Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Baruch Gerlitzky
Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Baruch Gerlitzky (born 1947) is one of the Roshei Yeshiva of Yeshivas Oholei Torah in Crown Heights and manages the Kovetz He'aros U'Biurim Oholei Torah publication system.
Life History[edit | edit source]
Born in Montreal on 14 Cheshvan 1947 to his father Rabbi Moshe Eliyahu Gerlitzky, who was the mashpia of the Chabad community in Montreal.
In 1965, together with Rabbi Shlomo Zarchi, Rabbi Ephraim Pikarsky, Rabbi Yehuda Leib Shapiro, Rabbi Shalom Ber Levitan, Rabbi Natan Wolf, and Rabbi Yehoshua Dubrawsky, he established the Vaad Hanachos Hatmimim.
Following this, he received special permission from the Rebbe that on nights when he worked on the hanachos, he was exempt from attending seder chassidus the next day.
When Rabbi Zalman Gurary had a yechidus in Kislev 1967, the Rebbe complained to him, "No one is passionate about the sichos except for Gerlitzky's son."
In the period before his marriage to his wife (daughter of Rabbi Binyamin Levitan, and granddaughter of Rabbi Shmuel Levitan), the Rebbe encouraged strengthening Jewish presence in the Crown Heights neighborhood following the great exodus, and requested that weddings specifically be held within the neighborhood to strengthen settlement in the area.
Although there weren't sufficient appropriate wedding halls in Crown Heights at that time as was customary, Rabbi Gerlitzky was the first to hold his wedding according to the Rebbe's wish within the neighborhood, and his wedding celebration took place on 27 Adar I 1970 in the "Young Israel" hall in Crown Heights.
After his marriage, he joined the educational staff of Tomchei Tmimim Oholei Torah Crown Heights, and today he is considered one of the especially beloved Roshei Mesivta in the yeshiva, known for his dedication to his students. One expression of this is on his birthday, when students arrange a large farbrengen and each year buy him a special gift and ensure to publish mazal tov notices throughout the neighborhood.
In Tishrei 1980, he established the He'aros U'Biurim system aimed at increasing in-depth study and enthusiasm in the Rebbe's Torah.
In this framework, Rabbi Gerlitzky and the editorial staff merited many holy responses and references in the Rebbe's farbrengens. These were collected and printed in "Sefer HaYovel - He'aros U'Biurim" which appeared in connection with the thousandth issue.
In Cheshvan 1992, during dollars distribution, he presented the Rebbe with a book containing the shiurim he delivered in yeshiva throughout the 1991 academic year, and the Rebbe blessed him with a year of success, great success, and that it should be a year of pilpula d'Oraisae.
His Books[edit | edit source]
- Yemos HaMoshiach B'Halacha, 3 volumes.