The tragic passing of Rabbi Yosef Modes, a beloved husband, father, and rebbi in Mosdos of Cleveland

The Torah world, and the Cleveland community in particular, lost a prince this past week with the tragic passing of Rabbi Yosef Modes, a beloved husband, father, and rebbi in Mosdos of Cleveland.

Rabbi Modes grew up in a Modern Orthodox community, and, after spending a summer in a yeshivah day camp, set his eyes on attending yeshivah for high school. Yosef would go on to attend Skokie Yeshivah, Telshe Yeshivah in Cleveland, and eventually Yeshiva Tiferes Boruch of Springfield, where he became a prized talmid of Rav Elya Meir Sorotzkin. He molded himself after Rav Sorotzkin, dedicating himself completely to ameilus b’Torah for the remainder of his life.

When he married Deena Freedman of Cleveland, Rav Chaim Stein served as mesader kiddushin. Rav Chaim famously only acceded to officiate at weddings if the chassan committed to learn for a set time every day, and Yosef pledged to learn two hours daily, come what may.

Yosef spent several years at the Kollel of Los Angeles and then became a beloved rebbi in Cleveland, but his commitment to learn for two hours daily — not counting his classroom time, or the time he spent preparing for class or the bekius shiur he gave at Telshe Yeshivah — was sacrosanct.

His brother-in-law Simcha recalls when Yosef and his family arrived in Cleveland after leaving Los Angeles. It was late at night, and he had put in a full day traveling, but after helping his family in with the suitcases and seeing them off to sleep, Yosef quietly slipped into a basement room, consumed an energy drink, and put in a solid few hours of uninterrupted learning.

When Reb Yosef was diagnosed with a brain tumor just over a year ago, he strove to keep the kabbalah, but the illness affected his mental faculties and he was unable to muster the requisite concentration he needed to learn for the full two hours.

He was distraught at the prospect of being unable to learn, and upon the direction of Rav Baruch Hirschfeld, he was matir neder to learn “just” an hour a day. Despite the illness wracking his body, Yosef kept that commitment religiously, and kept meticulous notes to keep track of his time.

His notes contain entries like “10:42–10:54 — 12 minutes,” documenting every precious incremental seder he was able to learn to complete his daily quota.

He passed away earlier last week, leaving behind a young wife, eight beautiful children, and pages of entries that bore witness to his love of a lifetime.

Yehi zichro baruch

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 965)