A great loss
I was very saddened to hear of Rabbi Matis' petira. I would like to offer my condolences to the whole family and his talmidim/talmidos from over the years, both who learned from him live and via the Torah Lodaas parsha sheet that he dedicated many hours a week to compiling. I remember first meeting Rabbi Matis Blum (at that time we knew him as"Matis") when I started davening in the Bachurei minyan, which was held in the YCQ laboratory. The samples of various animals in formaldehyde were covered over with blue curtains and the whole minyan had to be assembled and dissassembled each week. We all learned a tremendous amount from him at that minyan, from the way he davened, his humility and how he knew the halacha and how to apply it. Since the minyan ended at about 10:20 each week, there was a 1/2 hour or longer halacha shiur on various topics that was always interesting. Sometimes Rabbi Matis had a guest give a shiur and would add his insights as well. After the Bachurei minyan moved from the YCQ laboratory into Rabbi Matis' house, my mother heard me referring to the Rabbi as Matis. She said to me "It's not appropriate to call him Matis". I said to her, "What should I call him? Rabbi Blum sounds too formal!" We agreed that Rabbi Matis would be the proper balance and from then on, I would refer to my dear Rabbi as Rabbi Matis. I and all the shuls that I lain at are in debt to Rabbi Matis and the shul, as I was able to improve my keria at the shul, as Rabbi Matis ran a beautiful and quiet minyan and he stood at my left and would correct my keria as necessary. Whenever I would return to Kew Gardens Hills to visit for Shabbos, I would try to lain at the shul, as I always had a good feeling laining at the shul with Rabbi Matis listening. We also learned a tremendous amount during the shiur he gave after davening, where we were able to ask questions and receive answers to the long dvar torah that he would put into the Torah Lodaas. When I would take the F train to Torah Vodaath on Sunday morning, I would take the Torah Lodaath with me to learn from and I gained a tremendous amount from learning the long devar halacha each week. Rabbi Matis was a big anav like Hillel and was mevateir on his kavod and all his deeds were l'shaim shomayim. I remember how Rabbi Matis would always offer me rides to the Y to go swimming on Fridays and then later, when I went to Torah Vodaath, he would offer me rides home on Fridays as well. He always spoke pleasantly, never got angry (at most, he got "mildly annoyed") and fulfilled "Ashrei mi sheamalo batorah veoseh nachas ruach lyotzro". Rabbi Matis was true talmid of his rebi, Rabbi Pam, and showed Rabbi Pam the utmost respect and showed the people around him how to give kavod to talmidei chachamim and how a talmid can be a copy of his Rebi. Before Pesach, Rabbi Matis would tell us "Chametz is not a virus", to remind us that one shouldn't go overboard in cleaning for Pesach. How ironic for him to be felled by a virus right before Pesach! He had a great sense of humor and he was fond of the joke "How do we know the bison is not a smart animal? The answer is from Pirkei Avos, Lo habayson lomaid ! I could go on an on regarding all the chesed he did, the Torah he learned and taught and the lessons he taught and kiddush hashem he made just by walking on this earth. May he be a meilitz yosher for all of us and may the family find nechama in the good he did and how he left the world a better place. Hamakom Yenachem osanu bsoch shear aveilei tzion Verushalayim. Shmuel Lamm samlamm@yahoo.com
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