Upon the completion of the ‘Shloshim’ for Reb Tzvi Hirsh Gerzhoi, the legendary Shamash of Moscow’s central Shul, several representatives of the Gabbaim, as well as a number of friends ascended to to the Jewish cemetery to recite Tehillim and Kaddish, after the erecting of his tombstone on which the words appear: “Here rests an honest man, who dealt with public needs with faith and devotion.”
A number of words that express the feelings of hundreds and thousands of worshippers and students at the “Marina Roscha” Shul in central Moscow, who mourned the passing of a man who was beloved by all, from children who received sweets from him for answering ‘Amen’, to great scholars, who often had difficulty answering his questions on Torah and Talmud.
On Thursday evening, a special event was held in memory and honor of Reb Grisha, our beloved and unforgettable Shamash, with the participation of many, led by the Chief Rabbi of Russia, Rabbi Berel Lazar Shlita, to whom the deceased was very devoted, and made sure, despite his many obligations, to attend all Torah classes given by the Rabbi.
The event was opened by the community director, Rabbi Mordechai Weisberg, who linked the first chapter of the first maseches, “Brachos,” with the role of Reb Grisha as the shul’s Shamash. Rabbi Weisberg studied this maseches for thirty days, as many in the community took on themselves to join in completing all the Mishnayos by the Shloshim.
At the request and suggestion of the Chief Rabbi, the Shul’s Hachnasas Orchim room was rededicated with the new name: “Grisha’s Room”, in his name and in his memory. A room where he invested his strength and energy for many years, providing refreshments and drinks for all, from small children to high-ranking guests. Everyone was always happy to see him, and he was happy to serve the visitors of the shul through this wonderful project, for which he raised millions of rubles over the years in an exemplary and organized manner.
The community chairman, Rabbi Boruch Gorin, fondly shared fascinating memories from the life of Reb Grisha O.B.M., as did several other people who were honored to speak before the large crowd, who gathered to honor and remember the legacy of a man who dedicated two decades of his life to serving other in kindness. His miraculous arrival at this place came after many twists and turns during his turbulent life, starting from his youth in close proximity to the holy Ribnitzer Tzadik, followed by his rise to a senior position during Communism as Minister of Culture in Moldova, and then to his arrival in Moscow, the capital of Russia.
The main speech was borne by the Chief Rabbi, Shlit”a, who began his remarks by quoting the Mishnah in maseches “Oktzin”, and later said: “When a Jew departs from this world, we must learn from his good deeds and his path in serving Hashem, and as the Rebbe often repeated the words of Shlomo HaMelech ‘and the living shall take to heart.’ We learned a lot from Reb Grisha O.B.M., during the years we were privileged to spend with him. We can compare him to Rabbi Akiva, who began to study Torah when he was of age, but did so with full vigor and dedication.
The Talmud tells us that Rabbi Akiva became stronger in his study of Torah when he saw drops of water eroding a hard rock. And he learned that through willpower and perseverance one can transcend any situation in life. So too with Reb Grisha. In those days, he was already about fifty years old, in the midst of a full life. But he immediately devoted himself to study the Torah, he began to study Lashon HaKodesh and invested a lot of energy in it. Grisha did not miss a single lesson, and soon even began teaching lessons to beginners himself. At the end of each lesson, he would come up with questions, and he would never settle for a simple answer – he would always clarify things thoroughly until they were completely clear. It was not for nothing that he did this, because the next day he himself taught the subject to other Jews, so that they too would understand well. He had his own opinions, Grisha was an intelligent man, a thinking man, he wanted to understand everything, but when he saw that sometimes his understanding conflicted with a Torah idea, with the words of Rashi, with the content presented in another book – he canceled his opinion and accepted the Torah view happily, with dedication and devotion, and there are many examples of this.” The Rabbi continued and recounted: “Recently he said more than once: I wish I could live to the age of 77. In the teachings of Chassidus, it is stated that the life of a person is seventy years, because a person must correct his seven virtues, as they are included in the ten powers of the soul; moreover, “all the seventh are beloved,” meaning: the number seven is beloved to Hashem. And here a miracle happened: Grisha celebrated his 77th birthday on Shabbos, the 7th of Nisan – the seventh day of the week and the seventh day of the month, and in the seventh month (starting from Tishrei). And the very next day – he departed from his earthly home, as it is said of the righteous that Hashem fills their years day by day. His wonderful character and his dedicated work to the community are an important lesson for us all. A lesson that we will remember and pass on to our children, as it says in Tehillim, chapter 88, which Grisha began to read on his last day, his birthday: “And we will not perish from among their children – to the next generation they will tell the praises of the Lord and His mighty acts and the wonders that He has done.” We will always be told that there was such a special person among us, who gave us a great lesson: He showed us that if there is faith and will – nothing is impossible.”
Upon completion of this part, the Chief Rabbi Shlita was honored to write the first letter of the new Torah scroll that the Gabaim are beginning to write in memory and leilui nishmas the Shamash, Rabbi Zvi Hirsch ben Yisrael o.b.m. who was a legend in his lifetime and will remain engraved in our hearts forever. The organization of the funeral, burial, and tombstone was taken care of by the Gabaim, as Reb Grisha did not have any children or relatives who could do so.
After an hour of collective Torah study at the central Shul – in what has become a Thursday night tradition, initiated by the Chief Rabbi, a Chassidic farbrengen was held, during which a special and thoughtful memorial booklet was distributed, with articles, photos, and glimpses into the fascinating life of Reb Grisha, o.b.m., especially from the last two decades of his life, which were dedicated to the benefit of the general public, who mourn his passing and do everything possible to preserve his memory and his legacy.
Photography: Levi Nazarov
