Next Sunday evening, the Radzin Beth HaMidrash of Boro Park will mark the sheloshim of Rabbi Mordchai Yosef Lainer, the Radziner Rebbe.
The late Rebbe was a direct descendant and carried the name of Rabbi Mordechai Yosef Lainer—a disciple of Rabbi Simcha Bunem of Pshiskhe and of Rabbi Menahem Mendel of Kotzk—who founded the Hasidic dynasty of Izbica-Radzin.
Rabbi Yeruchim Lainer, the father of the late Rebbe, left Poland in the 1930’s and established his Beth HaMidrash in Willesden, London. In 1950 he came to the U.S. and settled in Boro Park. A famous Torah scholar of unusual erudition, he was at home in the Babylonian Talmud, in the Palestinian Talmud, in the Midrashim and in the Zohar and in the writings of the early and later rabbinic authorities.
He corresponded with leading rabbis and contributed to a variety of Torah journals, such as Sha’arei Torah, Warsaw; Sinai, Jerusalem, and HaPardes, Talpiyoth and HaDarom in the U.S.
He wrote notes on the Palestinian Talmud, which were included in Grossmann’s edition of the Yerushalmi (New York, 1959), and on Maimonides’ Mishne Torah, that were incorporated in the Pardes edition of the Rambam’s code (Jerusalem, 1963).
His other writings included a study on the antiquity of the Zohar, which was published together with Rabbi David Luria’s Kadmut HaZohar (Netzah, tel Avivi-New York, 1951).
He also wrote about the leaders of the Izbica-Radzin dynasty and reprinted some of their works, notably Rabbi Gershon Hanokh Henakh’s writing about Tekhelet.
Rabbi Yeruchim Lainer, who in his writings defended Rabbi Gershon Hanokh Henakh’s reintroduction of the blue (Tekhelt) thread of tzitzit, also reprinted, with the aid of the late Reb Shlomo Michoel Eiger, a prominent Radzin Hasid, Rabbi Gerson Hanokh Henakh’s monumental Siderei Tohorot on the tractates Kelim and Oholot.
Rabbi Mordechai Yosef, who was Rabbi Yeruchim’s only son, studied at the Yeshiva of Montreux, Switzerland. After his return to London, he continued his studies at the city’s Etz Hayyim Yeshiva. His principal teachers were the late Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian, famous exponent of the Mussar movement, and Rabbi Nahman Shlomo Greenspan, a Talmudic scholar of renown, author of rabbinic treatises and of a book on the development of the Pilpul.
After World War II, he married the former Rose Hoffman, who, like him, descended from an illustrious rabbinical family. Rabbi Yehezkel Landau and Rabbi Moshe Sofer were among her forebears; Rabbi David Hoffmann, rector of the Hildesheimer Rabbinical Seminary, and Rabbi Jacob Hoffmann, rabbi of Frankfurt, were relatives.
London’s most prominent rabbis, led by Dayan R’ Yehezkel Abramsky, graced the wedding with their presence in honor of the mehutanim: Rabbi Yeruchim Lainer and Rabbi Moshe Hoffmann.
After Rabbi Yeruchim’s death in the summer of 1964, Rabbi Mordechai Yosef was chosen to succeed him. In addition to leading his congregation and followers, he devoted himself to the publication of his father’s writings and of the words of early leaders of the Izbica-Radzin dynasty. He was financially supported in this endeavor by the aforementioned Reb Shlomo Michoel Eiger.
The first book he put out was Tiferet Yeruham, which included novellae by his father on Torah and Talmud and some of his father’s notes and correspondence.
He published, from manuscript, Rabbi Ya’akov of Izbica’s Sefer HaZemanim on the festival of Shavuot and two different editions of Rabbi Gershon Hanokh Henakh’s Sod Yesharim on the Torah, and reprinted various works – partly with notes by his father – of the first leaders of the Izbica-Radzin dynasty.
He also reprinted works by Rabbi Yeruham Meir Lainer, a son of Rabbi Ya’akov of Izbica, including his index of all Tannaim mentioned in the Mishna and three booklets, each containing the last will of a famous rabbi. These were originally published in Radzin in 1910-1911 and are probably the only Hebrew publications to have been printed in that town.
Last year, shortly before he fell ill, he published a new edition of Rabbi Ya’akov of Izbica’s Haggadah and Sefer HaZemanim.
He did much research on each of the many volumes he put out. Searching the rich archives of his father, he printed in HaDarom, the organ of the Rabbinical Council of America unpublished letters, essays and reviews of Rabbi Yeruchim. Rabbi Gedalia Dov Schwartz, head of the R.C.A. Beth Din in Chicago and editor of HaDarom, is a close friend of the Lainer family.
Rabbi Mordechai Yosef often visited Israel and was in correspondence with Radzin Hasidim in various countries. He frequently exchanged letters with Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Shragai of Jerusalem, a devoted Hassid of Radzin, who has written much about Izbica-Radzin.
Rabbi Lainer was greatly esteemed in wide circles for his fine intellectual qualities, remarkable memory, kindness, modesty and constant readiness to help others. His loss is deeply felt by his family, members of his congregation, Hasidim of Radzin and his many personal friends in Israel, England and the U.S. The latter include the writer of these lines, who has been an intimate friend of the Rebbe’s and the Rebbetzin’s families for about half a century.
The late Rebbe is survived by his Rebbetzin; a daughter, Rivka, who is married to Rabbi Mordechai Aharon Feinstein, a son of Rabbi David Feinstein and a grandson of Reb Moshe zt”l; two sons, Rabbi Ya’akov, who studied in Lakewood, and Rabbi Moishe, a student of Yeshiva Brisk in Jerusalem; and grandchildren.
Rabbi Ya’akov, who is known as an illui, has been chosen to succeed his father as Rebbe of Radzin.
Beth HaMidrash Izbica-Radzin of Boro Park is a place of prayer, learning and charitable endeavors – with the devoted support of Mr. M. Braunfeld, President: Mr. D. Mlynarsky, Vice President: Mr. J. Verschleisser, Mr. A. Rubinstein, Mr. M. Tager, Rabbi S. Hoch (Gabbai), Mr. J. Jassy (Gabbai), Mr. Steinberger, Mr. Brandman: Rabbi Selcer, Rabbi Eisenbach, Mr. H.M. Spira, Mr. Felsenburg, and many other worthy and distinguished friends.
From The Jewish Press, February 15, 1991