I knew Peter for over 50 years, but I found this hespid in JewishVues that sums it all up ....
April 13 2020, the third day of
Chol hamoed Pesach, will unfortunately always be etched
in my heart. That was the day I lost
my dear friend R’ Shloime Zev Weiss
z”l, affectionately known as Peter.
I recently heard from R’ Shaul Alter Shlita, Gerrer Rosh Yeshiva, that Pesach is
a zman Simcha, and therefore עצבות
is prohibited. However לב שברון coupled with שמחה ,is not a contradiction
Peter and I got to know each other almost 20 years ago. He had the character trait of שווים ופיו לבו .He said it the
way he saw it. He wouldn’t mince any
words. He gave you the straight scoop.
He was a smart man. His advice was
on the money, whether you liked it or
not
He started davening in Agudas Yisroel Bais Binyomin around the time
that Rav Breuer Shlita became Rov
of the shul. His love for torah had no
bounds and he wanted to absorb all he
could from this Talmid Chochom. We
started learning bechavrusa about 10
years ago.
Peter’s knowledge of Torah
was immense and his love for Torah
was genuine. When we would start
our learning, I would often tell him a
דבדיחותא מילתא .If I took too long, he
would turn to me and say “Herr aufmit die shtissim, lommer lernen a bissel”.
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I was constantly in awe of the tremendous level of learning, from what
appeared to be a simple Baal Habaas.
He schlepped me to shiurim by different Rabonim; He was so excited when
he found a new source of learning; He
learned with another chavrusa in Israel via Skype; He learned in the morning with a chavrusa right after davening.
I once asked him, now that he was
pretty much retired, what he does all
day. With a shy look on his face, Peter
admitted that he’d been going to the
Machon L’Horaa Kollel and learning
there every day from 10-2. He asked
me to please not repeat this, as he
didn’t want to appear to be boasting
about his learning. Even that was done
.בהצנע לכת
Peter had a טוב לב .When It came to
Tzedakka matters, he always jumped
to be from the שבקדושה דבר לכל
וראשון ראש .He never hesitated to
help when I asked him, whether it was
for רבים צרכי or to help out an individual. He even admonished me once
for not having asked him about a particular Tzedaka. I answered that I felt
I had asked him too many times. Peter
was not appeased. He told me that I
had no right to decide where he gives
his Tzedaka, as I was just a Shliach.
How did he take a Toiva that he was
doing for someone and reverse it to
make them feel like they were doing a
Toiva for him.
I once had an opportunity to invest in
a piece of real estate. The money I had
earmarked for it was tied up and in
order to get the best deal, I would have
to come up with the money immediately. I happened to mention it to Peter, and ten minutes later, he showed
up in my office with a check. He said
to me “I didn’t want you to worry or
be afraid that you would lose the deal,
so here is a check”. I was speechless.
Who thinks like that. These are
the actions of a person who only
thinks of how he can make another person feel comfortable.
A few weeks ago, my wife and I
had a family simcha in Flatbush.
Since we moved to Toms River
almost a year ago, we needed
a place to stay for Shabbos. I
called Peter to ask him if he
and Miriam would be able to
accommodate us. He didn’t
just say yes. He was so excited to be able to offer us
his Hachnosas Orchim.
They certainly did not
disappoint. They worried
about every detail to
make us feel comfortable and at home and
went out of their way
to spend time talking
to us as well. Before leaving on Motzei
Shabbos, he proudly showed me the
study he built in his house. It’s not really a study, it’s more like a small Bais
Hamedrash. You could feel how the
walls are absorbed with the Torah he
learned there.
But through all this, one of the points
that impressed me most about Peter,
was his relationship with his children and grandchildren. When we
weren’t learning, Peter would spend
hours telling me every detail of the
trips that he and Miriam were planning with their grandchildren to Eretz
Yisroel. He would make sure to make
the trips both fun, by coming up with
original activities, and meaningful,
by spending time at the Mekomos
Hakedoishim and visiting the Gedoilim there. I’m sure that those he had
a chance to take the trip with, will remember the time with him forever.
Peter, you were unfortunately not
zoyche to the proper Kavod Achron.
כהלכה סימן יפה הוא לו that say Chazal
from heard once I. איש שמת ואינו נספד
the Gaaved of Yerushalayim, Rav Tuvia Weiss Shlita, who said in the name
of Rav Chaim Kreiswirth zt”l, that
כהלכה שלא means that we were unable to be maspid the Niftar הלכה פי
על the way he deserved it, because he
was niftar in a period when Hesped is
not allowed.
Peter, you left me with so many memories that I will cherish forever. You
were my friend, you were my mentor,
you were my chavrusa, you were my
rebbe. You left a hole in my heart. I
told you often, I want to be you when I
grow up. I miss you. I miss your kindness, I miss your smile and I miss your
huge heart.
May you be a יושר מליץ for Miriam,
Michelle, Stevie, Chaim and all your
יהא זכרו ברוך .grandchildren
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