The Jewish people mourn the loss of one of this generations greatest rabbis and most formidable personalities - a scholar of immense stature, religious court judge, lawgiver, educator, leader, and a charitable sage of phenominal piety and modesty - Rabbi Moshe Halberstam, zatza"l. Despite Rebbe Moshe's gentle manner, he was a fierce lion who feared no one but his Creator, and stood as a bulwark in his perpetual vigil of everything that is holy to Judaism. It's no wonder that his pure soul was recalled on Wednesday afternoon, the 13th day of the Omer (26 Apr., 2006), which indicates the holy sphere of Yessod Hagvura, the holiness of fierce heroism - nothing better could describe Rebbe Moshe zatza'l.
Rabbi Moshe Zatza'l was a scion of a long line of Judaism's greatest scholars.
I owe a personal debt to Rabbi Moshe Halberstam zatza'l for all the encouragement he had given me over the past dozen years. He agreed, despite his unbelievably busy schedule, to read the first manuscripts of a young Baal-Tshuva rabbi (yours truly!) when nobody else would give me the time of day. When my Hebrew book "Nafshi Sidom" first appeared, he bought eight copies, and ordered all of his sons and sons-in-law to learn the book. He gave me the blessing, "Chaicho l'oraissa" - may you use your strength for Torah, which he wrote in one of his approbations to my books.
We don't even realize who and what we've lost.
Rav Moshe Halberstam, please beg Hashem to put an end to 2000 years of diaspora and to the suffering of our people. Surely, there is no portal in Heaven that will deny you access. May your saintly, blessed, and beloved memory be a supplicant for your people Israel before the Heavenly Throne, amen.



An Abir 11 year-old: More than anything, Reb Yehoshua teaches children how to fight the Yetzer - these kids don't mouth off to their parents, it's beneath them!





