This week we are featuring Rabbi Moshe Yaakov Edelman, a beloved member of the Baltimore community with a remarkable journey spanning Baltimore, South Africa, and beyond.

Rabbi Edelman is the Rosh Yeshiva of Gevuras Ari, a unique yeshiva for baalei batim and mechanchim who want to become yeshiva bochurim again, primarily serving retired men seeking renewed growth in Torah learning.
In addition, he runs Rebbe’s Mussar Stories, an organization dedicated to promoting Emunah and Middos Tovos for children and their families through meaningful and inspiring stories.

Originally from Frederick, Maryland, Rabbi Edelman attended Ner Israel Rabbinical College Mechina High School and has deep roots in Baltimore.

Though he left for yeshiva in 1985 and only returned in 2019, many in the community know his family well — especially his parents, Dr. Robert and Marge Edelman, or his firstborn son Shaul.

Rabbi Edelman and his wife most recently lived in Johannesburg, South Africa, before choosing Baltimore as home.

Torah learning and teaching remain the great joy of his life — a striking contrast to his teenage years as the energetic bochur many still remember from an unforgettable dorm incident in 1981, when he severed his finger in the Ner Israel dorms.

Rabbi Edelman shared several life mottos that beautifully reflect his outlook:

• Mussar is Geshmak
• Yeshiva is not just for youngsters. Aderaba, it is mainly for elders
• Live your Yiddishkeit passionately, not by rote
• Your wife is the source of blessing in your home (Bava Metzia 59a), so don’t skimp on her!