A cloak of mourning descended on the Torah and yeshiva world Erev Shabbos Ki Siso as news spread regarding the histalkus of HaRav Boruch Shimon Solomon zt"l, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Nachalas Dovid and moro de'asra of Petach Tikva, who passed away unexpectedly that morning at the age of 69.
Upon hearing of his petiroh Maran HaRav Eliashiv shlita said that besides his gadlus in Torah he was unique in the way he took a stand and unflinchingly upheld religious affairs and kodshei Yisroel in the city.
Boruch Shimon Solomon was born on 5 Teves 5700 (1939) to his father HaRav Dovid, who was the rov of several neighborhoods in Petach Tikva and a member of the Rabbinate Bureau, and to his mother, who was the daughter of HaRav Yisroel Aryeh Sapir, the av beis din of Petach Tikva and a talmid of the Chofetz Chaim zy"o. His paternal grandfather was HaRav Avrohom Yisroel Moshe Solomon, the av beis din of Charkov.
As a boy he studied at Talmud Torah Shearis Yisroel in Petach Tikva. Upon completing sixth grade he enrolled at Yeshivas Ohr Yisroel after his teachers told his father that the boy's prodigious abilities should be fully utilized to foster his growth in Torah and yiras Shomayim. At that yeshivoh ketanoh he studied under the rosh yeshiva, HaRav Yaakov Neiman.
Shortly after his bar mitzvah he transferred to Yeshivas Chevron, where he cleaved to the roshei yeshiva, HaRav Yechezkel Sarna and HaRav Aharon Cohen, along with the mashgiach, HaRav Meir Chadash zt"l. He also formed a close bond with HaRav Simchoh Zissel Broide, whom he learned with to prepare his shiurim. They continued learning bechavruso until the very day HaRav Broide passed away.
During this period he would frequent the homes of HaRav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel zt"l and HaRav Eliashiv ylct"a.
He married the daughter of HaRav Boruch Mandelbaum, the rov of Beis Knesses Yavneh and a marbitz Torah among yirei'im in Tel Aviv. He then continued his Torah studies at Kollel Toras Eretz Yisroel in Petach Tikva, where he cleaved to HaRav Yitzchok Katz, who studied with him bechavruso.
When he was 25 his father passed away at the age of 54. At the behest of gedolei hador the young avreich took over his father's post as moro de'asra of the Petach Tikva neighborhoods. Soon afterwards he heeded HaRav Sarna's advice to him to start a yeshiva. HaRav Sarna even sent a group of 15 of his top students at Yeshivas Chevron to form the core group that launched Yeshivas Nachalas Dovid, which was named in his father's memory.
In 5739 (1979) he was appointed rov of the city of Petach Tikva, and he held the post for the next 30 years, serving as rosh avos botei din as well. One of his most notable accomplishments during this period was a hard-fought battle to block the opening of the Heichal Cinema on Shabbos. During the course of the campaign he was arrested and beaten brutally by the police. Gedolei hador say his firm stance prevented breaches in the walls of Shabbos around the country.
Early Friday morning he woke for his learning session and while preparing for the tefiloh suffered a heart attack. Rescue workers made every effort to resuscitate him, but he returned his soul to his Maker.
Thousands of alumni from the four decades the yeshiva has been in operation and thousands of Petach Tikva residents streamed to the heichal of the yeshiva, located in the city's Kfar Avraham neighborhood.
Hespeidim were given by Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar, Chief Rabbi Yonah Metzger, his son HaRav Yisroel Moshe, who will be assuming his father's post in the rabbinate, HaRav Yaakov Edelstein, the rov of Ramat Hasharon and Bnei Brak's Neot Yosef neighborhood, HaRav Nosson Tzvi Finkel, the rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Mir, HaRav Aviezer Piltz, the rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Tifrach, HaRav Yisroel Meir Lau, the rov of Tel Aviv, HaRav Yosef Efrati, the niftar's brother HaRav Yehoshua Solomon, a ram at Yeshivas Nachalas Dovid, and Petach Tikva Mayor Mr. Yitzchak Ochayoun.
His son HaRav Yeshayohu Solomon asked for his father's forgiveness in the name of the family and the yeshiva students. The levaya then set out for Segula Cemetery, where he was buried in the old rabbinical section near the gravesites of his father, HaRav Dovid, and his rov, HaRav Yaakov Neiman.
