HaRav Mordechai Shmuel Leifer Hy'd son of the Admor of
Nadvorna-Haifa, passed away on Friday at the age of 27
following injuries he sustained during the bloody attack on
the 2 bus in Jerusalem on August 19. His petiroh
brings the number of murders from the terror attack to 22.
Nadvorna Chassidim in Haifa were shrouded in mourning upon
receiving news of his passing. The large levaya was
held on Friday afternoon in Netanya's Kiryat Tzanz. Just one
week after the families of other victims from the tragic bus
bombing finished sitting shiva, another victim joined
the list of kedoshim, a dear avreich who spent
more than two weeks wracked with yissurim as he fought
for his life with the help of numerous tefillos for
his recovery. But early Friday morning he returned his pure,
refined soul to his Maker.
The petiroh marked the second time the Kiryat Tzanz
community was struck by tragedy recently after HaRav Sholom
Mordechai Reinitz, the spiritual director of the talmud
Torah in Kiryat Tzanz, and his son Yissoschor Dov, were
murdered in the bombing. Now another korbon tzibbur
was summoned to the Yeshiva Shel Maaloh, one of the
neighborhood's leading avreichim and the beloved son
of the Admor of Nadvorna-Haifa, HaRav Chaim Alter Dovid
Leifer, who also serves as the rov of the Tzanz
kehilloh in Haifa.
HaRav Mordechai Shmuel was born on Asoroh BeTeves 5736 (1976)
in Tzfat. At the time his father, son of the Admor of
Nadvorna-Tzfat HaRav Aharon Yechiel Leifer, was serving as
the rov of the city's Tzanz kehilloh. His mother, is
the daughter of HaRav Elchonon Halperin, the nosi of
the Association of Chareidi Communities of London. As a child
Mordechai Shmuel, who was named after HaRav Mordechai of
Nadvorna and HaRav Shmuel Engel of Radomishla, was part of
the sixth generation of the illustrious Tzanz dynasty, which
included the Ropshits, Premishlan, Barezan and many other
important families.
From a very young age his pure and refined soul made itself
apparent. An outstanding talmid at Talmud Torah
Yacheil Yisroel in Haifa's Ramat Vishnitz neighborhood, after
his bar mitzvah he left home to study at the yeshiva in
Kiryat Tzanz in Netanya, where he again rose to the top ranks
of talmidim. He climbed the rungs of Torah
scholarship, studying day and night and setting an example
for his peers. He was even given the title of
"chover," in the tradition of Yeshivas Tzanz, when he
was successfully tested on over 600 dapim of gemora
with Rashi and Tosafos by heart.
At the age of 18, on Rosh Chodesh Elul 5754, he married the
daughter of HaRav Mordechai Shabsai Eisenberger
tlct'a, one of the leading ramim at Yeshivas
Tzanz in Netanya. They set up their home in Netanya on the
pillars of Torah and Chassidus. HaRav Mordechai Shmuel spent
the last nine years as one of Kiryat Tzanz' outstanding
avreichim.
All of his time was devoted to toiling in Torah and refining
his middos. Two years ago he received smichas
chachomim from gedolei Torah who tested him on the
halachos of Shabbos, Yom Tov and Chol Hamoed. The gedolei
Torah who tested him were so impressed by his concrete,
clear and profound knowledge that his mentor and
rebbe, the Admor of Tzanz, awarded him a certificate
of honor at a festive event held on 21 Adar 5761. Recently
HaRav Mordechai Shmuel was set to complete his studies and
review of the halochos of ribbis--one of the toughest
areas of halocho--and to be tested on them.
Never idle, he dedicated all of his free time to Torah study.
During his fateful trip to the Kosel Maarovi he took along a
volume of the Tur Shulchan Oruch to fulfill
"uvelechtecho vaderech." In the aftermath of the
attack emergency workers found his sefer, its margins
filled with his notations and chiddushim on some of
the most complex sugyos and its pages splattered with
flesh and blood--which mixed with the sweat of Torah already
absorbed into the pages.
Just as HaRav Mordechai Shmuel had the merit to rise up in
Torah he also rose up middos -- . . . yir'oso
kodemes lechochmoso. He shared his achievements in
ruchniyus with others, setting time aside to study
with bochurim and avreichim he felt needed a
boost. Many avreichim and bochurim made great
gains in Torah and Chassidus by taking part in
chaburos he led and all who drew near were delighted
by his uplifting talks and the opportunity to be close to a
unique ben aliyoh. He was noted for his distinctly
noble character.
Miraculously his wife and four children were spared. Two of
his children left the bus unscathed, wandering among the
mangled bodies in search of their parents until they were
gathered up by kindhearted people at the scene of the
explosion.
After the attack HaRav Mordechai Shmuel was taken to Hadassah
Ein Kerem in critical condition. Despite his grave injuries
he remained conscious and whenever he woke up from the heavy
pain-killers the doctors administered to ease his suffering
he would inquire about his good friend Mordechai Reinitz,
Hy'd, who stood next to him on the bus and spoke with
him during the last moments before the blast. At these times
he would also discuss his Torah learning as best he could
with the relatives at his bedside.
A few days before his petiroh he lost consciousness.
He spent a total of 18 days suffering while the entire world
was hoping for his recovery, praying fervently and learning
and taking on resolutions in his merit. At the same time the
doctors and nurses at the hospital made every effort to save
his life.
Throughout the difficult two-week period HaRav Mordechai
Shmuel's family members and avreichim from the Tzanz
kehilloh made themselves available to help. During the
last few days his condition vacillated and before his light
faded they had time to say tefillas Nishmas and
pesukei Yichud in a minyan at his bedside. At
2:30 am Friday morning his condition suddenly deteriorated
and he was summoned to Yeshiva Shel Maaloh.
The somber levaya set out Friday afternoon. The first
of the eulogizers was the deceased's grandfather HaRav
Elchonon Halperin, who spoke via telephone from his home in
Golders Green and his divrei hesped were amplified for
the thousands gathered in Netanya. He was followed by the
father, the Admor of Nadvorna-Haifa, who said, "Hashem
nossan, veHashem lokach. Yehi sheim Hashem mevorach mei'atoh
ve'ad olom." He then described how his cherished son was
recognized from a young age as a child holy in all of his
ways, from tefilloh to Torah study, and Hashem took
him away "beshleimuso." He also noted that his son
passed away late Thursday night at a time he was normally
engaged in Torah study. The Admor said the initials of his
name (Mem- Shin-Lamed) could be arranged to spell the
word, "sholeim," which accurately described his
wholeness in Torah and yir'oh. As his son was
dedicated to avodas Hashem in This World, the Admor
asked that he dedicate himself in the World of Truth as well,
acting as a advocate before Kisei Hakovod to bring an
end to the calamities befalling Am Yisroel.
The deceased's father-in-law, HaRav Mordechai Shabsai
Eisenberger, said his son-in-law had been like a real son to
him.
In bitter tones of weeping the deceased's mentor and
rebbe, the Admor of Tzanz, said, "The difficult blow
that has been brought down upon us is like a statute with no
known cause or explanation, demonstrating that the young
avreich plucked in his prime was not only holy in
death but also holy in life, as the walls of the beis
medrash and his home will attest." He also referred to
the deceased as an "unblemished sacrifice," unblemished in
Torah and unblemished in Chassidus and holiness.
The deceased's brother, HaRav Nachum Yehuda Leibish Leifer,
spiritual director of Talmud Torah Tzanz in Jerusalem, asked
for forgiveness in the name of the entire family and
announced to the Admor of Tzanz and all the other
admorim and gedolei Torah the setup of a fund
to assist the widow and her fatherless children, calling on
the public to help support the fund as well. (Contributions
can be deposited into Postal Bank account number 8060347, or
sent to Keren HaKadosh HaRav Leifer Hy'd, POB 5050,
Kiryat Tzanz, Netanya.)
After the deceased's father recited Kaddish, Kaddish
was said by the deceased's seven-year-old son as the
entire crowd wept. HaRav Mordechai Shmuel Leifer Hy'd
was buried near the ohel marking the holy grave of the
Admor of Tzanz, zechuso yogen oleinu. He is survived
by two sons and two daughters ranging from two to seven years
old, his grandfather, his parents, his siblings and his
wife.
