HaRav Moshe Feinstein, Yahrzeit 13th Adar

A strong tree has healthy roots. The roots of R' Moshe Feinstein were strong and special. His father, R' Dovid Feinstein, zt"l, was a grandchild of the Be'er Hagolah and of the brother of the Gra, R' Avrohom. His mother was Feige Gittel, daughter of the Gaon, R' Yechiel zt"l, rov of Kopolia.

He was born on 7th Adar (the same day on which Moshe Rabbenu was born), 5655 (1895), and in his own words this gave him the feeling that he was obligated to follow in the ways of Moshe Rabbeinu in Torah and in Middos.

---

R' Dovid obviously saw some special qualities in his son, and accordingly arranged that the Melamed who usually learned with a group of ten Talmidim to make Moshe's a group of five. R' Dovid ensured that the Melamed would be paid the equivalent of teaching ten Talmidim. Even before he started to learn in the local cheder, R' Moshe learned the entire Chumash with his father. At the time of his Bar Mitzvah he was fluent in more than two Sedorim of Shas.

He joined the yeshiva of R' Isser Zalman Meltzer in Slutzk at the age of twelve, where he also learned under the tutelage of HaRav Pesach Pruskin, zt"l. When the latter opened his own yeshiva in Shklov, R' Moshe went with him and recounted that at the grand opening ceremony of the new yeshiva, R' Isser Zalman himself was present.

At the age of sixteen, R' Moshe completed Shas and Shulchan Oruch. During this period he was called to serve in the army. R' Moshe traveled with his father to the Chofetz Chaim in Homil to request his blessing. "Heaven had originally decreed that you join the army," said the Chofetz Chaim. "But since you took upon yourself wholeheartedly the duty and weight of learning Torah, the weight of the government has been removed from you." R' Moshe was never conscripted. To facilitate escaping conscription, he was appointed in 5676 (1916) as Rov in Uzdah. Two years later the laws were changed and Reb Moshe returned home, to his father in Strobin.

From 5681 (1921) to 5696 (1936) he was Rov in Lyuban, however, probably realizing the growing instability and threat of war, he traveled to Riga and obtained visas to go to America.

An impressive delegation met R' Moshe as the ship docked at the port at Ellis Island. He was immediately offered numerous positions as Maggid Shiur in various existing Yeshivos, but refused all the offers until, in 5697 (1937), he became a lecturer in Yeshivas Tiferes Yerushalayim, where after a year he became head of the yeshiva. From this position he disseminated Torah for the rest of his life and his Shiurim are printed in his Seforim, Dibros Moshe.

Aside from the yeshiva, R' Moshe did not take on any official rabbinical position. Nevertheless, he became a center point, to which all people turned, from all directions and from all parts of the world. He issued thousands of Teshuvos, many of which are printed in the eight volumes of Igros Moshe. There wasn't one matter in the world of Torah and Halocho that wasn't brought to him for his opinion.

The Gedolei HaTorah all beheld him in awe. HaRav Yonoson Shteif for example, would don his hat as a sign of honour when speaking with R' Moshe even though it was a phone conversation.

Towards the end of his life, when the doctors wanted to insert a pacemaker in his heart, R' Moshe only agreed after he had made sure there was no Halachic problem involved, that the insertion does not inflict the type of blemish in his body that would render him unfit to be a member of Sanhedrin should Moshiach come.

On the night of Taanis Esther, 5746, R' Moshe was niftar. The levaya on Taanis Esther morning in New York City was like none that New York had never seen; about one hundred and fifty thousand people accompanied R' Moshe on this step of his final journey. Even the American flag on the East Side was flown at half-mast as the non-Jews' sign of mourning that the leader of the Jews had died.

His Oron was brought to Eretz Yisroel and on Shushan Purim in Yerushalayim, hundreds of thousands of Jews from all walks of life accompanied the Levaya to Har Hamenuchos where he is buried close to the Gaon of Tchebin, the Belzer Rov, in the portion near his Rebbe, R' Isser Zalman Meltzer, zt"l.This great leader was known affectionately by the simple title, "R' Moshe". Even today, that same simple reference, refers universally to Rabbi Feinstein. His name and character knew no boundaries, he was loved and respected by all; Ashkenazim, Sephardim, Chassidim, Misnagdim, Rabbonim, Roshei Yeshivos, and Admorim, Rabbis and laymen. Somehow everyone saw him as their rabbi and leader -- whether in a complicated halachic query such as permitting an agunoh to remarry, or a private instruction for a yeshiva bochur or an avreich.

The following fact emerged as he was discussing with his family the right approach to Torah. As a child of eight he was playing chess with a friend, when he suddenly realized that he was concentrating deeply, and so engrossed in his game that it was no longer a form of relaxation but an effort. That being the case he decided then and there to never again play chess as it was a waste of his potential to learn Torah, and did not help him to relax.

In a similar vein he noted that being on the small side physically, he was afraid to play with friends his age. But, "I saw this as Hashgocho Protis for due to this, I spent more time applying myself to Torah." It is no wonder, therefore, that he had finished Noshim and Nezikim by the time he was eleven years old.

Once, his uncle HaRav Eliyohu Pruzhiner, zt"l, came to visit their house and when the eleven year old Moshe entered the room, his uncle arose to his full height, saying, "For a boy who knows two sedorim, one must stand up." His father, R' Dovid immediately sent the boy out using the pretext of requesting that he bring some refreshment for the guest to eat. "When I left the room," R' Moshe would recount, "I caught my father admonishing my uncle: “Don’t say things like that. There is a chance he will become a BaAl GaAvah, chas vesholom."

When he visited the Holy Land in 5724 (1964), he was mobbed constantly by those begging his wisdom, his blessings or just wishing to be able to greet him. He felt so bad at being unable to satisfy the requests of all his supplicants that he decided not to return to E Yisroel for short visits. Keeping this commitment meant that he did not attend the wedding of his grandchild in Yerushalayim.

Reb Moshe was not afraid of his rulings causing controversy. His one and only loyalty was to HaShem and His Torah. There were those who disagreed with Reb Moshe and there were some who were very harsh and demeaning in their arguments against him. However, this did not ever become, in Reb Moshe’s mind, cause for bad blood. One such opponent in fact appealed to Reb Moshe to write a letter in his favor attesting to his good character. Reb Moshe not only complied with the request but did so immediately and with a warmth that would be expected for a close and dear friend. He explained as a matter of fact to his astonished family, "How can a Yid refuse to assist a fellow Yid?

His sister, Rebbetzin Chanah, related that when Reb Moshe was yet unmarried and Rov in Lyuban, his food, prepared by a Jewish woman, tasted so bad that it was for all intents and purposes, inedible. Reb Moshe could not bear the thought of embarrassing the cook and so he always finished his meals with a smile. The cook, delighted with her success and the Rov’s appetite, served large portions. "I visited my brother one day and joined him for lunch. I could hardly swallow a morsel but Reb Moshe was eating with gusto. I asked him, “How can you eat that?” And he simply said, “I force myself in order to avoid embarrassing the cook.”” But Rebbezin Chanah got her way, she put all the food in her bag and spared Reb Moshe at least one day’s pleasure. Reb Moshe quipped, that his sister did him a great favor; he at least had one day that he didn't have to eat that food.

A well known story, that is almost impossible to believe relates that a Talmid inadvertently closed a car door on Reb Moshe’s hand. In spite of the pain, Reb Moshe remained silent as he did not wish to upset and humiliate his student. He was known to have stated that, "To the furthest extent of my memory, I never harmed anyone, nor did I ever hurt a person's feelings."