The Mashgiach of the Yeshiva Beis Yosef-Novaradok in Boro Park for decades, a giant of Torah and mussar was Rav Kehos Borek about whom his rebbi, Rav Avrohom Yoffen remarked that it was worth establishing the entire Yeshivas Biyalistok if only to raise a talmid like Rav Kehos. 

For decades, he espoused the derech of Novaradok in Boro Park—to both the old talmidim of the yeshiva who had been transplanted to America, as well as to new generations of Novaradoker talmidim who drunk from the incredible influence of Rav Kehos.

Rav Kehos was born in the town of Tarnogród, Poland, in the year 1913. His father was Rav Avigdor Borek, a yerei Shomayim who hailed from a chassidishe background. For all his years, Rav Kehos would arise early to learn. He related to a grandson that this was ingrained in him from his childhood, when his father hired a special melamed for him who would learn with him in the early hours of the day, before leaving for cheder. Once, on the yohrtzeit of his father, Rav Kehos related that his father would give a special pastry for his sacrifice in getting up early to learn. 

Rav Kehos never spoke about himself. But his Rebbetzin related to her grandson that he received a letter from the rov of Tarnogród stating that he was one of the best bochurim in the town. When he grew older, his father sent him to a prominent chassidishe Mesivta in Warsaw, but upon arrival, he was overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of the big city, and he couldn’t see himself being able to learn there. 

Rav Yankele Galinsky—who was in Siberia together with Rav Kehos— related at his levaya, “In Siberia, we were given a ration of bread in the morning, and it would need to last the entire day, for the evening meal. Everyone trusted Rav Kehos to hold their bread!” said Rav Yankele. 

Following Siberia, he made his way to France. There, he married Rebbetzin Feiga Leah, the daughter of Reb Aaron Shlomo Cynamon, a chassidishe Yid who exclaimed about the clean-shaven Kehos: “This bochur is a frummer, I am looking for a frummer! 

The Rebbetzin—who came from a wealthy background—would be moser nefesh to support her husband in his avodas hakodesh for all the years. 

With the passing of the mashgiach Rav Yisroel Movshovitz, Rav Kehos was appointed the mashgiach of Novaradok—a position in which he inspired the talmidim.      

He was a tremendous talmid chochom, and Rav Avrohom Yoffen would always say that Rav Kehos is the lamdan of Novaradok. “Don’t call him a tzaddik; call him a lamdan,” Rav Avrohom said. A grandson relates, “I learned with my zeide a lot. You couldn’t get anything by him. Everything had to be glatt, and had to be oisgehalten in cheshbon. He was fire in learning!” 

“There was no such thing as my zeide wasting time,” recalls an einikel. “Either he was shuckeling over his Chovos Halevovos with the tremendous erenstkeit, and the rest of the time, he was shakuah in learning with superhuman hasmodoh. He was also a giant in halachah, greatly versed in Shulchan Aruch and nosei keilim. “He was a tremendous boki in Mishna Berura,” recalls a grandson.    

When his shver, Rav Aaron Shlomo Cynamon, passed away in Eretz Yisroel, one by one, all the children came to live with the Boreks in Boro Park—finding an open home in which they felt comfortable and welcome for many years to come. 

One of the siblings was the wife of Rav Moshe Liphshitz, a tremendous talmid chochom (we profiled him here a number of years ago). When contemplating moving to America, she came to the Chazon Ish who asked her who she would be going to in America. When she answered that her brother-in-law was Rav Kehos Borek from Novaradok, the Chazon Ish replied that he will ask his brother-in-law, the Steipeler about him. When she returned a few days later, the Chazon Ish said, “you should go.”   

For many years, the Borek and the Liphshitz families lived in the same house. They got along incredibly well, and Rav Kehos gave Rav Moshe the full kavod; He would always listen to everything that Rav Moshe had to say with the full attention. In general, Rav Kehos was an incredible anav and shefal berech…He was extremely distant from kovod, and was always b’simcha, with a glow on his face. 

Rav Kehos took his position as mashgiach of Novaradok extremely seriously, and he was a pillar of Torah and mussar to all those who knew him until his passing on 22 Iyar, 1994.