I wanted to write this after Rabbi Wagner passed away, but the task was too much.

In honor of his yartzeit, here are a few of my feelings and recollections.

Rabbi Wagner was one of a kind.

He was what drew me to study in Toronto.

As a young bochur, Iheard him farbreng and I was enamored by the thought of studying in his yeshiva.

Learning in Toronto was a formative experience. Until this day I fondly recall the warm and caring relationship that Rabbi Wagner fostered with his Talmidim.

Along with the love came high expectations. He expected us to grow, to excel, to exert ourselves in learning and to become chassidishe bochurim.

It was a big yeshiva with a diverse student body, and yet the overall atmosphere was one of warmth and chassidishkeit, with each student finding areas where they could grow and influence others. All of this was a direct result of Rabbi Wagner’s example.

His farbrengens were the highlight.

He would sit and farbreng and tell stories and vertlach, but then would demand of us what he expected. Week after week, Shabbos after Shabbos, Rabbi Wagner would give of himself nonstop.

Whether you had a close personal relationship or not, you knew that he cared for you and wanted to see you succeed.

Several years after we left yeshiva, when we were talmidei hashluchim abroad, our kvutza (which included several Toronto alumni) requested that Rabbi Wagner join us for a Shabbos.

He immediately agreed, provided that we could find him a flight that left after his shiur on Thursday and got him back to Toronto in time for shiur on Sunday.

It took some time to find a flight, but in the end, he joined us for an unforgettable Shabbos. We were in need of inspiration, and from the moment he landed until the moment he departed, he did not stop.

He made us feel as if we were doing him a favor by bringing him down.

He was there for us and he gave it his all. After he left, we felt uplifted and energized to continue with our shlichus.

A friend of mine left Toronto zal after one year. Before he made his decision, he discussed it with Rabbi Wagner, explaining that he was looking for a more chassidishe environment. Rabbi Wagner heard him out, and suggested that he stay, since he would be able to grow more in his learning in Toronto.

In the end, my friend left, and sure enough, after a few months in his new yeshiva, he felt that while it was a true chassidishe environment, the learning left much to be desired.

One day, he picked up a phone and called Rabbi Wagner to share his disappointment.

Rabbi Wagner listened to him, and then told my friend that if he had a few minutes, he would tell him the shiur that he had just delivered in yeshiva that day.

For the next half hour, Rabbi Wagner delivered shiur to this solitary bochur over the phone. When he concluded, he recommended the bochur learn the sefer Totzoas Chaim, which would be an invaluable aid in learning that specific mesechta.

When I think back to my time in Toronto, I am very grateful for the opportunity to learn from the best. We were little more than children, and we did not take full advantage of the opportunity. What is more, we did not know how to respect boundaries and give Rabbi Wagner the space that he deserved.

Still, he loved us, and we did our best to live up to his expectations. Beyond the learning and beyond the farbrengens, Rabbi Wagner demonstrated to us how to care for talmidim and how to be completely dedicated to the shlichus.