Rav Chaim Yehosef Ralbag zt”l

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ralbagOne of the American Torah world’s oldest rabbonim, Rav Chaim Yehosef Ralbag zt”l, was niftar earlier this week. Rav Ralbag served as a rov and dayan in New York for over 70 years.

Rav Ralbag was one of the leaders of Agudas Harabonim of the United States. Born in Yerushalayim in the year 1913, he was a sixth-generation descendant of the leaders of Yerushalayim the talmidei haGra who founded the yishuv haPrushim in 1809 when they arrived in Eretz Yisroel.

Rav Ralbag was a talmid of Rav Isser Zalmen Meltzer and Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank, and he received semichah from them as well as from the famous Tepliker Rov in the 1930s.

After arriving in the United States, Rav Ralbag founded one of the first kashrus organizations in America in order to ensure that kosher food would be available for American Jewry.

At the levaya, Rav Hirsh Ginzberg described Rav Ralbag’s gadlus in Torah and his leadership qualities, and he discussed the close relationship that the niftar had with Rav Moshe Feinstein and Rav Aharon Kotler. Hespeidim were also delivered by his son, Rav Aryeh Ralbag, the av bais din of Amsterdam and rov of Young Israel of Avenue K, and his grandsons, who themselves are rabbonim in various kehillos.

On Monday, the aron was flown to Eretz Yisroel and Rav Ralbag was buried in the chelkas haPrushim on Har Hazeisim.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Shmiel Gellman-Matzav.com Newscenter}


9 COMMENTS

  1. Yes he gave hashagacos to many products, as a matter of fact he was the first (or one of the first) hasgachos on mass productons in the usa. he started it with the backing and encouragement of the gedolim like reb moshe feinstein and reb ahron kotler zt”l, who he was very close with. i just read somewhere that reb moshe told someone that “rabbi ralbag brought kashrus to america”.

  2. AS SOME ONE THAT KNEW THE RAV FROM HIS MANHATTAN SHUL HE WAS A GENTLEMAN AND A SCHOLAR THAT WAS AVAILABLE TO HIS MEMEBERS AT ANY TIME IN MANY WAYS HE WAS SIMILAR TO THE OLD TIME RABBIUM GENTLEMAN

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