By COLlive reporter
Rabbi Aharon Hakohen Tawil, one of the veteran Chabad Shluchim in Argentina known for his sincerity and piety, passed away on Thursday, 12 Nissan 5781.
He was 83.
Rabbi Tawil was born and raised in a frum Jewish family in Buenos Aires and was influenced to follow the path of Torah and Chassidus by Rabbi Berel Baumgarten OBM, the Rebbe’s first Shliach to the South American country.
He then went to New York to study at the Central Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch at 770 Eastern Parkway, where he spent 5 years diligently learning Gemara, Halacha and Chassidus.
He got married in 5721 to Sara Rivka Sapir and within a year, the Rebbe asked them to return to Buenos Aires to serve as Shluchim and connect with local Jews. As was the custom at the time, the Rebbe personally saw them off outside 770 as they headed to the airport.
He received smicha and was also ordained as a shochet and bodek. Over the years he was one of the most respected shochtim in the country with many relying on his yiras shamayim both for Kashrus and as an example of a sincere chossid.
When his wife’s family immigrated to Israel, Rabbi and Mrs. Tawil considered following them. Each time they requested approval, the Rebbe instructed them to remain on Shlichus and even promised them to be in the front row with the Rebbe himself during the final redemption.
Over the years, Rabbi Tawil merited to receive many communications and kiruvim from the Rebbe. When he would visit 770 and attend a Farbrengen, the Rebbe a couple of times asked him to lead the crowd in singing the nigun “Azreini kel chai.”
He merited to built a large Chassidic family who are continuing in his ways and are serving as notable rabbonim and Shluchim in Argentina and Brazil.
He is survived by his wife, Sara Rivkah, and children, Rabbi Shlomo Tawil – Rosario, Argentina; Mrs. Devora Plotka – Buenos Aires, Argentina; Mrs. Chana Tawil – S. Andre, Argentina; Mrs. Chaviva Garberchik – Palaos, Brazil; grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Baruch Dayan Ha’emes.
He was a totally tzadik!!
BD”E!
The Derher Magazine recently published a article about his journey to Lubavitch, his closeness to the Rebbe and eventually his Shlichus in Argentina.
Here is a link to that Derher article
https://derher.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/91-adar-5780-8.pdf
My wife and I were fortunate to spend time with him in Argentina recently. He recounted that the Rebbe would ask him to sing “Ozreini Kel Chai” by farbrengens in the early years. He looked me in the eye and said, “I would begin to sing, the Rebbe would close his eyes, sing along to the tune and transcend”.
The familly should have from now on, only revealed good simchas