Our Heros: Reb Eliyohu Chaim Roitblat (1908-1997)

by Rabbi Michoel Seligson

Hachossid Reb Eliyohu Chaim Abulsky (Roitblat) was born in 1908 to Hachossid Reb Shmaryohu, known as Shmerel the Melamed, and Mrs. Shterna Baila in Nevelle. His unique features were already obvious in childhood, and his friends later recalled his exceptional yiras shomayim, which was above the average. An example of his extraordinary fear of Hashem was his resolution to begin putting on Rabenu Tam Tefillin at the time of his Bar Mitzva, something unusual of in those days.

As a young boy he traveled to Rostov to study in Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim where he obtained Torah and Chassidus. In the yeshiva, students would see him davening with a special inspiration and for an extended period of time, according to the Chabad style of Tefila. Missing breakfast at the conclusion of the davening was a routine each day for young Eliyohu Chaim.

In those difficult years in Russia, Reb Elye Chaim was mekushar with heart and soul to the Previous Rebbe. When the Rebbe left Russia in late 1927, Reb Elye Chaim came to the train station to bid farewell to the Rebbe. Reb Elye Chaim was among the first chassidim at the train station. The KGB police saw a Jewish person, suspected him and began following him. When Reb Elye Chaim saw them following him, he tried to slip away and walk down a side street. When he realized that he could not escape, he stopped walking. The KGB pulled out their police ID and then began interrogating Reb Elye Chaim. Reb Elye Chaim responded to all the questions and said that he came to bid farewell to his Rebbe. The policeman did not believe him but at that point additional chassidim arrived and confirmed Reb Elye Chaim’s identity, and eventually he was released.

Saved From the Army

Reb Elye Chaim reached the age of army service and he had a dilemma. Serving in the army was dangerous physically and spiritually. Most of the people who were drafted never returned and therefore Jews attempted in every way to be exempted from draft.

One of the methods then in use, was to swallow liquids and medications which raised the body fever and pulse rate, proving to the doctors that the draftee was unfit for army service. Reb Elye Chaim argued that reciting tehillim with true kavana- intention would suffice. Among his friends there were those who laughed at his genuine emuna and bitochon, but Reb Elye Chaim held firm and after his first examination he received an exemption from the army.

Reb Elye Chaim’s seriousness and pure emuna were known among his friends. The brothers, Reb Kalman and Reb Shimon Druk recalled that Reb Elye Chaim once said that he and Reb Mendel Futerfas considered themselves “Hecholtzu friends”. The Maamor Hecholtzu which discusses the necessity for achdus among Jews, was delivered by the Rebbe RaShaB in 5659/1898, and was prompted by a quarrel that took place among a few chassidim.

The reason that Reb Mendel chose Reb Elye Chaim for his Hecholtzu buddy was because he and Reb Elye Chaim were two opposite personalities Reb Elye Chaim was serious and Reb Mendel was a happy and joyous person. When one of them saw a deficiency in the other, he would advise him in a lovely manner and that just strengthened their friendship.

Teaching in Russia

Reb Elye Chaim’s occupation from youth onward until his last days, was teaching young children. He began in the underground chadorim in Russia when the learning was literally with mesiras nefesh, self sacrifice. Working as a Melamed in those days, he would receive his wages from Reb Mendel every Friday. At a certain point, Reb Mendel informed him that there were difficulties and was he was unable to guarantee a salary. If Reb Elye Chaim could not continue he would understand, because the salary was just enough for food. Reb Elye Chaim responded that G-d forbid Reb Mendel should suspect him that he would stop teaching because of financial difficulties. He continued teaching.

One Friday when Reb Mendel did not have money for Reb Elye Chaim, he told him that there was still time before Shabbos and he would try to have his salary for him. Twenty minutes before Shabbos Reb Mendel arrived with the money. This is how Reb Elye Chaim’s salary was generated every week. Reb Elye Chaim had a true and complete emuna, and his emuna caused events to happen in his favor.

Emuna

The following story demonstrates this fact. Reb Elye Chaim had in addition to his regular Tefillin, another small pair of Tefillin which were sewn in his garment. This was done that in case he was caught by the KGB police and his regular Tefillin were confiscated, he would still have an additional pair in reserve.

On one of his trips on the train, he realized that someone was following him. When he left the train, he saw a KGB agent following him. The agent, after identifying himself as a policeman, asked Reb Elye Chaim if he believed. Reb Elye Chaim responded, “My father believed and I believe”. The strong manner in which Reb Elye Chaim said this had a powerful effect on the policeman and he released him.

This stemmed from literal mesiras nefesh. Reb Mendel Morosow recalled. “In Samarkand there was a Jew, Reb Mordechai Nosei Chain, who had a matzo bakery in his house. Although it was risky, Reb Elye Chaim took upon himself to be responsible for all the hiddurim involved in baking the Matzos.”

In 1936, Reb Elye Chaim married and his older son, Reb Shmerel, was born. There was a hunger in Russia and his wife could not endure the starvation and was nifter at an early age, leaving a young orphan.

A few years later, Reb Elye Chaim married Miss Chaya Soro, the daughter of the Shedlitzer Rebbe, who came to Russia as a refugee from the holocaust in Poland. Despite all the suffering, she raised the young boy as her own son. When they left Russia, Reb Elye Chaim took his wife’s family name, Roitblat. After 1950, his wife gave birth to a second son, Reb Yosef Yitzchok.

When Reb Elye Chaim left Russia, he wandered with his family from one place to another until he came to the Gabarz Refugee Camp in Germany. He lived there for a few years and taught children, as he had in the other refugee camps in Ferhenwald, Germany and prior to that in Leningrad and Samarkand.

In addition to his talent and commitment to study, his tefilos were delivered with a special reverence. In the refugee camps in Germany, people from all walks of life related to him with an unusual respect.

In 1956 he arrived in the United States. The family lived in the Lubavitch Yeshiva then located at Bedford Avenue and Dean Street in Brooklyn. Reb Elye Chaim earned his salary from privately tutoring children. His solid foundation in the United States began when his dear friend, Hachossid Reb Michoel Teitelbaum founded Yeshiva Oholei Torah with the goal of providing a genuine chinuch and for the study of sacred subjects only.

Reb Elye Chaim was the first teacher appointed in the yeshiva. He and Reb Michoel instilled in the students the liveliness that they had received in their studies in Russia.

The yeshiva was started in 1956 on the 19th of Teves. In the following years, Reb Elye Chaim was a mechanech in most of the classes. His last twenty years, he was the Mashpia Roshi in the Bais Medrash, “Zal” of the yeshiva.

Devotion to his students

Reb Hirsh Chitrik gave an example of Reb Elya Chaim’s devotion to his students, in the following.

“In 1961, my son Aharon was in Reb Elya Chaim’s class.

One morning, a blizzard hit New York, one of the heaviest snow storms the city ever had. The streets were closed and public transportation was suspended.

“We were newly arrived from Brazil. We did not listen to the radio and we did not know that there was no public transportation and that we needed to verify that the yeshiva was open. We simply assumed that the yeshiva was open.”

“My wife brought my son to Oholei Torah and when she came to the yeshiva she learned that there were no other students in yeshiva. Reb Elya Chaim rejoiced with this one student who came. He hugged and kissed him, and begged my wife to leave Aharon in yeshiva. He promised her that he would learn with Aharon all day, saying that Hashem had also learned with Moshe for forty days, individual shiurim for every day and Moshe was the only student.”

“When my wife asked what he would eat since the kitchen was closed, Reb Elya Chaim responded that he had brought along a sandwich and he would be happy to share it with Aharon. My son remained in yeshiva all day.”

“Reb Elya Chaim devoted himself totally to every individual students. This is Chassidish chinuch, true and pnimiusdik- with the entire heart.”

There are many stories regarding his dveikus in study and davening. In 1958, the Rebbe announced at a Farbrengen that all who were involved in chinuch should say L’chaim. Reb Elye Chaim did not say L’chaim. He stated that he had a reason for not saying L’chaim. The Rebbe then said to Reb Elye Chaim, “When a Rosh Yeshiva says a pilpul, there is reason to doubt if the pilpul is completely valid or not. But when one teaches a child Kometz Alef-OH, we are definite that it is true, therefore say L’chaim.”

On Shabbos, Reb Elye Chaim would conclude his davening with the minyan, but few people knew that he had started many hours before the minyan began. People, who stayed in Reb Elye Chaim’s house, would notice that the seder of his avoda began at 3:00 or 4:00 AM, when he studied chassidus.

Reb Elye Chaim once explained that in the verse Shema Yisroel, the letter Daled is large, symbolizing the edge of a hammer. This signifies that a person needs to bang into his head the oneness of Hashem.

In giving Tzedoko, Reb Elye Chaim performed the Mitzva with msiras nefesh, in a manner that was greater than his potential. Whenever he received an envelope in the mail, he would respond and send in a sum of money immediately without delay.

His studies included a seder in Chassidus in which he learned the Rebbe’s Sichos and Maamorim. His house was full of sforim and family members testified that they were not there as decorative elements but that Reb Elye Chaim constantly studied in the sforim and knew them well.

In every area of Halacha, and hiddur or enhancement of a Mitzva, Reb Elye Chaim would be very particular. What he demanded of himself, he also demanded of others. He would fulfill all of his hiddurim with excitement and liveliness.

When he farbrenged with Anash he would emphasize about strengthening Yiras Shomayim – fear of Hashem, Tznius or Avodas Hatfila, and especially not to converse during davening. He would urge to study of Kuntres Hoavoda from the Rebbe RaShaB regarding meditation in davening. He would contribute money to send this kuntres to Anash in different cities.

Reb Elye Chaim was always thin and somewhat weak, but more so as an elderly man. Yet, he would still run to perform a Mitzva, energetically and with exceptional zest and fervor, as if he was a young person.

Dancing On the Table

Although Reb Elye Chaim seemed to be a serious person, but when Purim arrived it showed another side of him. He would come to 770 to the Rebbe’s Farbrengen, very joyful and after having said many L’chaims, would begin dancing on the table at which he was sitting and waiting for the Rebbe to enter. This was one of his joyful customs on an annual basis.

His image and personal character traits always inspired respect among Anash. In 1977, when the Rebbe initiated the appointment of mashpi’im, Reb Elye Chaim was appointed as one of three leading Mashpi’im in Crown Heights.

He also demanded that his children and grandchildren, especially those who had reached the age of Bar Mitzva, that they should be careful about not lying.

A Tikun For a Yid

Over the course of many years, Reb Elye Chaim merited to be mkarev many Jews who came to 770.

During one of the Simchas Torah celebrations, after Reb Elye Chaim had already said L’chaim, he approached a Yid, not a Chabad Chossid, and admonished him about his acts. The person was very inspired and asked for a tikun, Reb Elye Chaim advised him to say the entire Tehillim every Shabbos Mvorchim. The relationship between Reb Elye Chaim and this Yid continued after and this Yid would say the entire Tehillim every Shabbos Mvorchim.

Reb Elya Chaim’s son, Reb Yosef Yitzchok recalled. “When my father reached 70 years, he wrote a will for us, his sons. He gave certain instructions how we should conduct ourselves in a spiritual sense, and how to distribute the inheritance. He addressed his grandchildren with encouraging words to strengthen the Chassidishe conduct and Yiras Shomayim”.

In his last weeks he felt unwell and could not sleep. He attributed this to the need to increase in learning. He would sit up at the table in the middle of the night and begin his studies.

On Thursday, the 19th of Kislev, Reb Elye Chaim called his two sons, Reb Shmaryhou and Reb Yosef Yitzchok and told them to close the door. He gave them instructions, in addition to what he had written in his will and asked them to bring a volume of the Zohar.

On that evening before retiring for the night, he said Krias Shema for a long time and also said the complete Al Chet confession. On Shabbos he began davening early in the morning, because he was concerned that he might not have the energy to daven later. He asked that the family should carry on with their usual Shabbos schedule.

A few days before he was nifter, Reb Elye Chaim gave away his Chanuka menorah to a family member saying he would not need it anymore and it should be used by the family.

On Sunday evening he recited the Shema for a long time with the Al Chet. On Monday morning he asked for help putting on his Tefillin. Immediately after Shacharis he was hospitalized, too weak to speak. At exactly 12:15 PM, he raised his voice and asked what time it was and then davened Mincha.

The physicians were dumbfounded that a person at such a critical hour was concerned with the time. On the 23rd of Kislev at 2:20 in the afternoon, Reb Elye Chaim returned his Nshama to its creator.

He left two sons Reb Shmaryohu and Reb Yosef Yitzchok, of Crown Heights; grandchildren and great-grandchildren following his ways.

Yehi Zichro Boruch!

May Reb Eliyohu Chaim, a legendary Chossid, who has totally committed himself to constantly accelerate in Yiras Shomayim and in the enhancement of fulfilling Mitzvos, despite the difficulties that he suffered in Russia and during WWII, who devoted his life to teaching children and related to every student on a personal level as they were his children, and was a genuine pnimiusdiker Chassidish Yid in his ways; inspire us to constantly improve ourselves and enhance our fulfillment of Mitzvos and Yiras Shomayim commit ourselves to grow and improve, and to relate to the young generation with a special feeling of affection and encouragement as each of them is an entire world, and successfully raise a generation which will greet Moshiach very speedily.

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We should speedily witness “The ones who dwell in the dust will awaken and rejoice” with Horav Hachossid Reb Eliyohu Chaim Roitblat among them.

5 Comments

  • chaim

    as a former talmid of him, he will be truly missed. B”DH, a chossid who’s whole life was based of mesira nefesh for talmidi hayeshiva!

  • Groinem Estherman

    Would such a chosid be accepted in today’s day & age to teach in our moisdos? just some food for thought!

  • CH-er

    Happy chanukah

    Not to dimish at all anything in this post and or in the comments, however I found him to be a yid a chosid of “pashtus” an unassuming godly man. he would despise greatly, talking in middle of davaning, and especially by torah reading.
    a giant of a man,

    If anyone ever wanted to vision how the Alte rebbes or the rebbe Rashabs chosid looks , this was him. dressed acted and conducted his lifestyle as such

    A man above and beyond this material world ‘