Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey, OBM

Hamodia

With great tzaar we report the petirah of Hadmor Hagaon Harav Mordechai Hager, zt”l, who was niftar this morning in New York after many tefillos of Klal Yisroel, at the age of 95.

The levayeh will be at 12:30 p.m. at Bais Medrash Hagadol in Monsey, 27 Phylliss Terrace. There will be buses leaving to the levayeh from 53rd St. and New Utrecht Ave. from Vizhnitzer Bais Medrash and from 6 Lee Ave in Williamsburg.

The great Rebbe and tzaddik Harav Mordechai Hager was born in Grosswardein (Oradea) Romania, on 18th Tammuz, 5682 (July 14, 1922) to his father the Imrei Chaim, the Admor Maran Harav Chaim Meir Hager, zy”a, and his wife Margalit, daughter of Harav Zev Twersky, the Admor of Rachmastrivka, zy”a.

As a child he was very close to his grandfather, the Saba Kadisha “Ahavas Yisrael” of Vizhnitz, zy”a.

In 5702, he went to learn for a zman by the Admor Harav Yoel of Satmar, zy”a, and then for two years by Harav Yosef Greenwald of Pupa (the Vaychi Yosef), zy”a. Throughout his life, he would consider these two to be his primary rebbeim.

In 5704, as the world closed in on Hungarian Jewry, Reb Mordechai was able to escape across the border to Bucharest, Romania, where stayed for the duration of the war. Every year, Reb Mordechai would celebrate the 34th day of the Omer, the day on which he made his escape.

In 5705, he married Feige Malka, daughter of Harav Yaakov Yosef, the Admor of Skver, zy”a. Tragically, she was niftar, childless, just one year later. The following year, he married her younger sister, Sima Mirel, with whom he had 14 children.

Reb Mordechai, his wife, and her family then traveled to the United States, where he began serving as Rav of the Vizhnitzer Chassidim in America – first in Boro Park, and then in Williamsburg.

In 5724, no longer wishing to live in a crowded city, and he moved to Monsey.

After his father was niftar in 5732, both Reb Mordechai and his brother were crowned as Rebbes of Vizhnitz: His brother Rav Moshe Yehoshua Hager as the Admor in Israel, and he as Rebbe of Vizhnitz in the U.S. In America he was known as the Admor of Vizhnitz, while in Israel he was called the Rebbe of Vizhnitz-Monsey or the Admor of Monsey.

Reb Mordechai wrote in his will that all his sons should be crowned as Rebbes, each one in a different city around the world. He had already distributed his sefarim and other sacred items to his sons.

In the past seven years, he had taken sick and couldn’t read. Since he did not want to stop learning Torah, he asked that recorded shiurim be brought to him. From among those that were brought to him, he chose to listen to the Gemara lectures delivered by HaRav HaGaon Chaim Shmerler, shlita.

Baruch Dayan Haemes.