A heavy cloud of mourning descended upon the Vizhnitzer kehillah in Montreal with the news of the petirah of Rav Asher Greenfeld zt”l, who served for four decades as the rav and av beis din of Vizhnitz in Montreal. He was 82.
The levayah is scheduled to take place today at 5:30 p.m. at Beis Medrash Imrei Chaim-Vizhnitz in Montreal. His aron will be brought to Eretz Yisroel, where the levayah will be held on Friday. He will be laid to rest in the Vizhnitzer beis hachaim in Bnei Brak.
Rav Greenfeld was a living symbol of hasmadah and unwavering shteiging in Torah. His vast bekius and iyun in Shas and poskim, acquired during his formative years in the great yeshivos and refined throughout his life, established him as a respected talmid chochom and marbitz Torah who raised many talmidim. He was renowned as a peh mapik margoliyos, an exceptional darshan who illuminated aggadah and maamarei Chazal with sweetness and clarity, inspiring his listeners with depth and warmth.
In every fiber of his being, Rav Greenfeld was a devoted chassid, deeply connected b’lev v’nefesh to the holy chain of Vizhnitzer tzaddikim. The fire of chassidus burned within him in his tefillos and hanhagos, and he served as a living example of total hisbatlus to the tzaddikei hador.
Beyond his gadlus baTorah, Rav Greenfeld possessed an expansive Jewish heart that beat constantly for others. He was a true baal chesed, tirelessly assisting almanos, yesomim, and brokenhearted individuals. His tzedakah was most often given quietly, with extraordinary sensitivity to the kavod of the recipient. Those close to him would say that there was no lack that did not find an address by him and no tear that did not find comfort.
Rav Greenfeld was born on the fourth of Adar in 1944 into a home steeped in Torah and mesirus nefesh. He was named after his grandfather, Rav Asher of Ober-Epsach. From his earliest years, he was bound with a deep spiritual kesher to the Vizhnitzer dynasty.
As a young child living with his family in Switzerland, he merited a rare experience when the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, the Imrei Chaim, came to raise funds for the establishment of Kiryat Vizhnitz in Bnei Brak. The Rebbe stayed in the Greenfeld family’s modest two-room apartment. Despite the cramped quarters, Rav Greenfeld’s father, Reb Baruch Greenfeld, joyfully gave up an entire room for the Rebbe, while the family crowded together for two weeks. That mesirus nefesh and hiskashrus were etched into the young boy’s soul and shaped the course of his life.
Rav Asher merited to sit on the Rebbe’s lap during that visit. The Rebbe remarked with affection that when he himself had been young, he sat on the lap of Rav Asher of Ober-Epsach, saying, “When I was small and you were big, I sat on your knees; now that you are small and I am big, you sit on mine.”
In his bochur years, Rav Greenfeld learned at Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin in Bnei Brak. He was distinguished by his diligence and refinement, but above all by his deep hiskashrus to his rabbeim. He did not miss a single tish of the Imrei Chaim and later forged a particularly close bond with the Rebbe’s son, the Yeshuos Moshe, who served as rav of the neighborhood at the time.
Rav Greenfeld was among the select few who remained after the tish to participate in the late-night bateh conducted by the Yeshuos Moshe in the shul, where he absorbed the inner teachings of chassidus and the depth of Aggadah. Over time, he became one of the Rebbe’s closest and most trusted talmidim. The Yeshuos Moshe would say affectionately that the name Asher was an acronym for “Ratzon Avinu Shebashamayim.”
In 1986, at the behest of the Yeshuos Moshe, Rav Greenfeld undertook a great shlichus: to relocate to Montreal and lead the developing Vizhnitzer kehillah there. With remarkable hisbatlus and mesirus nefesh, he accepted the mission, initially traveling alone and leaving his family in Eretz Yisroel during the first year.
In Montreal, he founded the kollel that became the vibrant spiritual heart of the community. For 40 years he stood at its helm, teaching Torah and raising generations of talmidim. In addition to serving as rosh kollel, he functioned as rav of the kehillah, guiding his flock with chochmah, tevunah, and an ayin tovah.
His relationship with the members of the kehillah was personal and heartfelt. From small children to respected elders, each felt a genuine closeness to him. He loved every Yid with sincerity, and that love was returned in full.
Upon the histalkus of the Yeshuos Moshe in 2012, Rav Greenfeld was shattered with grief. Yet even in his pain, he demonstrated complete hisbatlus to the continuation of the dynasty’s leadership, publicly affirming his allegiance to the new Rebbe and strengthening the kehillah with clarity and resolve.
Rav Greenfeld was held in high esteem by gedolei Yisroel of his generation. He maintained close ties with Rav Shmuel Wosner and with the Skverer Rebbe, who received him with special honor. He was often welcomed for extended yechidus, where they discussed Torah, stories of tzaddikim, and matters of chizuk hadas.
His mastery of Torah was extraordinary. Shas Bavli and Yerushalmi were clear to him, as were Tanach and the words of Chazal. He delved deeply into Toras hachassidus and pnimiyus haTorah, extracting pearls of machshavah and guidance. His drashos combined depth, clarity, and fiery hislahavus, making him one of the most sought-after speakers among Vizhnitz chassidim. He addressed major gatherings, including global hisvaaduyos and memorial asifos honoring his Rebbe.
Rav Greenfeld was equally known as an amud hachesed. Large sums of tzedakah passed through his hands and were distributed quietly. When the kollel faced financial crisis, he once mortgaged his private home to ensure the avreichim could continue learning without worry. For him, personal assets were merely tools in the service of Klal Yisroel.
Each year before Pesach, he organized extensive maos chittim distributions for dozens of families, ensuring that the assistance was given with maximum discretion and dignity. At fundraising events, after delivering stirring words, he would often conclude with a gentle smile and declare by example, contributing a substantial amount himself to encourage others.
Rav Greenfeld leaves behind a dor yesharim, children and grandchildren who are engaged in Torah, chinuch, and askonus.
Yehi zichro baruch.
{Matzav.com}
