Brooklyn, NY – Remembering R’ Yosef Lewy, Author Of Minhag Yisrael Torah

Brooklyn, NY – Hundreds came to pay their respects yesterday to a Borough Park man who was a noted authority on minhagim and their sources.  Rabbi Yosef Lewy passed away suddenly yesterday at age 50, just two days after being admitted to the hospital with pneumonia.

R’ Lewy was born in Vienna and was the son of known philanthropist R’ Nissen Lewy.  R’ Lewy came to America for his marriage to Yudit Breuer and the couple settled in Borough Park where they raised a family of 10 children.

Despite coming from a wealthy family, R’ Lewy chose to dedicate his life to learning Torah and shortly after his marriage he began work on his first sefer, which ultimately became the launching pad for a multiple volume set titled “Minhag Yisroel Torah”.

Arranged by the order of the Shulchan Aruch, Minhag Yisrael Torah, published with the haskamos of Satmar Rebbe R’ Moshe Teitelbaum zt’l, R’ Moshe Aryeh Freundh zt’l and R’ Shmuel Halevi Wosner yblc’t, delves into the sources for many minhagim that are practiced today and are considered by many, particularly in the chasidishe community, as the definitive work on minhagim.

Although he was well known for his incredible hasmada and the popularity of his seforim, R’ Lewy preferred to shun publicity whenever possible.

“He was a talmid chochom with unbelievable middos,” Moshe Levi told VIN News. “He would learn all day, every day.”

R’ Lewy would also learn with others and would refuse payment for his services.

“He didn’t do it for the money,” said Levi. “He did it so that others would learn.”

Levi recalled one incident where someone was voicing their opinion very energetically and R’ Lewy corrected them saying, “That is not the way to talk.  An animated voice is for davening, for learning, but not for regular talking.”

“Everyone knew him for his exceptional middos,” added Yoel Spitzer, who shared several family connections with R’ Lewy.  “It wasn’t possible that he could hurt someone.  It was the opposite of who he was.”

Spitzer recalled R’ Lewy as a tremendous masmid.

“Someone mentioned at the levaya that most nights he fell asleep at the table in the middle of his learning,” said Spitzer.

A computer technician recalled an interaction he once had with R’ Lewy.

“I came to fix his computer and he insisted on paying me right away.  He said, ‘I’m not in business.  I don’t often get to be mikayem the mitzvah of b’yomo titen s’charo.’”

Rabbi Yair Hoffman, who interacted with R’ Lewy when doing halachic research had high words of praise for the niftar.

“He was a tzadik,” said Rabbi Hoffman.  “He was eidel, intellectually honest with a remarkable sense of curiosity for Torah.  He has a strong cheishek for learning and discovering.”

R’ Lewy was heavily involved in the Satmar mosdos in Borough Park.

The levaya took place yesterday at the Beis Chaim Shea shul in Boro Park on 17th Avenue, followed by a second levaya in Kiryas Joel at the old Satmar cemetery.  R’ Lewy is survived by his mother, Mrs. Yudi Lewy, his wife Mrs. Faigy Lewy, his brother R’ Chaim Lewy, his two sisters, Mrs. Perela Weisberger and Mrs. Frimy Berger and his children R’ Efraim Moshe, R’ Aaron Yitzchok, R’ Chaim, Mrs. Chaya Esty Brodt, Mrs. Aidy Gips, Mrs. Ratzy Gross, Mrs. Frimela Greenberger, Hersh Meilich, Shloime and Rochela Lewy.