The Torah world is in mourning following the petirah of the gaon Rav Pinchas Zelibanski zt"l, rosh yeshiva and rosh kollel of Merkaz HaTorah, rav of the Derech HaChaim kehillah in Har Nof, Yerushalayim, and author of the sefarim Nichbadei Noam. He was niftar after years of difficult suffering, which he accepted with love and pure emunah.
Rav Pinchas was born to Rav Mordechai Alter Zelibanski zt"l. As a bochur, he learned in Yeshivas Be’er Yaakov, where he became deeply attached to his uncle and rebbi, the rosh yeshiva Rav Moshe Shmuel Shapira zt"l, and to the mashgiach, Rav Shlomo Wolbe zt"l. From them he absorbed a deep derech halimud along with the foundations of avodas hamussar and yiras Shamayim.
He married his rebbetzin, tichye, the daughter of the gaon Rav Chaim Kreiswirth zt"l, gaavad of Antwerp. Years later, his father-in-law called on him to lead Yeshivas Merkaz HaTorah, which Rav Kreiswirth had founded in Yerushalayim.
For decades, Rav Pinchas was marbitz Torah to multitudes, raising thousands of talmidim in his distinctive derech of deep, penetrating learning.
He leaves behind sons and sons-in-law, grandchildren, and thousands of talmidim who continue in the path he paved. His brother was the gaon Rav Chaim Zelibanski zt"l, rosh yeshiva of Maor HaTalmud in Rechovot.
The levayah left today, Wednesday, at 1:30 p.m. from his beis medrash, Derech HaChaim, at 20 Agasi Street in Har Nof, and proceeded to Har HaMenuchos, where he will be laid to rest.
