Chaim Kanievsky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chaim Kanievskyחיים קאניעווסקי |
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| Religion | Judaism |
| Personal | |
| Born | Shmaryahu Yosef Chaim Kanievsky שמריהו יוסף חיים קַניֶבסקִי January 8, 1928 Pinsk, Poland (now Belarus) |
| Died | March 18, 2022 (aged 94) Bnei Brak, Israel |
| Spouse |
Batsheva Esther Kanievsky
(m. 1951; died 2011) |
| Children | 8 |
| Parents | Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky (Pesaha) Miriam Karelitz |
Rabbi Shmaryahu Yosef Chaim Kanievsky (born January 8, 1928 – died March 18, 2022) was a very important Jewish leader and rabbi in Israel. He was part of the Haredi Jewish community, which is a group of Jews who follow Jewish law very strictly.
He was known as a posek, which means he was an expert in Jewish law and gave rulings on how to live according to it. Many people called him Gadol HaDor, meaning "the greatest of his generation," and "the Prince of Torah." He became famous for his deep knowledge of the Torah and his advice on Jewish life.
Even though Rabbi Kanievsky didn't have a formal job leading a community, he was seen as the main leader of the Lithuanian branch of Haredi Judaism. People respected him greatly for his amazing knowledge of Jewish law and traditions. They trusted his decisions completely.
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Early Life and Learning
Chaim Kanievsky was born in Pinsk, which was then part of Poland (and is now in Belarus). His father was Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky, also known as the "Steipler Gaon." His mother, Miriam Karelitz, was the sister of another famous rabbi, Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz, known as the "Chazon Ish."
When Chaim was six years old, his family moved to Mandatory Palestine, which is now Israel. After moving there, he never left the country. He worked very hard studying Torah from a young age. By the time he was a young adult, he could explain difficult rabbinic teachings clearly. During the 1947–1949 Palestine war, when he was a student, he even served in the army to help protect the country.
A Respected Rabbi
Rabbi Kanievsky became a leading expert on all parts of Jewish law. He wrote many books about Jewish legal writings. He was special even among other Jewish scholars because he would read the entire text of many Jewish law sources every year. This included not only the well-known Babylonian Talmud but also the Jerusalem Talmud, which is studied less often.
Rabbi Kanievsky was also the official rabbi and spiritual guide for a group called Belev Echad. This non-profit organization was started in Israel in 2011 to help sick and disabled children and adults.
From 2017 until his death, Rabbi Kanievsky and Gershon Edelstein, who led the Ponevezh Yeshiva, were considered the main leaders of the Haredi community in Israel. He was seen as the most important leader for Israel's non-Hasidic ultra-Orthodox Jews.
Jewish Law Rulings
Rabbi Kanievsky gave many important rulings on Jewish law. In 2012, he ruled that it was forbidden to own or use a smartphone unless a person received special permission from a halakhic authority (a Jewish law expert). He also said that people who owned such phones should not sell them, but instead destroy them.
In 2015, he advised paramedics from United Hatzalah that if there was a terrorist attack, they should always treat the victims first. This was true even if the attacker was more seriously hurt.
In 2011, he saw the Arab Spring protests as a sign that the Messiah might be coming soon. After a synagogue attack in Jerusalem in 2014, he spoke many times about the Messiah's imminent arrival. He encouraged Jews living outside Israel to make aliyah (immigrate to Israel). This led to many French Jews moving to Israel. In 2020, a rabbi reported that Rabbi Kanievsky had again said the Messiah's coming might be very close.
Guidance During COVID-19
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At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Rabbi Kanievsky told his followers how to fight the virus. He said the best ways were to avoid lashon hara (gossiping), to be more humble, and to put others' needs before their own. On March 15, police officials visited him respectfully to discuss the importance of following health guidelines.
On March 29, after the ultra-Orthodox community was badly affected by the virus, Rabbi Kanievsky made a strong ruling. He said that anyone who did not follow the Israeli Health Ministry's rules on COVID-19 was like a rodef. This means someone who puts others' lives in danger. He also ruled that people could answer phones on Shabbat to get COVID-19 test results. He also said that minyanim (groups of ten men for prayer) should not meet at all during the pandemic. This was even stricter than the Health Ministry's rules at the time.
On October 2, 2020, Rabbi Kanievsky was diagnosed with COVID-19. By October 28, 2020, his doctor confirmed he had recovered. Rabbi Kanievsky supported vaccination for everyone and wished experts success with the national vaccination program.
Death and Funeral
Rabbi Kanievsky died at his home in Bnei Brak from a heart attack. This happened on March 18, 2022, which was the Jewish holiday of Shushan Purim. He was 94 years old.
More than 800,000 people attended his funeral on March 20, 2022. This made it one of the largest funerals in Israel's history. It was second only to the funeral of Ovadia Yosef in 2013, which also had over 800,000 mourners.
Personal Life
Rabbi Kanievsky was married to Batsheva Kanievsky, who was the daughter of Yosef Sholom Eliashiv. They had eight children together. Batsheva Kanievsky passed away in 2011.
Published Works
Rabbi Kanievsky wrote many important books on Jewish law and tradition. Some of his notable works include:
- Derech Emunoh on farming laws in Israel.
- Derech Chochmoh on the laws of the Beis Hamikdash (the Holy Temple).
- Sha'arei Emunoh
- Shoneh Halachos, which is a clear explanation of the popular work Mishnah Berurah.
- Shekel Hakodesh on the laws of Kidush Hachodesh (sanctifying the new moon).
- Orchos Yosher
- Siach Hasadeh
- Nachal Eisan on the laws of Eglah Arufah.
- Ta'ama D'kra
- B'sha'ar Hamelech
- L'mechase Atik
- Kiryas Melech
- Commentaries on various ancient Jewish texts, including Maseches Tzitzis, Maseches Avadim, Maseches Kusim, Maseches Geirim, and Perek Shira.
- A commentary called "Be'ur" on the Talmud Yerushalmi (Jerusalem Talmud), covering a large part of it.
See also
In Spanish: Jaim Kanievsky para niños
