A Rising Light Extinguished
By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz
The first parsha
of the Torah, which discusses the creation of the world and its beginning
years, represents potential and the future. On Shabbos Bereishis, we
begin the weekly cycle of Torah study—a new beginning, brimming with promise
for the coming year.
Yet, almost as
soon as Shabbos Bereishis ended this year, we began receiving messages,
urging tefillos for Rav Shlomo Halioua, the beloved rosh yeshiva
of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin. The initial requests were marked by a
frantic urgency, yet no one knew what had struck him down so suddenly. There
was mention of an infection, but nothing more. Within hours, however, the tone
shifted. The words became more grave. Rav Shlomo, they said, was in critical
need of rachamei Shomayim. He was in the ICU, battling a severe
infection.
And then, before
we even had time to grasp the magnitude of his illness, he was gone. A young rosh
yeshiva, a scion of families rooted in Torah greatness, his presence
embodied the grandeur and dignity of the yeshiva he led, Chaim Berlin, a
legacy founded by Rav Yitzchok Hutner and carried forward with unwavering
dedication by Rav Aharon Schechter.
Rav Shlomo
Halioua represented this legacy not only through his knowledge and character,
but through the warmth and gadlus that permeated his very being.
Though his
tenure at Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin was brief, his influence was immediate
and profound. His talmidim were drawn to his insightful shiurim
and his meticulously crafted maamorim, treasures of Torah wisdom that
resonated deeply with each listener.
Rav Shlomo was a
quiet and humble masmid, a tremendous talmid chochom whose every
word and action displayed an inherent nobility. Those who knew him saw not just
a rosh yeshiva, but a leader in the making, a potential rebbi to
thousands, poised to leave an indelible mark on the Torah world.
Yet, just as he
stood at the threshold of greatness, the middas hadin struck with
unyielding force, leaving us devastated and bewildered by the sudden loss of
yet another gadol b’Yisroel. Woe is to us. “Shekulah misas tzaddikim
k’sereifas Bais Elokeinu.”
It is not for us
to know the Divine plan, but we must heed the messages that Hakadosh Boruch
Hu sends us. We must commit ourselves, each in our own way, to a life of
increased Torah learning, mitzvos, and achdus. Now, more than
ever, as we endure the chevlei Moshiach, as we commit to deeper study of
Torah, we must anchor ourselves in the mitzvos that will hasten our
redemption—teshuvah and achdus—so that the suffering of our
people will come to an end and the Bais Elokeinu will be rebuilt.
When Rav Aharon
Schechter, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin, was niftar,
I felt compelled to share the profound and enduring connection that I feel for
that extraordinary yeshiva. It holds a unique place in my heart. As a
young yeshiva bochur, an esteemed mispallel in my father’s shul,
a person I had come to greatly respect, invited me to attend a maamar
delivered by his rebbi, Rav Yitzchok Hutner, on Chol Hamoed Sukkos.
At the time, I
was just a young boy from Monsey who had barely set foot in Brooklyn, and
though I had heard of Rav Hutner’s greatness, I had never experienced it
firsthand. Yet, thanks to the encouragement of his talmid, Reb Matis
Greenblatt, I decided to attend the maamar. I didn’t know what to
expect, and yet it surpassed anything I could have imagined. The experience was
nothing short of transformative. The maamar, and every detail
surrounding it, captured my mind and heart. The Torah that Rav Hutner imparted
was like nothing I had encountered before—profound, poetic, and alive with
meaning. His voice was soft yet vibrant, painting concepts with a clarity and
beauty that caused the Torah to dance in my mind long after his words had
ceased.
The scene itself
was unforgettable. Rav Hutner sat regally at the head of the table, surrounded
by senior talmidim, each one transfixed by the richness of his words.
The entire setting exuded a reverence and awe that matched the gravity of the
Torah being shared. I was spellbound, utterly captivated by the majesty of it
all.
Years have
passed since that day, yet the memory remains vivid, as does the deep impact it
had on me. I was privileged to attend more maamorim with Reb Matis, and
although I never had the honor of a personal conversation with Rav Hutner, his
teachings opened my heart to the world of Maharal and machshovah,
and he earned a permanent place in my heart alongside his yeshiva.
Later, when I
became involved with Torah Umesorah, I was drawn back to that hallowed bais
medrash, where Rav Aharon Schechter had already established himself as a
leader among roshei yeshiva. Rav Aharon played a pivotal role in
communal leadership, giving of himself to organizations like Torah Umesorah,
where he was closely connected to Rav Shea Fishman. It was through Rav Shea,
who had studied under Rav Hutner and was intimately familiar with his
teachings, that I was introduced to Rav Aharon.
Rav Aharon
welcomed me with kindness and generosity, drawing me close with a warmth that
was both aristocratic and deeply human. He represented the highest ideals of gadlus
ha’adam, of a talmid chochom conducting himself with inherent
dignity. There was a unique quality to the way he spoke with people. Everyone
felt special, honored to be in his presence. Every encounter with him was
elevating, and I was always touched by the profound respect that he showed for
each person he met.
For several
years, I had the privilege of sitting with Rav Aharon at the Torah Umesorah
convention, sharing Shabbos seudos in his private dining room.
Those moments were treasures, as Rav Aharon, enveloped in the kedushas
haShabbos, led the seudah with a sanctity and joy that filled the
room. The zemiros, the divrei Torah, and his insights into the parsha
were delivered with a passion that was unmatched, and I felt honored to be
included among his close family and talmidim. Though I was technically
an outsider, he welcomed me in, making me feel like family.
Once, someone
approached him and asked why he had allowed me into his private circle, as I
was not technically a talmid. With his signature warmth, Rav Aharon
replied that he considered me “an honorary talmid.” It was a comment
that touched me deeply, one of many moments in which he extended himself with
kindness and grace.
On one memorable
occasion, during my first visit to Camp Morris, I went to greet Rav Aharon and
casually mentioned that it was my first time there. Without hesitation, he
offered to give me a tour of the camp himself. He climbed into my car, and with
the pride of one introducing a friend to his home, he directed me around the
campus, pointing out each building and landmark. His love for the yeshiva
was palpable, and I felt privileged to see it through his eyes.
The rosh
yeshiva attended several of my family’s simchos, including my
children’s weddings and a vort in Brooklyn. Each time, his presence was
a cherished honor, a testament to the bond between us. In Yeshivas Rabbeinu
Chaim Berlin, once a talmid, always a talmid, and the roshei
yeshiva were steadfast in their devotion to their talmidim. Rav
Hutner and later Rav Aharon were involved not only in their talmidim’s
Torah growth, but in guiding them through life’s complexities. Each talmid
was set on a unique path, tailored to their individual strengths and
aspirations, with the rosh yeshiva’s unwavering guidance helping them
find success both in Torah and in life.
The Chaim Berlin
roshei yeshiva had “breiteh pleitzes” and were prime
leaders, accepting responsibility and working for the klal, through
organizations and by helping and supporting individual communal leaders, rabbonim,
roshei yeshiva, askonim, and regular good Jews. In his short time
at the head of the yeshiva, Rav Shlomo Halioua followed their tradition
in communal affairs as well.
Even in his
youth, Rav Shlomo’s qualities shone brightly. As a young bochur in
Yeshiva of Brooklyn, Rav Shlomo was marked by a chashivus that set him
apart, a quiet dedication that became his hallmark. Known among his peers as a baal
middos and masmid, his commitment to learning was unwavering.
Together with the recently departed tzaddik Rav Velvel Finkelstein, he
achieved national recognition by winning the first National Pirchei Hasmodah
Contest, an honor that reflected not only his natural brilliance but his
tireless dedication to Torah.
Rav Shlomo
hailed from an aristocratic family, a lineage of rabbonim and marbitzei
Torah that had nurtured Torah in Morocco for generations. This noble
heritage traced back to Rabbeinu Bachya Ben Asher, an illustrious forebear
whose Torah insights continue to enlighten minds centuries later. Cognizant of
his legacy, Rav Shlomo carried the responsibility and reverence for Torah that
had been passed down through the ages. From his earliest years, he knew that
every moment he invested in learning brought him closer to Hakadosh Boruch
Hu. His limud haTorah was not just study. It was an act of weighty
avodah, through which he reached greater spiritual heights.
Throughout his
formative years, Rav Shlomo had the extraordinary privilege of learning under
some of the era’s most towering figures. His learning under Rav Binyomin Paler,
Rav Feivel Cohen, Rav Avrohom Yehoshua Soloveitchik, and, of course, Rav
Yonason David and Rav Aharon Schechter established a strong foundation, both in
hasmodah and in the clarity of thought that would come to define him.
Each rebbi instilled in him values that would become intrinsic to his
character—iyun in Torah, rigor in his avodah, and a humility that
was ever-present.
As his
reputation grew, so did his stature among his peers, who recognized in him not
just a masmid, but a tremendous lamdan and person of depth.
A person who
thinks everything through very carefully grows in Torah and succeeds. A person
who spends hours deep in thought, working through the intricacies of a sugya,
becomes a lamdan. Rav Shlomo spent hours poring over the intricacies of
each sugya, never satisfied until he arrived at a conclusion that was
both profound and rooted in truth. This amkus was his natural
inclination, an extension of his deep ahavas haTorah.
As an ish
tzonua, he was careful not only with his thoughts, but with his words,
thinking through each question posed to him before offering a response. He
carried himself with a quiet dignity, never seeking the limelight, but
consistently earning the respect and admiration of those around him. It was
this humility that marked him as a gadol baTorah—a person who understood
that true greatness is found in service to Torah, in refining oneself to be a
vessel for Torah. He attempted to hide his greatness in Torah, but in the
yeshiva all knew that he encompassed the many facets of gadlus.
Rav Shlomo’s
life was a constant process of growth, of horeving over Torah and avodah,
reaching new depths of understanding with each passing day. Through his
relentless dedication, he not only became a man of wide-ranging Torah
knowledge, but also succeeded in every facet of his life. This ascent was not a
matter of ambition. It was a natural result of his avodah, an unending
journey toward ever-greater heights in Torah, middos, and closeness to Hakadosh
Boruch Hu.
He continued
along the path hewed by the previous roshei yeshiva of Yeshivas Rabbeinu
Chaim Berlin, studying and teaching the sugyos of Shas, as well
as the seforim of the Maharal, the Ramchal, and the Vilna
Gaon, to reach a lofty understanding of Torah, mitzvos, and all of
creation.
Therefore, the
promise of the Torah was realized in him, and he succeeded in his role as rosh
yeshiva of a foremost yeshiva, taking over from his legendary rebbi
and father-in-law, who followed in the path paved by his own rebbi, Rav
Hutner, leading the yeshiva and its talmidim to grow and succeed
in their unique, glorious path in Torah.
May his memory,
the example he set, the Torah he studied and taught, and what he stood for be a
zechus for his wife, children, grandchildren, talmidim, and all
of Klal Yisroel.