Jerusalem Rabbi Aryeh Stern
Jerusalem Rabbi Aryeh SternHezki Baruch

Jerusalem Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Rabbi Aryeh Stern spoke to Arutz Sheva about his student and friend, Rabbi Yossi Wald, who passed away during Simchat Torah.

"We received the bitter and difficult news yesterday of Rabbi Yossi Wald's passing, who was one of the pillars of the Halacha Berura Institute in Mercaz HaRav Yeshiva. The loss is that of the family, of the Halacha Berura Institute, and a loss for the entire Jewish People," noted Rabbi Stern.

"Rabbi Wald was a Torah scholar and was assiduous in Torah, and his whole self was within the framework of the Torah. He had extensive and comprehensive knowledge of the Torah, he knew how to read books of the mekubalim and unusual books. Half the day he participated in the Halacha Berura Institute and in the second half he taught Torah to yeshiva students. A man who knew Torah in the true sense and a scholar."

Rabbi Stern defined Rabbi Wald as "a Torah scholar with virtuous traits. When I looked at Maimonides' list of the necessary traits of talmidei chachamim, they were all found in Rabbi Yossi. I never heard a word of gossip from him. His wisdom was ensconced in silence. He judged everyone favorably, was good to people, and participated in the sorrows and joys of every person. I always felt a real friend standing by me in everything."

"I especially feel the great loss," said Rabbi Stern, "Rabbi Yossi was one of the pillars of Halacha Berura, and I found a common language with him. Learning Torah created a strong personal bond between us. I've always seen him as an exemplary figure of a pleasant man who loves people and the Creator; a G-d-fearing man whose prayers were genuine are whose deeds were good deeds. May he be of blessed memory".

הרב שטרן סופד לרב ולד זצ"ל