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The Rosh Yeshiva of the largest yeshiva in the world has passed away. Under the leadership of Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel, the Mir Yeshiva became the most prolific institution of Torah study in the world. R’ Nosson Tzvi died of a heart attack. It is a profound loss and it was too soon.
R’ Nosson Tzvi leaves quite a legacy behind him.
His primary legacy will not be the growth of the yeshiva. Rather, in my opinion, his legacy will be his life story.
The only Rosh Yeshiva of a historic, very prominent yeshiva living in Israel who was born in America, R’ Nosson Tzvi was a model to all American born Jews that the sky is the limit. He was not born to a family of Roshei Yeshiva, nor was R’ Nosson Tzvi born into the lap of Talmudic luxury. He grew up with public school, Americana and sports. That did not stop him from becoming who he was.
R’ Nosson Tzvi earned everything he achieved as a Torah scholar through his own blood, sweat and tears.
Coincidentally, everything was a struggle for R’ Nosson Tzvi. He suffered from Parkinson’s and it took him tremendous effort to do simple tasks that almost everyone else can do with ease. In this way, his legacy grew.
Not only is R’ Nosson Tzvi a model for American yeshiva students, but he is a model for anyone who suffers in life. Pain, difficulty and trauma can be debilitating. But they do not need to be. R’ Nosson Tzvi showed us that.
And through it all, he was a warm, kind and thoughtful man who I had the pleasure of meeting on several occasions.
I owe him gratitude for giving me a place to study Torah briefly in 2001. But more importantly, we all owe him gratitude for the opportunity he gave to an entire generation of Torah scholars, teachers and leaders to study in his institution. These people have become our guiding lights and in this way, R’ Nosson Tzvi lives on.
He will live on forever for his inspiration, wisdom and accomplishments.
May his memory be for a blessing.
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