On motzei Shabbos 29 Nisan, huge crowds in both Bnei
Brak and Jerusalem accompanied the Admor of Pinsk-Karlin,
HaRav Aharon Hacohen Rosenfeld, zt"l, on his last
earthly journey. The 78 year old Admor was niftar
suddenly on Friday night, 28 Nisan, after conducting his
tisch.
News of the petirah spread quickly through Bnei Brak
synagogues and botei medrash. The poroches in
his beis medrash was removed, and a heavy pall of
mourning befell his chassidim. On motzei Shabbos, the
levaya left the Admor's beis medrash in Bnei
Brak and headed to his beis medrash in Jerusalem,
where crowds had gathered to accompany him to Har
Hamenuchos.
The Admor of Pinsk-Karlin, son of HaRav Yitzchok Menasheh
Hacohen, zt"l, was born in Tishrei, 5687 (1927). He
was named "Aharon" because his bris was on Yom
Kippur. He studied in the Chayei Olam yeshiva, and then in
the Karlin yeshiva in Jerusalem.
When Reb Aharon was still young, the Shomrei Emunim told a
young chossid: "Become close with that bochur,
Rebbe Aharon, because he has pure eyes." Reb Aharon was very
close to the Admor, Rebbe Yochonon of Karlin, who regarded
him as his loyal shaliach and appointed him head of
the chabura in Eretz Yisroel. He was in charge of all
correspondence, and conveyed the Admor's directives
regarding chinuch.
Reb Aharon married the daughter of HaRav Chaim Yisroel
Halitovski, one of the prominent chassidim of
Karlin.
Reb Aharon's life was one long saga of harbotzas
Torah. For many years, he served as a maggid
shiur in the Eitz Chaim yeshiva, and then in the Belz
yeshiva in Eretz Yisroel and Belgium. Every student who
studied under him over the past fifty years held him in
unusual esteem, especially for his rare diligence and unique
manner of instilling his students with yiras Shomayim
and Torah.
He particularly despised indolence and constantly warned
against wasting time, while serving as a living example of
meticulous application and perseverance, never wasting a
moment. He would tell everyone -- carefully practicing what
he taught -- that an educator must be a role model of one
who doesn't waste time. Through his personal example, the
fundamental concept of not wasting even a moment of Torah-
study time became imbedded in his students.
When he was only thirty his wife was niftar, leaving
him with five small children. During that period, his
greatness of spirit was revealed, not only in his acceptance
of his lot with love, but also in the manner in which he
took charge of his home, never missing a study session or a
shiur despite the heavy burden he bore. He later
married the righteous widow of HaRav Chaim Halberstam, who
raised the orphans and brought them to marriage.
His prayers were fervent outpouring of the soul, and deep
expressions of his deveikus to Hashem. Even when he
was ill, he would stand during the entire tefilloh,
saying that he was like a Kohen who must offer
sacrifices while standing. He became known as a po'el
yeshuos who commiserated with the sorrow of his fellow,
considering every request on an individual basis. Even
before he became Admor, when praying on someone's behalf he
would recite Tehillim and weep until hearing that the
person for whom he had been asked to pray had recovered.
On Pesach 5751 (1991), at the yahrtzeit of his
grandfather, HaRav Aharon of Karlin, he was appointed Admor
of Pinsk-Karlin. In that capacity, he was a father to his
chassidim and a spiritual guide, who led his flock with love
and humility. From that time on, the Pinsk-Karlin Chassidic
sect developed in a remarkable manner, its Jerusalem
institutions, talmudei Torah, yeshivos and kollelim
flourished.
The Admor of Pinsk-Karlin, esteemed by all of the gedolei
hador, raised an outstanding generation of students and
young avreichim. He personally supervised the studies
and chinuch of the students of the Pinsk-Karlin
yeshiva, stressing the importance of study on Friday
afternoons, motzei Shabbosim and bein
hazmanim. He demanded that each avreich and
student study at least four consecutive hours during these
times. One of the great dayanim visited the Admor's beis
medrash this past Pesach and wondered whether it was
bein hazmanim or the middle of the zman.
He would personally test the talmud Torah and yeshiva
students, and every zman he would meet with the
teachers and maggidei shiur and lecture on the
fundamentals of Torah pedagogy and on how to instill
students with Torah and yiras Shomayim.
He was well-known for his Torah and chassidic discourses,
and would deliver discourses in yeshivos and institutions
from other circles, where he was often invited to speak.
Half a year ago, he underwent a complicated heart operation
and was in critical situation. Many prayed for his recovery,
and he regained his health. At that time, his 27 year-old
grandson, HaRav Yehoshua Heschel Rosenfeld, was
niftar after an illness, leaving behind four small
orphans.
HaRav Aharon accepted all of these misfortunes with love and
composure, out of deep faith. When he was in the hospital,
the doctors who treated him were amazed by his calmness and
acceptance of pain with love, as well as by his extreme care
not to offend anyone. Some of the doctors, who were not
Torah observant, would consult him and ask him for
brochos.
Before Pesach, he visited the United States in order to
participate in the wedding of an orphan. In America, he held
tisches and reception hours. He spent Pesach in
Jerusalem, where he led his community with distinction.
This past Friday night, he conducted a tisch in Bnei
Brak. At two in the morning, he felt ill and was rushed to
the hospital in critical condition. All efforts to save him
were in vain, and he returned his pure soul to its Maker.
On motzei Shabbos, his levaya left his beis
medrash on Ravad Street in Bnei Brak. It then proceeded
to his beis medrash in Jerusalem, and then to the
plot of the elder chassidim on Har Hamenuchos.
He is survived by an illustrious generation of sons,
daughters and sons-in-law, all of whom are following in his
footsteps.
