Thousands of Bnei Brak residents led by maranan
verabonon the gedolei hador, roshei yeshiva,
rabbonim, dayanim, avreichim, students and graduates of
Yeshivas Mishkan Shimon accompanied HaRav Shmaryahu Barzilai,
zt"l, rosh yeshiva of Mishkan Shimon, on his last
earthly journey. HaRav Barzilai was niftar following a
long illness at the age of 65.
The aron of HaRav Barzilai was flown in from the United
State. Upon arrival at the study hall of the yeshiva which he
founded and where he taught Torah to so many students, cries of
grief were heard.
A series of hespedim was opened by HaRav Michel Yehuda
Lefkowitz, who cited the verse, "sof dovor hakol
nishmo," explaining it as implying that at the end of a
person's life, the story of his life is heard. "One who knew
HaRav Shmaryahu knows that he was an odom sholeim whose
yiras Shomayim was complete and who was a loyal
representative of Hakodosh Boruch Hu, in the manner in
which he taught the younger generation and his family." HaRav
Lefkowitz added that he can personally attest that many
students of the yeshiva have emerged as talmidei
chachomim who are raising generations of students. He
compared the niftar's life work to that of Rav Yehoshua
ben Gamla, of whom it is said: "If not for him, Torah would
have been forgotten from Israel [chas vesholom]," and
concluded by saying that with the setting of the
niftar's sun, that of his sons, perpetuators of his
path, will rise.
HaRav Ya'akov Edelstein mentioned the niftar's many
students in whom he instilled a love of Torah and yiras
Shomayim. Bemoaning his sudden passing, he reminded his
listeners of their obligation to arouse themselves to do
teshuvah at this crucial time. He then concluded, "May
it be Hashem's Will that if we improve our deeds, increase our
love of Torah and daven betzibbur in the yeshiva with
intention, the niftar will be considered a public
sacrifice."
The niftar's mechutan, HaRav S. Dror, rav of the Ba'alei
Melocho neighborhood, spoke about HaRav Barzilai's tremendous
dedication to his students, noting that although his
shiurim and speeches were fiery, fearlessly reflecting
genuine da'as Torah and according to the true outlook
which he had imbibed from his mentors, in his personal traits
he was soft as a reed, humble and submissive to every talmid
chochom. These traits, HaRav Dror said, will stand in his
stead on his final day.
HaRav Shlomo Korach described HaRav Barzilai's efforts when he
fought with tremendous valor and mesiras nefesh to
strengthen Yemenite Jewry. HaRav Korach said that we must
assist the Barzilai family with its many expenses.
HaRav Shimon Yeshaya, HaRav Barzilai's oldest son, rosh yeshiva
of Horo'as HaTalmud, bitterly wept over the loss of his father,
the father of orphans. He described his father's dedication to
the yeshiva students who were like his sons, saying: "And now
we are like orphans together." In his hesped, HaRav
Shimon related how his father would trudge from place to place
to deliver Torah shiurim where he would stir his
listeners to intensify their avodas Hashem. He merited
to see the fruits of his efforts in the form of the many
students who became outstanding Torah scholars and famous
roshei yeshiva. He then described the dire poverty which
prevailed in their home, saying that while his father studied
in kollel, he refused to take a stipend in order not to
diminish the quality of his Torah study. The situation was so
difficult that once his father didn't even have the small sum
with which to pay to go to the mikveh in honor of Shabbos.
At the end of the hespeidim the huge levaya
proceeded to the cemetery in Bnei Brak in pelting rain. At the
cemetery, a hesped was delivered by HaRav Aviezer Piltz,
rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Tifrach and by HaRav Boruch Heksher,
one of the roshei yeshiva of Yeshivas Or Baruch.
Biographical Highlights
HaRav Shmaryahu Barzilai, son of the righteous Rav Shimon, was
born in Yemen in 5696 (1936). When the young Shmaryahu was only
seven, his father was niftar, and within less then a
year, he lost his mother too.
Due to the "orphan's decree" prevailing in Yemen, which stated
that every orphaned child had to convert to Islam, he was soon
smuggled to the British colony of Aden. From there, after years
of starvation and suffering, he reached Eretz Hakodesh. Along
with his brother Reb Saadya, he was transferred to a Youth
Aliya institution. The two brothers valiantly contended with
government elements and rejected every attempt to influence
them to abandon Torah and mitzvos.
Shmaryahu was later sent to study in Mishrashiat Pardes Chana,
where he became close with HaRav Yehoshua Diskin, rav of Pardes
Chana who was very fond of him and treated him like a family
member. At HaRav Diskin's recommendation, the young Shmaryahu
was sent to Kol Torah, where he studied under HaRav Shlomo
Zalman Auerbach, zt"l, and yibodel lechayim tovim
ve'arukim, the mashgiach HaRav Gedaliah Eiseman, who
provided him with spiritual guidance. Later, he transferred to
the Knesset Chizkiyahu yeshiva in Rechasim and studied under
HaRav Eliyahu Mishkovsky and the mashgiach HaRav Eliyahu
Lopian, whose images remained engraved on his heart until his
final day.
HaRav Shmaryahu was a role model to his fellow students in his
hasmodoh, while pure yiras Shomayim burned in his
heart and fashioned his outstanding qualities, notable among
them his manner of treating his fellow. Friends from that
period in yeshiva recall him as a perfect model of a ben
Torah.
Even before his marriage, he was active in saving Jewish youth
who had strayed from mitzvah observance. With the pure yiras
Shomayim which burned in his heart and with his pleasant
manner of speech, he drew them closer to Torah and registered
them in yeshivos, attending to all their physical and spiritual
needs. He had a special relationship with the Kehilas Ya'akov,
who guided him in every aspect of his avodas Hashem. The
Kehilas Ya'akov even made HaRav Shmaryahu's shidduch and
wrote the tenoyim at the engagement.
After founding his home with his wife Batsheva, he continued to
study with hasmodoh in the kollel of the Slonimer
yeshiva in Ramat Gan headed by HaRav Shabtai Yogel,
zt"l, and by HaRav Tzvi Markowitz, yibodel lechayim
tovim ve'arukim. He went on to study in the Volozhin
kollel, headed by HaRav S. Langbort. When still a young
avreich he began to deliver shiurim to youth and
working men in Ramat Gan.
At the direction of the Steipler Rav he moved to Hadera, where
he served as a ram and mashgiach in Yeshivas
Hadera headed by HaRav Elchonon Perlmutter and HaRav Ya'akov
Galinski. HaRav Shmaryahu merited to found a Chinuch Atzmai
school for boys and a Beis Yaakov for girls in Hadera, and in
his genial manner to drew students from schools from other
educational streams to study there.
In Hadera he served as ram in Midrashiat Noam for one
year, influencing many students to transfer to yeshivos
kedoshos. He was beloved by Hadera's residents, and drew
them closer to Torah. In that period he was offered the
position of rav of the city. When he asked the Steipler Rav if
he should accept the position, he replied: "A ben Torah
aspires to be a marbitz Torah." Upon hearing that reply,
HaRav Shmaryahu rejected all attempts to influence him to
accept the rabbinical post.
In 5728 (1968), he returned to Bnei Brak and began to study in
the Torah Vechayim kollel. Shortly afterward he was asked to
head the yeshiva in Rosh Ha'ayin, which was affiliated with the
American Pe'ilim and whose president was HaRav M. Sternbuch.
In Elul 5732 he founded Mishkan Shimon in Bnei Brak, first as a
mesivta for seventh and eight grade students and later
as a yeshiva for outstanding students.
His remarkable shiurim where delivered with tremendous
clarity, and he explained difficult sugyos in a most
lucid manner. The fervent mussar discourses which he
delivered in the yeshiva and other places instilled his
students with love of Torah, yiras Shomayim and
outstanding character traits, in accordance with the
mussar he himself had imbibed from his own spiritual
mentors.
In recent years, his health began to deteriorate, and this past
summer he was taken to a Philadelphia medical center for a
liver transplant. On erev Succos he successfully
underwent the transplant and recovered in a remarkable manner.
The day before his release from the hospital, however, he
collapsed, and within a few hours returned his pure soul to its
Maker.
At the levaya in Boro Park, a hesped was
delivered by HaRav Don Segal, who spoke about the
niftar's dedication to avodas hakodesh and noted
the joy with which the niftar performed all his deeds.
In his hesped, HaRav Segal strengthened the widow, who
had merited to serve a great man. He then recited the verse,
"Tzaddik Hashem bechol drochov, vechossid bechol
ma'asov," explaining that the conduct of the Creator in the
world is just, but that in his treatment of mortals, He acts
with chessed.
Hespedim were also delivered by the prominent rabbonim,
HaRav Ezra Admoni, HaRav Yosef Ozeri and HaRav Yitzchok
Mohadav. At the end of the hespedim, the levaya
headed toward Kennedy airport, from where the aron was
flown to Eretz Hakodesh.
He is survived by his wife, the righteous Rebbetzin Batsheva,
who helped him with great dedication under all circumstances,
and by his sons HaRav Shimon Yeshaya, rosh yeshiva of Horo'as
HaTalmud, HaRav Aharon, the rosh yeshiva of Mishkan Shimon, and
HaRav Moshe, a prominent avreich, as well as by five daughters,
who are married to outstanding avreichim. He is also survived
by numerous students, many of whom are roshei yeshiva,
ramim and rabbonim, all of whom bemoan the great loss.
A fund to help cover the heavy debts incurred by the
complicated operation that cost hundreds of thousands of
dollars has been set up. Contributions may be made by credit
card. This can be done by phoning the Kupat Ha'ir (City
Treasury) at 11-800-394747, specifying that the donation is for
Keren Hagaon Rav Shmaryahu Barzilai.
