Rav Dovid Chait with his father Rav Moshe Chait ztl

B18 13 ELUL, 5769 Israel SEPTEMBER 2, 2009 HAMODIA
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Harav Moshe Dov Chait, zt”l
Remembering the Rosh Yeshivah of Chofetz Chaim-Yerushalayim on his sheloshim
 

  Harav Moshe Chait, zt”l, the beloved Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim Yerushalayim, passed away on Tisha B’Av at the age of 88. He was born in Philadelphia at a time when it was unheard of to dedicate one’s life to learning in kollel and teaching Torah. He always attributed his success in learning to his mother, who was moser nefesh to send her three sons to yeshivah in New York (one of the last shmuessen he gave before he became ill was a eulogy to his mother on her yahrtzeit). Rav Chait would recall how Rav Dov Revel was so impressed with his mother’s sincere pleading that he was willing to accept her son to Yeshiva College despite the inability to pay tuition.

  After a time, Reb Moshe left to join Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim in Williamsburg. There he met the gadol who would shape his life: Harav Dovid Leibowitz, zt”l. Rav Dovid was a European caliber Rosh Yeshivah, who was a talmid of his uncle the Chofetz Chaim, Harav Naftali Trop, zt”l, of Radin, and the Alter of Slabodka. In 1933 he founded Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim in New York. His sharp eye caught young Moshe’s great potential, and a special relationship was soon established. Rav Dovid poured into him the lumdus of Reb Naftoli, and the mussar he had received from the Alter, developing him into a formidable talmid chacham and refined baal mussar.

  Rav Chait used to quote Rav Dovid constantly and remarked that there was hardly a day that passed that he didn’t think of his Rebbe. After Rav Dovid’s early passing, Rav Moshe continued to immerse himself in learning. He understood that his personal greatness lied solely in his mastery or Torah and mitzvos, practically employing his Rebbe’s ubiquitous directive from the Chofetz Chaim that “the more a person packs his bags, the further he will go.” Rav Chait lived his life based on that principle. His striking appearance, keen intellect, and enrapturing charisma could have propelled him to the forefront of any field. Material opportunity welcomed him with open arms, yet he flatly turned it down. During a period of tremendous economic hardship, he chose to dedicate himself totally to his learning, living on the meager stipend of the Chofetz Chaim Kollel. (The Chofetz Chaim Kollel was one of the first in America; it was a concept that was the antithesis of the contemporary spirit of America.) He lived with his Rebbetzin, tbl”ch, and small children in a basement apartment, which later came to house his motherin-law as well. He used to say that although the conditions were very difficult, those years in kollel were the most enjoyable of his life. Money and material things were valuable, but only as a means to avodas Hashem, a principle he applied throughout his life, often forgoing lucrative job opportunities for more spiritually promising ones.

  After consulting with daas Torah, he took a Shabbos Rabbanus in Crown Heights, an hour and a half walk from his Williamsburg residence. Rather than offer up a medley of current events and humorous anecdotes, his sermons were the Slabodka shmuessen he had heard in yeshivah rendered accessible to his lay audience. People listened spellbound when he spoke. The combination of his powerful delivery, beautiful smile, and deep, emotionally charged ideas uplifted people and instilled in them a love of Torah and mussar. Through the words of Chazal, he would show them how to be  better parents, spouses and children. He would emphasize the depth and beauty of Torah, and how all true knowledge is contained within its wisdom. His impact, however, went well beyond his pulpit and the synagogue walls.

 Through his teaching and personal guidance, he created an  everlasting bond with his congregants. People would seek his advice and trust their children to his tutelage. He personally oversaw the youth groups because he knew that the future of the Jewish people lies in the youth. (A number of these children went on to become Roshei Yeshivah  and marbitzei Torah). These people stayed in touch with him to the end of his life, always acknowledging the influence he had on them. In Crown Heights and, later, in Far Rockaway, hundreds of people would flock to his Friday night Chumash shiur,where they knew they would get practical insights into life through the insightful events and powerful lessons of the weekly portion. His leadership prowess and capability were even noted by Gedolei Yisrael such as Harav Aharon Kotler, zt”l, and Harav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, who during his years in Rabbanus entrusted him with a variety of responsibilities affecting the klal.

  He had a tremendous love for Eretz Yisrael. When he moved to Far Rockaway he used to joke that now he was a little closer to the airport, so he could go to Eretz Yisrael. (He attributed that love, as well, to his mother.) He would comment that people make the mistake of confusing the politics of Israel with kedushas haaretz. The state of Israel may have many problems, but that doesn’t, chas veshalom, detract from the holiness of the land. Reb Moshe once related this point in the Agudas Yisrael of Boro Park, after which Rabbi Moshe Sherer, zt”l, commented that it was a critical message for people to understand in appreciating Eretz Yisrael. One of his congregants once remarked that “if you have such a love for Israel, why do you stay here?” Rav Chait gave a big smile and answered, “As a matter of fact, I am actually in the process of making that move.” People begged him to stay, with tears in their eyes — to no avail. His dream was to build Torah in Eretz Yisrael, and there was no stopping him.

 The Rosh Yeshivah of Chofetz Chaim, Harav Henoch Leibowitz, zt”l (son of Rav Dovid, and a very close friend of Rav Chait’s) had asked him to start a branch of the yeshivah there, and he knew that this was his calling. He dropped everything, including a comfortable job in America, to build his dream. He had to overcome the government bureaucracy to buy land and build an American yeshivah in Eretz Yisrael, a concept met with skepticism at the time. But he never wavered, and, using all his talents, built a yeshivah and attracted talmidim to join him in Yerushalayim. He maintained an American kollel during the day and even had an evening kollel for Israelis. It was one of the first American yeshivos in Yerushalayim. In his new role as Rosh Yeshivah, he continued to inspire talmidim in the spirit of Slabodka.

  His shmuessen emphasized love of Torah, middos tovos and bein adam lechaveiro. He created close bonds with the talmidim, showing by example how a ben Torah is supposed to live. His warmth and sincere concern for the talmidim were felt by them all. Despite his poor health, he came to yeshivah before davening to learn with the “masmidim” Shev Shemaatesa and Imrei Moshe. He stayed the entire day learning with boys, giving shiur and even speaking to boys during his lunch break. Somehow he would find time to keep up his correspondence with friends and students abroad, and to raise money for the yeshivah and kollel. His devotion to talmidim past and present  knew no bounds, often to the great frustration of those trying to guard his health. He was totally devoted to harbatzas Torah and mussar — smiling, delivering the shmuess, even when feeling quite weak.

  On one occasion, he told close talmidim that he wasn’t sure while speaking whether he would have the strength to complete the shmuess. When his optic nerve was affected, impairing his ability to scan text, he would continue learning with painstaking effort, without showing the strain. He would thereby emulate the “chassid” in Chovos HaLevovos, who “keeps his pain in his heart and shows his delight on his face.” His love of learning was contagious, yet he would spend hours working on the text of letters for the yeshivah and old acquaintances, feeling that this was a responsibility that he could not shirk. He commanded respect, but never demanded it. His talmidim revered him as their mentor, and at the same time, due to his great ease with people and his wonderful sense of humor, venerated him as a father. He carried himself with a natural dignity born of his sense of gadlus ha’adam, the greatness of man, a hallmark of Slabodka mussar. The way he looked at you bespoke the respect he felt for you and engendered self respect within you. When a  talmid was with him he would not take a drink or partake of his lunch without offering his young visitor to partake. He would not simply lecture to his talmidim but would challenge them to discuss, debate and ask questions. He taught talmidim to be very precise in reading a source and to  be careful not to superficially equate Rishonim that are in fact saying different things. He shared with his talmidim his experiences in Rabbanus and how much could be accomplished with Jews of all ages.

  He told them about a letter from a former congregant that told the story of a young father who died suddenly of a heart attack. Rav Chait, who had not known the family at all, was asked to eulogize him. During the eulogy, Rav Chait burst into tears at the mention of this tragedy. The letter concluded by saying: “The care and concern that you, a religious Jew, showed for another human being made such an impact on me that I have been putting on tefillin for 30 years now. ...” Rav Chait said, “When I thought of the zechus that Hashem gave me for those 30 years — I cried again.” At simchas of the yeshivah — a bris, a bar mitzvah — he would speak of “the yeshivah family” — which to him was no exaggeration. Former talmidim and their wives would return years after leaving yeshivah to consult with him on a variety of topics.

  The last time he spoke at the yeshivah, with the last ounce of strength he could draw, he announced that it would be his last shmuess. He then went on to speak of the love and concern that a rebbe should have for a talmid.This was his legacy to his talmidim — who try, in their lives, to emulate to some small extent the great rebbe they were fortunate to have. It is therefore not surprising that when the  loudspeakers announced Rav Chait’s passing in the middle of Kinos and Eichah, everyone who knew him thought of the additional great loss Klal Yisrael suffered that night. With very short notice, many hundreds of people gathered together to give honor to the person who honored  everyone. Rav Chait, zt”l, is survived by his Rebbetzin, tbl”ch, whose greatest joy was to assume any role and responsibility to help him in his  avodas hakodesh, three sons, Rav Baruch, Rav Dovid, and Rav Reuven, two daughters, grandchildren, greatgrandchildren, and his thousands
of talmidim. Yehi zichro baruch.

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