A crowd of thousands including HaRav Chaim Kanievsky and
other prominent rabbonim were on hand motzei Shabbos Parshas
Lech Lecho to lay to rest Rebbetzin Rivkoh Zochovsky
o"h, the widow of HaRav Chaim Zochovsky, the
mashgiach and menahel ruchani of Yeshivas
Slobodka in Lithuania and Yeshivas Lomzha in Petach Tikva.
Rivkoh Zochovsky was born in 5671 (1911) to HaRav Pesach
Prusskin, av beis din and ram of Kobrin and
rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Kobrin. His talmidim,
including Maran HaRav Moshe Feinstein zt"l helped
compile a sefer called "Shiurei R' Pesach
Mikobrin."
In this home of one of the gedolei hador of the last
generation she was instilled with Torah and lofty
middos. She later recalled how her father's home
constantly resounded with Torah learning--that a meal never
passed without a discussion of the shaklo vetaryo of
the sugyos studied at the yeshiva. She built her
spiritual world on this atmosphere of holiness, making her
life revolve around Torah and yiras Shomayim, not
allowing worldly vanities a place.
In 5694 (1934) she married HaRav Chaim Dov Zochovsky, one of
the leading talmidim at Yeshivas Slobodka, who had a
bond with the Alter of Slobodka. Her husband was asked to
serve in spiritual posts at Yeshivas Slobodka and was
eventually appointed mashgiach.
When the skies of Europe darkened they moved to Eretz
Yisroel, settling in Jerusalem and later in Petach Tikva. On
the recommendation of the Chazon Ish he was appointed
menahel ruchani at Yeshivas Lomzha. After a few years
of teaching Torah and mussar he developed a serious
illness that confined him to his bed for 13 years. Throughout
this time she cared for him devotedly, never straying far
from his bedside until he succumbed to the disease in 5720
(1960).
After his petiroh she became both father and mother to
her four children, imbuing them with ahavas Torah. She
showed an interest in every detail of their spiritual
development and knew how to assess their strengths--who
displayed depth of understanding, who had comprehensive Torah
knowledge, who was sharp-minded and who had a powerful
memory.
She would often relate the words of Chazal to her family
members. This Elul she said, "We say, `Uteshuvoh,
utefilloh utzedokoh, ma'avirim es ro'a hagezeiroh,' but
what about Torah?" she asked, and then answered her own
question: "Without Torah there is no teshuvoh or
tefilloh to speak of. Only he who knows Torah can be
helped by teshuvoh and tefilloh and
tzedokoh."
Recently one of her grandchildren told her he was beginning
maseches Zevochim at his kollel. "Before
beginning Zevochim one must know all of the
mishnayos of Zevochim by heart," she told him.
"Without that the maseches is impenetrable."
On erev Shabbos Parshas Lech Lecho she felt ill and
was hospitalized at Mayanei Hayeshua Hospital. On motzei
Shabbos she suffered a stroke and passed away with her family
members at her bedside reciting Krias Shema and
accepting the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven as her pure soul
departed.
Before the levayoh set out from her home, a
hesped was delivered by her son, HaRav Nosson
Zochovsky, a rosh yeshiva of yeshivas Geon Yaakov, who opened
with the verse, "Ki ovi ve'imi azovuni."
"For us Ima was both father and mother," he said, "for [55]
years ago Abba contracted a serious disease and the entire
burden, both tending to Abba and educating the household,
fell on her.
"Ima was an ishoh gedoloh -- the daughter of
gedolim and the wife of gedolim. She was not
just an eishes chover, but a chaveiroh in her
own right. Her knowledge of Torah and sayings of Chazal, and
her spiritual aspirations were those of a true
chover."
Other speakers included HaRav Yaakov Edelstein, the rov of
Ramat Hasharon, her son-in-law HaRav Mordechai Cohen, a rosh
yeshiva of Slobodka, and HaRav Boruch Shimon Salomon, the rov
of Petach Tikva and rosh yeshivas of Nachalas Dovid.
Following the hespeidim, the levayoh proceeded
to Segulah Cemetery in Petach Tikva where she was buried
alongside her husband. After stimas hagolel she was
eulogized by her grandson, HaRav Menachem Boruch.
Rebbetzin Rivkoh Zochovsky o"h is survived by her sons
HaRav Nosson Zochovsky, a rosh yeshiva of yeshivas Geon
Yaakov and author of Devir Hakodesh, and R' Pesach and
her sons-in-law HaRav Menachem Fishel and HaRav Mordechai
Cohen, a rosh yeshiva of yeshivas Slobodka, as well as
grandchildren and great-grandchildren who perpetuate the
Torah legacy she received from her father and husband and
passed on to her descendants during her lifetime.
