HaGaon HaRav Yehudah [Yudel] Bauer, Z’tl, one of the last talmidim of the Chazon Ish, a Rosh Yeshivah in Yeshivas Beis Shmaya and a leading posek, was niftar on Thursday at Mayanei HaYeshua Hospital in Bnei Brak at the age of 90.

HaRav Yudel, z’tl, was born in Tel Aviv, where his father was one of the heads of the religious kehilla in the city and also served as the deputy mayor.

As a bochur, HaRav Yudel, z’tl, learned in Ponevezh Yeshivah in Bnei Brak. At that time, he became very close to the Chazon Ish, Ztl, who later became his main Rav. The Chazon Ish was his shadchan and also set him up with one of his main talmidim for a chavrusah, HaGaon HaRav Gedaliah Nadel, Z’tl.

In his younger years, HaRav Yudel often traveled with the Rosh Yeshivah of Ponevezh, HaGaon HaRav Dovid Povarsky, Z’tl to Yerushalayim, where they spoke in Torah with the Brisker Rav, Ztl.

He was later appointed as the Rosh Yeshivah of Beis Shmaya Yeshivah in Bnei Brak, where he was marbitz Torah to thousands of bachurim over the years.

HaRav Yudel, ztl, published several sifrei Halacha including a series of kitzur hilchos that are considered foundational and are viewed by many Gedolim as the ultimate authority in certain areas, such as hilchos Sheviis and hilchos Terumos u’maasaros. He authored the  Kitzur Hilchos series on hilchos Shi’ivis, Terumos u’maasaros and Nidah together with HaGaon HaRav Chaim Greinemann, z’tl. HaRav Yudel was completely machniah to the Chazon Ish and his talmid HaRav Greinemann, Ztl and the mesorah is that he allowed HaRav Chaim to write the p’sakim and satisfied himself with writing the mekoros at the end.

Several sefarim were later written discussing the p’sakim and hilchos in his sefarim.

Just this past Tuesday, HaRav Yudel, z’tl participated in his great-grandson’s chasunah. On Wednesday, he began feeling ill and was brought to the hospital, where his condition quickly deteriorated.

The levaya is scheduled for 9 p.m. at the Beis Hamedrash HaGadol on Rechov Chiddushei HaRim in Bnei Brak.

וכל בית ישראל יבכו את השריפה אשר שרף ה

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)