4 Responses

1. Rabbi Kastel left our Monsey neighborhood for Lakewood almost two years ago. I believe it was Divine Chesed that so many Frum families, adults and children alike, gradually learned to go on with their lives after he moved away. Were his tragic Petira to have occurred while still here in Monsey, it is without question that countless families would be shell shocked and literally unable to function. Although to thousands, including me and my family, he was still a mere phone call away, the fact that his enormous personality had already withdrawn from our day to day lives perhaps saved us from suffering trauma of unimaginable impact. As shocked as I am, I am certain he knew at that time that we needed to become more self reliant. Even in learning he would admonish us for wanting to delve into Sugyas when we were weak in Chumash and Rashi or lax on Shnayim Mikrah. His view was that it was always time for action, and so by moving south he removed our training wheels. It is still bewildering to imagine going a week without reaching out to our beloved Rabbin Kastel on his ubiquitous cell phone with Shailas ranging from Kashrus, Shabbos, or Chinuch, to serious Tzibur issues, queries on Hashkofa or Tefila, and above all, Shalom Bayis needs. I am convinced that he saved thousands of couples and ultimately their children and families. His clarity of thought would win over both sides in any quarrel – his practical advice would put all issues to rest. He was the real deal and everyone knew it. For me, to go on without relying on him is to ultimately be the person he wanted me to be. I will do it in his Zechus and in his memory. Baruch Dayan Emes.

2. I had the zechus of meeting and having Rabbi Kastel in my life almost daily for since 2011 . He helped keep me BREATHING after a very painful experience and helped guide me during some very difficult times. When i was a little stronger , Rabbi Kastel guided me on helping many different people , from children off the Derech ,to starving off divorces, to helping abused and neglected kids . My phone was on speed dial to him , and i did not make a move without him as not only was he my Rabbi , but i did not want to make a mistake in helping people. Everyone thinks there “Rabbi ” is the one. Let me tell you ,Rabbi Kastel was a a true Evid Hashem who worked for Klal Yisrael whenever he was needed . He went to sleep from 10 thru 1 am so he could learn all night till morning davening and then answer the phone all day for the anyone in need. He was Funny , sensitive practical ,loving and caring about Every JEW . i am a Baal Teshuva and i had a lot of Chassidic influence and R KASTEL was Litvish 101. We Spirtually agreed on almost nothing, yet when it came to things that matter , about loving and caring for another Jew we saw eye to eye. And he adored his family . Anyone Lucky enough tho have graced his presence knew you were with one of HASHEM ‘s chossen . He always used to say I work for the LORD and yes you did ! You are and will always be loved , liked , RESPECTED and missed ! My one hope is while you are in HASHEMS ARMS, you watch out for us like you did here on Earth and we will Watch out for you with prayers , kindness, charity and above all BEING KIND TO ONE ANOTHER. You ARE and will always be a true KIDDUSH HASHEM . You were and are an example of HASHEMS ways. I Thank your family for sharing you with us. They should know no more sorrow!

3. Rabbi Kastel’s breadth of Torah knowledge was incredible. You could bring to him any halacha question, Gemara, Maharal, or existential dilemma and he’d immediately give you a useful and informed response. And he never yelled, never raised his voice, or even gave you a judgmental look. I brought to him non-religious people, half-on-the-derech people, angry people — and he never gave them a hard time, always calm, funny, and insightful. He was one of a kind. And he always made himself available. Any day you needed him, you got him, and usually on the spot.

4. I’d like to share my experience I had with my Rov Rabbi Chaim Kastel. I’ve known him my whole life. I few years back I learnt with him almost everyday for 30-45 minutes, and in that spam of tune he got at least 5-6 phone calls from different people asking him all different type of questions Halacha,advice,guidance, and he always picked up and made believe he had nothing else to do besides talk to that person it was like I wasn’t even there when he was on the phone with someone. And when I called him to talk or ask a question, any question, he made believe he had nothing to do but to talk to me and listen to what I had to say. Sometimes I went to his house just to talk with him about random things. He knew what was right and what was wrong. He knew there was a time for everything, there was a time to learn, there was a time to daven, there was a time to shmooze, there was a time to sing. Every Shabbos for the past 15 years he ran a Shachris Minyan every Shabbos morning at 7:30am, what we did at the minyan was only Daven. No singing, no dancing, no wasting time, just Daven. After you can do what you like, but when Davening you just Daven. Many questions I asked him he didn’t even give me an answer he just told me to use my head, use common sense. That’s the relationship I had with him. When he moved out of Monsey, out of the community, we all felt a loss from just his presence and we felt something missing, even though he was just a phone call or text away, we felt it.
   I can’t believe he’s gone. It was way to soon. He will be missed by many people that needed him in their life!