Whenever I had an important decision to make, from naming my babies to making their weddings, I consulted with Rav Dovid

Rav Dovid Feinstein ztz’’l was niftar on Yud Tes Cheshvan. Although the loss of a gadol is a loss for the entire world, I felt the loss personally. Rav Dovid was my rebbi and was a part of my life for as long as I can remember. When I walk into the MTJ beis medrash now, where he was rosh yeshivah, and see his empty desk, I think I’m dreaming. How could Rebbi’s desk be sitting empty? It feels like he must be coming back soon. He was always at his desk learning

Rabbi Chaim Finkelstein

Rav Dovid was the sandek at my bris, and the mesader kiddushin at my wedding. I learned in his yeshivah, MTJ, for my entire life. I started out there in kindergarten, went there for elementary school, and stayed through high school as well. I spent many years in Rav Dovid’s shiur, and I am still in MTJ as the second grade rebbi. For just about my entire life, whenever I had an important decision to make, from naming my babies to making their weddings, I consulted with Rav Dovid.

Let me tell you a few things about him.

Rav Dovid was born in Russia. His father, Rav Moshe Feinstein, was a rav there. The Communist Russian government hated rabbis, and eventually Rav Moshe had to leave Russia. When Rav Dovid was seven years old, his family came to America. They settled on the Lower East Side, where Rav Moshe became the rosh yeshivah of Mesivta Tifereth Jerusalem.

Even when he was a young man, Rav Dovid was known to be an expert on the entire Shas. His rebbi was his father. They were very close and learned together all the time. Rav Moshe quotes his son Rav Dovid in many of his seforim. When Rav Moshe died in 1986, Rav Dovid became the rosh yeshivah of MTJ in his place.