Thousands took part in the levaya in Gateshead, London
and Jerusalem of HaRav Chaim Shaul Kaufman zt"l, one
of the roshei yeshiva of Yeshivas Tiferes Yaakov in
Gateshead, England, who returned his pure soul to his Maker
on motzei Simchas Torah at the age of 68.
Chaim Shaul Kaufman was born in Berlin to Rav Moshe Kaufman,
who moved to Gateshead with his family when Chaim Shaul was
two years old. As a child, Chaim Shaul became known as an
exceptional masmid. Later at Yeshivas Gateshead he was
close to his rabbonim, HaRav Leib Gurwicz and HaRav Leib
Lopian, who had so much trust in him that they would ask for
his notes from the previous cycle before delivering
shiurim.
Once he came to his rabbonim puzzled over how to give a
chaburoh. With his clear thinking and the hard work he
put into his learning, every sugya was so clear to him
he could not understand what was left to explain.
In his 20s he traveled to Yeshivas Lakewood for several
months to learn and attend shiurim given by Maran
HaRav Aharon Kotler zt"l, who was very impressed by
his great aptitude and clarity of thought.
In Elul 5735 he started Yeshivas Tiferes Yaakov together with
the rosh yeshiva ylct"a HaRav Ezriel Yaffeh, and
continued to teach there for the next 30 years. On Shabbos he
would give an in-depth shiur on a sugya taken
from parshas hashovua. These insights, a combination
of his exceptional bekius and prodigious memory, were
eventually published in his great, multi-volume work,
Mishchas Shemen.
He passed on his clarity in learning to his numerous
talmidim, many of whom reached high levels in their
Torah scholarship and now serve as marbitzei Torah
around the world.
Having gained wide renown as a gifted speaker who had
acquired his approach to Torah and avodas Hashem from
gedolei Torah, he was regularly invited to speak
around the world. When major events were organized to mark
the completion of the Daf Yomi cycle last winter, despite his
poor state of health at the time he spoke in the US and at
large gatherings in England and Eretz Yisroel.
On Asoroh BeTeves he was diagnosed with cancer, but he
continued to deliver shiurim at the yeshiva in spite
of the great suffering he was experiencing. Throughout this
period, talmidim constantly recited Tehillim
for his recovery, including a special minyan at
the Kosel at chatzos every Leil Shabbos. Due to the
serious decline in his condition he said the time had come to
seek a replacement for him.
Following a particularly stirring talk he gave on Yom Kippur
between Kol Nidrei and Ma'ariv, he asked all of the
talmidim to stand up and recite the verse, "Al
tashlicheini le'eis ziknoh . . . "
On the first day of Succos he organized a minyan in
his study room and together they recited Vidui. During
Chol Hamoed he continued to grow weaker until he passed away
after midnight on motzei Simchas Torah after reciting
Krias Shema Al Hamittoh.
A cloak of mourning settled on the chareidi community in
Gateshead as the dour news spread. A large crowd began to
gather outside Yeshivas Tiferes Yaakov to accompany him on
his last earthly journey. Tearful hespeidim were given
in Gateshead by HaRav Ze'ev Cohen, one of the roshei yeshiva,
HaRav Avrohom Ehrentreu, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Sunderland,
HaRav Ezriel Rosenbaum, a ram at Yeshivas Gateshead,
HaRav Tzvi Baksht, a mashgiach at Yeshivas Tiferes
Yaakov, HaRav Avrohom Osher Cohen, a ram at the
yeshiva, and his only son, HaRav Yosef, who spoke
movingly.
The aron was then brought to London after being met
near Manchester by some of Europe's leading rabbonim along
with thousands of his talmidim and other admirers who
had come to offer their final respects and to accompany the
deceased. There he was eulogized by HaRav Binyomin Ze'ev
Kaufman, rosh kollel of the Manchester Kollel, HaRav
Yisroel Horowitz, a dayan in Manchester, and the Admor
of Horodonka.
The aron was then brought to London for the main
segment of the levaya during which the deceased was
brought into Beis Knesses Adas Yisroel, where thousands were
of participants were on hand, including HaRav Yosef Tzvi
Halevy Dunner, rav in London and one of the elder
leaders of the European rabbonim who made a special effort to
take part in the levaya.
Hespeidim were given by rabbonim who had traveled from
Europe and the US, including HaRav Elchonon Halperin, av
beis din of the Radimshala kehilloh in Golders
Green, HaRav Efraim Padwa, the gavad of London, HaRav
Aharon Dovid Dunner, a dayan in the Beis Din of the
Uunion of Orthodox Congregations, HaRav Mattisyohu Salomon,
the mashgiach of Yeshivas Lakewood, and the deceased's
nephew HaRav Avrohom Sonenstein, a ram at Yeshivas Gur
in London.
On Friday morning several thousands of talmidim and
other admirers awaited the arrival of the aron in
Jerusalem at the Rachmastrivka beis medrash in Givat
Moshe.
The first of the maspidim was HaRav Tuviyoh Weiss, the
gavad of the Eida Hachareidis of Jerusalem, who was
followed by HaRav Eliyohu Falk of Gateshead, HaRav Mordechai
Yosef Kanovsky, mashgiach at Yeshivas Gateshead, the
deceased's son-in-law and his only son.
The levaya then proceeded to Har Hamenuchos Cemetery,
where he was buried in the rabbinical section. After
stimas hagolel HaRav Ezriel Yaffeh, rosh yeshiva of
Yeshivas Tiferes Yaakov, delivered a heart-rending
hesped, bringing the talmidim to bitter tears
as they realized the greatness of the loss.
Short words of parting were offered by HaRav Yehuda Leib
Witler, mashgiach at the yeshiva.
