HaRav Aryeh Leib Rotkin zt"l, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas
Zichron Yosef Aryeh in the US and Eretz Hakodesh, was laid to
rest at the age of 88 following a difficult illness.
Aryeh Leib Rotkin was born in Radishkovitz in 5678 (1918) and
lost his father at a young age. As a young widow his mother
showed mesirus nefesh in raising her son for Torah,
later sending him to study in yeshiva at a time when this was
rare.
From his early boyhood until his final days R' Aryeh Leib
toiled in Torah. He attended yeshivos ketanos starting
at age ten in Ashmina, Rakov (where HaRav Avrohom Kalmanovitz
was rov) and Prozna (where HaRav Eliyohu Feinstein, the uncle
of HaRav Moshe Feinstein and the father-in-law of HaRav Moshe
Soloveitchik, was rov).
Later he transferred to Yeshivas Baranovitch, where he
studied under HaRav Elchonon Wassermann Hy"d, and
attended shiurim given by HaRav Dovid HaKohen Rapoport
Hy"d, and HaRav Leib Gaviye Hy"d. He also
attended Yeshivas Grodno for a short time, but had to leave
due to the lack of food.
He acquired the majority of his learning from HaRav Aharon
Kotler zt"l, who he studied under in Vilna from 5694
(1934) to 5701 (1941) and then after the war until his
passing in 5722 (1962). He also cleaved to the mashgiach,
HaRav Yosef Leib Nandik, and even lived in his apartment for
a few months.
The very fact he was studying in yeshiva was an act of
mesirus nefesh, for during this period very few
shidduchim were available for yeshiva students and his
entire future was up in the air.
During the war he was exiled along with his fellow students
from Kletsk to Siberia, where he lost some of his closest
friends. After his release he roamed around Russia as a
hapless refugee, but always maintained the deportment of a
ben yeshiva. In Samarkand he married his wife Sheindel
tlc"a, who stood by him devotedly even through times
of extreme difficulty.
After the war, when HaRav Kotler managed to secure his
release from behind the Iron Curtain, HaRav Rotkin became one
of the first students at Yeshivas Lakewood. For the next five
decades he engaged in harbotzas Torah as a rosh
chaburoh at Yeshivas Lakewood and later rosh yeshiva of
Yeshivas Kamenetz in Boro Park and then rosh yeshiva of
Yeshivas Yosef Aryeh, named after the mashgiach of Kletsk,
HaRav Yosef Leib Nandik.
Twenty years ago he moved the yeshiva to Eretz Hakodesh,
where he continued to engage in Torah with avreichim
and talmidim until his last day.
He delivered shiurim on masechtos in Noshim,
Nezikim, Moed and Kodshim, writing
chiddushim in all areas of Torah study. During his
elderly years he compiled and edited his chiddushim on
several masechtos.
Throughout his lifetime HaRav Rotkin retained the youthful
spirit of an enthusiastic bochur. He constantly sought
new approaches to learning sugyos, always instilling
his Torah study with vigor and reviewing his learning
countless times to extract chiddushim.
The levaya set out Sunday night from the Biale Beis
Medrash in Jerusalem's Unsdorf neighborhood, where his
yeshiva was located for decades. Based on instructions in his
will hespeidim were only delivered by his
talmidim and family members.
The first eulogy was given by his prized talmid, HaRav
Yitzchok Berkowitz, rosh kollel of Linas Tzedek and rov of
the Minyan Avreichim of Sanhedria Murchevet, who spoke of the
deceased's vitality in his Torah learning and all of his
ways, saying his special characteristics will forever serve
as an example for his talmidim, citing Chazal's
teaching that "Yaakov Ovinu never died."
Afterwards he was eulogized by his eldest son, HaRav
Yechezkel Rotkin, rosh chaburoh at Yeshivas Lakewood
and a maggid shiur at Yeshivas Zichron Yosef Aryeh in
Lakewood, who described a life of joy in Torah and mitzvas
despite lacking all the material amenities that most people
consider necessities.
The deceased's son-in-law, HaRav Yehoshua Karlinsky, rosh
yeshiva of Yeshivas Be'er Avrohom, related the family's
sorrow at the loss just days after his granddaughter's
wedding. He described his father-in-law's stature as
gadlus normally found only in past generations.
The hespeidim were concluded by the deceased's
youngest son, HaRav Shmuel Ze'ev Rotkin, rosh yeshiva of
Yeshivas Zichron Yosef Aryeh in Lakewood, who spoke of his
father's joy in Torah learning.
HaRav Aryeh Leib Rotkin, zt"l, was buried in the
Chelkas HaRabbonim of Har Hamenuchos.
