One of the yechidei segulah of Yerushalayim, HaRav Aharon Goloventzitz zt"l, was summoned to the Heavenly yeshiva on Hoshanah Rabbah. Known as a wonderful speaker, he was the rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas HaRav Bengis, and the spiritual head of the seminary Bnos Elisheva.
Aharon Goloventzitz zt"l was born in White Russia in 5697 (1937). His father,HaRav Chaim Shlomo, was the rov of Mohilev and the head of a yeshiva ketanoh whose talmidim included HaRav Aharon Kotler, HaRav Yaakov Kamenetsky and HaRav Yaakov Yitzchok Halevi Ruderman. His mother Yehudis was the daughter of HaRav Chaim Kalman Bodenstein zt"l.
R' Aharon learned in Yeshivas Zichron Yaakov under the rosh yeshiva HaRav Noach Shimanowitz zt"l and the mashgiach HaRav Eliahu Lopian zt"l. He considered HaRav Lopian to be his rebbe muvhak and in the middle of one of the last classes he gave at the seminary he exclaimed, "I really miss HaRav Lopian zt"l."
From his time in yeshiva he was known to innovate in Torah and in all areas he used to construct organized chidushim that he continued to add on to from time to time. His accomplishments in aggodoh are particularly noteworthy. HaRav Ezriel Auerbach shlita said that the family should publish his writings.
He married the daughter of HaRav Shmuel Vitzik zt"l, the granddaughter of HaRav Zelig Reuven Bengis zt"l, the rov of Yerushalayim. At first he taught in Boys Town in Bayit Vegan, where he felt that he made a special contribution in reaching out to boys with weak Torah backgrounds. When he was offered other positions he replied that he felt that he was acquiring his Gan Eden in his position in Boys Town.
However, when he father-in-law founded a kolel and yeshiva named after HaRav Bengis, HaRav Aharon became head of those institutions and served in that position for many years.
His abilities led to his being in demand to speak and teach in many places. One time he told his friends that he refused a particular invitation, even though he accepted most others, because they gave him too much kovod at that place.
Eight years ago he was asked by HaRav Eliashiv to join the senior staff of Bnos Elisheva, which he did.
On 21 Elul he gave a shiur in the seminar during the course of which he said that a person's soul can feel that his life is approaching its end 30 days before the event. Ten minutes later he stopped the class, explaining that he did not feel well. It was the first time in his life that he even stopped a class in the middle. On the afternoon of Yom Kippur he suddenly collapsed and lost consciousness, which he never regained. Exactly 30 days later he returned his pure soul to its Maker.
He is survived by his widow, his three sons, HaRav Reuven, HaRav Shimon and HaRav Moshe, his sons-in-law HaRav Yisroel Leib Salomon and HaRav Boaz Haber, shlita, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
