ל׳ סיון ה׳תשפ״ו | June 15, 2026
A Life of Mindboggling Torah and Avodah: ‘Sholom Chonye’s’
30 Sivan marks the yahrtzeit of Reb Sholom Marozov, a chossid who, despite his life of hardship, his greatness in Torah and avodah is mind boggling, and would have undoubtedly be glorified in other frum circles.
30 Sivan marks the yahrtzeit of Reb Sholom Marozov, a chossid who, despite his life of hardship, his greatness in Torah and avodah is mind-boggling. It was said about certain chassidim that if they were part of other frum circles, they would undoubtedly be glorified. This comes to mind almost immediately when referring to Reb Sholom Marozov, also known as “Sholom Chonye’s”.
30 Sivan marks the yahrtzeit of Reb Sholom Marozov, known as “Sholom Chonye’s,” a chossid whose towering greatness in Torah and avodah was forged through immense suffering and exile, yet who rose to become one of the central figures in Lubavitch, serving as a model of pnimiyus and hasmada.
Born in 5658 (1923) in Rostov, Reb Sholom was the son of Reb Chonye HYD, who served as a mazkir to the Rebbe Rashab and later the Frierdiker Rebbe. When the Frierdiker Rebbe moved to Leningrad, the family moved with him.
In 5687 (1927), his father, Reb Chonye HYD, was arrested and spent several years in Siberia. Reb Sholom was educated in the underground yeshivos of the Soviet Union. At the age of 15, in 5698 (1938), while learning with his father, the “malachei chaboloh” entered, and that was the last time he ever saw him.
From that point began a decade of hardship and upheaval. He learned in the underground yeshiva in Kutaisi, Georgia (USSR), and later relocated with his mother and brothers to Samarkand, Uzbekistan. After the war, they moved to the DP camp in Pocking, Germany, and then to Paris, France, together with many chassidishe families. He merited to see the Frierdiker Rebbe again shortly before the histalkus.
In Shvat 5710 (1950), Reb Sholom arrived in New York. He entered yechidus together with Reb Dovid Raskin, Reb Gedalya Korf, Reb Berel Junik, and Reb Yitzchok Shlomo Pevzner. The Frierdiker Rebbe exclaimed “Oy, Chonye!” and said that Reb Sholom resembled Reb Chonye both in chitzoniyus and pnimiyus.
In New York, he devoted himself entirely to Torah and avodah, spending every possible moment learning and davening with extraordinary precision in mitzvos and avodah.
Over the years, he served as a maggid shiur in nigleh, mashpia in the yeshiva at 770, Chabad representative to the Agudas HaRabbonim, and more. In truth, his life centered on uninterrupted Torah learning and avodah.
In 5750 (1990), the Rebbe appointed him to the boards of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch, Machne Yisroel, and Kehos, as well as to the board of Agudas Chassidei Chabad.
Reb Sholom passed away on 30 Sivan 5766 (2006).
VIDEO
Reb Sholom testing bochurim in 770 after the Rebbe’s call for exams following Hey Teves 5747 (beginning at 4:53 in the video).
COMMENTS
Reb Shloleim (as he was known) would often daven in Chevra shas. Once a yid was talking during tehilim and Reb Sholeim asked him “how can you think pirush hamilos if you are talking while saying tehilim”. the yid replied “do you actually understand all the pirush hamilos of tehilim?” Reb Sholeim answered that indeed yes he does (he did not think this to be a chidush). So the Yid asked Reb Shloleim to explain the posuk he was reading, and Reb Sholeim did.
Thinking to himself that maybe that specific posuk was just and easy one, the Yid went on to find a particluarly hard posuk and asked Reb Shloleim to explain it. Reb Shloleim answered on the spot “there is a machloikes in pshat in this posuk… Rashi explains like this, Radak like this Metzudos like this etc”….
Most big geoinim are boki in shas and shulchan oruch. To be boki even in meforshei tana”ch is something truly out of the ordinary.
thank you.