Yosef Shalom Elyashiv facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yosef Shalom Elyashiv |
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Rabbi Elyashiv at home
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| Religion | Judaism |
| Denomination | Orthodox Judaism |
| Personal | |
| Nationality | Israeli |
| Born | 10 April 1910 Nisan 1, 5670 AM (Hebrew calendar) Šiauliai, Russian Empire (present-day Lithuania) |
| Died | 18 July 2012 (aged 102) Tamuz 28, 5772 AM (Hebrew calendar) Jerusalem |
| Children | Moshe Shlomo Avraham Binyamin Yitzchak Batsheva Esther (wife of Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky) (died 2011) Sarah Rachel (wife of Rabbi Yosef Yisraelson) Dina Ettel (wife of Rabbi Elchonon Berlin) Shoshana (wife of Rabbi Yitzchok Zilberstein) (d. 1999) Leah (wife of Rabbi Ezriel Auerbach) (died 2010) Gittel (wife of Rabbi Binyomin Rimmer) Rivkah (d. 1948) |
| Parents | Rabbi Avraham Elyashiv Chaya Moussa Elyashiv |
| Signature |  |
| Position | Posek |
| Organization | Degel HaTorah |
Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (Hebrew: יוסף שלום אלישיב; 10 April 1910 – 18 July 2012) was a very important Haredi rabbi who lived in Jerusalem. He was known as a posek, which means he was an expert in Jewish law and helped people understand it. Until he passed away at 102, Rabbi Elyashiv was seen as a top leader for many Jewish communities, especially those from Lithuania. Many Ashkenazi Jews considered him the posek ha-dor, meaning the leading authority on Jewish law of his time.
Rabbi Elyashiv spent most of his life studying the Talmud, which is a central text of Jewish law and tradition. He also gave lessons on the Talmud and the Shulkhan Arukh, another important Jewish law book, at a local synagogue in Jerusalem. People from all over the world came to him with their most difficult questions about Jewish law, and he would provide answers.
Contents
Who Was Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv?
Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv was born in 1910 in a place called Šiauliai, which is now in Lithuania. His parents were Rabbi Avraham Elyashiv and Chaya Mushka. He was their only child, born after they had been married for 17 years.
Moving to the Holy Land
When he was 12 years old, in 1922, Yosef Shalom and his parents moved to Mandatory Palestine, which is now Israel. This was a big move for the family.
His Family Life
Later, Yosef Shalom married Sheina Chaya, who was the daughter of another respected rabbi, Rav Aryeh Levin. The Chief Rabbi of Palestine, Abraham Isaac Kook, even suggested the marriage and performed the wedding ceremony.
Rabbi Elyashiv and Sheina Chaya had five sons and seven daughters. Many of their daughters married other important rabbis. Sadly, six of their children passed away during Rabbi Elyashiv's lifetime. Two died when they were young: a son from illness and a daughter who was killed in 1948. At the time of his own passing, Rabbi Elyashiv had about 1,400 descendants, including great-great-great-grandchildren!
When Did Rabbi Elyashiv Pass Away?
In February 2012, when he was 101 years old, Rabbi Elyashiv was taken to the hospital because of heart and lung problems. He passed away on July 18, 2012, at the age of 102.
His funeral was a very large event. An estimated 250,000 people attended the procession, which took place late at night. He was buried on Har HaMenuchot, a large cemetery in Jerusalem.
Rabbi Elyashiv's Role as a Leader
Rabbi Elyashiv started his career as a judge in the government's religious court system. He was supported by Israel's Ashkenazi chief rabbi, Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog. However, in the early 1970s, he left the state court system.
Joining a Political Party
In 1989, a religious political party called Degel HaTorah was formed. Its spiritual leader, Rav Elazar Shach, asked Rabbi Elyashiv to join in leading the public, and he agreed. He attended important meetings for Degel HaTorah, which is now part of a larger group called United Torah Judaism in the Israeli Knesset (parliament). He helped make important decisions for the party.
Even though Rabbi Elyashiv didn't have an official title, like being the head of a specific synagogue or yeshiva (a Jewish school), he became very influential after Rav Shach passed away. The party followed all his rulings and advice. Many leaders of other yeshivas also sought his opinions on important issues affecting Orthodox Judaism. He was seen as a "Gadol Hador," meaning a "leader of the generation."
Yossi Elituv, an editor of a well-known ultra-Orthodox newspaper, said that Rabbi Elyashiv would be remembered as someone who dedicated his entire life to studying the Torah. He was seen more as a scholar than a political leader.
Views on Zionism
In 2010, Rabbi Elyashiv wrote a letter criticizing another political party, Shas, for joining the World Zionist Organization (WZO). He believed this step went against the core beliefs of Haredi Judaism. He compared it to a decision made by the Mizrachi movement many years ago, which he felt led them away from "authentic Torah Judaism."
Books and Teachings
Rabbi Elyashiv's teachings and rulings on Jewish law have been written down in several books.
- Kovetz Teshuvos Elyashiv is a collection of his answers to questions about Jewish law.
- Divrei Aggadah contains his ethical and sermonic comments on the Torah, mostly from the 1950s.
- A special Haggadah for Pesach was printed, including his comments and rulings for the holiday.
- Another work with his rulings is called "Yashiv Moshe."
His insights into the Talmud were published in a series called Haoros and more recently in Shiurei Maran Hagrish Elyashiv. Other books like "Pniney Tefila", "Pniney Chanuka", and "Pniney Nisuin" also contain his rulings. These books were put together by his relatives and students, not written directly by him.
