Azriel Rabinowitz
Encyclopedia
Rabbi Azriel Rabinowitz (1905–July 1941) was a rosh yeshiva
at the Telshe yeshiva
of Lithuania
and one of the youngest pre-Holocaust
rosh yeshivas.
, Lithuania, in 1905, the son of Rabbi Chaim Rabinowitz
(Reb Chaim Telzer) (1856–1930), one of the rosh yeshivas at the Telshe yeshiva, and Osnat Geffen (1880–1942). Rabbi Azriel was a brilliant young man and by the age of 20 had mastered the entire Talmud
in depth.
Upon the death of his father in 1931, he was appointed to the faculty of the yeshiva at the young age of 26. The following year, he married Channa (1908–1941), daughter of Rabbi Mordechai Zev, with whom he had three children, Chaim (1932–1941), Avigdor (1935–1941), and Shoshana.
, would never impel him to render halachic
decisions for others, because he did not want to assume such a great responsibility.
Rabbi Rabinowitz organized lectures in his own home to assist students who were finding the transition from the mechina (preparatory school), to the yeshiva proper, a difficult one. He also arranged lectures at his home on the subjects found in the second half of the Talmudic Tractate being studied in the yeshiva, which was not lectured on by the faculty.
) 1941, Nazi
forces and local Lithuanian sympathizers massacred the male population of Telz, including Rabbi Azriel Rabinowitz and the faculty of the Telshe yeshiva. His wife and children were murdered on 17 August 1941.
Almost all of Rabbi Rabinowitz's writings were lost in the Holocaust. A few lectures recorded by students have been published in Talmudic journals.
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...
at the Telshe yeshiva
Telshe yeshiva
Telshe yeshiva was a famous Eastern European yeshiva founded in the Lithuanian town of Telšiai. After World War II the yeshiva relocated to Wickliffe, Ohio, in the United States and is currently known as the Rabbinical College of Telshe, It is one of the most prominent Haredi institutions of Torah...
of Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
and one of the youngest pre-Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
rosh yeshivas.
Biography
He was born in TelzTelšiai
Telšiai , is a city in Lithuania with about 35,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of Telšiai County and Samogitia region, and it is located on Lake Mastis.-Names:...
, Lithuania, in 1905, the son of Rabbi Chaim Rabinowitz
Chaim Rabinowitz
Chaim Shalom Tuvia Rabinowitz was an Orthodox Lithuanian rabbi and rosh yeshiva of the Telshe yeshiva...
(Reb Chaim Telzer) (1856–1930), one of the rosh yeshivas at the Telshe yeshiva, and Osnat Geffen (1880–1942). Rabbi Azriel was a brilliant young man and by the age of 20 had mastered the entire 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....
in depth.
Upon the death of his father in 1931, he was appointed to the faculty of the yeshiva at the young age of 26. The following year, he married Channa (1908–1941), daughter of Rabbi Mordechai Zev, with whom he had three children, Chaim (1932–1941), Avigdor (1935–1941), and Shoshana.
Teaching style
His ability to go through a volume, absorb its contents in depth and remember everything, in a matter of several hours, distinguished him from his colleagues. His students relate how on occasion, Rabbi Rabinowitz would leave the yeshiva thinking over a particular Talmudic concept, and became so engrossed that he was unaware that he had walked all the way out of the town's boundaries. Indeed, despite his youth he was one of the greatest Torah scholars of his generation. He behaved modestly, not wanting to bring any special attention to himself. His complete knowledge and understanding of the requirements of mitzvotMitzvah
The primary meaning of the Hebrew word refers to precepts and commandments as commanded by God...
, would never impel him to render halachic
Halakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
decisions for others, because he did not want to assume such a great responsibility.
Rabbi Rabinowitz organized lectures in his own home to assist students who were finding the transition from the mechina (preparatory school), to the yeshiva proper, a difficult one. He also arranged lectures at his home on the subjects found in the second half of the Talmudic Tractate being studied in the yeshiva, which was not lectured on by the faculty.
Telz massacre
On Tuesday, July 15 (20 TammuzTammuz
Tammuz Tammuz Tammuz (Syriac: ܬܡܘܙ, Hebrew: תַּמּוּז, Transliterated Hebrew: Tammuz, Tiberian Hebrew: Tammûz, Arabic: تمّوز Tammūz; Turkish: Temmuz Akkadian: Duʾzu, Dūzu; Sumerian: Dumuzid (DUMU.ZI(D) "faithful or true son") was the name of a Sumerian god of food and vegetation.-Ritual mourning:In...
) 1941, Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
forces and local Lithuanian sympathizers massacred the male population of Telz, including Rabbi Azriel Rabinowitz and the faculty of the Telshe yeshiva. His wife and children were murdered on 17 August 1941.
Almost all of Rabbi Rabinowitz's writings were lost in the Holocaust. A few lectures recorded by students have been published in Talmudic journals.