Memories of Rabbi Singer flood my mind and soul. Shortly after he was admitted to the hospital, he could barely speak. I was with him one day when someone came for a bracha for his daughter who was looking for a shidduch. Rabbi Singer picked up his hand and shouted, “Simcha!” Rabbi Singer would often say that the greatest bracha is for one to be b’simcha—happy. A person is alive with 248 organs. He can breathe. Be happy! Here he was, lying in a hospital bed with an untreatable tumor and a feeding tube, yet he was b’simcha. He truly lived what he taught.

Rabbi Singer had some truly remarkable traits and conduct. When he walked into a room, he would usually walk in singing. In his last two years, he used a cane. So he would walk into a room singing … and swinging his cane!

When he walked down the street on Shabbos, he would greet everyone with an exuberant, “Good Shabbos!” Friends, strangers…it didn’t matter. He would cross the street just to wish someone a “Good Shabbos.” The Rambam teaches that a talmid chacham has to have a higher standard of conduct. Among such standards, the Rambam lists, “to be the first to greet everyone.” That’s exactly what Rabbi Singer did.

Rabbi Singer would go out of his way to shower people with praises. Some people remarked, “Does he say that to everyone or is he just flattering me?” Indeed, he did praise everyone, for he was able to see their greatness, either current or potential. As the Rambam also says, a talmid chacham judges everyone favorably. He genuinely loved people and embraced them no matter their dress or appearance.

In the 20 years that I was together in the Yeshiva with Rabbi Singer, I never heard him say anything negative about anyone. My wife said that the same was true in their home. As the Rambam says, “Only say positive things about others and never speak anything derogatory about them.”

As a young man, Rabbi Singer learned for seven years in the famed Beis Medrash Govoha in Monsey under the great Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Ahron Kotler. Rav Kotler’s passion and love for Torah became Rabbi Singer’s guiding force.

The Gemara says, “Anyone who goes from a shul to a beis medrash and from a beis medrash to a shul merits to be greeted by Hashem.” Rabbi Singer left Beis Medrash Govoha to be a professional chazzan, using his trained voice and passion for Avodas Hashem to inspire all with his tefillos and songs. Even then, he still went to yeshiva, attending the shiurim of Rav Meir Stern of the Yeshiva Gedola of Passaic over a 25-year period. He sat with the young men, never missing a shiur, so he could give it over later to his own talmidim.

Indeed, when he “retired” at the age of 62, he bought a house and converted it into a yeshiva for the working man. In doing so, he went fully back to the beis medrash and became a rosh yeshiva. Rabbi Singer may have left Rav Aharon Kotler 65 years ago, but Rav Kotler never left him!

While giving shiurim, his eyes blazed with fiery passion and love for the Torah, just like Rav Kotler’s. I am certain that Rav Ahron Kotler is now excited to have Rabbi Singer back in his shiur. Rabbi Singer’s mission was simple: He wanted every Jew to have the opportunity to learn high- quality Torah regardless of their background and ability. He wanted every Jew to be able pursue their share of learning. Nothing could stand in the way. People would challenge Rabbi Singer, “Where are you going to get the money to build your yeshiva and keep it running?” He would reply, “Hashem has a lot of money!”

Rabbi Singer’s wife, Rebbetzen Singer, stood at his side and supported him. It is no coincidence that this Shabbos, the last day of shiva, is Rebetzen Singer’s yahrzeit. It’s also no coincidence that Rabbi Singer’s levaya was at 11 a.m. on Sunday morning. That was the day and time of his eagerly anticipated weekly Gemara shiur. It was his special time and at the conclusion of his levaya, he was escorted out of his yeshiva for the last time.

In this week’s parsha of Vayeishev, Rashi quotes a midrash that Yaakov wanted to settle down with tranquility. Hashem says that tranquility is reserved for those in the next world, not in this world. True “rest” is the delight of actively “learning forever” with the Almighty.

If you were touched by Rabbi Singer, the biggest gift you can give him now is to learn Torah and find someone to whom you can teach. That was his mission. You can make it yours. You can also support Rabbi Singer’s yeshiva, his life mission, as we launch our united dinner campaign.

Rabbi Baruch Bodenheim is the associate rosh yeshiva of Passaic Torah Institute (PTI)/Yeshiva Ner Boruch. Rabbi Bodenheim can be reached at [email protected]. For more info about PTI and its Torah classes, visit www.pti.shulcloud.com