Thousands participated in the funeral of Rebbetzin Nechomoh
Aidel Finkel, a'h, the wife of HaRav Moshe Finkel,
ylct'a, who left this world at the age of 81 following
great suffering.
Born in Jerusalem in 5682 (1922) to Rav Mordechai Dovid
Levine, rosh yeshivas Eitz Chaim and author of Darkei
Dovid, and Rebbetzin Sheina Gita, granddaughter of HaRav
L. Kovner, she received a wealth of elevated spiritual values
in the holy home in which she was raised.
She was infused with pure faith and guided by middas
ho'emes in all of her pursuits. Her distinguished parents
gave her the ahavas Torah that stirred within her
throughout her lifetime, accompanied by self-effacement and a
willingness to subsist frugally. A woman of exceptional
modesty and refinement, she won the trust of gedolei
Yisroel, delivering ladies' shiurim on
hashkofoh and emunoh in the homes of gedolei
hador.
On Rosh Chodesh Elul 5706 (1946) she married the son of Rosh
Yeshivas Mir HaRav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel, and placed herself
at her husband's side in his work to support the hallowed
yeshiva for over half a century. While her husband was away
from home for extended periods in distant locations to help
maintain the yeshiva, she would uphold the education of her
children, instilling them with emunoh and superlative
middos.
She lived inside the yeshiva throughout her lifetime, helping
bochurim and the yeshiva staff and making her home a
bais vaad lechachomim day and night.
As the levaya set out from the yeshiva in pouring rain
a hesped was delivered by HaRav Shlomo Wolbe, who
spoke of the middos of chesed and yiras
Shomayim ingrained in her children, adding that upon her
arrival in the World of Truth she would receive great reward
for a life of shleimus. All who knew her have an
obligation to learn from her ways, he said.
HaRav Aryeh Finkel, one of the roshei yeshivos at Mir, said
her love of truth and contempt for deceit, combined with
righteousness, produced a true tzidkonis. Entrusted by
her husband who recognized her boundless dedication to Torah,
she merited children who rose to greatness, he said,
attributing this success to the influence of her father whom
HaRav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel used to praise at great length
for his greatness and genius.
HaRav Boruch Povarsky, one of the roshei yeshiva at Yeshivas
Ponevezh, opened with the verse, "Vayovo Avrohom lispod
leSoroh velivkosoh" (Bereishis 23:2), saying in order to
weep over a great woman she must first be eulogized. He then
noted the extraordinary virtue of making her home into a
bais vaad lechachomim, impelled by a constant desire
to give her home over to limud haTorah and
harbotzas haTorah.
She was also eulogized by HaRav Shmuel Yaakov Bornstein, rosh
yeshivas Chevron in Geulah. Then her eldest son, HaRav
Eliyohu Boruch, one of the roshei yeshiva at Yeshivas Mir,
tearfully recalled how his mother uncompromisingly carried
out both of the tasks mentioned in the gemora, "Noshim,
bemai ko zachiyan": Mesirus nefesh for Torah and
for their husbands, and raising their children to Torah.
Although she lived in a place of greatness, he added, she
always led a life of humility. In parting he asked her for
forgiveness and that she act as a melitzas yosher for
the family and the entire yeshiva.
Her son HaRav Yitzchok Izaak, rosh kollel Zichron Shimon, and
her son-in-law Rav Binyomin Povarsky, a ram at
Yeshivas Nesivei Hatalmud, also offered words of parting.
Rebbetzin Finkel Nechomoh Aidel Finkel is survived by her
husband, sons, daughters, sons-in-law, grandchildren and
great-grandchildren, all following in the path of Torah and
yir'oh, as marbitzei Torah and following the
path of Yisroel Saba.
