We are sad to report the petira of R’ Eliyahu Weinberger, a venerated member of the Toldos Aharon Kehilla and long-time public figure in Mea Shearim. He was niftar Monday evening, ohr le-14 Elul, and his levaya took place the same evening at 11:30 pm from the Toldos Aharon Beis Medrash.

The following excerpt from the pamphlet “Where Will Our Help Come From” describes him and his work:

In Cheshvan 5703, in the city of Banya in Hungary, all the men in the city, both Jews and Gentiles, were forced to serve in the army. Many pious Jews were taken, and together we made up our minds to strengthen our devotion to Hashem and His Torah, not to eat any treif food, and to stand firm in any and all trials we might face. At that point the situation was not so bleak as it later became, and the women and children remained safely at home.

At one point we were all ordered to attend a mass gathering in a field outside the city to “celebrate” the birthday of Hungarian ruler Horthy, a cruel and wicked virulently anti-Semitic despot supported by the SS. Around 20,000 Gentiles attended, as well as thousands of captive Jews.

On a platform in the middle of the field some big government figure gave a long speech in praise of the wicked Horthy, and whenever he mentioned the ruler’s name we all had to stand rock still for a minute of “respectful” silence. This happened a number of times in course of the speech.

Afterwards I said to the other Jews there, who included Rabbonim, shochtim, and other persons of distinction, that we could learn from this experience a powerful lesson about how much honor we are required to show for Hashem’s great and awesome Name. Really, I said, we deserved what had happened to us as a punishment for all the times we had ever failed to give Hashem’s Name proper respect. Then and there were made a commitment from that moment on we would always give Hashem’s Name the honor it deserved, and we promised that if Hashem allowed us to survive the war we would make every effort to arouse others to treat Hashem’s Name with the enormous honor it deserves.

And indeed Hashem did help us. Eventually we were released from our bondage and went on to build distinguished families and generations of descendants faithful to Hashem and His Torah. Always we have made whatever effort we can to inspire all our families and anyone who listens to us to be aware of the great sanctity of Hashem’s great and awesome Names and to pronounce them always with fitting respect and awe.

[The above was told by Rabbi Eliyahu Weinberger, shlita, a well-known figure in the Mea Shearim section of Jerusalem, who maintains a special office next to the Mea Shearim shtiblach where he writes and disseminates books and posters on this topic, and who goes around saying droshos about the great honor we are required to give Hashem’s Name. May Hashem grant him many more years of good health and strength to continue his holy work.]