BDE: Rav Simcha Kook, Rav Of Rehovot And Hurva Shul, Passes Away At Age 92

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The Torah world mourns the passing of Rabbi Simcha Hakohen Kook, the Rabbi of Rehovot and the Churva shul in Jerusalem and the president of the Maor HaTalmud yeshiva in Rehovot. Rabbi Kook passed away in Jerusalem at the age of 92 after a short illness.

Rav Simcha was born in 1930 in Jerusalem to Rabbi Refael Kook, the nephew and disciple of Rabbi Avrohom Yitzchak Kook and to Rachel, daughter of Rabbi Simcha Mandelbaum  Jerusalem. In his youth Rav Simcha recalled going to the old Churva shul: ‘We lived in Mandelbaum House. As young children we would go there. We prayed Shacharis and Kriyas Hatorah at the Churvah and Musaf at the Kotel, since in those days the Kotel was long and narrow and you didn’t know which minyan you were in, while in the Churvah there were special prayers.”

As a young boy, Rav Simcha moved to Tiberias when his father was appointed chief rabbi of the city. After studying at the local school, Rav Simcha studied in Kfar Haroeh and later in Chevron yeshiva under Rav Yechezkel Sarna and Slabodka yeshiva in Bnei Brak.

At a young age, Rav Simcha was appointed to head the Marom Tziyon yeshiva in Bayit V’Gan, which later became Kiryat Noar. Rav Simcha brought a team of educators to the school and persuaded many of the boys, who were from weak religious backgrounds, to continue their Torah studies in yeshivas.

Rav Simcha was then called to head the Yeshivat Bnei Akiva in Netanya. He developed a close relationship with the Klausenberger Rebbe and fought to maintain the religious level in the city, even being elected to the City Council to promote religious activities.

In 1971 his father passed away and it was assumed that he would continue in his footsteps and become Rabbi of Tiberias. However just months later his brother, Rav Shlomo Kook, who was Rabbi of Rehovot, died in a car crash which also killed his wife and two young children. Rav Simcha was called to replace his brother as rabbi of the city.

At the recommendation of Rabbi Shach, he immediately established a yeshiva in Rehovot in memory of his brother. The Maor HaTalmud yeshiva, headed by his brother Rabbi Avrohom Yitzchak Kook, currently has more than 500 students. Rav Simcha would travel a number of times a year abroad to raise funds for the yeshiva, which he saw as his life mission and as a proper memorial for his illustrious brother.

Rav Simcha served as Rabbi of Rehovot for over half a century, setting new standards in Kashrus supervision and in maintaining the sanctity of Shabbos in the city. For many years the rabbi would arrive at central commercial locations on Friday afternoon and remind the storekeepers to close their stores. Many times he would organize Musaf of Shabbos in a central spot where a store had decided to open on Shabbos. “We are not demonstrating against,” he would tell worshipers, “We are demonstrating for, for the sake of Shabbos and Torah and Hashem.”

In 1993, Yaakov Sandler was elected mayor of the city, he tried to change the status quo on opening entertainment centers on Shabbat. Rav Simcha called representatives of the chareidi community, entered the city council and declared: “In the name of the founders of Rehovot, in the name of the city’s elders and residents, we despise the decision of the mayor to allow public desecration of Shabbos.”

The mayor felt humiliated and was angry. The next Friday a special emissary arrived at the mayor’s house with a silver cup, a Talis and a Shabbat Shalom note. The personal present from the rabbi cooled the flames and eventually the mayor, noting the rabbi’s integrity, even spent a shabbos meal with Rabbi Kook.

Rav Simcha was highly respected by other rabbis and rosh yeshivas. A member of the Higher Rabbinical Council, Rav Simcha was a candidate for chief rabbi in 1993 but in the end Rabbi Lau was elected to the position.

In his later years, Rav Simcha realized his dream of purchasing a home in Jerusalem and became the Rabbi of the rebuilt Churva shul after he was appointed by Rabbi Elyashiv. He also fulfilled another dream when Meor Hatalmud inaugurated a large Beis Midrash in 2010.

His love for every Jew was palpable and this characteristic endeared him to all. Rav Simcha would weep even for those he didn’t know when they suffered tragedies. As chazan in Meor Hatalmud during the Yamim Noraim, he would cry many tears for the Jewish nation.

In recent weeks Rav Simcha suffered from pneumonia and gradually his condition deteriorated until he passed away Wednesday evening.

The Levaya will take place at 1:30 PM from Shamgar Street in Jerusalem and at 4:30 PM in Rehovot at the main shul on Binyamin street.

May his memory be blessed.