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22 Sivan 5761 - June 13, 2001 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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NEWS
HaRav Avrohom Yehoshua Greenbaum, Hy"d
by S. Bruchi and Yated Ne'eman staff

Zurich police have detained a possible suspect in the murder of 71-year-old HaRav Avrohom Yehoshua Greenbaum Hy"d, on Thursday night, 17 Sivan. HaRav Greenbaum was the head of the Beis Mordechai kollel in Bnei Brak and one of the most prominent talmidim of the Ponevezh and Novardok yeshivos. He was shot to death on his way to a synagogue in a Jewish neighborhood in Zurich.

HaRav Greenbaum, head of Bnei Brak's Kollel Mordechai, was in Switzerland on a routine visit to collect money for his kollel. He was staying with relatives in Zurich's Jewish quarter, not far from the scene of the murder. The Greenbaum murder was the third attack against religious Jews in Zurich in recent years. In the two previous instances, it was also claimed that the assailant was mentally deranged.

HaRav Avrohom Greenbaum had arrived in Zurich during the week. On Thursday night, he set out for a synagogue in the Fourth Jewish Quarter in Zurich. When he was 500 meters away from the synagogue, he was shot by an anonymous gunman. HaRav Greenbaum collapsed and died. The murderer fled.

The bitter news of his murder reached Eretz Hakodesh on erev Shabbos, shocking his family, his students and his many acquaintances who were looking forward to his return from abroad for his daughter's wedding, which is scheduled for next week. Upon receiving the news, his son, HaRav Yaakov, set out for Zurich to arrange the funeral, which took place on Sunday (19 Sivan) in Switzerland and then in Eretz Yisroel on Sunday evening.

HaRav Greenbaum, son of HaRav Yaakov, was born in Tishrei 5690 (1930) in the Polish city of Tomoshov, on the Russian- Polish border. When he was nine, World War Two broke out, and he was drafted to various types of forced labor.

His brothers fled to Lemberg where they were apprehended by the Russian authorities. At his mother's behest, he went to Lemberg to bring medicines to his brothers. Even though this endeavor was quite perilous, he trusted that the mitzvah of honoring one's parent would safeguard him. He, too, was caught and transferred to Siberia along with half a million other Jews, where he remained until after the war. His parents were killed during the war, while he and two of his brothers survived.

At the end of the war, he reached Germany, where many refugees found shelter in absorption centers founded by chesed organizations. While others sought physical shelter, he sought a spiritual sanctuary. In time, he encountered HaRav Gershon Leibman, zt"l, who searched for youth to join his yeshiva. Slowly, a number of young boys were found, forming the nucleus of the Novardok yeshiva which was later transferred to France. Many of that original group are now prominent talmidei chachomim.

In the Novardok yeshivas in both Germany and France, he was outstanding in his hasmodoh. Due to his deep longing to study Torah and his tremendous diligence, he amassed a vast amount of Torah knowledge. During that period, he worked on his middos and refined his body, devoting himself solely to Torah, out of supreme yiras Shomayim. Friends from that period relate how he would study continuously, never looking up from his seforim. They also tell about his abstinence, and how he refined his soul, while amassing extensive Torah knowledge.

At the age of twenty, he settled in Eretz Yisroel and began to study in the Ponevezh yeshiva. In Ponovezh, he became very close with the mashgiach, HaRav Yechezkel Levenstein, who treated him like a son. The young Avrohom Yehoshua was inspired by HaRav Levenstein's personality, and drew from his wellsprings. Alongside his regular Torah studies, he also studied mussar in the Beis Hamussar of Ponovezh. This study accorded with the Novardok legacy.

He married one of the daughters of the Zaritzki family. After his marriage, he continued to study in the Kollel Avreichim of the Ponevezh yeshiva, where he made great spiritual strides. He was a model of an oved Hashem whose entire being was dedicated to the sole purpose of serving Hashem with his entire heart and soul, raising Shomayim's glory, and increasing Torah and mussar.

Twenty-seven years ago he founded the Beis Mordechai Kollel in the Beis Hachassidim of Gur on Chofetz Chaim Street, corner of Rabbi Abba Street, at the foot of the Ponevezh yeshiva hill. The kollel is attended by Bnei Brak's finest avreichim whom he guided not only in Torah, but also in middos and mussar. His nobility of spirit had a profound effect on all who knew him. His external appearance reflected his inner essence, that of one who served Hashem with every fiber of his soul.

His life was one long saga of tremendous diligence, exertion, toil in Torah and avodas Hashem. Humility was his guiding light. Rav Greenbaum, with his noble and warm personality, embodied all of the exalted traits of the Novardok school. His unique personality was a blend of Torah greatness and every possible fine character trait, including chen, humility, ahavas Yisroel, love of one's fellow, sharing one's fellow's burden, judging others favorably, affable speech and meticulous observance of the laws of shemiras haloshon.

His tefilloh was also special. He davened in the Ponevezh yeshiva like a ben yeshiva. He prayed with tremendous feeling and intent, like a servant before his Master, uttering each word slowly and carefully, as if counting precious gems.

He is survived by his wife and eleven children, only six of whom are married. His daughter's wedding is scheduled for next week. His petirah is bemoaned by his sons, HaRav Yaakov, HaRav Mordechai, the bochur Yitzchok, his daughters, two brothers, his sons-in-law, HaRav Aharon Markowitz, HaRav Lipa Grodzinski, HaRav Naftali Trietzki, HaRav Dovid Shlomowitz and the chosson, HaRav Yosef Karlenstein. His many students also deeply mourn the loss.

With his petirah, the world has lost an exemplary blend of a gaon, tzaddik, onov, chochom and boki.

A 28-year-old Swiss citizen of Turkish origin whose appearance matches descriptions furnished by eyewitnesses has been detained. Local newspapers and Swiss authorities have speculated that the murder of a Jewish rabbi in typical Orthodox dress might have been fueled by antisemitism.

The murder suspect was apprehended in Bern several hours after the killing. According to the spokesman for the Zurich canton police, the suspect was spotted Friday morning in the vicinity of the Israeli Embassy in Bern. He "attracted attention due to his strange behavior," the spokesman said. The spokesman stressed, however, that connections between the suspect and the murder remain to be proved.

Swiss authorities ordered that the suspect remain in police custody, and approved a search of his house. A number of sources indicated Sunday that the investigation was hampered by the fact that the suspect is apparently mentally unstable. Swiss police sources said Sunday that investigators continue to suspect that the murder was motivated by antisemitism. Supporting this theory, they point to the fact that the assailant did not bother to take the substantial sum of money and valuables, including plane tickets, that the rav had in his possession.

Thousands at Levaya

Sunday night (20 Sivan), a large procession in Bnei Brak headed by the gedolei haTorah and followed by thousands of avreichim and bnei yeshiva, accompanied HaRav Avrohom Yehoshua Greenbaum zt"l on his last earthly journey.

Stirring words were delivered by the heads of the Ponovezh yeshiva, the Slobodke yeshiva, and the Beis Yosef yeshiva of France. The first hesped was delivered by HaRav Gershon Edelstein, who opened with the cry: "Why has Hashem done this to us? Such a calamity, in so terrifying a manner obligates each and every one of us to scrutinize his deeds.

"We who knew the illustrious niftar must fear even more. We have lost a great man who was immersed in Torah and avodas Hashem without pause, from his childhood until the day of his petirah. Much zikui horabim may be credited to him. We have lost a great man.

"In recent years, a number of mashpi'im ruchaniyim have been taken from us in strange manners. They have gone to their eternal rests, leaving us bereft. This obligates us to arouse ourselves, because the demise of a tzaddik is worse than the burning of Beis Hashem. Why does this occur?

"It occurs as a result of our observance of the mitzvos by rote. We must strengthen ourselves in our interpersonal relationships. The Beis Hamikdash was destroyed due to sin'as chinom, and the fact that it still hasn't been built indicates that this sin still hasn't been rectified."

HaRav Boruch Dov Povarski, opened his hesped with the verse, "Death has risen up in our windows." "Recently," he said, "we have seen that a very harsh middas hadin prevails in the palaces of the kings. The most illustrious of the Nation are cut down in the streets. In Kinos we find the following lamentation: `Alei golus meshorsei Keil . . . ve'al domom asher shupach kemo meimei ye'orehoh'. Who are the meshorsei Keil? They are the Levites, the tribe which specialized in avodas Hashem. As the Rambam says, not only are they meshorsei Keil, but so are all those who feel a spiritual urge to immerse themselves in avodas Hashem.

"Today we are accompanying one who was a meshoreis Keil an eved Hashem from the time of his youth -- one who had nothing in his world accept Torah and mitzvos, an eved Hashem, who in his prayers raised up the entire community. Now the verse: "al damom asher shupach" applies to him.

"With his petirah, the entire Torah world has suffered a great blow. Am Yisroel is compared to a lamb -- "seh pezura Yisroel." When one of a lamb's limbs is injured, all of its other limbs feel the pain. When one Jew suffers pain, the rest of the Nation feels it. Each and every one of us must say, as did Yonah Hanovi: "The tempest occurred because of me." May the illustrious niftar be a good interceder on behalf of Klal Yisroel".

HaRav Boruch Rosenberg brought the words of the hesped over Rabi Zira: "Eretz Shin'ar horoh veyoldoh; Eretz Tzvi gidloh sha'ashu'ehoh." The country of Poland where he was born is Eretz Shin'ar. Eretz Tzvi raised its cherished ones. After wanderings in Siberia, he reached Novardok, and from there went on to Eretz Tzvi -- Eretz Hakodesh. He arrived in the Ponovezh yeshiva, where he was raised at the feet of the Mashgiach. Woe to us, the residents of Bnei Brak who have lost so fine a person. I am very worried due to the petirah of HaRav Avrohom Yehoshua, one because it was on the merit of his prayers that the entire city was forgiven. Chazal say that Beitar wasn't destroyed as long as Elazar Hamoda'i lived and prayed there. When he died, the city was destroyed. Rabbosai, with his prayers, Rabi Avrohom Yehoshua was one of the guardians of the city, the nation and the land, and now that he is gone, who knows what will be. We must wake up and do teshuva because we have lost our precious vessel."

HaRav Chaim Halperin, the rosh yeshiva of the Beis Yosef yeshiva in France spoke about the greatness of HaRav Avrohom Yehoshua, who knew how to hide his greatness of spirit and greatness in Torah. "Who can penetrate the inner recess of so illustrious a person? When he was still young, he was moser nefesh to save the life of a Jewish child. He aspired to rise and to grow spiritually. Whenever we met, he would focus on only one subject: `Where are we in ruchniyus? Where are we in avodas Hashem?' May Hashem accept his prayers, annul the evil decree and send Moshiach Hashem speedily."

At the end of the hespedim, the levaya proceeded from the Ponovezh yeshiva, through the streets of the city which filled with thousands of people who accompanied him to the Nitzivei Yeshivas Ponovezh cemetery where he was buried

At the cemetery hespedim were delivered by HaRav Yechezkel Rotner one of the roshei yeshiva of the Beis Yosef yeshiva of France, and by the niftar's son, HaRav Yaakov, one of the prominent avreichim of Beit Shemesh.

A fund has been formed to help the family. Donations may be sent to: Mr. J. Levison, 10 Craven Walk, London N16 6BT, 208- 800-7004. In U.S.A. c/o Halberstadt, 302 Lawrence Ave, Lakewood, NJ 08701, 732-942-7232. Triezki, Chofetz Chaim 5, Modiin Illit 71919, 08 974-0301.

 

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