ZAKA director Yehudah Meshi-Zahav lost his father to the coronavirus over Shabbos while still sitting shiva for his mother, who also passed away of the virus, and within the shloshim (30 days) of his brother’s death after contracting the virus

HaRav Menachem Mendel Meshi-Zahav, z’l, was found in his home unconscious on Friday morning and was evacuated to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital. Unfortunately, he passed away a day later on Shabbos afternoon at the age of 84.

HaRav Menachem Mendel was born in Jerusalem to his father, Rav Chaim Dovid, z’l who was known for his ability to read hands, which perhaps he learned from his father Rav Yisrael Yitzchak, z’l, a mekubal.

The niftar was known as a gaon in Torah and halacha and spent his days learning Torah for many years in various Batei Medrash, including Yeshivah Mir. He authored dozens of sefarim on Torah and halacha. One of his sefarim on the halachos of סת”ם became the foundational sefer on the topic.

The niftar, z’l, also served as the Mashgiach in Yeshivas Amshinov, where he was greatly respected. At the same time as the above accomplishments, for many years he worked as the editor of the Yiddish newspaper ‘אידישע שטראל.’

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Reb Yehuda was matzdik the bitter din, writing: “We’ve been broken by blow after blow after blow – my younger brother Moshe, z’l, my mother, z’l, and now my father, z’l, – all within 30 days. Our brokenness is so vast – Who can heal us?”

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“Ribbono shel Olam, I know that You’re testing us with a difficult and painful nisayon. But I promise You that שאפילו בהסתרה שבתוך הסתרה בוודאי גם שם נמצא ה’ יתברך. Because I know that a Father gives makos only out of love. I’ll continue to love You with all my heart, with all my soul and all my possessions – to travel the path of Torah and mitzvos and to vastly increase acts of chessed and rachamim – like my dear parents were mechaneich me.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)