it is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the passing of Rav Sroya Devlitzky zt”l, the noted mekubal, posek and tzaddik from Bnei Brak. He was 93 years old.
Rav Devlitzky, who resided on Rechov Yerushalayim in Bnei Brak, battled illness for the last few years.
On Friday night, Rav Devlitzky felt unwell. MDA personnel were called to his home and performed a successful resuscitation before transporting him by ambulance to the hospital. Rav Devlitzky’s body systems collapsed again and he was niftar at 12:27 a.m.
Rav Devlitzky was born in Riga, Latvia. His father, Rav Betzalel Yaakov, was close to Rav Avrohom Yitzchok Hakohein Kook while living in Minsk.
When he was 13 years old, he began to study with Rav Yechiel Izhalov at the Gra Shul on Rechov Hayarkon and he became close to Rav Yosef Tzvi Halevy, av bais din of Tel Aviv. When he was 15 years old, his family moved to Yerushalayim, where he studied at the Kamenitz Yeshiva and the Chevron Yeshiva. Rav Devlitzky formed a close kesher with Rav Dovid Baharan and Rav Yaakov Moshe Charlap.
Already in his youth, he began learning with the greatest kabbalists of the Eidot Hamizrach communities in Yerushalayim: Rav Mordechai Sharabi, Rav Ovadia Hadaya and Rav Mordechai Attia.
When he was about 20 years old, he married his wife, a daughter of Rav Chaim Ozer Yanovsky, who was the rov of Agudas Hakormim, and the couple lived in Tel Aviv before moving to Ramat Gan. It was then that he started his relationship with the Chazon Ish, visiting him daily and davening with him each day.
At the age of 27, he moved to Bnei Brak, where he continued to study Torah from the Chazon Ish. In the year 5717, he established a regular minyan for Shacharis kevosikin at Bais Medrash Tiferes Tzion, where he davened regularly until the end of his life.
Rav Devlitzky published over sixty seforim on a wide variety of subjects.
Rav Devlitzky had a unique custom according to Kabbolah to cut his beard very short.
Rav Devlitzky was not only a great expert in Kabbolah, but a boki in the Torah of the Arizal and the Vilna Gaon.
The levayah will be held on Sunday following his request not to make the levaya on Motzoei Shabbos. The levayah will be held at 10 a.m. at his home at 50 Rechov Yerushalayim in Bnei Brak. He will be buried in Kiryat Shaul in Tel Aviv near his wife and parents.
Yehi zichro boruch.
{Matzav.com Israel}
He was an Ish Emes all the way with mesirus nefesh. He used to fast ALL the Fasts from at night 24 hours (like Tisha b’Av) and in the Three Weeks he would fast every day from morning to night.
5 years ago when he heard about the terrible giyus decree, he tore kriah and made a bracha ‘Baruch Dayan Emes’ beshem umalchus. This is what he felt and what we all should feel and not fool ourselves and say ‘yihye beseder’.