Harav Yehoshua Ze’ev Meizlish, the Liezher Rav of London, Zt”l

By Hamodia Staff

The last photo of the Liezher Rav, zt”l (L), together with the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, shlita, of London (C) and his son-in-law Harav Chaim Michoel Biberfeld, Tchortkover Rav of London, shlita.

LONDON -

The London community, and Klal Yisrael as a whole, mourns the petirah of Harav Yehoshua Ze’ev Meizlish, the Liezher Rav of London, zt”l, who was niftar on Shabbos in London. He was 87 at his petirah.

He was the son of Harav Chaim Meizlish, the Sarvosher Rav, zt”l, who was the son of Harav Dovid Dov Meizlish, zt”l, the Ujhel Rav and mechaber of Binyan Dovid.

As a young boy during the war years, Rav Meizlish survived the horrors of the Holocaust, and later became a close talmid and devoted Chassid of the Satmar Rebbe, Harav Yoel Teitelbaum, zy”a.

When he came of age, he married, tblch”t, the daughter of the Liezher Rav of London, and after the passing of his father-in-law, he was appointed Rav of the beis medrash.

He was noted for his shiurim and fiery drashos, and many acts of tzedakah and chessed. 

Over the last year, he was hospitalized several times.

At the beginning of Shevat, the Rav was hospitalized in a difficult situation, with many davening for his refuah. On Shabbos, his soul was returned to its Maker.

He is survived by, yblch”t, his Rebbetzin, who stood at his side over the years; his sons Harav Shlomo, Rav of Chevras Shas; Harav Heinich Mordechai, Rav of Toltchova in Kiryas Yoel; Harav Moshe, Radvaner Rav of London; and Harav Yaakov Yitzchak Elazar, Rav of Beis Medrash Avodas Halev in Yerushalayim. His daughters are married to Harav Asher Anshil Jungreis, the Chenger Rav; Harav Shmuel Ludmir, Rav of Pressburg in London; Harav Chaim Michoel Biberfeld, Tchortkover Rav of London; and Harav Benzion Halberstam of Lakewood. The Rav is also survived by many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, following his illustrious ways.

His levayah was held on Motzoei Shabbos, from his beis medrash in Stamford Hill, London, to the Enfield cemetery.

Yehi zichro baruch.

All Credit is Due to Hamodia

The Lubavitcher Rebbe Zt'l with Rabbi Shlomo Rizel in the 1970s.

From the Desk of Rabbi Shlomo Rizel Torah Portion: Vayikra

Pearls of Life

Rabbi Miller appropriate words explains to our Pearls of Life readers about Happiness and Suffering. There was a man who has been ill for months. Now his business is going lost and he’s terribly depressed. Is there any hope for him? The answer is that it would have been much better if such a man would have prepared himself in the days when things were going well so that when a crunch would come, he’d be able to resist. Rabbi Miller explains what it says in Koheles:   On a good day, be in a good mood; be happy. Now, isn’t this a superfluous thing to say? But he means like this: When things are going well, that’s when you should prepare. That’s when you should gather for the future all the confidence and happiness that you can. That’s the best time to understand the ways of Hashem and learn what life is all about; and if you do that then you might even understand someday that even misfortune is a great benefit. Let’s say this man had learned in his younger days that Hakodosh Boruch Hu sometimes sends suffering on a man to make him better. Suffering humbles him and he cries out to Hashem as a result of his tzaros. And crying out to Hashem is a tremendous achievement because you’re becoming aware of Hashem. Before, when things were going well, you didn’t think about Him. Now, this man who took the advice of Koheles, so he learned in his good days all of these ideas. It’s easier to learn about tzaros when you have no tzaros. When the tzaros already come, then it’s more difficult. Now, when a man has learned in his youthful days, so then, when the misfortune comes upon him, he’s prepared for it. First of all he understands that it’s a preparation. All the yissurim are going to be to him an atonement for his sins. He’ll be able to enter the next world purified of his aveiros – they were already atoned by his sufferings. Secondly, his arrogance – the ga’avah that almost everybody suffers – from was erased from his mind because the sick man has no arrogance. Thirdly, all the foolish ambitions and hopes and desires of human beings – to become rich someday, to have pleasures and good times, who knows what else —  it’s all smashed by the waves of misfortunes that come in life. And therefore, he learns that life is not merely for the purpose of seeking good times – he learns that life is for achievement.  And some of the biggest achievement he gains when he has tzaros.  Now, that’s hard to say – people don’t like to listen to that. And so I’ll tell you again what I always say here – if you’re capable of utilizing happiness to become greater and greater, that’s the very best thing.  But how many people do that? On the contrary people are spoiled by happiness. And so misfortune is an opportunity to gain in a short time that which you couldn’t gain before for many years. And so, here’s a sick man whose business failing too – everything is dropping out from underneath him. So he shouldn’t think of suicide chas v’shalom; he shouldn’t think that life is not worth living. On the contrary, he should think, “I hope I could live longer this way because every day that I’m alive, I’m mechaper, I’m atoning. And I’m getting such a perfection of anavah, of humility.  I’m becoming a broken soul.” And Hakodosh Boruch Hu loves the broken one.   The Shechina rests on the broken man; on those who are low of spirit.  A sick man who lies in bed, the Shechina is with him. The Shechina is over the head of a sick man.  And so he’s coming closer to Hashem. Isn't that worthwhile? And so suffering in itself is a big achievement. It’s not so easy to tell that to a man now, but if he would listen it would be a benison, a blessing for him to hear these words. Because he would understand that when he gets the hard knocks of life, the hard knocks really are the blessings of life.When a man is becoming rich and he’s having good times and he’s getting honor from all sides, these are the worst things that can happen to him – unless he has learned the secrets of . Yes – that’s the biggest thing! If a man learns to utilize happiness and he sings to Hashem that’s the greatest success.   If you sing to Hashem in this world, then you’ll sing in the World to Come too. So if you learn to be happy and to thank Hashem, to be grateful for everything, that’s the true success in this world. You’re eating breakfast, ah!  Did you ever think about eating breakfast? You have teeth to eat breakfast! And even if you have false teeth, at least you have something to eat breakfast with. And you’re eating breakfast! It means you have breakfast! I was told about the Jews in Marmarush in europe; they were so poor some of them, that never ate bread all week – only on Shabbos. During the week, they had cornbread.  They only made borei pri haadama or shehakol during the week. Only on Shabbos they made hamotzi lechem min haaretz.  To eat bread was a privilege.  Wheat bread! Wheat bread was a privilege! When I was in Europe, an old man told me that when he was a boy he didn’t have bread all the time. When he asked his mother at the table for another piece of bread, she couldn’t give him a second piece of bread.  That’s how it used to be. You have enough bread to eat?  You have breakfast? And you’re able to eat?  You have teeth? Did you ever stop and think how grateful you have to be to Hashem? You should sit at the table and you sing to Hashem at breakfast. You thank Him with a full heart – not merely birkat hamazon that you say like a tape recorder – no!  You’re talking to someone! You say, “I thank You, Hashem.  And I’m eating l'shem Shamayim. I’m eating in order to serve You and to sing to You.”  If you’re able to do that, then you’re the biggest success. But suppose a man is so sick he can’t eat – even then he’s not a failure.  He thanks Hashem for his tzaros. You have to give a bracha for misfortune because misfortune is a big stroke of good luck. You become now somebody beloved by Hashem.  Hashem loves those who are suffering. Hashem will support him on his couch of pain.  Hashem is with him. Why? Because Hashem loves people who are not proud.  He loves people who are not arrogant; he loves those who are beaten down and feel low. He’s with them.  So you should utilize that and feel that this is a gift to me. On the contrary, I want to live long and longer because the more I live even in these circumstances, the better I’m becoming. So therefore, I say once more to this man, on the contrary: Thank Hakodosh Boruch Hu for what He sent upon you. He’s making you more perfect than you could have ever become all the days of your life in the time of success and happiness. Adapted from TAPE # 713

From the Desk of Rabbi Shlomo Rizel Torah Portion: Vayak'hel-Pekudei / Hachodesh

Pearls of Life

The Pearls of Life brings the question asked of Rabbi Avigdor Miller what is the reason for the illness called cancer? Rabbi Miller answers with a question of referring to Rashi who asks what is the reason for any illness? And he says, it’s to make a person’s mind humbled. What does that mean?  The purpose of illness is to make a man humbled so that he should cry out to Hashem. The purpose is to cry out to Hashem. Now pay attention, it says, Cry out to Hashem in thanksgiving. You have a choice. You have to cry out to Hashem one way or another; so Cry out to Hashem, in thanksgiving. An ani is a person who cries out from affliction. So you have a choice.  You can cry out in thanksgiving, in happiness – when you’re well, when you’re young and everything is alright. And then there’s chalilah another way – when he has cancer, chalilah.  So cry out to Hashem now while you have the happiness option. Maybe you’ll never need anything else. Maybe you’ll be healthy up until your last minute! But whatever it is, the purpose of everything in the world is to make you aware of Hashem.  And that’s called hachna’ah.  When people forget about Hashem, so He reminds them. Like when you went out of Mitzrayim, So Chazal ask, why did Amalek come just then? Is that a time for Amalek to come? The answer is, they’re walking out of Mitzrayim and they saw a mapalah of Pharaoh’s army, and so they’re all thinking, “I’m so happy.” They were loaded down with money, kesef v’zahav, all the wealth of Mitzrayim. So for a while they begin to forget – that’s how people are when things are going very well. They start enjoying their things and forget about who gave it to them. They forget about Hashem for a moment — they didn’t entirely forget, but they were mesiach da’as for a little bit. Amelak is coming, Oh!  Now they cried out to Hashem again for help. And Hashem said, “It’s good you’re reminding yourself about Me.” “Amalek is only to remind you about Me,” says Hashem. All the troubles of this world have only one purpose – to remind you of Hashem.  But if you wish to be reminded of Hashem because of the good things, then Cry out to Hashem in thanksgiving. Think, “What does ani mean after all?” It’s a person who cries out from poverty. But instead of being an ani, someone who cries out in poverty, so choose the other way: Cry out to Hashem in thanksgiving. Thank him for what?  “I’m not a multimillionaire,” you say.  Oh yes you are. If you’re healthy, you’re wealthy.  You have a good heart? You’re not running to specialists every Monday and Thursday? Everything is alright more or less? Then, boruch Hashem, you’re a millionaire. You’re a multimillionaire! And therefore you should sing to Hashem in thanksgiving. Cry out!  And that’s what the matzos says – lechem oni. So the gemara says, it’s a lechem on which you speak.  Matzos is for the purpose of talking.  So in Mitzrayim when they ate matzos and they suffered, they cried out to Hashem for His help – that was one way of calling out. And then when they went out of Mitzrayim carrying matzah they cried out again, this time in happiness. Adapted from TAPE # E-5.

From the Desk of Rabbi Shlomo Rizel Torah Portion: Ki Tisa / Parah

Pearls of Life

The Pearls of Life learn from Shaarei Teshuvah 1:6 that if a person makes no effort to observe a certain mitzvah, he is considered a mumar [heretic] in regard to that mitzvah, and his sin is too weighty to bear. Of this the Torah states, “Cursed is he who does not uphold  the words of the Torah” (Devorim 27:26) – meaning that he does not accept upon himself to observe the entire Torah.

Parashas Ki Sisa Dvar Torah From Rav Altman of Derech Ohr Somayach

Knowing Real Love

Shalom Aleichim.  A beautiful vort about Parashas Ki Sisa, practical everyday life.  Listen to this.  You're going to love it.  Says the pasuk, when Moshe Rabbeinu was trying to appease Hakadosh Boruch Hu, after the Cheit HaEigel, how can you possibly achieve -- how do you make Hashem happy after the Cheit HaEigel?  It's the worst cheit since the cheit of Adam HaRishon.  How are you going to make that better? So listen to what Moshe Rabbeinu says.  Listen to this beautiful, beautiful pasuk and a tremendous lesson that we learn from it.  The pasuksays, "V'yichal Moshe et p'nei Hashem", Moshe petitions the face of Hashem Elokav.  "V'yomer", he said, "lamah Hashem yechereh ap'cha", Hashem, why are You angry "b'amecha", with Your nation, "asher hotzeisa meretz Mitzraim", which You took out of Egypt? Now, if You're going to say why You're angry, I can understand, but why You mentioned taking them out of Egypt?  What's the point?  So Moshe Rabbeinu says to HaKadosh Baruch Hu, listen to this, it's amazing, it's (inaudible 00:00:50) for us.  It's everything.  Listen to this.  He says, "HaKadosh Baruch Hu, when You took them out of Mitzraim, wasn't there an accusation against the Jewish people, halalu v'avodah zorah, halalu v'avodah zorah, both these and these are avdei avodah zorah, both the Mitzri'im and the Jewish were avdei avodah zorah.  You knew when You took them out that they were avdei avodah zorah.  So now that they're messing up in the same area, why are You angry? This is an incredible lesson for us because sometimes we get married and we know that our wife or our husband has a certain chisaron, a certain lack, but we marry them anyway.  Then afterwards when we see that lack coming out, we have no right to be upset.  We say, listen, we knew that already.  The truth is, it's the same thing with us.  Because when they married us, they knew that we had this chisaron.  When the boss hired us, he knew we had this lack and still he hired us and we want him to overlook that lack.  It's the same thing with us.  When you see a lack in somebody else, you have to say to yourself, you know what, everybody has lacks.   I have lacks and I'm counting on the fact that HaKadosh Baruch Hu knew that we had a lack, a chisaron, we had certain problems with us before He took us out of Mitzraim, so He doesn't destroy us.  That's what Moshe Rabbeinu counted on and that's what we need to do ourselves.   A real relationship is knowing that I love this person, I care about this person, a lovable person, a good person and they have their problems.  Everybody has problems.  There's nothing or nobody in Olam Hazeh that doesn't have certain lacks and certain problems.  We're like that the same way.  So when you have a relationship and you see that someone has a problem, say to yourself, just like Moshe Rabbeinu said to Hashem, Hashem, You knew they had problems and still You accepted them, we also do the same thing.  There's a wonderful phrase, love is blind and friendship tries not to notice.  Have a wonderful Shabbos.

A Picture of Me when I was learning at Yeshiva Ohr Yitzchok as a Talmid there as a Talmid