Memory Lane: Rav Chaim Pesach Fettman

Among the postwar generation of Hungarian Holocaust survivors in Boro Park lived a tzaddik, ga’on, nistar, and mekubal. Rav Chaim Pesach originated in Hungary, where he learned under the great tzaddikim and mekubalim—and after miraculously surviving the horrors of the war, he settled in the holy, mystical city of Tzfas, after which he settled in Boro Park of yesteryear. 

Hajdú-Hadház 

In his youth, he learned with his father. In keeping with the tradition of Kosson and Komarna, he began learning kabboloh from a young age. When he was nine years old, he journeyed to the town of Kalov, learning under the Be’er Menachem, residing with his uncle who lived there. 

Later, he learned under the Levushei Mordechai, and under Keren L’Duvid in Pupa, who testified on his talmid: “He is proficient in most of the sugyos hashas.” Like his father, he too journeyed to Kossoner Rebbes, and became mekushar to them with heart and soul.”

Marriage in Debrecen 

Upon the suggestion of Rebbe Yaakov Moshe of Komarno, he married the daughter of Reb Avrohom Meir Altman, one of the important ba’alei batim of the town. He supported his son law, so he could sit and learn, while teaching Torah. 

Two children were born to the couple in Debrecen. When his eldest child was one year old, he suddenly fell ill, and shortly afterward he heard the hysterical and anguished cries of his wife... that the child had passed away, R”l. He later related in his tzava’ah: “I took the sefer Eitz Chaim (from Rav Chaim Vital), which I had completed forty times, and placed it under the pillow of my child, and he immediately returned to life.” 

He continued to learn Torah even amid great hardship, in the bitter cold and the oppressive heat. He exchanged letters with tzaddikim of his generation, and he wrote many chiddushei Torah. The majority of them would tragically be lost in the fire of the Churban. 

Rebuilding 

Following the war, he made his way to Budapest where he was very active in reestablishing Jewish life, and in 1949, he arrived in Eretz Yisroel. He settled in Tzfas, and began learning with the mekubalim there. He gained the reverence of the tsaddikim there who marveled at his avodah in Torah and tefillah. 

For a while he served as the Rov of Kfar Shamai, in the northern part of Eretz Yisroel. Hw would immerse regularly in the Arizal’s mikveh, and would give shiurim in the Yeshivas Hamekubolim in Yerushalayim. In the 1950’s, he arrived in America, and settled at first in Brownsville, then Williamsburg, and later in Boro Park. 

He continued to learned kabboloh here, and attracted a select group of those who sought to learn from him. He was revered by a number of Rebbes and Rabbonim here, including the Spinka Rebbe and the Bluzever Rebbe, and he would daven and teach in the Viznitzer Shul on New Utrecht Avenue. 

His greatest joy was in Torah, and he was a tremendous masmid. His sefer Toras Chaim, chidushim on Shas, was all that remained from his writings. He would not published any chiddush until he had gone over it with a fine tooth comb to ensure that it was emes l’amitoi.    

His avodas hatefillah was accompanied with tremendous emotion, and his entire conduct was permeated with middos and eidelkeit, and tremendous humility.  

He was niftar on Pesach of 1989, at the ripe old age of 94, leaving behind generations of Torahdige and pious Yidden who proudly carry on his legacy which spanned from Hungary, to Tzfas, to Boro Park of yesteryear.