Rav Moshe Shapiro zt"l
הרב משה בן מאיר יצחק שפירא זצ"ל
Teves 10 , 5777
Rav Moshe Shapiro zt"l
Rav Moshe Shapiro zt'l, was the rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Pischei Olam in Eretz Yisroel and one of the world’s leading baalei mussar. His father, Rav Meir Yitzchok, was a talmid of the Alter of Slabodka and mashgiach at Yeshivas Nachlas Dovid. In his youth, he studied at Yeshivas Chevron and established a relationship at that time with the Brisker Rov, Rav Yitzchok Zev Soloveitchik zt”l. He then learned at Ponovezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak, where he established a close kesher with the mashgiach, Rav Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler zt”l, with whom he learned b’chavrusah. He also studied under the Brisker Rov’s son-in-law, Rav Yechiel Michel Feinstein zt”l. Rav Moshe was born in Petach Tikva in Iyar 5695/1935 to Rav Yitzchak Meir, zt”l, and Rachel, a”h. His father was one of the gaonim of the town of Skotzvyl in Lithuania and the nephew of the Alter of Kelm, zt”l. Rav Yitzchak Meir spent much of his childhood in the proximity of the Alter because, orphaned at a young age, he was raised by the Alter’s son, Rav Nachum Zev.
In 1925, Rav Yitzchak Meir came to Eretz Yisrael to learn under the Alter of Slabodka, and continued to Yeshivas Chevron. After his marriage he lived in Petach Tivka and was one of the founders of the well-known kollel Toras Eretz Yisrael. He later became the Menahel Ruchani of Yeshivas Nachalas Dovid.
As a child, Rav Moshe attended cheder in Petach Tikva. Already at the age of 11 he began learning in the Ohr Yisrael yeshivah ketanah, where he made great strides under Harav Yaakov Neiman, zt”l, and Harav Yosef Rozovksy, zt”l. His many talents and his determination in limud haTorah amazed those who saw him; at a very young age he displayed remarkable wisdom and had mastered tremendous amounts of knowledge.
After his bar mitzvah he began learning in Yeshivas Ponovez, despite his very young age. He was esteemed by the Roshei Yeshivah, who appreciated his unique abilities. The Mashgiach, Harav Eliyahu Dessler, zt”l, who discovered that he was related to the Alter of Kelm, took Rav Moshe under his wing and began teaching him profound concepts. Rav Moshe would later say that his Roshei Yeshivah infused him with the traditions that set him on the path to teach Torah for the rest of his life.
He became close to the Chazon Ish, zt”l, and, on his advice, began learning in Yeshivas Knesses Yisrael Chevron in Yerushalayim in 1953. There, he became close to the Roshei Yeshivah and was one of the yeshivah’s outstanding talmidim.
While in Yerushalayim, Rav Moshe also became close to the Brisker Rav, zy”a.
In 1958, a group of bachurim, Rav Moshe among them, went to learn in Yeshivas Beis Yehudah, under Harav Yechiel Michel Feinstein, zt”l.
In 1960 Rav Moshe married his Rebbetzin, Tziporah, the daughter of Harav Aharon Bialystotzky, zt”l, Rosh Yeshivas Ohel Torah in Yerushalayim. Rav Aharon also established the renowned kollel in the city where many of the eminent scholars of the time learned, among them Harav Elyashiv and Harav Wosner, zecher tzaddikim livrachah. While Rav Moshe was a chassan, a group of erudite bnei aliyah was formed in Yeshivas Kaminetz, and Rav Moshe was included.
He later learned in the Mir, where he became close to the Rosh Yeshivah, Harav Eliezer Yehudah Finkel, zt”l.
His harbatzas haTorah, which he continued for the rest of his life, began in Yeshivas Tifrach, which was first opened in Kfar Maimon by Harav Yaakov Friedman, shlita. Rav Moshe taught at the yeshivah, and took a personal interest in the growth of each one of his talmidim.
In 1968, Rav Moshe joined Harav Dov Schwartzman, zt”l, in establishing Yeshivas Bais Hatalmud in Bayit Vegan, where Rav Moshe lived at the time. The yeshivah was originally called Bais Hatalmud Gur Aryeh. Harav Yitzchak Hutner, zt”l, was very involved with the mossad, and Rav Moshe developed a close relationship with him as well.
In 1976 he was invited to establish Yeshivas Bais Binyamin in Stamford, Connecticut, together with Harav Simcha Schustal, zt”l, where he remained for two years.
Rav Shapiro returned to Eretz Yisrael in 1979 and began delivering numerous shiurim, while also becoming involved in outreach and the baal teshuvah community.
With his exceptional clarity and gift of oratory, he succeeded in forging pathways to the heart of each person that he met, no matter where they were up to in life.
He was instrumental in establishing Ohr Somayach for Israeli baalei teshuvah and delivered a Thursday night parshah shiur there for more than 20 years. The shiur was so well attended that it had to be moved to the Chanichei Hayeshivos shul in Sanhedria because there was no room. It later moved to the Mishkan Moshe shul in Ramat Shlomo.
In all he delivered some 30 shiurim a week on topics of machshavah, Gemara and more.
In 5760/2000, Rav Moshe established the first kollel that was supported by Reb Zev Wolfson, ztz”l. The kollel instituted a program to train avreichim to become kehillah Rabbanim.
In addition to his extensive efforts in the teshuvah movement in Eretz Yisrael, he was similarly active in outreach abroad. He established the Mesilot Aliyah organization, with the goal of locating Jews from the Former Soviet Union interested in learning more about Torah and Judaism. Throughout the years of the existence of Yeshivas Toras Chaim in Russia, he was one of its mainstays, frequently delivering shiurim there.
In 2001 he established Yeshivas Shev Shmaatsa, in memory of his daughter, Shulamis Shapiro, a”h, who passed away at a young age. (The initials of the yeshivah are the same as her initials.) He also headed Yeshivas Pischei Olam in Yerushalayim for baalei teshuvah.
Rav Moshe was unique in that, besides his prolific teaching of Toras Hanigleh, such as Shas and Poskim, he devoted much time to Toras Hanistar. He was proficient in sifrei Kabbalah, sifrei Maharal and sifrei Chassidus, including Sfas Emes and the sefarim of Harav Tzadok Hakohen of Lublin. His shiurim in machshavah were renowned, and drew audiences from across the spectrum.
He was known for his phenomenal memory, citing passages in Tanach and Gemara by heart during his shiurim. He delivered shiurim in Hebrew, English and Yiddish, based on the audience. Many of the shiurim were delivered as a series, and sometimes lasted for years. Among them was a series on Pirkei Avos, which numbered some 400 shiurim and lasted nearly 20 years. His series on tefillah was comprised of 60 shiurim, and there was also a series on the 13 Principles of Faith. He also spoke about current events through the lens of Jewish hashkafah.
https://hamodia.com/2017/01/07/harav-moshe-shapira-ztl-of-yerushalayim/
Rav Shapiro was known for his phenomenal memory. He was a boki in (mastered) the seforim of the Maharal and sifrei Chassidus, including the sefer Mei Hashiloach from the Izhbitzer and the seforim of Rav Tzadok Hakohein of Lublin. His shiurim and sichos displayed his wealth of knowledge in divrei chazal, shas, and medrash, along with sifrei kabbalah and machshavah. Despite his greatness, he remained humble and refined, trying to evade honor and accolades as he remained fully engaged in harbotzas Torah.
His seforim, published by talmidim, include Afikei Mayim on the moadim; Mimaamakim Al HaTorah;Raah Emunah on the yud gimmel ikrim; and other volumes.
Stories of Rav Moshe Shapiro zt"l
Rav Mordechai Becher, famous Gateways Lecturer and Rebbe at Yeshivas Ohr Same’ach, shared the following story:
A taxicab pulled up and the driver, who was not wearing a yarmulke and who was not visibly religious, asked Rav Becher whether he studied and learned at the yeshiva and if so in which shiur? Surprised, Rav Becher responded in the affirmative and that he learned and studied in Rav Moshe Shapira's shiur.
"Because of him, I keep Shabbat," the driver said to a surprised Rav Becher.
"What’s the story? Rav Becher asked. The driver told him the following:
“Rav Moshe Shapira lives in my building. Once, a few days after he had just moved in, it was a rainy day and I saw him going out, obviously in a hurry. He looked like a respectable personage, so I called over to him and said, ‘Kevod haRav, come; I will give you a ride in my taxi free of charge.’
“Thanking me, he got in. I placed the keys in the ignition and as I started the car, I felt his hand on mine.
“‘You don’t drive on Shabbat, do you?’ asked Rav Moshe Shapira. There was something about the way he said this – I could just tell that if I responded that, yes, I did, I would hurt him very much.
“I could not bring myself to say, ‘Yes, I drive on Shabbat’ to this Rav, though the truth was that I did. I also felt that I could not lie to him. It was raining outside; his hand was on mine and I paused. At that moment I took a mental oath, a shavua, that from then on, I would never drive again on Shabbat – and so I was able to tell him truthfully, “No, I do not drive on Shabbat.’ And that is why I keep Shabbat.” today – because of Rav Moshe Shapira!"