תורה תורה חגרי שק • עולם התורה באבל • Rav Yaakov Landau zt”l

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Hagaon Rav Yaakov Landau zt”l. He was in his 70s.

Rav Landau was one of the gedolei Torah of the American Torah world, a maggid shiur who instilled ahavas haTorah in thousands of talmidim over a lengthy career of harbotzas haTorah, and a rov who led his kehillah through his example of gadlus in Torah and avodas Hashem.

Rav Landau served for decades as the ninth-grade maggid shiur at Yeshiva Torah Temimah in Brooklyn. While his stature as a talmid chochom would have warranted that he deliver a higher level shiur or become a rosh yeshiva in his own right, Rav Landau humbly remained in that role for so many years, recognizing the unique opportunity to light the spark of ahavas haTorah and cheshkas haTorah in young bochurim just entering mesivta.

Rav Landau continued in this role during the summers as well, when he served as a rebbi at Machaneh Mesivta of Silver Lakewood in Woodridge, NY.

After approximately three decades at Yeshiva Torah Temimah, Rav Landau relocated from Brooklyn to Lakewood, NJ where he became the rov of Khal Chanichei Hayeshivos and ultimately opened a mesivta, Mesivta Tiferes Shmuel. With the same freshness and vitality for which he was famous, Rav Landau continue to serve as a rebbi like no other. His shiurim were masterpieces of depth and clarity, and his tzidkus was something to behold, an example for the talmidim to emulate.

Rav Landau was a tzaddik through and through, fully devoted to limud haTorah around the clock while behind able to relate to every person, no matter their age or background, with kindness and gentility, and truly understanding their individual plights, notwithstanding his exalted status. Despite being one of the gedolei Torah and tzaddikim wherever he resided, Rav Landau was supremely humble, carrying himself with such profound pashtus.

Rav Landau was a tremendous talmid chochom, whose yedios haTorah were astounding in their breadth and depth, always shared with crystal clear clarity and his trademark ahavas haTorah and warmth.

Rav Landau battled illness for the last period, and yet, astoundingly, while in the throes of his machlah, he showed up at his yeshiva every day to teach Torah. His gevuras hanefesh was not lost on the rabbeim or his beloved talmidim.

Today, the Ribono Shel Olam took Rav Landau’s pure neshamah to the Kisei Hakavod, leaving the Torah world bereft of one of its greatest and humblest giants. Chaval al de’avdin.

Rav Landau leaves behind his devoted wife, Rebbetzin Esther (Leibowitz) Landau, and his children, Rabbi Chaim Shalom Landau, Rabbi Chezky Landau, Rabbi Moshe Leib Landau, Rabbi Aharon Landau, Rabbi Avrohom Yitzchok Landau, Rabbi Shmuel Dovid Landau, Rabbi Boruch Ber Landau, Rabbi Zalman Landau, and Mrs. Elisheva Fuerst; and many grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister, Mrs. Rothkopf.

The levayah will be held Sunday morning, at 10:30, at Khal Chanichei Hayeshivos, located at 142 Hollywood Ave in Lakewood, NJ, followed by kevurah in Lakewood. Levayah live call-in number: 732.839.3003, enter 7763828466#.

The family will be sitting shivah at 191 St. Nicholas Avenue in Lakewood, NJ.

WATCH THE LEVAYAH LIVE:

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}