Thousands followed the mittoh of HaRav Shimon Nosson
Nota Biderman zt"l, Admor of Lelov Yerushalayim, who
returned his soul to his Maker at the age of 74 after seven
months of incapacitation due to a heart attack. The
procession was led by Maran HaRav Yosef Sholom Eliashiv as
well as other gedolei Torah, roshei yeshivos and
admorim, shlita.
HaRav Biderman was born in Tiberius to the previous
admor HaRav Yaakov Yitzchok on 5 Kislev 5690 (1930).
From his early childhood years he displayed sparks of
holiness in avodas Hashem and Torah learning. He
studied at Yeshivas Chayei Olom in Jerusalem where he was
particularly close to the Tchebiner Rav.
He had a very strong bond with his father and joined the
group of bochurim gathered around HaRav Yochonon of
Karlin, who publicly expressed his esteem for the young man
on several occasions.
Upon marrying the daughter of HaRav Dov Ber Hirshman, a pure-
minded talmid chochom from one of Jerusalem's
prominent families, he began his ascent in kedushoh
and tohoroh.
On one occasion a distraught man came to him with a bitter
account about how he had become penniless and his family
members were starving. Not hesitating he reached into his
pocket, took out a sum of money he had received for giving a
droshoh and had been saving to buy candlesticks for
Shabbos and handed it over to the needy Jew.
As immigration from Western nations increased and secular
education expanded, gedolei hador, including HaRav
Yechezkel Abramsky called upon him to set up organizations
that eventually succeeded in rescuing thousands of souls,
transforming them into upstanding Jews loyal to Hashem and
His Torah.
The crowning jewel of these efforts was Beit Olot, which
provides a warm home for immigrant girls and orphans. The
Admor was like a kind, dedicated father to these girls, who
went on to set up thousands of homes. He merited seeing them
raise children--and even grandchildren--who set up kosher
Jewish homes headed by bnei Torah, rabbonim and
dayonim scattered throughout Eretz Yisroel.
After his father's passing in Elul 5741 (1981) he set up Or
Yaakov Institutions in his memory, a series of
kollelim for horo'oh as well as tzedokoh
and chessed organizations.
Faithful to the Lelov tradition of ahavas Yisroel he
treated every Jew with respect, feeling others' joys and
sorrows and praying for them.
His beis medrash was a wellspring of Torah and
chassidus where he spread his radiance particularly on
Shabbosos and Yomim Tovim, elevating the level of
tefilloh and avodoh through his daily
preparations for tefilloh and divrei chizuk.
He led Lelov-Yerushalayim with love and dedication. When a
group of avreichim settled in Beit Shemesh recently he
set up a beis medrash in Kiryat Yeffeh Nof and even
took part in the posting of the mezuzoh and dedication
ceremony, despite his weakness.
In the early morning hours of Thursday, 1 Teves, with the
Chanukah candles still burning and shedding light on his
seudas Chanukah, as he rose to give tzedokoh he
felt chest pains and collapsed, never to rise again. Seven
months and four days later, at exactly the same early morning
hour again on a Thursday, his heart failed and he was
summoned to Yeshiva Shel Maaloh.
A few hours later the mittoh was brought into his
beis medrash in Jerusalem's Beit Yisrael neighborhood
to the sound of weeping. After Tehillim and
Selichos were recited his son, HaRav Alter Yisroel,
gave a few short words of parting. The procession then made
its way down the streets of Meah Shearim, winding its way on
foot to the Lelov section on the heights of the Mount of
Olives, where the Admorim of Zevihl, Amshinov, Rachmistrivke
and Shatz were on hand.
HaRav Shimon Nosson Nota Biderman is survived by his
brothers, sons and sons-in-law, all of whom are prominent
rabbonim, marbitzei Torah and dayonim, as well
as Lelov Chassidim mourning their loss.
