By COLlive reporter
Rabbi Aaron Chitrik of Crown Heights has passed away on Thursday, 28 Tishrei 5772, at the age of 73.
Rabbi Chitrik was the director of the editorial board of the Hebrew Department of Vaad Kisvei Kodesh which was responsible for publishing the Chassidus Seforim of the Rebbeim in Hebrew and Yiddish.
Son of the Chossid Rabbi Yehudah Chitrik, Rabbi Chitrik was born in Kremenchug, Russia, and emigrated with his family to Montreal in 1948. In 1953 he moved to New York, and married Slava Kahan, daughter of Rabbi Michoel Yehuda Aryeh Leib Kahan.
For more than 50 years, Rabbi Chitrik worked in the Rebbe’s library, working on Maamorim of the Rabbeim. He put together the Maareches and Marei Mekoimos of many sforim, with his name specifically mentioned in Lekutei Torah and the Tanya.
In the late 70’s, Rabbi Chitrik was sent by the Lubavitcher Rebbe to assist Rabbi Avrohom Shemtov, today Chairman of Agudas Chassidei Chabad International, on the special mission to release the Previous Rebbe’s seforim out of Poland.
Rabbi Chitrik received many directives from the Rebbe, and everything he did the Rebbe told him to do “Mahir” – immediately.
“Even with all the difficulties he went through in his life, he never gave up,” a family member told COLlive. “About 6 months ago he was not well in the hospital, and sick as he was, he asked for a Likutei Torah, so he could work.”
He is survived by his wife Slava Chitrik and children Mrs. Rochel Gross -Crown Heights and Hershey Chitrik – Crown Heights / Miami.
He is also survived by his brother Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Chitrik – Crown Heights and sisters Mrs. Chaya Lieberman – Belgium and Mrs. Shaindel Schneerson – Brooklyn. He was predeceased by his son Shmully.
The Levaya will take place Friday, leaving Shomrei Hadas in Boro Park at 9:00 am and passing by 770 at 9:45 am.
Shiva will take place at 605 Empire Blvd. in Crown Heights.
Shacharis Daily at 9:00 AM – THURSDAY: 7:00 AM
Mincha – 5:30
Mariv B’izmano
Email for Nichum aveilim: [email protected]
Baruch Dayan Haemes
A great Luminary was lost!
BDE
The family should only have simchas from now on.
b d e ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,there is nothing more that one can say ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, moshiac now
We have so much to live up to.
I kept crying today
– by davening,
thinking about how there is one special , holy neshama that did not daven,
dueing the day, hours spent learning- are now missing
– and we-
we must fill in the gap and take charge, continue doing what this dear neshomo tirlessly toiled in:
Hafatzos Hamayonos!
-Lichsheyofutzu Maynosecha Chutza!
Moshiach Now
I didn’t know him, but I observed him many times over the past 25 years.
A great Chossid
A grreat Yarei Shomayim
A great Lamdan
Im kol hapirushim b’zeh (with all their interpretations and definitions). The breadth and depth of his knowledge extended far beyond what many consider Torah knowledge, but for him it was because “kuloh boh (everything is in [Torah].”
He was a baal mochin, a baal mifdos, and a baal chesed (an intellectual, deeply emotional, and kind & gracious).
He will surely be a meilitz yosher and lobby for Hisgalus Moshiach.
THEBERST UNCLE ONE EVER HAD YEHYZICHRO BOROOCHNEPHEWS
I just learned that this great man existed this week by seeing his name in my torah or. I said to myself “this man must be a tremendous talmid chochom” and so i decided to google search his name two days ago! From the comments i just read it seems like this is a great loss. Yehi zichro baruch.
I knew him very well, what a special man, wise man, a real humble man, a true bar dahat. its was a pleasure to speak with him on every subject but chassidus and seforim was is love, yehi zichro boruch
BD”E Hamokom yenachem eschem…!May the family and klal yisroel know of only simchas from now on!!!
We will miss you Feter Aaron. BDE
he acted like my zaidy- I used to listen to him talk in yiddish- and it encouraged me to learn it- he was a source of chassidishkeit and bittul- May His neshama have a great aliyah-
Hamakon Yenachem!
amazing rabbi we will miss him
Balibter Fetter, YZB
He was the first yungerman in the Rebbe’s kollel. A story about this is mentioned in a recent publication about kollel that was printed by yagdil torah
like a true eved hashem,he never allowed his pekkel in life to hinder his mission of hafotzas hamyonoys…
what amazing strength of character….
such a treasure-house of knowledge…
and everything in such a self-effacing manner,sha-shtill…
we all have much to learn from his ways…
Feter Arele, you were a special person and an important part of our lives. You treated my children like a zaidy instead of an uncle. We will miss you so much!
I do not believe 99% of Lubavitch realizes what an unbeleivable person Rabbi Chitrik was. And this becasue this is exactly how he would have wanted it. He was a private person, and completely Boki, expertly, in all the Alter Rebbe, Mitteler Rebbe, Tzemach Tzedek and Rebbe Maharash’s Chassidus. For that, he aslo had to Boki in most of Shas and Midrash, Zohar, and so forth. Becasue he worked on references, he also had to be Boki in all the Rebbe’s works, whether Mugoh or not. He was a wellspring of knowledge – and no one knew it! This is… Read more »
so sad
i used to love having conversations with him about the many subjects he was so well versed in. from deep inyonim in chassidus to the intricate details of chabad history. he will be be sorely missed. yehei zichro baruch!
WHAT A GR8 LOSS,, AH TIREAH CHOSID
AND A NICE PERSON BEH’ EMES
“He put together the Maareches and Marei Mekoimos of many sforim”
Maareches as in maftechos???
What a special man. He will be much missed
One of the last true chassidim
A very special man.
Torah was his life.
Yehei Zichro Baruch.
A great man, someone who devoted his life to learning.
thanks to him, we have allot of Chssidis Seforim.
May his soul be blessed.
Boruch dayan haemes
a very special uncle and a great man
Rubin Family
Miami Beach