BDE: The Kossover Rebbe, Harav Shraga Feivish Hager, ZT”L — A Leader To Thousands

By BoroPark24 and FrumNews.com

With a shattered heart, we inform you of the petirah of the Kossover Rebbe, Harav Shraga Feivish Hager, zt”l, following a lengthy illness which he fought valiantly—an incredible loss and a crushing blow to his Chassidim, the thousands he inspired, and to Klal Yisroel as a whole.

The Rebbe was 66 years of age.

The Rebbe was born in the Boro Park neighborhood in 1958—a scion of the great dynasties of Viznitz and Kossov. His father was Rebbe Avrohom Yehoshua Heschel, the Kossov-Zalshchiker Rebbe, who was the son of Rav Shraga Feivish Hager of Zalishchik. In his youth in Boro Park, he learned in Yeshiva Be’er Shmuel under the leadership of the Unsdorfer Rov.

Later, he continued his learning in Bnei Brak, including in the Ponovezher Yeshiva, where he became known for his hasmodoh and his fiery avodas Hashem. During these years, he would frequent the tischen of his cousin, the Viznitzer Rebbe of Bnei Brak.

The Rebbe was married to, tbl”ch, Rebbetzin Sarah Rechil, the daughter of Rav Chaim Wosner, a son of the great Posek Rav Shmuel Wosner, zt”l.

Following their marriage, the couple returned to America. Here, the Rebbe grew close to the Amshinover Rebbe. He also began to serve as the official dayan of the Viznitz-Monsey Kehillah in Boro Park—a position that he retained even after he became Kossover Rebbe.

With the passing of his father in 1999, the Rebbe assumed his place as Kossover Rebbe. Slowly but surely, a strong following coalesced around him—the thirsty throngs eager to catch a glimpse into the Rebbe’s fiery avodah and to hear the Torah that he espoused.

In these years, the Rebbe became known as a force in all areas of Yiddishkeit in Boro Park and beyond. Thousands of cases of sholom bayis, chinuch, struggles with children who were leaving the path of Yiddishkeit, r”l, and so many other problems—personal and communal—landed in the Rebbe’s room. And he, like a loving father, would address each one with love and attention.

While he was like a father to these struggling youths, the Rebbe was on fire when it came to erecting barriers against the winds of the outside world.

The Rebbe was also the official Nosi of numerous Boro Park mosdos—all of whom sought his advice, counsel, and stamp of approval. He was also involved in numerous community organizations for chesed and for the furtherance of Yiddishkeit.

A phenomenal and fiery orator, the Rebbe spoke frequently all around Boro Park, Lakewood, and beyond. His words were like pearls of Torah wisdom, replete with words of chazal and chassidishe seforim that poured forth from his lips. Much of his Torah is comprised in seforim that were authored based on his deroshos.

Sadly, the Rebbe was diagnosed with the dreaded disease last year, and he sought treatment in New York and in Germany in search of a refuah. When reports emerged of the Rebbe’s condition taking a turn to the worse, round-the-clock groups gathered to fervently say Tehillim for his Refuah.

The Rebbe lived with the kedusha of Shabbos and authored seforim on the holiness of Shabbos. His untimely petirah likewise took place on Shabbos.

Alas, the holy neshomoh was called to the Yeshiva Shel Maalah over Shabbos at about 12:00 a.m., to the heartbreak of so many who were impacted by the rebbe, zt”l.

The levaya will take place on Sunday at 11:00am at his Shul 1355-55th St in Boro Park. A second Levaye and Kevurah will take place at 12:45 pm in the Viznitz Beis Hachaim in Monsey.

There will be no hespedim at either levaya.