
Matzav3 hours agoThe Williamsburg community is mourning the petirah of Rav Chaim Tzvi Ehrenreich zt”l, Gaavad of Shamloi and mechaber of Maayan Yeshuah, who was niftar on the second day of Rosh Hashanah after meriting to hear the shofar. He was 94.
Rav Chaim Tzvi zt”l, a distinguished link to generations of illustrious Hungarian gedolim and tzaddikim, had been ill for a relatively brief period. He remained lucid until his final hours and was niftar on Rosh Hashanah after hearing the tekios.
The niftar was the son of the noted mohel, Rav Yehoshua Ehrenreich zt”l of Yerushalayim, who was a son of the renowned Rav Shlomo Zalman Ehrenreich zt”l Hy”d, the Shamloier Rov and author of Even Shlomo and other sefarim. Rav Shlomo Zalman was murdered al kiddush Hashem during the Holocaust, together with a portion of his precious Torah manuscripts.
Rav Chaim Tzvi was also a descendant of the Kol Aryeh, and his distinguished lineage extended to Rav Tzvi Hirsch of Liska, the Tal Chaim, and other leading rabbanim and Torah luminaries of prewar Hungary.
He was the son-in-law of Rav Moshe Dov Weisberg zt”l, one of the distinguished talmidei chachamim of Yerushalayim, who was a son of Reb Chaim Shlomo Zalman Weisberg z”l and a descendant of the Ohev Yisrael of Apta.
Throughout his long life, Rav Chaim Tzvi was known for his extraordinary breadth and sharpness in all areas of Torah, including Pardes. He was particularly renowned for his knowledge of gematrios and parperaos lachochmah, which he developed and wove together based upon the teachings of Toras hachein.
He committed a large body of his Torah thoughts to writing. Portions of those writings were published in a series of kuntreisim bearing the name Maayan Yeshuah.
With his petirah, the Torah world lost a figure described by those who knew him as a continuously flowing wellspring of Torah and drush. His teachings carried the flavor of earlier generations, reflecting what he had personally heard and absorbed from the remaining links to the Torah world of prewar Europe.
Rav Chaim Tzvi was zocheh to leave behind a son and daughter, as well as grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
His son is Rav Yehoshua Ehrenreich, a son-in-law of the late Gaavad of Montevideo of Williamsburg. His elder son-in-law is the Nadvorna-Bania Rebbe, and one of his grandsons is the Dinov Rebbe.
The levayah is expected to take place in Williamsburg, after which the aron will be flown to Eretz Yisrael. The kevurah will take place on Har Hamenuchos in Yerushalayim, where Rav Chaim Tzvi zt”l will be laid to rest near his father.
Yehi zichro baruch.
{Matzav.com}


Matzav2 hours agoA highly unusual sight drew considerable attention among the thousands who spent Rosh Hashanah in Uman this year, as Rav Shalom Ber Sorotzkin, Rosh Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo, made his first-ever Rosh Hashanah visit to Uman and joined the massive tefillos of Breslover chassidim.
Rav Sorotzkin stayed at the Azamra Hotel during his visit, which quickly became one of the most widely discussed developments among those gathered in Uman for Rosh Hashanah.
His arrival was marked by an especially conspicuous welcome: a huge banner was hung from one of the area’s tall buildings bearing a photograph of the Rosh Yeshiva and a message welcoming him to Uman. The display immediately attracted the attention of visitors throughout the area.
On the first night of Rosh Hashanah, Rav Sorotzkin went to the main Breslover kloiz for Maariv. The massive bais medrash was packed with thousands of mispallelim, with virtually no room remaining to stand.
During both days of Rosh Hashanah, the Rosh Yeshiva davened Shacharis and Mussaf at the large minyan held in the tent of noted philanthropist Mr. Louis Scheiner. The minyan, one of the prominent Rosh Hashanah minyanim in Uman, begins each morning at 6 a.m.
Rav Sorotzkin’s presence generated considerable excitement among participants. He was seen davening with great hisorerus and simcha and, at one point, spent an extended period encouraging the spirited dancing with his hand.
The davening continued for hours, accompanied by singing and dancing, and concluded at approximately 10:45 a.m.
The visit was particularly noteworthy because of Rav Sorotzkin’s position as the Rosh Yeshiva of one of the prominent Litvishe Torah institutions in Eretz Yisrael. His decision to spend Rosh Hashanah in Uman and participate in the Breslover minyanim therefore became a major topic of conversation throughout the city.
The unusual visit was discussed extensively in the batei medrash, hotels and streets surrounding the tziyun of Rav Nachman of Breslov.
Sources indicated that Rav Sorotzkin’s unprecedented trip to Uman was connected to a major financial commitment from an American philanthropist. According to the sources, a wealthy supporter offered to cover the substantial financial shortfall facing Ateres Shlomo — reportedly amounting to millions of dollars — on the unusual condition that the Rosh Yeshiva accompany him to Uman for Rosh Hashanah. Some reports have placed the value of the commitment at approximately $10 million, although that specific figure has not been independently confirmed. Other reports said the donor undertook to cover three months of overdue stipends owed to thousands of avreichim in the Ateres Shlomo kollel network. Rav Sorotzkin consulted with one of the Gedolei Yisroel before agreeing to the arrangement, after which the outstanding stipends were transferred to the avreichim.