Aharon Shteinman
Encyclopedia
Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman, also Shtainman or Steinman, (born 1912), is a prominent Haredi
rabbi
currently living in Bnei Brak, Israel
.
He belongs to the Lithuanian
branch of Judaism
, and heads a division of the famed Ponevezh Yeshiva
(rosh yeshiva
of Ponovezh Litze'irim). He was formerly the Rosh Kollel
("head") of the Ponevezh Kollel. He is a backer of the Kupat Ha'ir charitable organization. His scholarly works on the Talmud
were originally published anonymously under the name Ayelet HaShachar (alluding to his initials in Hebrew
, as well as the "morning star" of Psalms
22). He married Tamar (Tema) Kornfeld (d. 2002), a descendant of Moshe Chaim Rotenberg of Khentshin
.
In 1955, the Ponevezher Rav, Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman
, opened the Yeshivah Ketanah of Ponevezh, and Steinman was asked to be the Rosh Yeshivah together with Rabbi Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz
.
, Shteinman is a leader of the Haredi Degel HaTorah
political party. He therefore exerts much political power in the United Torah Judaism
(UTJ) political coalition. UTJ is an alliance of Degel HaTorah and the Agudat Israel
party. He was close with the Gerrer
Rebbe, Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh Alter
, a major supporter of Agudat Israel.
, New York
and Passaic
, New Jersey
, meeting with many prominent American Haredi rabbis including Rabbi Aharon Schechter of Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin
.
He travelled to the Jewish community of Los Angeles
on Lag Ba'omer
in 2006 during a trip to America. Over five thousand Orthodox Jews attended the gathering. He planned to travel together with the Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh Alter
the Gerrer Rebbe
to Montreal
in May 2006, but they delayed their trip to avoid protests from the anti-Zionist Neturei Karta
. After visiting Montreal, the rabbis parted ways. The Gerrer Rebbe continued to New York and then returned to Jerusalem, while Shteinman went on to visit the Jewish communities in several South American cities, including Mexico City
and Buenos Aires
. In May 2007 Steinman visited France, then England, where he addressed large gatherings in Manchester
and Gateshead
. In June 2010 Shteinman visited the Yeshiva Beis Zion in Berlin
to recognize and encourage the again developing Jewish life in the city. From Berlin he visited the Gibraltar Jewish community.
Ayeles HaShachar on Shas
Chessed Umishpat on Maseches Sanhedrin http://books.google.com/books/about/%D7%97%D7%A1%D7%93_%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%A9%D7%A4%D7%98.html?id=wemZZwEACAAJ
Yimaleh Pi Tehilasecha 1 2 - Mussar talks
Mipekudecha Esbonain - Talks on Yomim Noraim
Haredi Judaism
Haredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi ....
rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
currently living in Bnei Brak, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
He belongs to the Lithuanian
Lithuanian Jews
Lithuanian Jews or Litvaks are Jews with roots in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania:...
branch of Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, and heads a division of the famed Ponevezh Yeshiva
Ponevezh yeshiva
Ponevezh Yeshiva, often pronounced Ponevitch Yeshiva, is a world renowned yeshiva located in Bnei Brak, Israel. Donated by Henry Krausher, it was originally established in the town of Panevėžys, Lithuania...
(rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...
of Ponovezh Litze'irim). He was formerly the Rosh Kollel
Kollel
A kollel is an institute for full-time, advanced study of the Talmud and rabbinic literature. Like a yeshiva, a kollel features shiurim and learning sedarim ; unlike a yeshiva, the student body of a kollel are all married men...
("head") of the Ponevezh Kollel. He is a backer of the Kupat Ha'ir charitable organization. His scholarly works on the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
were originally published anonymously under the name Ayelet HaShachar (alluding to his initials in Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
, as well as the "morning star" of Psalms
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
22). He married Tamar (Tema) Kornfeld (d. 2002), a descendant of Moshe Chaim Rotenberg of Khentshin
Checiny
Chęciny is a town in Kielce County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, Poland, with 4,252 inhabitants .The town is first mentioned in historical documents from 1275. It obtained its city charter in 1325. The most important sight in the town is the royal castle built in the late 13th or early 14th century...
.
In 1955, the Ponevezher Rav, Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman
Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman
Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman , יוסף שלמה כהנמן, was an Orthodox rabbi and rosh yeshiva of the Ponevezh yeshiva. He was a renowned Torah and Talmudic scholar.- Biography :...
, opened the Yeshivah Ketanah of Ponevezh, and Steinman was asked to be the Rosh Yeshivah together with Rabbi Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz
Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz
Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz was a respected Haredi Lithuanian Torah leader and rosh yeshiva in Bnei Brak, Israel, for over 70 years. He was a maggid shiur at Yeshivas Tiferes Tzion from 1940 to 2011 and rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Ponovezh L’Tzeirim from 1954 to 2009, raising thousands of students...
.
Israeli politics
Along with Rabbi Yosef Sholom EliashivYosef Sholom Eliashiv
Yosef Shalom Elyashiv is a Haredi rabbi and posek who lives in Jerusalem, Israel.At the age of , Elyashiv is active and remains the paramount leader of both Israel and the Diaspora Lithuanian-Haredi community, and many Ashkenazi Jews regard him as the posek ha-dor, the contemporary leading...
, Shteinman is a leader of the Haredi Degel HaTorah
Degel HaTorah
Degel HaTorah is an Ashkenazi Haredi political party in Israel. For much of its existence it has been allied to Agudat Yisrael under the name United Torah Judaism.-Ideology:...
political party. He therefore exerts much political power in the United Torah Judaism
United Torah Judaism
United Torah Judaism is an alliance of Degel HaTorah and Agudat Israel, two small Israeli Haredi political parties in the Knesset. It was first formed in 1992.The two parties have not always agreed with each other about policy matters...
(UTJ) political coalition. UTJ is an alliance of Degel HaTorah and the Agudat Israel
Agudat Israel
Agudat Yisrael began as the original political party representing the ultra-Orthodox population of Israel. It was the umbrella party for almost all ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel, and before that in the British Mandate of Palestine...
party. He was close with the Gerrer
Ger (Hasidic dynasty)
Ger, or Gur is a Hasidic dynasty originating from Ger, the Yiddish name of Góra Kalwaria, a small town in Poland....
Rebbe, Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh Alter
Yaakov Aryeh Alter
Yaakov Aryeh Alter, , is the seventh and current Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger, a position he has held since 1996. He lives in Israel and has followers in Europe and the United States...
, a major supporter of Agudat Israel.
Travels abroad
Shteinman undertook to visit key Haredi communities outside of Israel when he was in his nineties. In 2005 he visited a number of cities in North America with significant Haredi populations or institutions, such as in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Passaic
Passaic
-In New Jersey:*Passaic, New Jersey, a city in Passaic County*Passaic County, New Jersey*Passaic River, a river in northern New Jersey*Glacial Lake Passaic, a prehistoric proglacial lake-Historical events:...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, meeting with many prominent American Haredi rabbis including Rabbi Aharon Schechter of Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin
Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin
Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin or Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin, is a Haredi Lithuanian-type yeshiva located in Brooklyn, New York. Established in 1904 as Yeshiva Tiferes Bachurim, it is the oldest yeshiva in Kings County...
.
He travelled to the Jewish community of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
on Lag Ba'omer
Lag Ba'omer
Lag BaOmer , also known as Lag LaOmer amongst Sephardi Jews, is a Jewish holiday celebrated on the thirty-third day of the Counting of the Omer, which occurs on the 18th day of Iyar. One reason given for the holiday is as the day of passing of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. Modern Jewish tradition links...
in 2006 during a trip to America. Over five thousand Orthodox Jews attended the gathering. He planned to travel together with the Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh Alter
Yaakov Aryeh Alter
Yaakov Aryeh Alter, , is the seventh and current Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger, a position he has held since 1996. He lives in Israel and has followers in Europe and the United States...
the Gerrer Rebbe
Ger (Hasidic dynasty)
Ger, or Gur is a Hasidic dynasty originating from Ger, the Yiddish name of Góra Kalwaria, a small town in Poland....
to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
in May 2006, but they delayed their trip to avoid protests from the anti-Zionist Neturei Karta
Neturei Karta
Neturei Karta is a Haredi Jewish group formally created in Jerusalem, British Mandate of Palestine, in 1938, splitting off from Agudas Yisroel...
. After visiting Montreal, the rabbis parted ways. The Gerrer Rebbe continued to New York and then returned to Jerusalem, while Shteinman went on to visit the Jewish communities in several South American cities, including Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
and Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
. In May 2007 Steinman visited France, then England, where he addressed large gatherings in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and Gateshead
Gateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
. In June 2010 Shteinman visited the Yeshiva Beis Zion in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
to recognize and encourage the again developing Jewish life in the city. From Berlin he visited the Gibraltar Jewish community.
Works
Ayeles HaShachar al HaTorahAyeles HaShachar on Shas
- Bava Metziah
- Bava Kama
- Gittin
- Yevamos
- Makkos and Shevuos
- Nedarim
- Kiddushin
- Zevachim 1 2 3
Chessed Umishpat on Maseches Sanhedrin http://books.google.com/books/about/%D7%97%D7%A1%D7%93_%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%A9%D7%A4%D7%98.html?id=wemZZwEACAAJ
Yimaleh Pi Tehilasecha 1 2 - Mussar talks
Mipekudecha Esbonain - Talks on Yomim Noraim
External links
Further Reading
- The Rosh Yeshiva by Shai Pe'er - Mishpacha Magazine - 13 Kislev 5766 12.14.05 - pgs. 28-33