kosher bookworm: alan jay gerber

Rav Moshe Twersky, H”yd, on his first yahrtzeit

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This coming Shabbat Chayei Sarah marks the first yahrtzeit of the holy martyrs, the kedoshim of the Har Nof Massacre on the 25th day of Marcheshvon.

This week’s column is dedicated to one of those holy martyrs, Rav Moshe Twersky, H”yd, who will be the subject of a soon to be released book by Rabbi Yehoshua Berman, a former talmid at Yeshivas Toras Moshe and author of a previous work, “Reflections,” a study of the works of Rav Yaakov Weinberg, zt”l.

As a prelude to its publication, Rabbi Berman shared with me his thoughts on the legacy of Rav Twersky, which I share with you as part of my tribute to all who were martyred by those who have brought death and destruction upon our people in this past year in Eretz Yisrael.

Rabbi Berman, a musmach of Rav Zalman Nechemia Goldberg, began his hesped eulogy of Rav Twersky with the following biographical background:

“HaGaon HaKaddosh Rav Moshe Twersky, H”yd, was born on the 15th of Elul 5715 (Sept. 2, 1955) in Boston, Massachusetts, to loving parents Rav Yitzchak Asher, the Talner Rebbe, zt”l, and tlct''v, Rebbitzen Atarah. From his earliest youth, he was tutored intensively with paternal devotion by his grandfather, HaRav HaGaon Joseph B. Soloveitchik, zt”l. That ,coupled with the warm and embracing atmosphere of the Talner Kehilla, provided him with the strong and lasting foundation that would serve as his springboard to a life of Torah and avodat Hashem

“Among others who were of great influence upon his religious outlook were such outstanding spiritual figures as Rav Yehuda Zev Segal, zt”l, the Manchester Rosh Yeshiva, and Rav Yisrael Elya Weintraub, zt”l, one of the world’s great interpreters of Kabbalah of our day.

“One of Rav Twersky’s trademark characteristics was his unimpeachable humility. Rav Twersky grew, quietly and inconspicuously, into one of the top gedolei hador of our generation, a scion of the Brisker tradition. His remarkable, creative mastery of Torah, exoteric and esoteric, was masked by his extraordinary modesty and self-effacement. He craved and, in large measure, preserved humble anonymity.”

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