The Jewish world marks seven years since the passing of Maran Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach ZT”L, one of the great Torah scholars and leaders of the Lithuanian ultra-Orthodox community in recent generations.
Among his close disciples is Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto, who recently shared remarkable stories about his revered teacher and his vast Torah knowledge.
Rabbi Pinto recounted how Rabbi Auerbach lived a life of holiness and asceticism, deeply immersed in Torah study day and night. He described how, for extended periods, the rabbi would not leave the study hall, learning for hours on end without interruption. If he became fatigued, he would fall asleep on the spot and continue studying late into the night, before immersing in a mikveh at dawn to prepare for the morning prayers.
One night, Rabbi Pinto recalled, Rabbi Auerbach asked him and two other students to accompany him, without explaining their destination. They walked through the silent streets of Jerusalem until they reached the Zichron Moshe synagogue, where the rabbi sat for hours, responding only with “Amen” and “Amen Yehei Shmei Rabba” to the Kaddish prayers being recited. At daybreak, they returned to the yeshiva.
When his students sought to understand the significance of this practice, Rabbi Auerbach responded that one day they would grasp the immense power of answering “Amen Yehei Shmei Rabba.” Rabbi Pinto noted that even his revered ancestor, Rabbi Yaakov Abuchatzeira ZT”L, wrote in his book Sha’arei Teshuva that a repentant individual is not fully accepted before the Almighty until he diligently observes the practice of answering “Amen Yehei Shmei Rabba.”
Additionally, Rabbi Pinto shared his memories of Rabbi Auerbach’s devotion to charity and caring for the needy. He described how the rabbi would ask him for substantial donations, often beyond their means, yet they always fulfilled his requests with great joy. He added that after Rabbi Auerbach’s passing, they discovered that on the Saturday night of his yahrzeit, the only amount of money he had left behind was a mere seventy shekels.
Beyond his relentless dedication to Torah and charity, Rabbi Auerbach was known for his compassionate heart for every person. Rabbi Pinto recounted how the revered rabbi could sit and speak with a small child for hours, recognizing that even a child needs guidance and spiritual nurturing.
According to Rabbi Pinto, while the generation has been left orphaned, it is our duty to continue Rabbi Auerbach’s path, to strengthen our Torah study, increase our reverence for Heaven, engage in good deeds, and carry forward the great light he left behind.
This article was written in cooperation with Shuva Israel