Deep concern has spread throughout the Torah world and the halls of Yeshivas Ponovezh following reports that the famed masmid, Rav Chaim Berman, has become seriously weakened.

Rav Chaim, widely regarded in the yeshiva world as one of the greatest masmidim of the generation, has long been known for his extraordinary consistency in Torah learning and for never missing a single day in the famed Ponovezh bais medrash.

Several weeks ago, Rav Chaim was hospitalized for several days after his medical condition worsened. Although he has since returned home, he has yet to regain his strength, and his absence from the main bais medrash in Bnei Brak has been deeply felt by generations of talmidim.

For Ponovezh bochurim, the absence is especially painful. Rav Chaim is known as someone who virtually never left the walls of the yeshiva and who, despite his towering stature in Torah, would regularly enter the shiurim klaliyim and sit among the younger bochurim with humility and simplicity.

In light of Rav Chaim’s condition and prolonged absence from the yeshiva, Ponovezh rosh yeshiva Rav Berel Povarsky issued an unusual and emotional public letter addressed to current and former talmidim of the yeshiva, calling on them to intensify their tefillos for Rav Chaim’s recovery.

The rosh yeshiva went so far as to refer to Rav Chaim Berman with the rare title “hamaor hagadol – the great luminary” and wrote that “all of us are obligated to share in his suffering.”

The letter states: “To the holy sons of our yeshiva, throughout all generations: I hereby come with a request to increase prayer and supplication for the complete recovery of the great luminary, the gaon Rav Chaim ben Reisha Rizel Berman, shlita, whose image has served as a living example for generations of yeshiva students, like Yehoshua, the devoted student who never departed from the tent. His influence through his Torah, fear of Heaven, and tefillos upon the holy yeshiva is deeply evident.

“And now, to our great pain, his place is missing, as due to his suffering and weakness he is unable to come to the heichal Hashem as he did continuously throughout all the years until very recently. All of us are obligated to share in his suffering and to increase Torah, good deeds, and tefillos for his complete recovery. May Hashem hear our cries, and may the students of the yeshiva merit to continue benefiting from his light for many more years in health and tranquility.”

{Matzav.com}