11 Responses

1. Baruch Dayan Haemes! His Seforim were amazing! Such a talmid Chacham.

2. Baruch Dayen Emes!!

3. He wrote a series of seforim on shas. Ner Chodosh on many mesectos is his monumental work. Additionally, he kept a strong kesher with Maran Hagaon Rav Avrohom Yoffen ztl, and, of course, his rebbi, Maran Hagaon Rav Aharon zatzal.

   Rav Yechezkel zatzal was a tremendous talmid chochom and a jewel in middos tovos. From looking at him you’d never guess what a giant he was. He kept a low profile and related to others as just another friend. When you got to realize his gadlus batorah, it was extremely humbling. And, that’s when you would really begin to appreciate this man’s middas anava.

4. Where was he Rosh Yeshiva, in Chicago?

5. I knew this man. I had the pleasure of spending Pesach with him at the Meisners and we shmoozed about gedolim and local rabbanim. He knew so much about and he had such a warm personality that it deied for me the negative sterotype that some joke about telze. Truth be know I never met a rav from telz that wasnt warm – it was always just a joke. On peach, after the seuda, we went for a shpazier and it really made my pesach – like I had access to (leavdil a movie star ) a Rosh Yeshiva to pick his brain about issues of the klal and what daas torah thought – non spinned unmanufactured torah- I always kept in mind where he would spend pesach again to I could take my family to the same hotel he would be staying at.
   Far Rockaway lost Rabbi Blumenkrantz last week and now Rabbi Lichtman this week. What else am I to say..

   The family should be comforted among the mournes of zion. He should be a defender for our klal an dof all of klal yisroel in shamyaim.

6. BARUCH DAYEN EMES!!!!!!

7. Terrible news! A major talmid chacham. When did this occur?

8. He was a Rosh Yeshiva in HTC (Skokie Yeshiva) from approximately 1980-1985. Lived in West Rogers Park. He has 2 sons still living in Chicago.

9. I knew HaRav Lichtman on and off for forty years. His family and mine lived across the street from each other in Boro Park. His wife was my third-grade English teacher.
   He was a talmid of Rav Aharon Kotler, Rav Yoshe Ber Soloveitchik, and Rav Moshe Feinstein. He was a man of principle, unafraid to take unpopular stands when necessary.
   T’hei nafsho tzerurah bitzror hachaim.

10. Rabbi Lichtman was my Rebbi 41 years ago in the Mesivta of Crown Heights. He was not a simple 10th grade Rebbi. Rabbi Lichtman would bring a sugya to life and his talmidim would be enamored and elevated in him and by him. He was a true Gadol Batora a Gaon and a mentch. I personally owe my spiritual life to Rabbi Lichtman. Were it not for him, I would never had begun a life involved in learning torah.

    Even as a 10th grade Rebbi, he would give Bais Midrash quality shiurim. He would introduce us to the many nuances of the various opinions of the Rishonim, and take the sugya all the way to halacha lamaaseh in the TUR and Shulchan Aruch. I though at the time that this must be how everyone learns. Was I surprised when I went to Philly and found that the level of learning was not at all comparable to the level transmitted by Rabbi Lichtman.

    Rabbi Lichtman’s understanding of a view of a Rishon was so deep and in a way philosophical. While the Briskers would always say I want to know what ,not why, Rabbi Lichtmann woud discover the underlying philosophy of a view of the Rishon or Acahron and build bulidings of leshetaso’s. It was always amazing.

    I kept up with Rabbi Lichtman for the past 41 years through good times and bad times. He was always an encouraging voice when I was down and was so happy to share in my happiness on a joyous occassion.

    Rabbi Lichtman was of the type of Gadol that emulated the torah views of Rambam and Saadia Gaon, as well as Rabbi Yehuda Halevi etc. He had his thoughts in all of hashems creation and in all the workings of the world. No narrowmindedness only broad understanding of the world and of issues pertaining to the spreading of the will of Hashem.

    The Sefer Ner Chadash is a gem of a sefer, and this was written as he was in “retirement.”

    Rabbi Lichtman was really a walking encyclopedia of Halacha Agadah Jewish thought and most importantly a rare blend of greatness and humility. On a one on one basis he was a friend a confidant an encourager, but when it came to the clall he was strong uncompromising and very opinionated. There was no compromising the truth.

    I hope there are others out there who can add to this tribute. I loved him dearly and will miss him. There were so many facets to him, and there were so many lessons to be learned from him.

    He was full of happiness life love and wisdom. I know know of no other torah personality that shares all of his outstanding qualities.

    Ther is so much more to say about Rabbi Lichtman, I hope there will be a Yom Zikaron so I can hear what others experienced .

    At the Shiva I learned that rabbi Lichtman was at the forefront of bringing Iranian boys to yeshiva in America.

    May his wife and children and all those that were touched by his heart be consoled by hashem.

    MB

11. While Chas V’shalom not taking a mashehu away from what R’ Lichtman Z”L was and what he accomplished, why does one have to say a hesped and denigrate others. On every Chochom shemes Chazal tell us that the Shechina says “Mi yiten lanu temuraso.”

    “I went to Philly and found that the level of learning was not at all comparable to the level transmitted by Rabbi Lichtman.”

    “While the Briskers would always say I want to know what ,not why, Rabbi Lichtmann woud discover the underlying philosophy of a view of the Rishon or Acahron”