Baruch Dayan Emmes: HaGaon HaRav Avraham Yaakov Epstein ZT”L was niftar in Meah Shearim at the age of 84 on Sunday, 3 Menachem Av. He was the head of Neturei Karta for many years.
The Niftar was an immense and diligent talmid chacham. He was the son-in-law of Rabbi Aharon Katzenelbogen ZT”L of the leaders of Neturei Karta and was very close to Rabbi Amram Blau ZT”L, the leader of Neturei Karta.
He was known as a great talmid chacham and for more than half a century he served as a teacher in Yeshivas Torah Vayeira of the Peleg HaKanoim in the Meah Shearim neighborhood and he was a warrior in his tzibur’s war against any breach in their way of life and hashkafa, and he stood guard over Yiddishkeit, tznius and kedusha; tenacious and unyielding in his battle to protect and preserve Kedushas Shabbos.
Every week he would personally hand the signs announcing the time of candle lighting and when Shabbos ends. He also gave shiurim to baalei batim on Ein Yaakov. A strong friendship existed between the niftar and Gavaad Eida Chareidis HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Tuvia Weiss.
His acquaintances are quoted having told Chadrei Chareidim that the niftar was known for his anti-Zionist sermons, and continued the tradition of the drasha on the night of Tisha B’Av, founded by the late Yerushalmi Maggid Rabbi Ben Zion Yadler Z”L, a tradition that began in the Old City in the Churva Shul, and later moved to the Meah Shearim neighborhood near the Yeshuos Yaakov Yeshiva.
The niftar is survived by many, including son-in-law Yoelish Krauss, operations officer of the Eida Chareidis, and his brother-in-law is Moishe Hirsch, one of the leaders of the Neturei Karta.
The levaya began at 3:30PM from the Torah Vayeira Yeshiva in the Meah Shearim marketplace to Har HaZeisim.
תהא נשמתו צרורה בצרור החיים
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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8 Responses
I don’t understand why Neturei kartaniks are accepted as Jews by YWN. Their sinas chinam, collusion with terrorists and chillul Hashem in public protests is all they are known for.
@ywn are you trolling us?
he will now face the emes; Yerushalayim will feel like Antarctica.
Is something wrong with you people? You are speaking about a gaon in Torah and a master baal middos. I do not envy the consequence of anyone degrading a person of this stature, especially when he just left this world. Do you think that his association with the name “Neturei Karta” gives free reign to speak motzi shem ra? Do you know anything about him personally? I will tell you one thing about this niftar, a gevaldig zechus that none of us here have- he never looked at the internet, not once for any reason, and therefore was never “inadvertently” nichshal in shmiras einayim. Shame on you all!
@yungerman123 was there no such thing as Shmiras Einayim before the age of the internet? Were you following him around since his Bar Mitzvah or did you ask him personally about his wandering eyes to be able to make such a strong statement? No one is questioning his Tzidkus in learning, but many people have seen the crazy things that people under his guidance have said and done in public forums.
yungerman123, then he never heard shiurim on the internet, including mine
Of course shmiras einayim predated the internet by over 5000 years. i was just giving an example of something he has over us, not testifying about anything else in any other realm. But the threshold for being able to publicly eviscerate someone is that he be a rasha, and not part of “Amecha”. Even someone who is not a tzaddik it is assur to speak lashon hara, certainly about a niftar. Why risk it?
Curiosity ,
I see you and many commentators are confused; there are a couple of separate off-shoots of the NK.
I highly doubt he had anything to do with the extremists that went to Iran or join Arabs.
Him, Rabbi Aharon Katzenelbogen and Rav Amrom Blau despite being NK, were exceptional Yirei Shomayim and diligence regarding all aspects of Yehadus not only Zionism and were Talmidei Charchamim.
People should know to respect others despite their diff views. He was surely entitled to his own opinion as there were others that supported or at least respected them, incl the Chazon Ish and Brisker rav.