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.
