Looking Back on 2020 Losses

 From RRW 

Among all the tragedies and challenges of 2020, this has indeed been a terrible year in terms of the passing of great Torah scholars and rabbinic leaders.

This is true in the Haredi American community, with two of the most senior members of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah – Rav Yaakov Perlow (the Novominsker) and Rav Dovid Feinstein entering the Olam HaEmes this year.

Leaders of Sefardic and Hasidic communities in Eretz Yisrael, Rav Eliyahu Bakshi Doron and the Pittsburgher Rebbe (Rav Mordechai Leifer), both also died of COVID in the early days of the virus.

But this tragic outcome of the virus might be even sharper with regard the global Modern Orthodox community, as it has lost so many of its senior leaders on a variety of fronts.

Arguably the three greatest living expositors of traditional Judaism to the broader world – R. Norman Lamm, R. Adin Steinzaltz, and R. Jonathan Sacks – all passed away within months of one another.

Two leading Dayyanim who commanded cross-communal respect and may have done more than anyone to resolve Agunah issues – R. Zalman Nechemia Goldberg and Rav Gedalyah Dov Schwartz – both passed away this year.

Two leading Halakhists who presented bold and modern positions while remaining consensus Poskim – Rav Nahum Rabinovitch and Rav Yehuda Herzl Henkin – succumbed in 2020.

As the calendar year comes to a close, this is an opportunity to reflect on these rabbinic legacies, mourn what we have lost, and hope an pray that 2021 offers us some respite, in this regard and in all others.

Tikhle (secular) Shana ve-Kileloteha.