Rabbi Yitzchak Tuvia Weiss: A Brief Biography

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Rabbi Yitzchak Tuvia Weiss was born in 1926 in the town of Pezinok near Bratislava in Czechoslovakia. His father, Rabbi Shlomo, was a Magid Shiur and disciple of the Shevet Sofer. Since there were not enough children in the town to maintain a Talmud Torah, Yitzchak attended the state school and studied Torah with a private teacher.

In 1939, 12-year-old Yitzchak was sent on a kindertransport organized by Nicholas Winton, a British Jew who succeeded singlehandedly in rescuing 669 children just weeks before World War II broke out. Most of Rabbi Weiss’s family remained behind and perished in the Holocaust. Rabbi Weiss tried to meet with Winton after the story of his rescue became known in the last few years but Winton passed away before he could meet him. In a letter he wrote to Winton’s family, he said that “he had succeeded in saving my life as well as a large number of other people. His noble memory, courage and devotion will be with us forever and can serve as a consolation to you.”

Rabbi Weiss was taken to the house of the Sassover Rebbe in London, who hosted him together with other children from the kindertransport. In London he studied at Rabbi Moshe Shneider’s yeshiva together with Yibadel Lechaim Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch shlita, who is the posek of the Eda Chareidis. Later he studied in Gateshead and after his marriage continued his studies in Gateshead Kollel under Rabbi Dessler. When Rabbi Dessler left to become Mashgiach in Ponovezh, Rabbi Weiss served as head of the Kolel in his place, receiving his semicha from Rabbi Shakovitzky and Rabbi Rabinoff zts’l.

Rabbi Weiss moved to London where he taught in Yeshivas Haramah of Rabbi Elyakim Schlesinger shlita and later become the rabbi of the Etz Chaim shul in London. During this period he was close to the Shatzer Rebbe, Rabbi Sholom of Shatz.

In 1967 Rabbi Weiss moved to Belgium, where he lived for 37 years. He served as a rebbe at the Etz Chaim yeshuva there and later became a dayan for the local community. He also held a position as rav of the Gerer Beis Midrash and the Avreichim Beis Midrash.

Rabbi Weiss had warm ties with many of the gedolim, including the rebbes of Gur and Satmar and the Skulener and Pshevorsk rebbes. He also maintained ties with the Steipler and wrote many letters to him and had a warm relationship with Rabbi Chaim Kanievski. Rabbi Weiss would often visit Rabbi Chaim in Bnei Brak and a few years ago Rabbi Chaim made a visit to Rabbi Weiss as well and spoke with him in learning.

Rabbi Weiss also maintained a relationship with Rabbi Meir Zvi Bergman, son-in-law of Rabbi Shach, and Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, whom he collaborated with on various issues.

After the passing of Rabbi Yisrael Moshe Dushinsky in 2003, Rabbi Weiss was called to serve as Gaabad (leader) of the Eda Charedis in Jerusalem. Initially he lived near the Dushinsky shul  in Arzei Habirah but later settled in the Givat Moshe neighborhood. During his tenure at the Eda Charedis he established the Peer Hatorah yeshiva for youths from the community, later changing the name to Chochmas Hatorah. He served as a rosh yeshiva, giving shiur klali and other monthly shiurim. He also established a special tzedaka fund for needy families and would give special support to parents marrying off children including covering the costs of the wedding night.

Rabbi Weiss wrote Shaarei Tuvia on sugyos in shas. A number of books have been published by disciples including his halachic rulings and other stories from his life.

Rabbi Weiss was predeceased by his third wife (his children were born from the first wife, Esther Fleischman) and one son-in-law, Rabbi Avraham Zilbiger of Manchester.  He is survived by his only son Rabbi Shlomo Zalman as well as his son-in-laws Rabbi Elimelech Zilbiger – a leader of Breslav chasidim in Beit Shemesh and Rabbi Shlomo Meir Lindbaum, as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren.