In Tribute to Rav Yosef Mitnick ztz”l whose shloshim was the beginning of last week
I’m on my way to the levayah of my beloved teacher from BYA high school, Rav Yosef Mitnick ztz”l, choshuve talmid chacham, mashpia, and close talmid of Rav Yitzchok Hutner ztz”l. Rav Mitnick, whose shloshim was earlier this week, was well known as a mechanech for over 60 years, holding positions at a number of yeshivos, and was a founding member of Kollel Gur Aryeh of Flatbush. Though over two decades have passed since my 11th-grade hashkafah classes with Rabbi Mitnick, my memories rush back fast and strong…
On the Friday night before the rav’s petirah, while I was in the kitchen serving, my husband and kids were having a lively discussion about the middah of gaavah. One of my teens emphatically declared, “The middah of gaavah is never okay!”
Though generally I’m hesitant to stir up trouble by arguing with my teenagers, this time I rushed into the dining room with a smile as I proudly proclaimed, “That’s not true! Rabbi Mitnick, our teacher from high school, taught us about gaavah d’kedushah!”
And boy, did he teach us that. Rabbi Mitnick lived ga’avah d’kedushah.
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