HaGaon HaRav Chaim Meir Wosner, z’tl, Av Beis Din of Zichron Meir in Bnei Brak, was niftar on Sunday at the age of 82 after being hospitalized in serious condition for the past two weeks in Mayanei HaYeshua Hospital due to the coronavirus.
When the bitter news arrived, the paroches in Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin in Bnei Brak was removed, where the Rosh Yeshivah was marbitz Torah and yiras Shamayim for many years.
The niftar was born in Vienna, Austria to his father, the Posek HaDor HaGaon HaRav Shmuel HaLevi Wosner, z’tl, the Ba’al Shevet Levi.
As a toddler, HaRav Chaim Meir’s parents escaped the Nazis to Eretz Yisrael prior to World War Ill and he was separated from them for six years. HaRav Chaim Meir stayed with his maternal grandparents and B’Chasdei Hashem survived the Holocaust with the help of Chassidei Umas HaOlam. When he was eight, he reached Eretz Yisrael via Czechoslovakia and was finally reunited with his parents.
As a bochur, HaRav Chaim Meir learned most of his Torah from his revered father, z’tl. As an adult, his father appointed him to serve as the Rosh Mesivta in Chachmei Lublin in the Zichron Meir neighborhood of Bnei Brak. Later, he moved to London, where he served as the Rav of the Kehillas Yeitav Lev -Satmarin London for 18 years and authored Shailos U’Teshuvos Simchas HaLevi.
Six years before the Shevet Halevi, z’tl, was niftar, he instructed HaRav Chaim Meir to move back to Bnei Brak, laying the ground for him to take over as Rosh Yeshivah of Chachmei Lublin and serve as the leader of the community.
In the Shevet HaLevi’s last years, he made it known that he wants HaRav Chaim Meir, who was known as a tremendous Talmid Chacham and Posek, to be his successor.
During the levaya for the Shevet HaLevi, z’tl, HaRav Chaim Meir was appointed as Av Beis Din, Rosh Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin and the Rav of Zichron Meir.
HaRav Chaim Meir, z’tl, left behind 13 children. His oldest son, HaRav Yosef Binyamin served as the Rosh Yeshivah of Chachmei Lublin alongside his father.
His son HaRav Akiva serves as a Moreh Tzedek of the Eidah Chareidis in Yerushalayim, HaRav Aharon serves as the Moreh Tzedek in the Beis Din Netivot Chaim and as the Rosh Kollel Shearis Yosef, HaRav Mordechai Zeev serves as the Rav of Khal Machzeh Avraham in New York, HaRav Moshe Shimon, serves as a Rav in Chateau Park in Lakewood, and HaRav Yisrael is the Mintzker Rebbe in New York.
Yehi Zichro Baruch.
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9 Responses
How many deaths of Gedolim from COVID will it take to convince the Chasidic doubters that the virus is a real threat and a killer? The world may never know.
And now there will be another giant superspreader levaya. And we will blame the deaths on the internet, or long shaitels, or short skirts, or not eating chalav yisrael…..
עיניים להם ולא יראו!
When a Tzadik is niftar you are supposed to do Teshuvo i.e. improve your personal shortcomings not spread hatred, finger pointing etc. like 5TRsident and littleeema!!!
5 towns ..and the next bunch of comments…, bnei brak is the capitol of the lita world , what does chassidim have to do with this. As with brisk last week my q to u if the levaya was pre covid in Lakewood would you have gone , the novominsker before pesach had it been a year earlier on a tuesday at 11 am would you have gone. My point is that in ey the kesher to gedolim is palpable and it’s in that context that levayas are non negotiable. How can it be that something as serious as this is so obvious to you yet uncalled for to huge segments of the klal. Something is missing
So much anti-semitism by, presumably, Jews, in these comments. Wow.
The virus is certainly a real concern to seniors and those in contact with them. However, most people younger than they, by far the majority of Jews, either are immune to the virus or have already gotten the virus (with or without symptoms) and have B”H recovered from it.
oh no the levaya is gonna be a superspreader… no one cares that r chaim meir ztzl was niftar at all… its all about corona,right?
Wrong.Hashem is the only one who can save us. Dont think that YOU can stop corona by masks and social distancing because its not true. WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I know one thing. It’s an עת צרה ליעקב and massive chizuk for Tefilla is needed AND IT’S NOT HAPPENING. Anyone who has a yachas to a manhig should beg that there be a HUGE chizuk for Tefilla. It’s almost a full year or Corona and almost NOTHING about a chizuk of Tefilla has been mentioned the ENTIRE TIME. If we are all asleep at the wheel, a car wreck is bound to happen, Chas V’Shalom.
Thank you Reb Shmuel for the chizuk b’inyonay tefillah.
But remember, al tiftach peh…
@wemustdavenbetter: I don’t know about the US, but in UK Manchester Rabbonim called to say either Yom Kippur Koton or Perek Revii of Tehilim with Ovinu Malkeinu in every shul on Thursday. Ladies to say at home.
It’s not the 1st time they call for a Yom Tefilloh in this country.
But in my humble opinion; the biggest chizuk in Tefillah would be: Arrive early – no talking – stay to the end! Are the live, health, chinuch, parnossoh etc. etc. of Klall Yisroel not worth the bit extra effort?