Reb Yuda Eber was born on Isru Chag Pesach 5661 (1901) to Reb Avrohom Yaakov, a melamed in Krasniluky. He learned in Lubavitch, Schedrin and Rostov. In Kislev 5686 (1925) he married Freida, the daughter of Reb Mendel Schneerson, a great-grandson of the Tzemach Tzedek. He taught in several branches of Tomchei Tmimim in Russia. In 5690 (1930) he managed to escape to Riga, Latvia where the Frierdiker Rebbe was then living. Shortly after, he was appointed as rosh yeshivah of Tomchei Tmimim in Warsaw (which later on moved to Otvotzk). Eventually he was also put in charge of raising funds for the central yeshivah and all its branches. He was a great gaon, and his deep shiurim were exceptionally clear; several of them were printed by his talmidim in the sefer Sharei Yehuda at the Rebbe’s request. Being a talented baal menagen, he taught many nigunim to the bochurim in a very orderly fashion. Some nigunim he composed himself. He was killed by the Nazis together with his wife and two children in Kislev 5702 (1941), HY”D.
Once in one of the branches of the underground yeshivah in Russia, two police officers walked in on Reb Yuda giving a shiur, catching him red-handed. Reb Yuda immediately stopped the shiur. The officers asked why he did not continue, to which he replied that he was not their teacher, rather he had just answered a question they asked him. They didn’t accept the excuse and he was arrested. His punishment was to clean the streets of the city. He would do so wearing his Shabbos clothes, demonstrating that one should be proud to be punished for teaching Torah. Although he cleaned the streets by day, he continued to give the shiur by night. A non-Jewish woman saw him sweeping and took away the broom, asserting that a rabbi should not do such a task. She did so several times until the officer watching him told him that he was thereby exempt.
(תשורה אקונוב טבת תשס"ט ע' 5)
Reb Nissan Nemenov related:
At a certain point Reb Yuda served as the mashgiach in one of the branches of Tomchei Temimim. He requested from the Frierdiker Rebbe to excuse him from this post, explaining: “If I see a learned bochur coming five minutes late, although the five minutes will not really affect his learning, I have to rebuke and sometimes penalize him. However, if I see a less learned bochur coming on time, I have to pat him on the back!”
The Rebbe responded, “Explain to the talented bochur that by coming late he is like a person that comes to the train station with all of his baggage but misses the train. On the other hand, somebody else might not have all his belongings with him but he at least makes the train. The talented bochur will be successful in his learning, but he will not merit being on my train!”
(אוצר החסידים ברחבי תבל ע' 300)
