This Purim will mark nine years since the sudden passing of Hatomim Uri Nissan a”h Gurary. His family requests those who knew Uri to do a mitzva today in his memory.
This Purim will mark nine years since the sudden passing of Hatomim Uri Nissan a”h Gurary, the son of Rabbi Mendel and Esther Gurary sheyichyu, shluchim in Antwerp, Belgium.
His family requests that Uri’s friends and anyone who knew him should learn a mishna and do a mitzva today l’iluei nishmaso.
Stories about Uri a”h:
Meticulously keeping ‘Seder’ in Yeshiva.
Related by a bochur who studied together with Uri:
Uri always arrived on time (as he defined it: ‘on the minute’) no matter when he finished davening, whether it was 5 minutes before seder began or 15 minutes.
He usually didn’t want to talk about anything aside from the Gemara or subject being learned, from beginning of seder to end.
He always strove to understand the subject and not just merely repeat the words. He would make each subject vivid, tangible. For example, when learning Gemara he would say “Here is the beis din and two witnesses are coming”. Every time we started a sugya he would write down all the questions that came to his mind, and after studying twice or three times, he would check if the questions he wrote were answered (sometimes it could even be dozens of questions). If not – he would go to the maggid shiur and find out the answers for questions”.
“What?! Is seder already over?“
Before starting to learn, he would say, ‘Don’t forget that we are going to learn the wisdom and will of Hashem.’
I remember how many times after we studied for 3 hours straight he would ask: “What?! Is seder already over?”
Knowing how a chossid behaves
A friend of Uri Nissan from the summers in the mountains related:
I was with Uri Nissan in the same room. He brought about 20 books of chassidishe stories with him and would read them, mainly before bed. One day, during a break, Uri noticed a guy doing ‘extreme sports’. He turned to him and asked, “Why are you doing this? A bochur should read chassidshe stories in his spare time!” He explained: “One has to read stories of Chassidim to know how to be a Chassid!”
A special ‘koch’ in Mivtza Tefillin
He had a special ‘koch‘ in Mivtza Tefillin. He was friendly, with a special smile, and people naturally liked him. Nothing bothered him on his quest to find another yid.
His Ahavas Yisroel
A bochur arrived on the first day of yeshiva, and did not know how to wash his clothes. Uri Nissan showed him the machines, explained to him how to operate them, and also gave him his own detergent. And all, with patience and a smile. “He had true ahavas yisroel” his friends remember.
May we very soon merit the coming of Moshiach when we will be reunited with Uri Nissan a”h.