Rabbi Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman, one of the most renowned Orthodox Jewish leaders of the Haredi community passed away on Tuesday at the age of 104.

Shteinman was admitted to the hospital multiple times due to his failing health this year. He was recently admitted to Maayanei Hayeshua Hospital, where he was placed on life support in the early hours of Tuesday. Even CPR performed by medical staff managed to restore the rabbi’s pulse for a short while, the hospital released a statement confirming that Shteinman passed away, Israel National News reported.

Shteinman was born in 1913 in the town of Kamenitz, Belarus. He received his early education from Poland’s Brisk Yeshiva (a Hebrew theological institute). He moved to Switzerland in order to avoid getting drafted into the Polish army in 1937. He completed his higher education from Montreaux Yeshiva and went on to become a teacher and rabbi.

After the Second World War, he was appointed a “Rosh Yeshiva” (dean of a Talmudical academy) at Ponevezh, which over the years has grown to become a pioneer center of Torah learning Bnei Berak, Israel, the Jewish Chronicle reported.

Since the death of Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, Shteinman headed head of the Council of Torah Sages of the Degel Hatorah representing Lithuanian Haredi Jewish community. He was also considered the leader of Ashkenazi, non-Hassidic Haredi community since 2012.

Although Steinman was a strong proponent of Haredi men studying Torah in yeshiva, He was known to grant approval on an individual basis to many young Haredi men who wanted to leave yeshiva to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces or pursue higher studies from vocational colleges.

President of Israel, Reuven Rivlin has issued a statement of condolence on the occasion of Shteinman’s death. “Rabbi Shteinman carried the entire weight of the existence of the Jewish people on his shoulders,” Rivlin said in a statement, Haaretz reported. “A Torah giant and guide who directed and guided the lives of thousands and tens of thousands. Despite his steadfast views he knew how to pass on his message, pleasantly, softly and out of great love for every Jew.”

“In my last meeting with him I had the honor of getting to know the unique scion of the magnificent Lithuanian Jewry,” the Israeli president added. “The rabbi was incredibly diligent [in his studies], a Torah genius, benevolent and good-hearted, rich in life experience and advanced in years. A man whose wisdom was second only to this humility,” said Rivlin. Rabbi Shteinman laid down a path for endless numbers of Jews and his passing leaves a deep feeling of orphanhood today. May his memory be blessed”

Chief Rabbi of Israel David Lau said on Shteinman’s death: “The entire Jewish people have lost one of the greatest spiritual leaders of recent generations this morning. Rabbi Shteinman’s passing is the loss for an entire generation, of millions of Jews in Israel and around the world, of those who knew him and those who [knew him] less. He was the leader of the generation that protected the entire generation with his prayers and concern for all.”

Shteinman’s funeral is expected to be a huge event in Israel, with hundreds of thousands of grieving attendees swarming to Bnei Barak – the venue – to pay their respect on Tuesday 12 p.m. local time (5 p.m. EST).

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