What is true beauty? Beauty is the imprint of the soul on the physical body — the aura and glow that the Torah imprints on a talmid chacham

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I attempt to write this appreciation of Rabbi Moshe Hauer, a yedid nefesh to whom I felt a profound connection, I am still struggling to come to grips with the terrible and incomprehensible loss. The shock of it evokes tears more readily than a thoughtful appreciation, and thus, I can do no more than share these tears with you.

Rav Yochanan came to visit Rav Elazar, who was deathly ill. Rav Elazar was impoverished and lay in a dark room. Rav Yochanan rolled up his sleeve and the radiance of his beauty lit up the room. He saw that Rav Elazar was crying.

He asked him, “Why are you crying? If you did not learn enough Torah yet, does it not state, ‘Whether one accomplishes a lot or a little, the main thing is that one’s heart was focused on doing it for the sake of Heaven’? And if it is because of your poverty that you are crying, not everyone attains ‘two tables.’ ”

Rav Elazar replied, “I am crying because of that beauty that is yours and will someday disintegrate and rot in the ground.”

“Yes,” Rav Yochanan replied, “that is indeed worthy of mourning.”

And they both proceeded to sob. (Berachos 5b)

What does this enigmatic conversation teach us?

It teaches us what death does not destroy, and what is it that death does destroy. Spirituality is not destroyed by death. It is eternal. Moreover, spirituality can never even be fully realized in this world. Therefore, we cannot truly mourn a person’s spirituality when he dies; it was never really part of this world. On the other hand, the physical world is certainly not to be mourned, for it is all preordained and may come or go at any time. It is meant to be ephemeral. But there is one thing unique and truly valuable that is only achievable in this world: beauty.

What is true beauty? Beauty is the imprint of the soul on the physical body — the aura and glow that the Torah imprints on a talmid chacham, such as Rav Yochanan. It is a glimpse of that incredible aura that Moshe Rabbeinu’s countenance radiated. It is the mareh Kohein coming off his avodah in the Kodesh Hakodoshim. The potential to convert a physical chunk of flesh and blood into a radiant, luminous countenance is only available here in this world. In the World to Come, spirituality abounds, but there is no physical entity that has been elevated. Only in our world can beauty be achieved, and when that disappears, it is truly to be mourned.

Yedidi v’ahuvi Reb Moshe was beauty incarnate. Every word, every interaction, every expression was filled with beauty and chein. He interacted with so many different types of people from vastly different backgrounds, and they all found his words and thoughts to be true and appropriate. He never deviated from the emes of Torah, but he knew how to present it to each person in their natural language, with the beauty and articulation appropriate to their understanding. When the same Rav Elazar mentioned in the Gemara above praises Queen Esther’s beauty, he states, “Each person who met Esther thought that she was of his nationality” (Megillah 13a).

Reb Moshe was a yeshivah-man at his core. He told me once that whenever he had an opportunity, he would sit in at Rav Asher Arieli’s shiur because he was so attracted to Rav Asher’s personal emes, and the emes of his Torah.

But he also genuinely understood so many other worlds: the world of the hostages living in indescribable suffering; the world of an 18-year-old who is fighting under the most grueling conditions and could have his life snuffed out in an instant.

He also understood the rage and fury of a mother whose husband and sons were in daily danger for months at a time, as she railed against what she felt to be an inequitable distribution of the burden. And he simultaneously understood the pain and frustration of people who spend their lives in asceticism and extraordinary sacrifice to be the nosei aron of kedushah, only to be denigrated and vilified by other shomrei Torah u’mitzvos. And his greatest pain was that too often these two did not understand each other’s pain.

Reb Moshe was a consummate diplomat, able to deal with the entire spectrum of humanity: yeshivish, chassidish, and Modern Orthodox; observant and non-observant; Jew and non-Jew. This was not a show or a ploy. Rather, he understood each person, had genuine respect for the good that others possessed, and could convey the emes of Torah to them in their own language.

Under his stewardship, the OU created an extraordinary amount of new and revitalized programming — phenomenal not only for its volume but also for its range, which encompasses almost every facet of the Jewish People. Boys on the verge of becoming bnei Torah; teens struggling with the challenges of adolescence; children struggling with limited capabilities; and teens floundering in the most difficult circumstances. All were embraced by some suitable program. His perspective was that we are responsible for everyone, and he understood so well how to effectively meet that responsibility.

I was privileged to be involved with him several times when he had to deal with delicate situations. His compassion, care, and genuine understanding of the people involved helped him achieve solutions that not only resolved the issues but allowed all parties to walk away with their dignity intact, satisfied that their personal concerns had been addressed.

Yes, in a world filled with rancor and calumny, there was a beacon of beauty and dignity that illuminated the world and achieved true kevodah shel Torah. Those hands of his that worked so tirelessly for the klal radiated an unearthly beauty. Now he is gone, and the beauty is darkened; that is something to mourn.

“And Moshe, Hashem’s servant, died there” (Devarim 34:5). Chazal tell us that until this point, Moshe wrote the Torah with ink, and from this point onwards, the Torah was written with tears (Bava Basra 15a). Reb Moshe, words fail me at this point, as I think of your wisdom and insight from which I gained from so much, your dignity and refinement that so enhanced kevodah shel Torah and kevodo shel adam haTorah, and your sense of humor and warmth that suffused and embraced all those privileged to know you.

More I cannot write.

Rav Ahron Lopiansky is the rosh yeshivah of the Yeshiva of Greater Washington, and is renowned for his shiurim and seforim. Rabbi Lopiansky is the author of several Hebrew and English sefarim, including the widely acclaimed Ben Torah for Life, Ben Yeshiva, Ashlei Da’as, and more published by Eshel Publications.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 1083).