Baruch Dayan HaEmet – The Tzaddik Rabbi Shimon Shapira zt”l

CHASIDUT BRESLOV WAS ONCE AGAIN ENVELOPED IN MOURNING THIS LAST MONDAY OVER THE PASSING OF THE MASHPIA RABBI SHIMON YISRAEL SHAPIRA ZTVK”L.  BELOW IS A SHORT ACCOUNT OF HIS LIFE:

Rabbi Shimon Yisrael was born to his holy father, Rabbi Shmuel Shapira zy”a and Rabbanit Freida Shapira a”h, on Wednesday, 30 Nisan 5708 (1948), five days before the outbreak of Israel’s War of Independence.  During his brit, which was held on 7 Iyar, the country was already under artillery fire.  The merit of the infant who was born to his holy father protected those present from being harmed by the artillery shells in the house where the brit was held.

Already in his youth, he began to serve as shamash (caretaker) in our main Beit Midrash in Meah Shearim, while also going out to the field to do Hitbodedut.  He was involved in both of these activities throughout his life.

At the age of eighteen, he married Feiga Lebel a”h, the daughter of the Tzaddik, Rabbi Yonah Lebel zy”a, one of the great Breslov elders of the last generation.  In the year 5748 (1988), Rabbanit Shapira passed away, and after a year, he remarried, according to the directive of Rabbeinu HaKadosh.

In the year 5750 (1990), he participated in the opening of the gates to Uman by Moreinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit”a.  After the opening of the gates in the year 1989, he made it a point to travel to Uman every year for Rosh Hashanah.  After Uman, he would take a taxi to Kever Rashbi, where he would stay until after Yom Kippur.

The order of his day was very clear.  He would arise at Chatzot even before his three alarm clocks would go off.  He would go out to the Mikveh towards morning time, and on the way to the Mikveh, he would put a coin in each Tzedaka box that he would encounter along the way.  From there, he would continue on to our Beit Midrash, the “Shul” in Meah Shearim.  He would pray at sunrise and return to his home, where he would immerse himself in Torah study for the rest of the day.  His learning schedule included Kedushat Levi and Ben Ish Chai.

Over the course of the day, he would help, guide, and assist all those who would turn to him.  He would carry out his holy work as shamash in the shul until after Minchah and Ma’ariv.  Immediately after Ma’ariv, he would return to his home and read the Shema next to the mezuzah.  He was particular about negel vasser (netilat yadaim – ritual hand washing).  For many years, he would take negel vasser to Uman, so that he wouldn’t, God forbid, miss out on this mitzvah.

His extraordinary shemirat eynayim (guarding of the eyes) was well-known.  He would search for alternative routes, so as to not, God forbid, stumble in blemishing the eyes.  Rabbi Shimon would keep to himself, and only around fifteen years ago did he begin to teach and inspire others from the Flowing Stream (Rebbe Nachman) in order to strengthen and heal the brokenhearted.

In the year, 5778 (2018, on 18 Elul), a brit of one of our community was held in the Shul, and Moreinu HaRav Berland shlit”a was honored as Sandak, and Rabbi Shimon Shapira was honored with reciting the Brachot.  This was the last meeting between the two.

Rabbi Shimon would perform acts of kindness with each and every Jew, and this was expressed in thousands of ways, including providing large loans to all those who turned to him, despite the many who never repaid, as well as generously distributing Tzedaka.  The thing that pained him most was the technological plagues, and in every prayer, he would shed tears like water while praying for Am Yisrael over this matter.  Also at Britot, when he would serve as the one saying the blessings, he would cry about this.

In the final months of 5784 (2024), he fell ill, experiencing fluctuating health.  This last Rosh Hashanah, he traveled with true self-sacrifice to Uman while on a wheelchair.  In the month of Tishrei, his conditioned deteriorated.  However, after prayer rallies held by Breslov Chasidim throughout Israel, his conditioned stabilized.  In recent days, his condition once again deteriorated until on Monday, the night of 25 Marcheshvan 5785, he returned his pure soul to its Creator.

Rabbi Shimon left behind nine sons and daughters from his first marriage, and a pair of twins – a son and a daughter – from his second marriage to the Rabbanit, may she live.  His sons continue his path of spreading the light of Rabbeinu HaKadosh in the world!

ת.נ.צ.ב.ה.

MAY HIS SOUL BE BOUND IN THE BOND OF ETERNAL LIFE.

This article was prepared with the help of the Kav Hameda (Breslov Information line) *9148