20 Elul 5730
Rav Eliyahu Lopian was born to his father, Rav Yaakov, in the town of Grajewo, Poland in 5636. As a child, he learned under Rav Chaim Leib Mishkovski. When he was nine, the family moved to the United States, but Rav Elya, who desired only to sit and learn, refused to join them and remained alone in Lomza, where he learned under Rav Eliezer Shulevitz. Later, he began to learn in Yeshivas Kelm, where he was a talmid of the Alter of Kelm and of Rav Yitzchak Blazer.
After his marriage, he was marbitz Torah in the beis medrash in Kelm, and even when the yeshivah dispersed during World War I, he traveled around Lithuania and delivered shmuessen. He then emigrated to London, to serve as rosh yeshivah of Eitz Chaim.
After the age of seventy, he made aliyah to Eretz Yisrael and began to give shmuessen in the Zichron Moshe shul in Yerushalayim, in Kamenitz Yeshivah and other places. When he was offered to serve as the menahel ruchni of Yeshivas Knesses Chizkiyahu, located in Zichron Yaakov at the time, he undertook the task despite his advanced age, and cared for every bochur, in ruchniyus and gashmiyus.
Throughout his life, Rav Elya was a paragon and role model of a Kelmer talmid. He was very modest, and tried to conceal his deeds. His silence was renowned. Even when he became a gadol b’Torah – including proficiency in Kabbalah, which he studied from the author of Leshem Shevo V’achlamah - he chose to keep his greatness in Torah concealed. His every deed was measured, even moving a hand or his head; every movement came with forethought.
Rav Elya merited to live a long life, and passed away at the age of 94 in Yerushalayim; he is buried on Har Hazeisim. His shmuessen were published in sefer Lev Eliyahu, edited by his talmid Rav Shalom Schwadron.
