A heavy pall of mourning befell all beis Yisroel upon
learning of the petirah of HaRav Mordechai Gifter
zt"l, crown of American Jewry: its pilot and leader.
HaRav Gifter, rosh yeshiva of the Telz yeshiva in Cleveland
and one of the heads of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, was one
of the most venerable roshei yeshiva in the United States.
He was niftar on Thursday night, 24 Teves, at the age
of 85.
The news of HaRav Gifter's petirah quickly spread
among his many thousands of students in the United States,
who streamed to the study hall of the Cleveland Telz
yeshiva. There his aron was placed opposite the
aron kodesh, the place where he had disseminated
Torah for more than fifty years.
A large levaya took place on Friday, 24 Teves, in the
Telz yeshiva in Cleveland, and was attend by thousands of
his students from all over the United States. When the
aron was brought into the yeshiva, his students broke
into cries of anguish over the loss of their beloved,
esteemed mentor. Some did kriya, as behooves a
talmid whose rav was niftar.
Before the levaya left the yeshiva, heartfelt
hespedim were delivered by the following rabbonim:
the niftar's son, R' Shmuel Zalman; HaRav Chaim
Stein, a rosh yeshiva of Telz; HaRav Eizik Osband, a rosh
yeshiva of Telz; student of the niftar, HaRav Avrohom
Chaim Levin, rosh yeshiva of the Chicago branch of Telz;
HaRav Gavriel Ginsburg, rosh yeshiva of Ner Yisroel in
Toronto; HaRav Dovid Barkin, a ram in the Telz
yeshiva; the niftar's two sons-in-law, HaRav Ephraim
Eisenberg, a ram in Ner Yisroel of Baltimore and
HaRav Yaakov Reisman, a rav in Far Rockaway, New York, as
well as the niftar's son, HaRav Yisroel of
Lakewood.
HaRav Gifter's Levaya in New York
More then ten thousand chareidim in New York, attended the
levaya of HaRav Mordechai Gifter, which took place
Sunday, 26 Teves in Far Rockaway, New York. The procession
was head by roshei yeshiva, dayanim, rabbonim, and admorim
who were followed by thousands of bnei Torah.
HaRav Gifter's aron was flown from Cleveland to New
York on motzei Shabbos, and the levaya was
held early Sunday morning. The massive throng in attendance
arrived from all parts of New York and New Jersey. Many
busses which left Baltimore and Philadelphia on their way to
the levaya were delayed due to heavy snow and
generally harsh weather.
The aron reached the Darkei Torah yeshiva in Far
Rockaway, were HaRav Gifter was eulogized for many hours.
Among those who delivered mournful and tear-filled
hespedim were: HaRav Elya Svei, rosh yeshiva of the
Philadelphia yeshiva; HaRav Y. Altusky, a rosh yeshiva of
Darkei Torah; HaRav Yaakov Bender, the rosh yeshiva and
director of the yeshiva, who read HaRav Gifter's last will
and testament; HaRav Chaim Stein, rosh yeshiva of Telz:
HaRav Mattisyahu Solomon, the menahel ruchani of
Lakewood; HaRav Gifter's son-in-law, HaRav Avrohom Chaim
Feuer, a rav in Monsey; HaRav Gifter's student, the Admor of
Munkatsch, HaRav Gifter's son-in-law HaRav Yaakov Reisman;
HaRav Avrohom Osband, the rosh yeshiva of Talmidei Telz in
Riverdale, New York.
The maspidim spoke with tremendous emotion about the
image of their beloved rosh yeshiva who was one of the final
transmitters of the teachings of the European Torah world to
the current generation and called to his thousands of
students to continue along his path. They also spoke about
his tremendous merit for having established the Torah world
in the United States after the Holocaust.
The levaya was transmitted to ninety-two centers in
United States, South Africa and Australia, were HaRav
Gifter's students assembled to hear the stirring
hespedim.
At the end of the levaya, the aron was brought
to the Kennedy airport in New York. Due to the severe
weather, the airplane took off two hours late, and as a
result the levaya which set out from the Mirrer
yeshiva in Jerusalem, was delayed by two hours.
The Levaya in Yerushalayim
Many thousands came to accompany the great gaon, HaRav
Mordechai Gifter, this past Monday (27 Teves) on his last
earthly journey. The levaya was headed by Maran HaRav
Yosef Sholom Eliashiv, as well as by the members of the
Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, roshei yeshiva, dayanim, rabbonim,
admorim, and thousands of bnei Torah. It proceeded
from the Mirrer yeshiva to Har Hazeisim.
The aron, which arrived on a plane from New York, was
accompanied by the niftar's sons-in-law: HaRav Y
Reisman, the rav of Agudas Yisroel of Far Rockaway; HaRav A.
C. Feuer, HaRav Y. Barkin one of the roshei yeshiva of Telz
in Cleveland, as well as by grandchildren and students.
Waiting at the airport were hundreds of bnei Torah,
headed by the HaRav Aharon Yehuda Leib Steinman, and roshei
yeshiva, marbitzei Torah and rabbonim. Present too
were many of HaRav Gifter's students who now live in Eretz
Yisroel, and who came from various places in the country to
accord respect to one of the greatest and most venerable
roshei yeshiva of or time -- one of the helmsmen and prime
movers of the Torah world in America.
At the airport, a stirring hesped was delivered in
the name of the Chinuch Atzmai by HaRav Rabbi Avrohom Yosef
Lazerson. He spoke about the colossal spiritual stature of
HaRav Gifter who illuminated the entire generation, and
about his great stature as a leader, his greatness in Torah
and Torah dissemination, and in yirah and
mussar. Rav Lazerson stressed too the niftar's
exemplary mesiras nefesh on behalf of the Chinuch
Atzmai in Eretz Yisroel. Rabbi Lazerson also noted that the
very same words which HaRav Gifter in hesped over the
Kehillos Yaakov may be applied HaRav Gifter himself. "He was
blessed with a deep comprehensive and sweeping Torah
perspective, in all issues of chareidi Jewry."
At the end of the hesped, Kaddish was recited by
HaRav Shmuel Borenstein, the rosh yeshiva of Chevron Geula.
From the airport, the levaya continued in a long car
procession to the Mirrer yeshiva in Yerushalayim.
At the Mirrer yeshiva, where a massive throng awaited,
excerpts of HaRav Gifter's last will and testament was read.
HaRav Gifter had written: "It is fitting not to recite
hespedim over me, since I am not deserving of them.
However, they nonetheless should be delivered, because they
will benefit the students. But do not say too many
praises."
Biography
HaRav Mordechai Gifter, son of Reb Yisroel, zt"l, was
born on 7 Cheshvan, 5676 (1915) in Richmond, Virginia.
Throughout his life he frequently referred to his father's
love of Torah and outstanding character traits, especially
noting his integrity. Due to the difficulty of educating his
children in Virginia, Reb Yisroel moved his family to
Baltimore, which at that time was one of the Torah centers
of the United States. HaRav Gifter grew up there.
When HaRav Gifter was young, HaRav Shimon Shkop visited
Baltimore in order to strengthen the Grodno yeshiva of
Lithuania. HaRav Gifter's father took him to receive a
brocho from the "kohen hagodol," HaRav Shimon
Shkop, who blessed him that he would become a godol
beTorah. HaRav Gifter later attributed his success in
Torah to HaRav Shimon Shkop's brocho.
He was outstanding in his hasmodoh even as a youth,
and known for his extensive knowledge and remarkable memory,
to the point that he was like a "bor sod she'eino
me'abeid tippoh." While still young, he became known in
the Torah world as a rare illui and it was expected
that he would one day illuminate the yeshiva and
halocho world with the light of his Torah. Affirming
this is the fact that when he was only fifteen years old,
his chiddushim were published in the Toras Eretz
Yisroel journal printed in Petach Tikvah, alongside the
Torah writings of HaRav Tzvi Pesach Frank and HaRav Reuven
Katz.
As a youth, he studied in the Rav Yitzchok Elchonon Yeshiva
of New York City under his rav, HaRav Moshe Halevi
Soloveitchik, whom he regarded as his mentor, chiefly in the
foundations of derech halimud. HaRav Gifter often
related: "My mentor's shiurim were mainly derived
from his father, the Grach (HaRav Chaim Halevi) Soloveitchik
and those were what he called `pshat.' Only rarely
would he relate his own Torah ideas. Sometimes he would say:
`Now we will say some Torah,' everyone knew that then
he intended to recite his own thoughts and explanations."
HaRav Gifter studied together with HaRav Nosson Wachtfogel,
zt"l, former mashgiach of Lakewood and HaRav
Avigdor Miller, yibodel lechaim arukim of Flatbush in
the Rav Yitzchok Elchonon Yeshiva, where HaRav Gifter made
great strides in Torah. During bein hazmanim when he
returned to his parents' home in Baltimore, he would
continue to pore over his studies with tremendous
hasmodoh. During the hot summer months, he would sit
on his porch and memorize masechtos. He also later
demanded that his students learn masechtos by heart
during bein hazmanim, quoting the introduction to the
sefer Beer Sheva, whose author had similarly
instructed his students.
On this issue, he related that on his way to the Telz
yeshiva in Lithuania, he had passed through Slobodke, where
he stayed for a brief period. Upon his arrival in Slobodke,
the rosh yeshiva HaRav Eizik Sher asked him: "What have you
studied lately?"
"Me'ilah," the young HaRav Gifter replied.
HaRav Sher rebuked him, and said: "Have you completed
Bovo Basra and Bovo Kamo?"
When HaRav Gifter told HaRav Sher that he had studied
Me'ilah during bein hazmanim, HaRav Sher
praised him highly.
It was on the advice of his uncle, HaRav Yehuda Leib Zer,
one of the directors of the Rav Yitzchok Elchonon Yeshiva,
that HaRav Gifter went to study in the Telz yeshiva of
Lithuania in the winter of 5692 (1932). When he arrived, he
was received by the rosh yeshiva, HaRav Avrohom Yitzchok
Bloch, Hy"d, who instantly discerned that HaRav
Gifter was an outstanding student, destined for greatness.
HaRav Bloch immediately placed him in a group with the best
students.
From then on, a strong bond was formed between HaRav Bloch
and HaRav Gifter, who regarded HaRav Bloch as his rav
muvhak. In his shiurim, HaRav Gifter often quoted
HaRav Bloch, saying: "I heard from mori verabi." In
his writings, he also referred to HaRav Bloch as: "Mori
verabi, the admor hakodosh, Hy"d."
HaRav Gifter often spoke about the rischa deOraisa
prevailing in the Telz yeshiva of Lithuania. When HaRav
Gifter first arrived in Telz, the yeshiva was filled with
hundreds of students studying with indescribable
simcha and fervor. The young Rav Gifter noticed one
student whose simcha was especially conspicuous. When
he asked who this student was, he was told that he was the
poorest bochur in the yeshiva.
HaRav Gifter would always tell his students that Torah must
be studied out of simcha, and would often quote the
words of Reb Avrohom Minhahar on the gemora in
Nedorim 48, that the simcha of Torah study is
one of the main aspects of the mitzvah of talmud
Torah.
An interesting anecdote about HaRav Avrohom Yitzchok Bloch
is told: HaRav Bloch once asked HaRav Gifter how it was
possible to study Torah lishmoh when one derives so
much enjoyment from his study? HaRav Mordechai answered:
"Simcha and enjoyment are themselves the
lishmoh." HaRav Bloch smilingly agreed.
During his stay in Telz, he also studied under HaRav Azriel
Rabinowitz, Hy"d, son of HaRav Chaim Telzer and was
very close to HaRav Zalman Bloch, his mentor in Telz and
menahel ruchani of the yeshiva. Eventually, he
married HaRav Bloch's daughter, tlita.
HaRav Gifter told his students many accounts of the
diligence common in Telz and about the vast knowledge of the
students, who studied two masechtos each zman:
one be'iyun and the other bebekiyus with
unique fervor. He also told them about the love of Torah of
the Telz laymen, who so highly cherished each student and
budding talmid chochom on the merit of his toil in
Torah.
HaRav Gifter maintained continuous correspondence with the
Rogotchover gaon and with HaRav Ezra Altshuler, author of
Takonas Ezra and HaRav Yosef Zusmanowitz, known as
the "Yerushalami," the author of Truas Hamelech and a
rav in Wilkomir. A number of these letters, including
profound halachic deliberations, appear in the book
Shem Olom, published by the Telz yeshiva of
Cleveland.
He had a special relationship with HaRav Mordechai
Pogramanski, who would often come to Telz. HaRav Gifter
organized a group of outstanding yeshiva students to study
Torah and mussar with HaRav Pogramanski. He later
related that he had been very influenced by his teachings.
HaRav Gifter studied both nigleh and nistar
with him, and related that he had often merited to be
meshamesh him.
In the summer of 5699 (1939), HaRav Gifter became engaged to
the daughter of HaRav Zalman Bloch. The wedding date was set
for a year later. Upon the advice of HaRav Pogramanski,
HaRav Gifter decided to go to study in Brisk, but he was
accepted to the yeshiva only for the winter of 5700. During
the interim, he returned home to Baltimore.
On the first day of Selichos, 5700 (September 1939), World
War Two broke out. The 24-year-old bochur immediately
went to Washington to try to secure visas for the roshei
yeshiva and students of Telz. For two weeks, he knocked on
doors of countless government VIPs, finally obtaining
hundreds of visas for the roshei yeshiva and
avreichim, as well as for their families. However,
the heads of the yeshiva decided to remain in Telz,
following the tradition of the former rav of Telz, HaRav Y.
Bloch. During World War One, HaRav Bloch had instructed the
Telz yeshiva to stay put and not to move deep inside Russia,
as had the other yeshivos.
Immediately, his kallah left Telz for the United
States, receiving a visa from the American consul in Kovna a
few hours before the latter left for home.
HaRav Gifter's wedding took place in the United States in
the winter of 5700. The couple lived in Baltimore, where
HaRav Gifter was very close to HaRav Michael Hacohen
Forshlager, who had a profound influence on him. HaRav
Forshlager was the author of Toras Michoel and one of
the students of the Avnei Nezer.
With the expansion of the Ner Yisroel yeshiva in Baltimore
by HaRav Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman, HaRav Gifter was asked to
deliver chaburos to the students. These
chaburos were on the masechta being studied in
the yeshiva and on Shev Shmatsa.
In 5703 (1943) HaRav Gifter became rav of the chareidi
community in Connecticut. This was an idyllic period in his
life in which he was able to study Torah undisturbed. During
this period, which he would longingly recall, he conceived
chiddushim on the entire Shulchan Oruch as
well as all the masechtos of Shas. While in
Connecticut, he maintained contact with HaRav Yehuda Leib
Feurur, zt"l, rav of Washington and formerly a rav of
Bolnik, Lithuania, as well as with other great rabbonim in
the United States.
In 5704, his uncles HaRav Eliyahu Meir Bloch and HaRav Chaim
Mordechai Katz founded the Telz yeshiva in Cleveland. They
asked him to join them as ram and mashgiach.
As soon as he arrived in the yeshiva, he began to
deliver shiurim. When his uncle, HaRav E. M. Bloch,
was niftar, HaRav Gifter was appointed to the
position of rosh hayeshiva, along with his colleague in
avodas hakodesh, HaRav Boruch Sorotzkin, under the
leadership of HaRav Chaim Mordechai Katz.
For scores of years, HaRav Gifter delivered shiurim
and discourses to thousands of yeshiva students. In his last
will and testament, he requested that he be accorded no
praise, other than the fact that, "I merited to study Torah
and to produce students who are outstanding in Torah and
yiroh, not in accordance with my deeds."
He moved to Eretz Yisroel in 5736, founding the Telz
yeshiva in Kiryat Telz-Stone near Jerusalem, along with a
group of his students and students of the Hevron yeshiva.
There he delivered daily shiurim on the daf
gemora and a Friday shiur on Minchas
Chinuch, which was attended by some of Jerusalem's
greatest talmidei chachomim.
In 5739, he planned to found a shiur alef in the
yeshiva. At that time, however, HaRav Boruch Sorotzkin, the
rosh yeshiva of Telz in Cleveland, was suddenly
niftar. At the directive of the Steipler Rav, he
closed the yeshiva in Telz-Stone and returned to the United
States in order to lead the Cleveland yeshiva.
When he returned to Cleveland, he was filled with longing
for Eretz Yisroel -- for which he had a special love -
- and moved with his family into an apartment in the yeshiva
dormitory, in order to conduct himself as in
golus.
He began to deliver regular shiurim to the Cleveland
students, as well as a shiur in Minchas
Chinuch. His bond with his students was well known
throughout the entire Torah world, and he merited to produce
flocks of students who have become outstanding talmidei
chachomim and bnei Torah. The entire lives of
these students were influenced by the Torah he instilled in
them. His shiurim were models of depth and profundity
and his discourses were trees of life for service of Hashem.
In these shiurim and discourses, he imparted all of
the Torah teachings he had imbibed from his illustrious
mentors.
His home was a beacon for lomdei Torah, all of whom
he welcomed warmly with outstanding sensitivity and
nobility. His affable demeanor shed its light on all who
visited him, and was the basis of the esteem in which
everyone held him. His superlative character traits were a
model for his many students, each of whom he raised with
fatherly love.
He had a great impact on tens of thousands of students who
derived counsel and acquired eternal kinyonim of
Torah, halocho and pure yiras Shomayim from
him. They saw him as a prototype of the genuine oved
Hashem whose sole interest in life was to serve Hashem
with all his heart and to raise the honor of
Shomayim. They regarded him as one who sought their
welfare and strove to guide them on the road leading to
beis Hashem, according to the traditions he had
received from his mentors.
During his life, he published numerous Torah articles and
published many seforim on all aspects of Torah,
including emunah and halocho. He also put out
Petitei Minchah on Minchas Chinuch. These
seforim were studied and highly praised by the
gedolim of our times. His seforim on
mussar, emunoh, middos and avodas Hashem are
basic books for every ben Torah wishing to grow
spiritually.
Throughout the past fifty years he was one of the heads of
the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah in the United States, and bearer
of the tradition of the gedolei haTorah of Telz. He
graced all of the Agudas Yisroel conventions in the United
States with his presence, stirring the hearts of the masses
who flocked to hear his speeches, which later became
foundation blocks for Torah life in America.
At every convention, his speech was the main address,
delivered with rischa deOraisa, reflecting pure
da'as Torah as he had received from his great
mentors, whom he always quoted. His searing words emanated
from a pure heart that burned for the sake of kodshei
Yisroel.
He was linked with every fiber of his heart and soul to
Maran the Kehillos Yaakov, zt"l and Maran HaRav
Eliezer Menachem Shach shlita, yibodel lechaim tovim
ve'arukim, whom he regarded as the manhig hador,
instructing all of his students to abide by Maran's
directives. Maran HaRav Shach returned this affection for
HaRav Gifter, and every time HaRav Gifter arrived in
Eretz Yisroel Maran HaRav Shach shlita would
call upon him.
In recent years he became very frail, and beis
Yisroel in yeshivos throughout the world prayed for his
recovery. However, on Thursday night, 24 Teves he returned
his pure soul, which had been refined by much suffering, to
its Maker. At the time of his petirah he was
surrounded by his family and a minyan of students.
He is survived by an illustrious family. His sons and sons-
in-law are gedolei haTorah and mussar; his
grandchildren and great-grandchildren are continuing to
uphold his spiritual legacy. His sons are HaRav Binyomin,
HaRav Zalman and HaRav Yisroel. His sons-in-law are HaRav
Ephraim Eisenberg, HaRav Avrohom Chaim Feuer, and HaRav
Yaakov Reisman. He is also survived by thousands of students
who were very close to him.
