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NEWS
Mrs. Miriam Friedman o'h
by Betzalel Kahn
Yerushalayim's Mattersdorf neighborhood witnessed a heart-
rending levaya on motzei Shabbos parshas Lech
Lecho, suffused with anguish and copious weeping, as
thousands accompanied Mrs. Miriam Friedman o'h, the
wife of ylct'a HaRav Elyokim Friedman, who passed away
at the tragically early age of forty-two.
The nifteres was the daughter of HaRav Alexander
Dinkel zt'l, one of the roshei yeshiva of Kol Torah
and the daughter-in-law of HaRav Dov Friedman. She was
renowned as a true eishes chayil, who displayed self-
sacrifice for the sake of Torah, throughout her life. She
gave of herself in many ways, practicing kindness towards
broken-spirited and lonely individuals and finding the time
to give individual attention to each of her twelve children -
- yet the center of her life around which all else revolved
was her husband's Torah study.
She absorbed her intense love of Torah and her keen
educational intuition in the home of her parents, her great
father, whom she merited helping and ministering, and her
distinguished mother, Rebbetzin Channah tblct'a.
Drawing on her womanly wisdom and uncommon insight she built
her own home upon firm foundations of Torah, faith and
kindness. She displayed immeasurable devotion in allowing her
husband to devote all his time to Torah study, ensuring that
he had complete peace of mind, with no disturbances. In his
hesped, HaRav Yisroel Gans, rov of the neighborhood,
pointed to the fact that it was her husband, Rav Elyokim, who
could always be found in the beis hamedrash on Friday
afternoons until Shabbos came in, on Friday nights and on
motzei Shabbosos from after Havdoloh until
midnight.
Mrs. Friedman's child rearing talents were also legendary.
Her home was a center of chesed and the Friedmans
shared their Shabbos and Yom Tov table with the many guests
who felt quite at home and at ease with their family. Yet
with all this, she always ensured that each of her children
would feel as precious and as loved as an only child. In the
course of the week, she was careful to find some time for
each child when she gave her undivided attention and enjoyed
some private conversation with them. With careful forethought
and superb organization, she attended to every detail of
running her home, from kashering her own chickens to
attending to every note for a teacher or rebbe.
All her acquaintances carry her radiant image, that bespoke
modesty, nobility and respect, etched upon their hearts. This
is also how she will be remembered by her many
talmidos in the Brisk and Bnos Rochel girls' schools,
within whom she inculcated firm principles of love of Torah
and yiras Shomayim. Her nobility of character shone
even more brightly during the period of her illness, when her
main concern was that her husband's learning should not,
choliloh, be disturbed. Drawing on tremendous reserves
of strength she concealed the extent of her own pain and
suffering, but took no pains to conceal her anguish at her
husband's preoccupation and his inability to devote himself
to his learning as he used to because of her illness.
Her trust in Hashem came to the fore during this difficult
time. She would repeatedly say that she was in the care of
Hashem Yisborach and that she thus had nothing to be
afraid of. Until her last days, she maintained hope with all
her might that she would yet regain her strength and she even
drew up a program for the days ahead when she hoped to return
home. During her final hours, she was constantly murmuring
verses of prayer and Tehillim.
Her levaya, which was held in the late hours of the
night of the yahrtzeit of Rochel Imeinu, o'h,
was a heart-rending occasion. Crowds of family members,
acquaintances and neighbors stood crying bitterly over the
death of this great woman who was snatched away to Heaven so
abruptly. Hespedim were delivered by her brothers,
HaRav Shmuel, HaRav Yaakov Chaim and HaRav Moshe Tuvia, by
her brother-in-law HaRav Yaakov Bamberger, by HaRav Yisroel
Gans and by her distinguished husband. Some heart-wrenching
parting words delivered by her son Alexander brought the
hespedim to an end.
Mrs. Friedman leaves behind a wonderful legacy, her twelve
children and her husband shlita, all of whom deeply
mourn her passing in the prime of her life.
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