R’  Yehuda Aryeh Falik z”l

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of R’ Yehuda Aryeh Falik z”l. He was 39 years old.

R’ Yehuda Aryeh was a resident of Lakewood, NJ, having resided in the West Gate and Lakeview neighborhoods.

R’ Yehuda Aryeh grew up in Brooklyn, NY, a son of Rabbi and Mrs. Menachem Mendel and Tsipora Falik. Rav Mendel zt”l, who was niftar in 2007, was a veteran mechanech, who served for decades as a rebbi at Yeshiva Torah Temimah in Brooklyn. The Lakewood Commons Shul, Khal Lev Menachem, in Lakewood, NJ, is named in Rav Falik’s memory.

R’ Yehuda Aryeh father, Rav Mendel, was a son of Rav Ze’ev and Rebbitzen Tzirel Leah Falik z”l of Paternon, NJ. At a time when Paterson was a largely non-Torah community, Rabbi and Rebbitzen Falik built a beautiful home of Torah, with a love for the warmth of their heritage of Belzer chassidus. This was transmitted to their son, Rav Mendel, and to their daughters, Chavie Fendel, Shavie Cohen and Sarah Bressler. Their children and grandchildren continued this legacy and built choshuveh Torah homes in Boro Park, Queens, Lakewood, Scranton, Chicago and Eretz Yisrael, where they are pillars of their respective communities.

R’ Yehuda Aryeh’s other grandparents were Rav Yehuda Aryeh and Chaya Lisz z”l. Rav Yehuda Aryeh was a talmid muvhak of Rav Meir Shapiro zt”l. He was instrumental in starting many Daf Yomi shiurim in Crown Heights and Boro Park, and was the innovator of Daf Yomi tapes.

R’ Yehuda Aryeh imbibed the special chinuch and values of his father, Rav Mendel, who embodied the ideals of Yeshiva of Philadelphia, where he learned under the hadracha of the roshei yeshiva, Rav Elya Svei and Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky, and Bais Medrash Govoah, where he learned behasmada until Rav Shneur Kotler zt”l and Rav Nosson Wachtfogel zt”l sent him to St. Louis, Missouri, to begin his career as a marbitz Torah.

R’ Yehuda Aryeh’s illustrious parents and grandparents created the foundation on which his own Torah life would be built.

R’ Yehuda Aryeh attended Yeshiva Torah Temimah, where, even in his younger years, he immediately stood out for his brilliance. His quick grasp and love of learning were recognized by his rabbeim and teachers. R’ Yehuda Aryeh was the perennial winner of the Torah Temimah spelling bee, a challenging competition, where his knowledge and brilliance stood out, and where he was clearly head and shoulders above his peers. Despite his tremendous kochos and brainpower, R’ Yehuda Aryeh was humble and self-effacing.

R’ Yehuda Aryeh later learned at Yeshiva Bais Moshe of Scranton, PA, where he was again beloved by his rabbeim and chaveirim.

After joining Bais Medrash Govoah in Lakewood, he married his wife, Rivka, née Moskowitz, in 2004. Together, they established a beautiful family, raising four children.

R’ Yehuda Aryeh was an outstanding ben Torah and loved learning, and he was a fount of information. In addition, he was extremely talented, with a great ear for music and a love for neginah. He sang and played music beautifully, using that special medium to express the wonderful yearnings of his special neshamah.

Despite medical challenges that he endured for years, R’ Yehuda Aryeh exuded contagious positivity and simchas hachaim. He loved people and had a good word for everyone. A friend remarked that R’ Yehuda Aryeh always seemed to have a bounce in his step; he never walked, but bounced, because he loved life, he loved being a ben Torah, and his ahavas Hashem and ahavas Yisroel were tangible.

R’ Yehuda Aryeh contracted the coronavirus a few weeks ago and was on a respirator for three weeks until the Aibishter took his neshamah back to Shomayim.

R’ Yehuda Aryeh was taken in his prime, leaving behind his dear mother, Mrs. Tsipora Falik; his wife, Mrs. Rivka Falik, his children, his siblings, and many friends and acquaintances who will sorely miss him.

Yehi zichro boruch.

A fund has been set up to assist the family. CLICK HERE TO CONTRIBUTE.

{Matzav.com Newscenter}