We lost a great rav and leader last month. Rabbi Pinchas Aaron Weberman, zt”l, passed away in Miami Beach on July 27th. Rabbi Weberman came to Miami Beach in 1960, established Congregation Ohev Shalom, was the driving force and posek for the Miami Beach eruv and mikvah, founded the Orthodox Rabbinical Council, was active in local and national politics, and was police chaplain for the city of Miami Beach for over 50 years.
Rabbi Weberman’s father, Ben-Zion Weberman, was born in 1896
in New York. He attended City College and NYU, earned a law degree from Fordham
Law School, and practiced immigration law. He was a founder of Yeshiva Torah
Vodaath and became involved in the Young Israel movement. Although he himself
was college educated, he believed that Orthodox Jews should not attend college
due to secular influences. Reb Ben-Zion and his wife Yittel educated their
children at home, wishing for them to have a “shtetl experience.”
It was Reb Ben-Zion’s father, Moshe Weberman, who discovered
the saintly European Rav, Rabbi Chaim Avraham Dov-Ber haCohen Levine, zt”l, known as the Malach, who moved to New York in 1923. It was
the greatness of the Malach that helped shape Rabbi Weberman. He adopted the
dress of the Malachim, wearing woolen tzitzis
on top of his shirt, a kapote, and a
distinctive hat. Later, Rabbi Weberman met the Lubavitcher Rebbe and became a
follower of him as well, while his brothers became
Satmar chasidim.
A Father Figure
Personally, I lost a mentor, teacher, rebbe, and father
figure when Rabbi Weberman died. I had lost both of my parents by the time I
was eight years old. I was fortunate to become involved with my synagogue rabbi,
who introduced me to Rabbi Weberman when I was 13. The first time I met Rabbi Weberman,
he was holding a hammer and nails and working on the framing of the interior of
his new shul. He was wearing a turtleneck shirt with his woolen tzitzis on top, which made a very big
impression on me as this was the first time I had seen anyone wearing tzitzis. He invited me to his home for Shabbos,
and I went that week.
The Rabbi and Rebbetzin had a sprawling house and many
children, all of whom welcomed me. I became a frequent Shabbos guest. I noted
that the Rabbi cooked and served the Shabbos food every week, which he felt was
a privilege. Summer was coming, and the Rabbi asked me what I was planning to do,
which was nothing. He arranged to send me to Camp Gan Israel in New York. I
don’t know how this was paid for, but the arrangements were made. A couple of
weeks before camp, the Rebbetzin showed me a list of clothing and supplies that
the camp recommended. She went down the list, line by line, and asked me if I
had the items. I had none of them. She then took me to the store and purchased
all of the clothing and items I needed. The Rabbi gave me a haircut and money
for a cab ride, put me on a plane, and sent me to 770. Rabbi Weberman arranged
for me to be housed overnight and put on the bus the next morning.
Sending Me to Yeshiva
That summer I learned what it was to be a frum Jew. From that camp experience, I
went to yeshiva in Montreal. I know it was Rabbi Weberman working behind the
scenes who made this possible. I remember one Friday night we were sitting in
his living room after dinner, and he asked one of his children to bring a
Chumash so he could review the sedrah.
The child must have had trouble finding it and didn’t come back. In the
meantime, I heard what I thought was mumbling and asked him what he was doing.
He explained to me that it is a mitzva every Friday night to review the parsha – each pasuk twice, and the Targum once. I asked whether he knew the
entire Torah and Targum by heart and
he said, “Yes, and Rashi too.” I came to realize that Rabbi Weberman knew all
of Shas, Shulchan Aruch, and poskim
by heart as well.
I spent two years in Montreal for yeshiva and camp, coming
home for vacations to Miami and spending every Shabbos with the Webermans. When
I was 15, I traveled to Israel for yeshiva and stayed until I was 18, at which
time I returned to Miami. While in Miami, I met my future wife, Robin, at a melaveh malka. We married a year later,
and Rabbi Weberman walked me down the aisle with my father-in-law, while Mrs.
Weberman walked with Robin and her mother. Robin and I continued to be part of
the Weberman family.
Our Forever Family
During our first pregnancy, my wife became so ill that she
couldn’t stand the smell of any food in the house. The Webermans had a garage
apartment and offered us to stay there every weekend (with our St. Bernard),
which we did until the baby was born. Our children became like grandchildren to
them, their children like cousins. We were always included in everything. Just
before the birth of my first child, I had a back injury and had to close my
business. I told Rabbi Weberman my concerns about supporting my family. He told
me not to worry – that every child brings its own mazel. On returning from the hospital with the new baby, the
manager of our apartment complex came running up to the car. He let me know
that a contract which I had submitted months before was just approved, giving
me three months of work and reminding me of the words of Rabbi
Weberman.
Being a frequent Shabbos guest of the Webermans, I
experienced many other-worldly encounters. One that comes to mind was during havdala one week. Rabbi Weberman picked
up the cup of wine and from behind the window a cat started screeching. This
happened again for the next two weeks. During havdala on the third week, Rabbi Weberman picked up the cup, the
cat began to scream, and Rabbi Weberman turned toward the window and said, “Mutter lach, mutter lach, mutter lach.”
The screeching
stopped, and he continued with havdala. Afterwards, I asked him about
this, and he explained that this cat was a neshama
of someone who was not careful with havdala
and needed atonement. The cat was never heard from again.
During Sukkos one year, a hurricane was predicted to hit
South Florida. Many people were told by their rabbis to take down their sukkahs.
I called Rabbi Weberman and asked if I should take down my sukkah, and he
replied, “The shaking of the lulav
and esrog will keep the evil winds
away.” I left the sukkah in place. The storm turned away, and we didn’t miss a
meal in the sukkah.
Over the years, I learned hilchos
eruvin in order to be able to work on the eruv with Rabbi Weberman. At one point, I was hired to complete a
portion of the eruv that had been
omitted. We learned hilchos shechita together, and he gave me kabbala. We learned mikvaos, and he and I worked together to maintain the kashrus of the Miami Beach mikvah. Eventually
he also gave me semicha.
After my father-in-law died, I took it upon myself to say
Kaddish for him. I went to Rabbi Weberman’s shul every day for Minchah/Maariv,
and we learned Daf Yomi for an hour before. I had to go out of town and was
concerned that I would not be able to say Kaddish every day. He asked me who
would say Kaddish, and I said I would ask a friend to do it. He responded, “Please
let me be that friend.” I remember that whenever there was something that
needed doing, Rabbi Weberman would say, “I am here to help; it would be my
privilege.”
My wife and I went to Israel for a month in 2008 and had the
privilege of spending time with the Komarno Rebbe, Rabbi Nesanel Safir, and his
family. I related to Rabbi Weberman my impression of the greatness of the
Komarno Rebbe. Rabbi Weberman told me that when he was a child, the previous
Komarno Rebbe, Rabbi Sholom Safir, stayed in his parents’ home. One Shabbos,
the Rebbe gave the drasha in shul, and
during lunch, he asked the eight-year-old Rabbi Weberman if he understood it.
He answered that, yes, he understood it and went on to repeat the drasha word-for-word.
Although we moved to Baltimore 20 years ago, we continue to
maintain a close relationship with the Weberman family. I am thankful for all
the years that we were able to be so close to such special people and
especially for my personal bond with Rabbi Weberman. Mrs. Weberman passed away
on Lag B’Omer last year, and now, with the Rabbi’s passing, I feel like an
orphan all over again.
Rabbi Shimon Levine is
a 20-year resident of Baltimore.
