By COLlive reporter
Frum Jews in Israel are following a discussion whether to reveal to the litvish halachic authority Rabbi Yosef Sholom Elyashiv about the passing of his daughter Rebbetzin Batsheva Kanievsky.
Thousands attended her funeral in Israel on October 15, but her husband Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, siblings and in-laws are hiding the news from her 101 year-old father.
This is the 6th child of Rabbi Elyashiv that passed away in his lifetime. He had 12 children.
But, while some noted that keeping mum was “a first” in the Jewish world, Lubavitchers have reminded them that the Rebbe did the same.
For 13 years, until her passing, the Rebbe did not reveal to his mother Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson that her second son R’ Yisroel Arye Leib Schneerson had passed away in England.
He passed away on 13 Iyar 5712 at the age of 46. As he did not leave any male descendants, the Rebbe would say Kaddish for him 3 times a day, but was afraid the news would affect his mother’s health.
During the Shiva mourning days, the Rebbe didn’t skip his daily visit to his mother and even wrote letters to the Rebbetzin in his brother’s name.
“The Rebbe gave his rubber shoes to Berel Junik to darken their white soles so the Rebbetzin would not suspect (he is in mourning),” wrote an unnamed chossid in his diary.
“He asked that no letters of consolation be sent to his mother and that he sees all her mail before it is brought to her,” the diary said.
This practice was kept until her passing on Tishrei 6, 5725.
later on in the video the Rebbe again says ten years ago without approximating. va’adayin tzarich iyun
thanks a lot for mentioning this video but if you go back to the 1:55 – 2:03 minute mark you see where the rebbe says he passed away approx 10 yrs ago.
thank you 13 for posting it
There is no mitzvah to tell a relative, especially of this age.
Kaddish is being said, so what is there to gain by telling the old father, other than agmas nefesh and sadness, which is the opposite of Yidishkeit.
how do u know he doesn’t read col?
it says in the article he didnt have any MALE descendants what part of that did you not understand?
to an isha tzidkanius there is a big difference between knowing something and having it spoken out to them where there is an element of shock and manifestation of loss otherwise not experiences.
furthermore, even for a regular person, coming to know something over time, is a much safer way to find something out than to get a solid shock at the time of its taking place.
It just happened to my family. My father just passed away suddenly at the untimely age of 63 just 5 weeks ago, somebody told his mother who was 91 and frail (which they should not have)– she got depressed, stopped eating… I just attended her levaya…
He should not be told!
youcould guess and know(ruach hakodesh maybe ) but unless somone tells you you dont sit shiva or anything
No point arguing over what the rebbetzin knew and dint know and you think the rebber wouldnt know if his mother knew
The link is here (in the “eye to eye” segment):
http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/livingtorah/player_cdo/aid/42952/jewish/Living-the-Past-in-the-Present.htm
When the Rebbe’s Sister-in-law, would write to Rebbeten Chana, She would first send the letter to the Rebbe, who would add comments in his brothers handwiritng then send it back to London, from where it was sent to Rebbetzin Chana.
After a while she picked up on something fishy, realised that the Rebbe his involved and decided to “play along”
I heard from insiders that Rebbitzen Chana realized after a while that RYAL passed away, and never said anything. He would call from time to time, and several times she said please call him and they made up some excuse or another. She went along with the charade, but several women who worked in the house have said that they think she knew the truth.
It is known that several years later the Rebbetzin told a chossid that she DID know, but pretended not to for the Rebbes sake.
Reb Berl Junik painted the white soles of the shoes while it was on the Rebbe’s feet.
i would say on all ths we dont understand
If the Rebbe did things so the Rebbetzin shouldn’t know of her son’s passing ( lemashel went through the letters) I would say she didn’t know.
( Just like Yakkov didn’t know where Yosef was…..)
Does anyone really believe that she was not aware that her son had passed away. She was a tzedakus and had ruach hakoidesh. I do understand the family of Rav Elyashav but I am sure he ‘knows’ it anyway.
I’ve seen on the hebrew sister-site, as well as others – that INDEED r’ chaim kanievsky DOES want to keep it secret from his esteemed father-in-law “till he gets much better” from his recent illness.
I believe the “debate” was just in the litvish world, not in the family, if I’m not mistaken
Firstly – to be corrected: the rebbe’s brother did not have any MALE descendants. Second – to emphasize how much the rebbe considered his brother’s passing to be only after his mother’s — there’s a JEM excerpt of 10 shevat 5735, where the rebbe speaks to prof. Rosenblum (z”l) of toronto, who had then begun publishing r’ yisroel’s mathematical works. The rebbe tells him “It’s now 10 years since my brother has passed”. The rebbe didn’t say AROUND 10 years, but 10! B/c late 1964 (when the rebbetzin passed on)–early 1975 is ..10 years! I can’t find the link to… Read more »
He passed away on 13 Iyar 5712 at the age of 46 and did “not leave any descendents”. Yes he did, he had one daughter…but left no son to say Kaddish
R. Elyashav is a great tzaddik and one of the gedolei hador. I cant believe that he doesn’t know.