Heavy mourning has descended upon the Bobover court as thousands of chassidim accompanied the venerable Reb Moshe Meir Einhorn z”l to his final resting place on Erev Shabbos.

A survivor of the dor de’ah and the devoted gabbai of Bobov’s Shaarei Tzion kehillah for fifty years, he passed away peacefully at the age of 100.

Reb Moshe Meir was born on Erev Sukkos 5686 in the town of Kashanov. His father was among the prominent Bobover chassidim in the area. As a child he merited to bask in the presence of the Bobover Rebbe, the Kedushas Tzion, during the period when the Rebbe resided in the town of Tchebin.

When he reached bar mitzvah age, on Erev Sukkos 5699, he traveled to don tefillin with his rebbe, the Kedushas Tzion. In doing so, he became the last living Jew known to have had the privilege of putting on tefillin with the Kedushas Tzion himself.

During the terrible years of the Holocaust, he endured six brutal years in concentration camps. Even under those horrific conditions he maintained his dignity and served Hashem with great mesirus nefesh.

After the war, he arrived in Switzerland, where he served as a shochet under the guidance of the renowned gaon, the Chelkas Yaakov of Zurich. A few years later he immigrated to the United States, where he bound himself with deep devotion to his rebbe, the Bobover Rebbe, the Divrei Shlomo. Even during those early years he already served as gabbai in the Bobover shtiebel in Boro Park, at a time when the Rebbe was still living in Crown Heights.

In 5730 he was officially appointed by the Divrei Shlomo of Bobov to serve as the gabbai of the Bobover Shaarei Tzion kehillah. He carried out that role with extraordinary dedication and unwavering loyalty for fifty consecutive years.

His strong connection to the Bobover court continued under the leadership of the Rebbe, Rav Naftali Tzvi of Bobov, and later with the current Bobover Rebbe, who showed him special warmth and affection.

Reb Moshe Meir maintained his energetic and disciplined chassidic routine almost until the very end of his life. Among other practices, he continued attending the Rebbe’s regular Shacharis minyan until only a few years ago, even after he had already passed the age of ninety.

Every Shabbos, during the tish of Rava D’Ravin, it was he who began the niggun of “Baruch Kel Elyon.” Each Erev Shabbos he would enter the Rebbe’s chamber to deliver the community’s rent payments.

Those who knew him described him as a chassid from an earlier generation, a Jew who embodied sincere avodas Hashem, integrity in business, and a warm countenance toward every person.

Only a few months ago, his wife passed away after nearly eighty years of marriage that began shortly after the war.

The levayah departed on Friday afternoon from the plaza of the Bobover Beis Medrash in Boro Park. The Bobover Dayan delivered a hesped on behalf of the chassidim, followed by members of the family.

At the head of the procession was the Bobover Rebbe, as well as other prominent rabbonim.

Reb Moshe Meir was laid to rest in the Bobover cemetery, in the section near the ohel of the Rebbes of the Bobover dynasty.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}