promoted many Torah-cultural activities and other important
projects. During the previous shmittah, he answered
the call of the gedolei Yisroel and rallied to the
aid of the thousands of shmittah observing farmers,
coordinating the Keren Hashevi'is in Jerusalem.
He founded a large insurance agency, as well as Mirpe'ot
Geulah, a medical clinic, and a business to market cell
phones. With a good heart and an ayin tova, he helped
scores of avreichim obtain livelihoods. Even when his
illness deteriorated, he accepted his lot with love,
praising Hashem constantly.
He was a very devoted father, who spent much time on
Shabbosim reviewing Torah with them and testing them. Half-
a-year ago, he celebrated the bar mitzvah of his oldest
son.
Reb Meir designated set times for Torah study with great
mesiras nefesh. Even during the very difficult years
of his illness, after undergoing treatments, he would not
skip his daily learning session. Upon returning from a
wedding at midnight, he would invite his chavrusa to
his home, or go to his chavrusa's house, in order to
complete the daily shiur.
He suffered from his illness for the past seven years.
Knowing his situation, he wrote a detailed will before his
first operation and visited the tzaddikim for
brochos. He had long periods in which he regained his
health and during which he continued to be very active.
On Monday night, (5 Shevat), when he was nearly unconscious,
Tehillim were said beside his bed. He recited two
chapters of Tehillim, read Krias Shema, and
then lost consciousness. On Friday (9 Shevat), he returned
his pure soul to its Maker. In his will, he asked that his
family announce that he asks anyone he might have
choliloh offended to say out loud, "mochul
lecho."
His levaya left from the Shamgar funeral home and
headed toward the Vishnitz beis medrash on Nechemia Street,
passing by his home. He was buried in the Vishnitz plot on
Har Hamenuchos.
