The Belzer community has been plunged into mourning with the passing of Rav Shalom Yisroel Dirnfeld zt”l, Rosh Yeshivas Torah V’Emunah in Yerushalayim. He was 68 years old.
Rav Dirnfeld passed away Sunday morning following a prolonged and painful illness.
Born on 12 Adar 5717 (1957), Rav Shalom Yisroel was the son of Rav Alter Yaakov Eliezer Dirnfeld, one of the pioneering melamdim in the Belzer Talmud Torah in Tel Aviv and the childhood melamed of the current Belzer Rebbe.
A towering figure in the Belzer community, Rav Dirnfeld was a chossid of rare stature, widely admired for his brilliance, character, and unwavering dedication. The Belzer Rebbe placed great trust in him, entrusting him with the leadership of Yeshivas Torah V’Emunah — a Belz-founded institution devoted to bringing Jews closer to their Father in Heaven. Under his guidance, the yeshiva became a shining beacon for baalei teshuvah, nurturing spiritual growth with warmth and depth.
He was a gifted orator and a powerful advocate for Torah values in the public sphere. In the days leading up to the 2022 elections, Rav Dirnfeld delivered a passionate address on behalf of the Rebbe during a motzei Shabbos gathering attended by thousands, urging listeners to cast their vote for Agudas Yisroel as an act of kiddush Hashem. “All of Hashem’s emissaries sitting there sanctify His name by having no personal agendas,” he declared. “Their every action is guided by ‘you shall do according to what they instruct you.’ Even others admire them for that.”
In addition to his leadership and public roles, Rav Dirnfeld often led the tefillos in the main Belzer beis medrash, where his stirring voice echoed with sincerity and devotion.
He leaves behind a family that continues in his path of Torah and yiras Shamayim.
The levayah was held today at the Sanhedria Funeral Home and then the main Belzer beis medrash in Kiryas Belz, proceeding to Har Hamenuchos for kevurah.
Yehi zichro boruch.
{Matzav.com Israel}
