The Day After His Levaya, The Family Found Out R’ Yaakov Had Given Away His Burial Spot

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Rav Yaakov Mendelson, a prominent Gerer Chasid who had joined Rav Shaul’s community, was a big Baal Tzedakah involved in many benevolent activities, but only after his passing last Shabbos did his family discover the extent of his acts of kindness.

Rav Yaakov was born in Tel Aviv in 1949. His father, Rabbi Meir Mendelson, was close to the Chazon Ish and also served in a number of rabbinic positions, including Rosh Yeshiva of Tzanz Klausenberg and Bobov, rabbi of the Ramot Polin neighborhood in Jerusalem and one of the founders of Mesivta Chasidei Gur in the US.

The family moved to the US and his father sent him to Yeshivas Chidushei Harim in Tel Aviv, where he grew in Torah and Yiras Shamayim. Despite being a very active and successful businessman, he always sought time to study Torah as well as pursuing numerous philanthropic endeavors. Rav Yaakov was especially involved in Shalom Bayis and united and saved many families in this role. Rav Yaakov also supported many Torah scholars and helped poor people, widows and orphans with generous contributions.

Rav Yaakov’s family knew and had heard from him that he had purchased a burial site on Har Hazeisim near his parents graves and adjacent to the tombs of the Gerer rebbes. However on Motzaei Shabbos after his passing, the family could not find the relevant documents and similarly the Kolel Polin Chevra Kadisha could not find the burial site on Har Hazeisim. Due to the Jerusalem custom of burying the dead before daybreak, a new spot was hurriedly found on Har Hamenuchos and Rav Yaakov was buried there.

The day after the funeral, Rav Yaakov’s children discovered the documents and confirmed that the burial site was actually in the Munkacz section and not the Polin section and therefore the Chevra Kadisha had not found them. After checking with the relevant people, the children were startled to discover that their father had given away his own burial spot for a young avreich who had passed away and left a widow and many orphans. Nobody, including his wife and children, knew this until a day after his petirah.

When the Dushinsky Rebbe heard this story he said that “I knew Rav Yaakov and his Tzedakah and many acts of kindness but even though I knew, I didn’t really comprehend, since he was adept at hiding his benevolence and doing hidden acts of Tzedakah.”