It was a year of enormous tragedy for Yeshiva Chaim Berlin, with the loss of two remarkable roshei yeshiva within some 14 months of each other. Today, HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Dovid Halioua passed away tragically at the age of 66. His father-in-law, Rav Aharon Schechter zt”l, had passed away 14 months earlier. Rav Halioua served as acting rosh yeshiva during his shver’s (father in law’s) illness over the past few years.

It is a great tragedy that the oilam haTorah (the Torah-observant world) beyond the yeshiva did not get such a chance to fully appreciate who this remarkable rosh yeshiva was due to his short tenure. His brilliance shined forth in so many Torah techunos (areas), as well as in his remarkable midos (attributes) and anivus (humility). He was clearly destined to play a pivotal leadership role in the Torah world, which is why the talmidei hayeshiva are in a state of despair and shock. The talmidim had noticed that in the past few months he was visibly weaker, but whatever illness he suffered from he kept hidden from his talmidim.

The news that the rosh yeshiva was niftar was met with crying and screeching and came as a complete shock to everyone.

Rav Halioua zt”l demonstrated remarkable brilliance as a talmid chochom, who gave masterful shiurim. He also had a full mastery of the entire oeuvre of Rav Hutner’s Pachad Yitzchok, and was fully comfortable in the world of Torah machshava as well. The rosh yeshiva’s mastery of the Ramchal’s writings was demonstrated in his many shmuesim (conversations) that he delivered to the talmidim. Every Erev Shabbos morning he gave a shiur to the kollel in Maharal.

The talmidim were enamored by the down-to-earth nature of Rav Halioua’s maamarim as well as his synthesis of the machshava of Rav Hutner zt”l, the Maharal and the Ramchal. Rav Halioua veritably introduced the talmidim of the yeshiva to a deeper understanding of the Ramchal’s greatest talmid, Rav Moshe Dovid Valle zt”l. He was also a baal mechadaish (innovative thinker)who could derive deep insights from their writings which we otherwise might have missed.

Rav Halioua was rushed to the hospital on Tuesday afternoon right before Hoshana Rabba, and yet he was still delivering maamarim until the last week of yeshiva and during the Yom Tov. He gave a maamar on Monday during the yeshiva’s Simchas Beis HaShoeva.

His father, Rav Avraham zt”l, immigrated from Morocco to the USA at the age of 20 in November 1948, and was a rav in Flatbush. He passed away in December, 1988. Rav Shlomo was 30 years old at his father’s passing and took over his shul. His father had had a close association with Agudath Israel even while still in Morocco and they helped sponsor his arrival in the U.S.

The rosh yeshiva zt”l was also a talmid muvhak of Rav Binyomin Paler zt”l and mastered the Brisker mehalech (approach) from him. Rav Paler was one of Rav Velvel Soloveitchik’s closest talmidim, and a chavrusa of Rav Beryl Soloveitchik zt”l, father of Rav Avrohom Yehoshua shlita, the current rosh yeshiva of Brisk in Yerushalayim.

Rav Halioua also learned under HaGaon haRav Yonasan David shlita, Rav Hutner’s son-in-law and the rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Pachad Yitzchok in Yerushalayim. Rav Halioua considered Rav Yonasan shlita as his primary rebbe. He was his father-in-law’s shliach (representative) to be menachem avel him (attend the shiva) when Rebbitzen David passed away.

The rosh yeshiva was very close to a number of gedolei Torah. Among them were Rav Shmuel Auerbach zt”l as yblc”t, the mashgiach of Chevron, and Rav Chaim Yitzchok Kaplan, who learned in Yeshiva Chaim Berlin and later went to Pachad Yitzchok in Yerushalayim.

Rav Halioua was a rosh kollel of the yeshiva when Rav Aharon Schechter zt”l was the rosh yeshiva, along with yb’c”t Rav Binyomin Cohen shlita. The transition between Rav Schechter zt”l and Rav Halioua was seamless. Everyone realized and appreciated his genuine ahavas habrios (love of people).

His anivus was such that even after he was officially appointed rosh yeshiva, he did not change his seat for a number of months—not until Pesach.

It is somewhat rare for a Sephardic talmid to take the helm of a Litvish yeshiva. The fact that Rav Halioua did so is a testament to the high esteem to which he was held by all who knew him.

He leaves behind his family, headed by his eldest son, the Gaon Rabbi Yosef Haloua, who is currently the rosh kollel and the son-in-law of Gaon Rabbi Chaim Israel Weinfeld, rav of Kehal Toras Chaim in Flatbush.

The picture above was taken when Rav Halioua was maspid (eulogized) his father-in-law, the rosh yeshiva, just 14 months ago. May the rosh yeshiva be a meilitz yosher for all of Klal Yisroel.

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