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27 Adar II 5768 - April 3, 2008 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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NEWS
HaRav Eliahu Boruch Finkel zt"l

By Yechiel Sever

A heavy cloak of grief descended on the Torah world, especially Yeshivas Mir, following the petiroh of HaRav Eliyohu Boruch Finkel zt"l, one of the roshei yeshiva and a leading marbitz Torah, who passed away unexpectedly on Monday 24 Adar at the age of 60.

The levaya was attended by thousands of students and other bnei Torah from Jerusalem, led by Maran HaRav Eliashiv shlita and various roshei yeshivos.

Eliyohu Boruch Finkel was born in Jerusalem on 8 Teves 5708 to HaRav Moshe Finkel, the son of HaRav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Mir, and his mother, the daughter of HaRav Mordechai Dovid Levine, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Eitz Chaim and author of Darkei Dovid.

Raised in this illustrious home, his exceptional talents came to the fore at a young age, including tremendous hasmodoh that remained with him until his very last breath. Shortly after reaching the age of bar mitzvah his father decided to send him to Mir's yeshiva gedoloh in Jerusalem.

When he came of age he married the daughter of Rav Shlomo Gelman of the US. During the five years following his wedding he learned all day with his rav and teacher, HaRav N. Partzovitz, and during bein hazmanim he would learn for hours on end with his friend, HaRav Chaim Kamil. Thirty years ago, after HaRav Partzovitz became ill and was no longer able to give shiurim to the students at Yeshivas Mir, HaRav Eli Boruch Finkel began teaching Torah to thousands of students — both from Eretz Yisroel and from abroad — for decades.

He would fly to the US periodically, but based on instructions from HaRav Shach zt"l, would avoid traveling during the zman. He would spend all of Nisan abroad, delivering dozens of shiurim to bnei Torah at well-known yeshivas and botei medrash in the US.

On Sunday 23 Adar B he kept learning with his chavrusa until 9:00 p.m. and then went into the main beis medrash, where he stayed until 11:00, discussing with his students the material studied at the yeshiva. After Ma'ariv he continued speaking with his students. One of them said he looked liked he wasn't feeling well, but he replied it was just fatigue. Afterwards he went to his apartment in the yeshiva building to write down chidushim and retire for the night, but suffered a sudden heart attack. His family called Magen David Adom, but by the time they arrived he had lost consciousness. As efforts were made to revive him, hundreds of students at Yeshivas Mir and Yeshivas Lakewood recited Tehillim, but soon the news spread that he had been taken to Yeshiva Shel Maaloh.

The levaya set out from the yeshiva late Monday morning. Following hespeidim by HaRav Nosson Tzvi Finkel, HaRav Aryeh Finkel, HaRav Shmuel Auerbach, HaRav Boruch Dov Povarsky, HaRav Shmuel Yaakov Bournstein and the niftar's son, Rav Eliezer Yehuda Leib Finkel, the funeral procession made its way through the streets of Jerusalem to Har Hamenuchos, where he was buried in the rabbinical section.

HaRav Eliyohu Boruch Finkel zt"l is survived by his wife, his sons Rav Eliezer Yehuda Leib, Rav Menachem Meshulom, Rav Nosson Tzvi, Mordechai Dovid, Yosef Meir, Nachum and Yechezkel, his sons-in-law Rav Yosef Frank, a ram at Yeshivas Maoz Chayil, Rav Mordechai Bournstein and Rav Yaakov Paktor, and grandchildren following in his path of Torah and yir'oh, omol haTorah and harbotzas Torah.

 

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