Harav Matisyahu Chaim Salomon, zt”l, Mashgiach of Bais Medrash Govoha of Lakewood, was revered worldwide for his tremendous knowledge and how he was able to transmit the yesodos of Yiddishkeit and mussar to a wide audience, both old and young, learned and unlearned, talmidei hayeshivos or baalei batim. With his clarity of thought and eloquent delivery, he reached the minds and hearts of Yidden and inspired them to enhance their Torah learning, performance of mitzvos, and improve their middos.
Rav Matisyahu was born in Gateshead, England on the first day of Chanukah, 25 Kislev, 5697 to his father, Reb Yaakov and Etil, and entered Eitz Chaim Yeshiva in London around 5709/1949. At the time, Harav Elya Lopian, zt”l, was still in the yeshiva, and although Rav Elya moved to Eretz Yisrael a year later, Rav Matisyahu considered him as his rebbi muvhak. He learned together with Harav Chaim Kaufman, zt”l, the founder of Yeshiva Gateshead L’tze’irim for sixteen years.
In 1960, he married Miriam née Falk, a”h, the sister of Harav Eliyahu Falk, zt”l, the mechaber of Machazeh Eliyahu, Oz Vehadar and other seforim.
Rav Matisyahu was appointed as the assistant Mashgiach under Harav Moshe Schwab, zt”l, and held that position for over thirty-five years. In 1998, he was invited to be the Mashgiach in Bais Medrash Govoha of Lakewood, and worked alongside Harav Nosson Wachtfogel, zt”l for several months until Rav Nosson’s petirah.
At the levayah, Rav Matisyahu said that when he arrived in Lakewood, he mentioned to Rav Nosson that they were both tamidim of Rav Elya Lopian, and he would very much like to arrange a seder limud together.
They began learning Sefer Tomar Devorah, and Rav Matisyahu noticed that at the end of each perek, Rav Nosson would close his eyes and think for a few minutes, and then break out in a smile.
“When I asked Rav Nosson what he was thinking about and why he smiled, he did not answer,” said Rav Matisyahu. “I suggested that he was making a cheshbon hanefesh if he was koneh (acquired) the middah that the perek discussed, and his smile was because he indeed saw that he had acquired it.
“Rav Nosson smiled and answered, ‘Mir ken alle mohl besser veren,’ one can always improve.”
In his shmuezen and vaadim which he delivered both in yeshiva and elsewhere, Rav Matisyahu offered encouragement and advice in all aspects of Yiddishkeit and chinuch. Thousands of people availed themselves of his shmuezen and his seforim, titled Matnas Chaim, which have become classics in his own lifetime.
— Hamodia
Believe in Yourself
Rav Salomon ztl pointed out, “We have all heard a thousand times that the Temple was destroyed because of sinas chinam, baseless hatred, and we have received countless reminders through the words of the Chafetz Chaim, that if we would stop speaking lashon hara we would be redeemed. And yet, somehow, we have failed to internalize the message!”
In Sefer Matnas Chayim, Rav Salomon reveals the root of our failure to maintain holy, elevated speech: a lack of faith in ourselves. Faith in ourselves is essential, because when we feel good about ourselves and are confident in our own stature, we can recognize the value and good in others as well. To strongly harness the power of speech, however, we still must realize that our words leave a mark in this world and in the world Above. We have an awesome potential to build or destroy, to draw close or chalilah, to create distance. The gift of speech represents the infinite trust that Hashem has in us, and in creating us in His image. Knowing that every word we speak actualizes the nishmas chayim that we were imbued with in our creation is a powerful starting point for maintaining dignified speech.
— Torah Tidbits
