BDE: The Shotzer Rebbe, zt”l

Yitzy Fried 

It is with deep regret that we inform you of the patirah of Rav Yosef Chaim Moskowitz, the Shotzer Rebbe of Williamsburg, a ga’on, masmid, and mechadeish in Torah. The levaya will take place at the Shotzer Beis Medrash in Monsey this afternoon. He was 78 years of age.  

The Rebbe was born to his father, Rav Yechiel Michel of Shotz-Melitz, who was the son of the Shotzer Rebbe of London. Sadly, Rav Yechiel Michel was niftar very young, in the year 1956, when his son, Yosef Chaim was not yet bar mitzvah.

But the Rebbe persevered, despite the challenges, and grew into a great talmid chochom. 

For many years, the Rebbe had a beis medrash in Flatbush, and later moved to Williamsburg where he served as a beacon of Torah and chassidus. 

The Rebbe toiled in Torah from morning till night, and published numerous seforim that were filled with beautiful chiddushim that left his readers and listeners spellbound. He was an incredible ba’al darshan, and gave over the traditions of chassidim and tzaddikim of yore with incredible sweetness, and he would seek to uplift every person with whom he came in contact. 

The Rebbe’s tefillah was otherworldly in its sweetness and heart and fire—even on a simple weekday mincha. 

He would treat each person with deep respect, and any talmid chochom who chanced into his beis medrash was given utmost reverence. 

The Rebbe was unwell in recent years, and was niftar overnight Monday night. 

The levaya took place at 10:30 at the Williamsburg beis medrash, and a second levaya will take place in Monsey at 6 Butterman Place at 1:30 with kevurah in Monsey.