Torah Jewry Plunged into Mourning on the Passing of HaRav Mattisyahu Salomon,zt’l , 86.

Torah Jewry Plunged into Mourning on the Passing of HaRav Mattisyahu Salomon,zt’l , 86.

Mashgiach Ruchni of Beis Medrash Gevoha in Lakewood

Edited by: TJVNews.com

Torah Jewry around the world was plunged into mourning on Tuesday evening upon learning of the petirah of  Harav Mattisyahu Salomon zt”l,  86, the mashgiach ruchni of the famed Beis Medrash Gevoha in Lakewood, New Jersey. A giant of mussar, chinuch, and Torah, HaRav Mattisyahu’s,zt’l, words and sagacious wisdom served to inspire tens of thousands of Jews throughout the course of his extraordinary life.

Rav Mattisyahu zt”l was born in Gateshead, England to R’ Yaakov and Ettel and went to yeshivah k’tana in London. He learned for 16 years in yeshiva and Kollel with Rabbi Chaim Kaufman, who went on to found the Gateshead Yeshiva L’Zeirim, as was reported on the Yeshiva World News web site.  He also studied under Rav Elyah Lopian zt”l, the former rosh yeshiva of Etz Chaim Yeshiva for less than a year. Nevertheless, Rav Mattisyahu zt”l considered Reb Elya to be his main rebbe, the report said.

Rav Mattisyahu, zt’l, was initially named mashgiach at Gateshead Yeshiva under Rav Moshe Schwab zt”l before becoming senior mashgiach. YWN also reported that he enthusiastically served thousands of talmidim in the yeshiva for more than 30 years in the position.

In 1998, following the petirah of BMG mashgiach Rav Nosson Wachtfogel zt”l, Rav Mattisyahu was asked to succeed him in the position. As was indicated in the YWN report, he accepted the position and moved along with his family to Lakewood, settling in a home on the block of Beth Medrash Govoha.

In the quarter century since he became mashgiach in BMG, Rav Mattisyahu inspired an untold number of people with his Divrei Torah, Divrei Mussar and Divrei Chizuk.  According to the YWN report, he possessed a remarkable mastery of chinuch and hashkafa, and his learned advice and expert guidance was sought after by tens of thousands across the globe. Numerous seforim based on his shmuessen have also been published, with topics ranging from Yamim Noraim and Moadim to Hashkafa, Mussar, and much more, the YWN report added.

The levaya is scheduled to take place at 12 pm Wednesday at BMG, with tens of thousands expected to be in attendance. Kevurah will take place in Eretz Yisroel.