Rav Chaim Mordechai Kastel zt”l

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It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the passing of Rav Chaim Mordechai Kastel zt”l. He was 61 years old.

Rav Kastel was an outstanding talmid chochom, who spent his life devoted to limud haTorah and harbotzas Hatorah.

From the early morning hours, after davening vosikin, until the late hours of the night, Rav Kastel would sit in the bais medrash or his home and learn.

For years, he served as a rebbi, including at Machon Tiferes Bachurim, the yeshiva of Rav Shamai Blobstein in Monsey, NY.

Rav Kastel was a special person, with unique middos and an exalted level of avodas Hashem.

Last year, Rav Kastel relocated from Monsey to Montana Drive in the Brookwood neighborhood of Jackson, NJ.

He suffered a heart attack this evening and passed away shortly thereafter at Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune, NJ, after being transported there by Hatzolah.

Rav Kastel’s mother was a daughter of Reb Rafael Eliezer Faivelson and a sister of Rav Shmuel Faivelson zt”l, rosh yeshiva of Bais Medrash L’Torah of Monsey.

His wife, Mrs. Lami Kastel, is a daughter of Rav Yehuda Cohen z”l, principal of Yeshiva of Eastern Parkway for many years. Her mother, Rebbetzin Danielle, after Rav Cohen’s passing, married Rav Henoch Leibowitz zt”l, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim.

The levayah will be held at 9:30 p.m. at the Congregation Sons of Israel’s Holocaust Memorial Chapel, located at 613 Ramsey Street, off of East 7th Street, in Lakewood, NJ.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com Newscenter}


9 COMMENTS

  1. Wasn’t his father the famous mumcheh in rare seforim who lived on the lower east side? And wasn’t his zeide rosh yeshiva in slonim?

  2. Reb Chaim , was a unique Talmid Chacham. He was there for anyone at any time. Every time I saw you , you were always sitting and learning. There is no doubt that you are entering Gan Eden . May you be a Malitz Yosher for klal yisoel.

  3. I was a ben bayis by him for many years in Monsey. He was my Rabbi, my teacher, my father. Much of my Torah and life knowledge came from him. He was not a public person but his gadlas was always there to see in private. When I was with him at his home he always received so many phone calls for shailos and eitzas. He was there for Klal Yisroel in a way that no other was. I am now a yosam and as I reach for the phone to call him out of habit, it suddenly occurs to me that he is no longer there. My heart is broken.

  4. He possessed an engaging personality as well as a great sense of humour and sharp wit. He was extremely generous and had a big heart. He was very accepting of people and non judgmental. Everyone who came to his shul – down to the children – were made to feel welcome and comfortable. A real loss

  5. I had the zechus of meeting and having Rabbi Kastel in my life almost daily for since 2011. He helped keep me BREATHING after a very painful experience and helped guide me during some very difficult times. When I was a little stronger, Rabbi Kastel guided me in helping many different people, from teens off the Derech, to preventing divorces, to helping abused and neglected kids. My phone was on speed dial to him and I did not make a move without him as not only was he my Rabbi, but I did not want to make a mistake in helping people. Everyone thinks their “Rabbi” is the ONE. Let me tell you, Rabbi Kastel was a a true Eved HASHEM, who worked for Klal Yisrael whenever he was needed. He slept from 10 p.m. thru 1 a.m., so he could learn all night till morning, then daven, then answer the phone all day for anyone in need. He was funny, sensitive, practical, loving and caring about every JEW. I am a Baalas Teshuva and I had a lot of Chassidic influence and Rabbi KASTEL was Litvish 101. We spiritually agreed on almost nothing, yet when it came to things that matter, about loving and caring for another Jew, we saw eye to eye. And he adored his family. Anyone lucky enough to have graced his presence knew he was one of HASHEM ‘s chosen. He always used to say “I work for the LORD” and yes, he did! He is and will always be loved, liked and RESPECTED! My one hope is that while he is in HASHEM’S ARMS, he will continue to watch out for us as he did here on Earth and we will watch out for him with prayers, kindness, charity and above all BEING KIND TO ONE ANOTHER. He is and will always be a true KIDDUSH HASHEM. He is and was an example of HASHEM’S ways. I thank his family for sharing him with us. They should know no more sorrow!

  6. I had the zechus of meeting and having Rabbi Kastel in my life almost daily since 2011. He helped keep me BREATHING after a very painful experience and helped guide me during some very difficult times. When I was a little stronger, Rabbi Kastel guided me in helping many different people, including teens off the Derech, preventing divorces and helping abused and neglected kids. My phone was on speed dial to Rabbi Kastel and I did not make a move without him. Not only was he my Rabbi, but I did not want to make a mistake in helping people. Everyone thinks their “Rabbi” is the ONE. Let me tell you, Rabbi Kastel was a true EVED HASHEM, who worked for Klal Yisrael, whenever and wherever he was needed. He slept from 10 p.m. thru 1 a.m., so he could learn all night until morning. Then he davened and after that he answered the phone all day for anyone in need. He was funny, sensitive, practical, loving and caring toward every JEW. I am a Baalas Teshuva and I had a lot of Chassidic influence. Rabbi KASTEL was Litvish 101. We spiritually agreed on almost nothing, yet, when it came to things that matter, about loving and caring for another Jew, we saw eye to eye. And he adored his family. Anyone lucky enough to have graced his presence knew he was with one of HASHEM‘s chosen. He always used to say, “I work for the LORD” — and yes, he really did! He is and will always be loved, liked and RESPECTED! My one hope is that, while he is in HASHEM’S ARMS, he will watch out for us as he did here on Earth and we will surely watch out for him, with prayers, acts of kindness, charity and above all BEING KIND TO ONE ANOTHER. He is and always will be a true KIDDUSH HASHEM. He was and is an example of HASHEM’S ways. I thank his family for sharing him with us. They should know no more sorrow!

  7. He had programmed into his phone the numbers of all kinds of lonely people, single people, baalei teshuvah. I saw it with my own eyes. You could call him and reach him any day and ask him any question in the world. Questions that would seem like pure apikorsis to others wouldn’t cause him to even blink. He never raised his voice. Never judged. You could scream at him and he’d be silent and it didn’t even seem like that was hard for him or he’d answer in a calm voice. Always had something intelligent to say. He ran from cavod. Wore a short jacket even though he knew more Torah than just about any long-coated Rosh Yeshiva that I ever met. His pesak on business matters was always to be honest, never to cheat. I know numerous people who each felt that they were super close to him, maybe closer than anyone else – and they were.

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