It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of the distinguished sofer stam, Rav Eliezer Kempeh zt”l, a founder of the chareidi moshav of Beit Chilkiyah. He was 102. He passed away peacefully last night at Mayanei HaYeshua Hospital in Bnei Brak.
The niftar was born in the city of Ladenburg, Germany, on the 5th of Teves, 1923, to his father, Rav Yitzchak Kempeh, and his mother, Mrs. Basya.
In his youth, he emigrated to Eretz Yisrael aboard an ill-fated ship that was accidentally blown up by members of the Haganah. Miraculously, he survived, swimming to safety. His future wife, Tzipora, was also aboard the ship, and she too survived the disaster, saved by another passenger who carried her to shore.
Upon arriving in Eretz Yisrael, Rav Eliezer was detained in the Atlit internment camp by the British, who did not permit his entry into the country. Afterward, he lived in B’eirot Yitzchak, where he married his wife in 1946. When Moshav Beit Chilkiyah was established, he relocated there to join the community.
When he heard that the Chazon Ish zt”l had ruled not to use electricity on Shabbos, Rav Eliezer traveled to meet him and accepted the psak and refrained from using electricity on Shabbos ever again.
Rav Eliezer was a towering figure in Torah and kedusha, a man devoted to Torah learning and avodas Hashem. He was a constant presence in shuls and batei midrash, always engaged in learning, with a pure and righteous soul.
In the early years in Beit Chilkiyah, Rav Eliezer was a farmer. After he broke his leg, he turned to studying the art of stam – writing sifrei Torah, tefillin, and mezuzos. Over the course of about fifty years, he wrote hundreds of mezuzos and tefillin, as well as 13 sifrei Torah.
Rav Eliezer was a mechutan of Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein and Rav Mordechai Gross.
Until his very last years, Rav Eliezer continued to be an active member of his kollel, studying daily with chavrusos.
In 2003, when his wife fell ill, Rav Eliezer moved to Bnei Brak and settled in the Ramat Elchanan neighborhood.
Last week, he had the merit of attending his great-granddaughter’s wedding, the granddaughter of Rav Mordechai Gross. On Friday, the 3rd of Teves, he celebrated his 102nd birthday.
Rav Eliezer leaves behind many descendants who carry on his legacy. His children include Rav Meir from Beit Chilkiyah, Rav Yitzchak from Modiin Illit (father of singer Naftali Kempeh), Rav Uri Dovid, head of the Tashbar Yeshiva in Bnei Brak, Rav Avraham, a rebbi in Rechovot, Rav Yaakov, a Rosh Mesivta in Ofakim, and Rav Yonasan, a mashgiach at Maor HaTalmud. His sons-in-law include Rav Avraham Ansbacher of Bnei Brak and Rav Yoav Yevgev.
The levayah was held at his daughter’s home at 24 Ben Yaakov in Bnei Brak. The procession continued to the Ohel Yosef shul in Beit Chilkiyah and proceeded to the cemetery in Yesodot for kevurah.
The family is sitting shiva at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Ansbacher, at 24 Ben Yaakov in Bnei Brak.
Yehi zichro boruch.
{Matzav.com Israel}