About the Rav
A life of teaching, in one city
הרב אברהם בן שמעון שליט"א
He came to Montreal in 1974, sent by the Rebbe, and never left. What follows is what the record establishes — no more than that.
Rabbi Avraham Benshimon was born in Jaffa to Eliyahu and Sima Ben Shimon, who had come up to Eretz Yisroel from Morocco. He learned at Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim in Kiryat Gat, and in 1971 travelled to the Rebbe in New York for shnas haKvutza, remaining at the Central Lubavitch Yeshiva for three years.
In 1974 the Rebbe sent him to Montreal, to Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim — the Rabbinical College of Canada. He has taught in the city ever since: more than a decade as a ram in the mesivta, later as Rosh Metivta of the yeshiva, and today as rav of the Petah Tikva synagogue, at the head of the Kollel LeDayanus, and on the faculty of Bais Chaya Mushka Seminary. He is counted among the morei tzedek of the Montreal Chabad community.
In 1975 he married Esther, daughter of Rabbi Yehoshua Heshil Zeitlin, who served Montreal as mashpia for thirty-seven years, and settled near his father-in-law.
The record
Milestones
Jaffa
Born in Jaffa
Son of Eliyahu and Sima Ben Shimon, who had come up to Eretz Yisroel from Morocco.
Kiryat Gat
Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim
His yeshiva years in Israel, at Tomchei Temimim in Kiryat Gat.
5731 · 1971
To the Rebbe, at 770
He travelled to New York for shnas haKvutza at the Central Lubavitch Yeshiva, and remained there three consecutive years.
5734 · 1974
Sent to Montreal
The Rebbe sent him to Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim in Montreal — the Rabbinical College of Canada. He has lived and taught in the city ever since. As a student he served on the editorial board of the yeshiva's Torah journal, Kovetz Pilpulim u'Biurim, editing its nigleh section.
5735 · 1975
Marriage
He married Esther, daughter of Rabbi Yehoshua Heshil Zeitlin, who served the Montreal community as mashpia for thirty-seven years, and settled near his father-in-law.
Over a decade
Ram in the mesivta
More than ten years teaching in the mesivta of Tomchei Temimim Montreal, and later Rosh Metivta of the yeshiva.
2011
The third volume
Publication of the third volume of his Tzofnas Paneach elucidation drew coverage from Chabad.org, COLlive and Yeshiva World — the first sustained attention to a project he had by then been working on quietly for years.
May 2012
The Skverer Rebbe
During the Skverer Rebbe's visit to Canada, Rabbi Benshimon presented him with the third volume. The Rebbe already owned the first two, praised the work, and gave toward the printing of the fourth.
2021
Asked for a haskama
He was one of six rabbonim to give an approbation to Divrei Tohar, alongside Rabbi Yosef Braun and Rabbi Noach Isaac Oelbaum — an author of sefarim now asked to endorse them.
December 2025
Yud Tes Kislev
He spoke as Rosh Kollel at the Yud Tes Kislev seuda of the Montreal Zal — his most recent recorded public address.
Today
Where he serves
Rosh Kollel
Kollel LeDayanus, Montreal
A post-yeshiva kollel training rabbinical judges.
Rav
Petah Tikva Synagogue, Montreal
The kollel is housed in the synagogue.
Rosh
Chabad Kollel at the Chai Center, Montreal
Head
Institute for semicha for the rabbanus
מכון סמיכה לרבנות.
Faculty
Bais Chaya Mushka Seminary, Montreal
Teaches Hilchos Yom Tov.
Moreh Tzedek
Montreal Chabad community
One of the community's halachic decisors.