It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Doniel Lehrfield zt”l, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Beis Yisroel in Yerushalayim and author of Binas Doniel, at the age of 83.
Rav Lehrfield was born in the United States to his father, Rav Yehuda Leib Lehrfield, a distinguished member of Chicago’s community, and to his mother, Mrs. Etta Riva.
As a bochur, he studied in Yeshivas Chevron and later in Yeshivas Mir.
He married the daughter of Rav Shlomo Yosef Chill.
After making his home in Eretz Yisroel, Rav Lehrfield became a marbitz Torah for decades in some of the foremost yeshivos. He gave shiurim for years at Yeshivas HaNegev under the leadership of Rav Yissachar Meir.
He later played a central role in founding Yeshivas Toras Moshe together with Rav Moshe Meiselman, and ultimately established his own yeshiva, Beis Yisroel of Yerushalayim, where he taught and guided thousands of talmidim.
Rav Lehrfield authored over 40 seforim, including the multi-volume Binas Doniel on various masechtos of Shas.
The cover page of every Binas Doniel makes something perfectly clear: “Permission is given to photocopy or reprint any part of this ספר in keeping with ה’ חפץ למען צדקו יגדיל תורה ויאדיר”. Nothing better describes the Rosh Yeshiva’s goals than the words yagdil Torah veyadir. As a talmid muvhak of Rav Chaim Zimmerman zt”l, the Rosh Yeshiva was our link in the מסורה.
Over the years, Rav Lehrfield was privileged to be close with gedolei Yisroel, among them Maran Rav Shach, who held him in high esteem.
He was recognized as a towering talmid chochom, his shiurim known for their clarity and depth, and as a rebbi whose devotion to his talmidim knew no bounds.
Rav Lehrfield leaves behind a family of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. His children include: Rav Moshe Lehrfield, Rav Yisroel Lehrfield, Rav Naftali Lehrfield, Rav Shlomo Lehrfield, Rav Yehuda Lehrfield, Mrs. Landau, wife of Rav Yisroel Landau, Mrs. Ruti Aderet, wife of Rav Akiva Aderet, Mrs. Buxbaum, wife of Rav Aryeh Buxbaum, and Mrs. Greensfield, wife of Rav Eliezer Greensfield.
The levayah was held tonight at Yeshivas Beis Yisroel on Rechov Rav Zevin in Neve Yaakov, Yerushalayim, proceeding to Har HaZeisim for kevurah.
Yehi zichro boruch.
{Matzav.com Israel}
What a great loss for Klal Yisroel!! Harav Doniel Zt”l was a Talmid Muvhak of Harav Chaim Zimmerman for approximately 35 years. Starting in the Hebrew Theological College, then in New York, and finally in Eretz Yisroel.
Yehi Zichro Boruch
I was a talmid in Beis Yisroel, and my name is even in his sefer in the first perek of Kesuvos. I recall that in his Elul Shmuessen, he mentioned that if you pay attention, things often occur in the world before Rosh Hashanah to awaken people to seek Teshuvah. Now his passing should wake us up!
My name is his sefer in the 2nd perek of Kesubos!