Rav Reuvane Chinn zt”l

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Reuvane Chinn zt”l, a towering talmid chacham, revered mechanech, and lifelong oved Hashem, who was niftar shortly before Shabbos after suffering cardiac arrest. He was in his early seventies.

For nearly four decades, Rav Reuven stood at the heart of Yeshiva Gedolah of Toronto, serving as a beloved R”M since 1988 and shaping the second seder 11th grade shiur with his trademark clarity, depth, and boundless dedication. To countless talmidim, his shiur became a defining stage of their growth, demanding, uplifting, and delivered with the unmistakable sweetness and yashrus that were synonymous with his name.

Rav Reuven’s lifelong ascent in Torah began in the 1960s, when he joined Yeshiva of Philadelphia and became a close talmid of Rav Elya Svei and ybl”c Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky, as well as his rebbi, Rav Mendel Kaplan. Their imprint upon him was lifelong; he often described himself as carrying their guidance, their derech, and their sense of responsibility to talmidim every time he entered the classroom.

He then traveled in the 1970s to Yerushalayim and learned under Rav Berel Soloveitchik at Yeshivas Brisk. Rav Reuven absorbed the Brisker derech with the precision, intensity, and emes that would characterize his learning for the rest of his life.

He then learned in the Stamford Kollel and, later, in Toronto, Rav Reuven learned for many years under Rav Shloime Miller at Kollel Avreichim. The relationship between rebbi and talmid ran deep. Those close to the Rosh Kollel attest that Rav Shlomo held Rav Reuven in extraordinarily high esteem, an esteem earned through brilliance in Torah, diligence, humility, and an unwavering commitment to emes.

Beyond the walls of the yeshiva, Rav Reuven served as a mohel for almost five decades. Hundreds of families across Toronto and beyond entrusted him with this sacred mitzvah. Those who knew him recall a mohel whose hands were precise, whose manner was gentle, and whose sense of responsibility was profound.

One of the most remarkable aspects of Rav Reuven’s life was his absolute devotion to vasikin davening. Nearly fifty years ago, he survived a serious car accident. Emerging from that experience, he accepted upon himself—permanently—to daven vasikin every single day of his life. And so he did.

He became the heart of the Zichron Shneur Vasikin Minyan, serving as its unofficial spiritual anchor. Through freezing winters, exhausting days, travel, and illness, nothing deterred him. Not a single day passed without vasikin, including the very last day of his life. This alone speaks volumes about the inner greatness and unwavering service to Hashem that pulsed through every fiber of his being.

Those who learned with him struggle to describe the magnitude of his Torah knowledge. It is said by respected talmidei chachomim that Rav Reuven possessed an almost astonishing mastery, a yedius haTorah that was vast, organized, and alive.

People who interacted with him often felt they were standing before a yerei Shamayim of rare purity, a man saturated with chesed, neimus, humility, and an unshakeable sense of straightness and truth.

He was an adam gadol in the truest sense. When one looked at him, one saw yiras Shamayim. When one spoke with him, one felt sweetness and kindness. And when one learned from him, one sensed the presence of a true gadol.

His sudden passing has left talmidim spanning four decades overcome with grief, their rebbi taken in a moment.

He is survived by his choshuveh rebbetzin and a family of children and grandchildren following in his ways.

The levayah is scheduled to take place in two locations.

The levayah in Toronto will be held tomorrow morning at 9:15 a.m. at Yeshiva Gedolah of Toronto, located at 70 Fairholme Avenue in Toronto, and will conclude at 11:00 a.m. sharp, due to scheduled air travel to Lakewood. A live hookup will be available in the basement of the yeshiva dormitory, located at 567 Lawrence Avenue West.

For those wishing to join the Toronto levayah remotely, video and audio access will be available via Zoom.

The Zoom link (computer access only, not a livestream) is:
www.gzl-live.com

Phone dial-in options are available as follows:
From Toronto: 647-558-0588
From New York / New Jersey: 1-646-558-8656

When prompted, enter Meeting ID: 603 550 1948.

The levayah in New Jersey will iy”H take place at approximately 3:00 p.m. at at the Congregation Sons of Israel Holocaust Memorial Chapel, located at 613 Ramsey Avenue in Lakewood.

UPDATE: Due to the weather, the levayah in Lakewood has been postponed to approximately 5:45 p.m.

Following the levayah at the Congregation Sons of Israel Holocaust Memorial Chapel, located at 613 Ramsey Avenue in Lakewood, NJ, kevurah will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the adjacent Mt. Sinai Cemetery.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}