Rabbi Solomon
- ZT"L
It is with great
sadness that we
report the passing
of Rav Lipa Solomon
zt”l, one of the
last remaining
talmidim of the
Radin Yeshiva and
the Chofetz Chaim.
He was 96.
Rav Solomon was just
19 years old when he
went to Radin from
Lida, where Rav
Yaakov Neiman zt”l,
author of Darkei
Mussar and later
rosh yeshiva in
Petach Tikvah, was
rosh yeshiva. The
yeshiva sent
bochurim to all
yeshivos, and the
Va’ad Hayeshivos
decided which bochur
went where. Rav
Solomon was chosen
to go to the Radin
Yeshiva, which had
about 300 bochurim
at the time.
The Chofetz Chaim
was already quite
old when Rav Solomon
arrived in Radin. At
that time, the
Chofetz Chaim
remained mostly in
his house and
bochurim would go to
his house to talk to
him during the week.
On Shabbos, Rav
Solomon remembered,
the Chofetz Chaim
gave a shmuess in
his house between
kabbolas Shabbos and
Maariv.
Rav Solomon had
numerous personal
recollections and
stories about the
Chofetz Chaim that
he would relate,
having experienced
them firsthand.
One of the many
stories he related
actually occurred
before he arrived in
Radin and was told
to him by the
bochurim in the
Radin Yeshiva. A
girl working in the
yeshiva had a
question regarding
the kashrus of a
chicken. She
approached the
Chofetz Chaim with
the chicken, and he
told her to ask the
rov in Radin. The
rov looked at the
chicken and said
that it was kosher,
“aber es iz nisht
far de Chofetz Chaim,
but it’s not for the
Chofetz Chaim.” She
returned to the
yeshiva and prepared
the chicken but
forgot about the
message. Later, the
bochurim noticed
that the Chofetz
Chaim was not eating
the chicken. When
the bochurim
inquired as to why
he wasn’t eating, he
replied, “Es is
nisht far mir - It’s
not for me.” The
girl heard the
discussion in the
dining room and
recalled that those
were the exact words
told to her by the
rov about the
chicken.
Rav Solomon was in
Radin at the time of
the Chofetz Chaim’s
petirah, on an Erev
Shabbos. Rav Chaim
Ozer Grodzensky zt”l
said that they
should wait until
Sunday so that more
people could come,
and Rav Solomon was
one of about 10,000
people who gathered
for the levaya. Rav
Solomon remained in
Radin, where Rav
Mendel Zaks zt”l,
the Chofetz Chaim’s
son-in-law, became
rosh yeshiva, and
Rav Boruch Feivelson
zt”l gave shiur to
the entire yeshiva,
while Rav Avrohom
Tropp zt”l, Rav
Naftoli’s son, gave
shiur to the younger
bochurim.
Rav Solomon merited
to greet Rav
Elchonon Wasserman
who came to the
Radin Yeshiva for
the month of Elul.
During World War II,
Rav Solomon fled to
Vilna, which was
where many yeshivos
had escaped to. When
the Russians took
over the town, the
Yidden were given
orders to declare
their loyalty to
Russia. Few people
knew the proper
answer to what
seemed to be a
life-or-death
decision. The
question was whether
to stay in Russia,
which was Communist,
or not declare their
loyalty and get sent
to Siberia or some
other
life-threatening
place. Rav Solomon
decided to be shev
ve’al taaseh - do
nothing and trust in
Hashem and see what
happens. Since he
didn’t declare his
allegiance to
Russia, he was
arrested and sent to
Siberia. He
considered this
terrible news at the
time, but he later
realized that it was
his ticket to
safety, since
Germany invaded
Russia just two
weeks later and
killed everyone who
was left behind. Rav
Solomon eventually
went to Samarkand
(Russia), Lodz, and
France, and then
traveled to America
in 1947.
Rav Solomon lived on
the East Side of
Manhattan where he
joined Kollel
Chofetz Chaim for
three years. The
Joint had provided
money for many
refugees during
those years, but
once money was no
longer provided, Rav
Solomon had to find
a job, so he moved
to Boston in 1950.
About ten years ago,
after living in
Boston for 50 years
and serving as a rov
and later a rebbi,
Rav Solomon moved to
Lakewood and settled
in the West Gate
neighborhood there.
On a regular basis,
the oldest member of
West Gate regaled
its residents with
stories of the
yeshiva world of
Europe and provided
children with a
glimpse of what a
ben Torah of
previous generations
was like. Rav
Solomon, a talmid
chochom of note and
a true yorei
Shomayim, was a
devoted husband,
father and zaida to
his mishpacha. His
simplicity and
humility were his
trademarks, as he
devoted his life to
the furtherance and
study of Torah.
Rav Solomon is
survived by his
devoted wife,
Rebbetzin Sima
Solomon, and
children,
grandchildren and
great-grandchildren
following in his
path.
Yehi zichro boruch.
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