Chaim Yehuda Leib Auerbach
Encyclopedia
Chaim Yehuda Leib Auerbach (1883 –26 September 1954 [28 Elul
5714]) was one of the founders and first roshei yeshiva
of Shaar Hashamayim Yeshiva
, a landmark Jerusalem institution specializing in Talmud
ic and kabbalah
studies for Ashkenazi
scholars. Known for his great love and personal sacrifice for Torah
and Torah scholars, Auerbach raised sons who also became great scholars — including his oldest son, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach
, a leading posek
of the mid- to late-twentieth century — and married his daughters to Torah scholars — including Rabbi Sholom Schwadron
, known as the "Maggid
of Jerusalem".
leaders. His father was Rabbi Meir Auerbach, first Ashkenazi
chief rabbi
of Jerusalem. Of his fathers direct lineage he was a descendant of Rabbi Avraham Dov Auerbach (I), the Admor
of Chernowitz
-Chmielnik
, Poland
who was a son-in-law of Rabbi Jacob Joseph of Polonne
, the Baal Shem Tov's most prominent disciple and author of Toldos Yaakov Yosef on Hasidic
thought.
Auerbach married Tzivia, the daughter of Jerusalem community leader Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Porush
, who listed among his accomplishments the founding of the neighborhood of Shaarei Chesed and the creation of the Shaarei Chesed Free-Loan Fund
, which he directed on a voluntary basis for 18 years.
Yishuv
, the Auerbachs lived in dire poverty. Their home in the Nachalas Tzadok neighborhood of Jerusalem (adjacent to Shaarei Chesed) lacked a refrigerator and an icebox; instead, food for Shabbat was kept in a box tied to a rope, which was lowered into the well outdoors to keep cold. Their son, Shlomo Zalman, once remarked, "In my youth, I never felt full." His brother, Rabbi Avraham Dovid Auerbach (II), said, "In our home, I never once ate a whole egg. My mother would scramble an egg with a bit of flour and divide it among three children. A whole egg? Who ever heard of such a thing?"
Though consigned to poverty, Auerbach and his wife valued Torah and Torah scholars above all else. To that end, they sought only serious Torah scholars for their daughters rather than men of means or reputation. They also were willing to sacrifice all to feed and support the hundreds of young men learning at Shaar Hashamayim Yeshiva. Often Auerbach pledged his own family's belongings, including the furniture, as security against loans which he took for the upkeep of the yeshiva students.
Auerbach was also given to holy ways. Often he wore sackcloth under his clothing to mortify his flesh, in the way of hidden tzaddikim. He would retire early in the evening and then rise before midnight, learning until dawn. Then he would recite the Shema
and go to bed again until it was time for the morning prayers
. Some of his neighbors criticized his penchant for "going to bed early and getting up late," not realizing that while they slept, he was learning Torah.
Collecting sefarim (holy books) was also one of Auerbach's passions. Though sefarim in the 1920s were extremely expensive, Auerbach nevertheless managed to build up a large library of his own. He did so primarily in the period between World Wars, when Palestine
was ravaged by famine
and people sold off their sefarim by the wagonload to buy bread. Living on a bare minimum, Auerbach managed to purchase many sefarim in this way.
Auerbach himself wrote a Torah commentary called Chacham Lev.
They had each envisioned an elderly man, his face shining with an otherworldly light, who had forcefully requested them to teach his Torah in Jerusalem. "My Torah has the power to bring the Divine Presence back from its exile," the man had said. Rabbi Horowitz determined that the man in the dream was Rabbi Isaac Luria (known as the "Arizal"), the sixteenth-century mystic of Safed
who was known to have regretted the fact that his Torah was not widely studied among Jerusalem's Ashkenazi population. At that time, the only place where the Arizal's kabbalah was studied was the Beit El Synagogue
in Jerusalem, which had produced such great Sephardi
kabbalists as Rabbi Shalom Sharabi
("the Rashash") and Rabbi Yedidiah Abulafia.
On the spot, Rabbis Auerbach and Horowitz decided to open a yeshiva for the study of the Arizal's kabbalah. The yeshiva opened shortly afterwards with accommodations for a Talmud Torah, a yeshiva ketana, a yeshiva gedola and a kollel
for married students.
Auerbach served as rosh yeshiva of Shaar Hashamayim Yeshiva from 1906 until his passing in 1954. When his father, the Admor of Chernowitz
-Chmielnik
, died, his father's Hasidim
asked him to become their Rebbe. But Auerbach opted to stay on as rosh yeshiva of Shaar Hashamayim, leaving the position of Admor unfilled.
Leadership of the yeshiva has remained in the Auerbach family up to the present day. After Auerbach's passing, his son, Eliezer Auerbach, served as rosh yeshiva for many years. After Rabbi Eliezer's passing, another of Rabbi Auerbach's sons, Rabbi Refoel Dovid Auerbach, assumed leadership. Today, Shaar Hashamayim Yeshiva is headed by Rabbi Fishel Eisenbach, Rabbi Yaakov Meir Shechter
, and Rabbi Gamliel Rabinowitz
.
Auerbach's son, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman, served as president of the yeshiva; after his passing, his son, Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach
, succeeded him. Rabbi Shlomo Zalman's nephew, Rabbi Yechezkel Schlaff of London, serves as yeshiva administrator.
Elul
Elul is the twelfth month of the Jewish civil year and the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a summer month of 29 days...
5714]) was one of the founders and first roshei 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 Shaar Hashamayim Yeshiva
Shaar Hashamayim Yeshiva
Shaar Hashamayim Yeshiva, located in the Mekor Baruch neighborhood of Jerusalem, was founded in 1906 by Rabbi Chaim Yehuda Leib Auerbach, author of Chacham Lev, and kabbalist Rabbi Shimon Tzvi Horowitz, for the purpose of teaching and studying the kabbalah of the Arizal...
, a landmark Jerusalem institution specializing in 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....
ic and kabbalah
Kabbalah
Kabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
studies for Ashkenazi
Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...
scholars. Known for his great love and personal sacrifice for Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
and Torah scholars, Auerbach raised sons who also became great scholars — including his oldest son, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach
Shlomo Zalman Auerbach
Shlomo Zalman Auerbach , was a renowned Orthodox Jewish rabbi, posek, and rosh yeshiva of the Kol Torah yeshiva in Jerusalem, Israel...
, a leading posek
Posek
Posek is the term in Jewish law for "decider"—a legal scholar who decides the Halakha in cases of law where previous authorities are inconclusive or in those situations where no halakhic precedent exists....
of the mid- to late-twentieth century — and married his daughters to Torah scholars — including Rabbi Sholom Schwadron
Sholom Schwadron
Sholom Schwadron was a Haredi rabbi. He was known as the "Maggid of Jerusalem" for his fiery, inspirational mussar talks. Some of the stories he told about the character and conduct of Torah leaders and tzadikim of previous generations were incorporated in the "Maggid" series of books by Rabbi...
, known as the "Maggid
Maggid
Maggid , sometimes spelled as magid, is a traditional Eastern European Jewish religious itinerant preacher, skilled as a narrator of Torah and religious stories. A preacher of the more scholarly sort was called a "darshan", and usually occupied the official position of rabbi...
of Jerusalem".
Biography
Auerbach descended from an illustrious line of HasidicHasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
leaders. His father was Rabbi Meir Auerbach, first Ashkenazi
Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...
chief rabbi
Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...
of Jerusalem. Of his fathers direct lineage he was a descendant of Rabbi Avraham Dov Auerbach (I), the Admor
Rebbe
Rebbe , which means master, teacher, or mentor, is a Yiddish word derived from the Hebrew word Rabbi. It often refers to the leader of a Hasidic Jewish movement...
of Chernowitz
Chernivtsi
Chernivtsi is the administrative center of Chernivtsi Oblast in southwestern Ukraine. The city is situated on the upper course of the River Prut, a tributary of the Danube, in the northern part of the historic region of Bukovina, which is currently divided between Romania and Ukraine...
-Chmielnik
Chmielnik
Chmielnik is a town in Kielce County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, Poland. It has a population of 4,005 . Town's name is derived from hop .- History :...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
who was a son-in-law of Rabbi Jacob Joseph of Polonne
Jacob Joseph of Polonne
Rabbi Jacob Joseph of Polonne, is also known as Yaakov Yosef HaKohain of Polnoye, was one of the first and most dedicated of the disciples of the founder of Chassidut, the Holy Baal Shem Tov....
, the Baal Shem Tov's most prominent disciple and author of Toldos Yaakov Yosef on Hasidic
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
thought.
Auerbach married Tzivia, the daughter of Jerusalem community leader Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Porush
Shlomo Zalman Porush
Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Porush, , was born in Babruysk, Russian Empire in 1850 to his father Rabbi Naftali Zvi Porush and mother Leah...
, who listed among his accomplishments the founding of the neighborhood of Shaarei Chesed and the creation of the Shaarei Chesed Free-Loan Fund
Gemach
Gemach is a Jewish free-loan fund which subscribes to both the positive Torah commandment of lending money and the Torah prohibition against charging interest on a loan. Unlike bank loans, gemach loans are interest-free, and are often set up with easy repayment terms.Gemachs operate in most Jewish...
, which he directed on a voluntary basis for 18 years.
Poverty and love of Torah
Like other Jerusalem families in the post-World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Yishuv
Yishuv
The Yishuv or Ha-Yishuv is the term referring to the body of Jewish residents in Palestine before the establishment of the State of Israel...
, the Auerbachs lived in dire poverty. Their home in the Nachalas Tzadok neighborhood of Jerusalem (adjacent to Shaarei Chesed) lacked a refrigerator and an icebox; instead, food for Shabbat was kept in a box tied to a rope, which was lowered into the well outdoors to keep cold. Their son, Shlomo Zalman, once remarked, "In my youth, I never felt full." His brother, Rabbi Avraham Dovid Auerbach (II), said, "In our home, I never once ate a whole egg. My mother would scramble an egg with a bit of flour and divide it among three children. A whole egg? Who ever heard of such a thing?"
Though consigned to poverty, Auerbach and his wife valued Torah and Torah scholars above all else. To that end, they sought only serious Torah scholars for their daughters rather than men of means or reputation. They also were willing to sacrifice all to feed and support the hundreds of young men learning at Shaar Hashamayim Yeshiva. Often Auerbach pledged his own family's belongings, including the furniture, as security against loans which he took for the upkeep of the yeshiva students.
Auerbach was also given to holy ways. Often he wore sackcloth under his clothing to mortify his flesh, in the way of hidden tzaddikim. He would retire early in the evening and then rise before midnight, learning until dawn. Then he would recite the Shema
Shema Yisrael
Shema Yisrael are the first two words of a section of the Torah that is a centerpiece of the morning and evening Jewish prayer services...
and go to bed again until it was time for the morning prayers
Jewish services
Jewish prayer are the prayer recitations that form part of the observance of Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book....
. Some of his neighbors criticized his penchant for "going to bed early and getting up late," not realizing that while they slept, he was learning Torah.
Collecting sefarim (holy books) was also one of Auerbach's passions. Though sefarim in the 1920s were extremely expensive, Auerbach nevertheless managed to build up a large library of his own. He did so primarily in the period between World Wars, when Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
was ravaged by famine
Famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including crop failure, overpopulation, or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompanied or followed by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased mortality. Every continent in the world has...
and people sold off their sefarim by the wagonload to buy bread. Living on a bare minimum, Auerbach managed to purchase many sefarim in this way.
Auerbach himself wrote a Torah commentary called Chacham Lev.
Rosh yeshiva
The idea of founding Shaar Hashamayim Yeshiva came to Auerbach one night in a dream. He awoke from the strange dream and tried to fall asleep again, only to dream the same thing a second time. He decided to get dressed and go out to consult with his friend, Rabbi Shimon Tzvi Horowitz, about the strange vision. As he walked toward Rabbi Horowitz's home, he was surprised to see Rabbi Horowitz walking toward him. It turned out that Rabbi Horowitz was coming to see him about his dream – which was one and the same!They had each envisioned an elderly man, his face shining with an otherworldly light, who had forcefully requested them to teach his Torah in Jerusalem. "My Torah has the power to bring the Divine Presence back from its exile," the man had said. Rabbi Horowitz determined that the man in the dream was Rabbi Isaac Luria (known as the "Arizal"), the sixteenth-century mystic of Safed
Safed
Safed , is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Located at an elevation of , Safed is the highest city in the Galilee and of Israel. Due to its high elevation, Safed experiences warm summers and cold, often snowy, winters...
who was known to have regretted the fact that his Torah was not widely studied among Jerusalem's Ashkenazi population. At that time, the only place where the Arizal's kabbalah was studied was the Beit El Synagogue
Beit El Synagogue
The Beit El Synagogue , has been the center of kabbalistic study in Jerusalem for over 250 years.-History of the Yeshivat HaMekubalim:The yeshiva was founded in 1737 by Rabbi Gedaliah Hayon, originally from...
in Jerusalem, which had produced such great Sephardi
Sephardic Judaism
Sephardic law and customs means the practice of Judaism as observed by the Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews, so far as it is peculiar to themselves and not shared with other Jewish groups such as the Ashkenazim...
kabbalists as Rabbi Shalom Sharabi
Shalom Sharabi
Sar Shalom Sharabi , also known as the Rashash, the Shemesh or Ribbi Shalom Mizraḥi deyedi`a Sharabi Sar Shalom Sharabi , also known as the Rashash, the Shemesh or Ribbi Shalom Mizraḥi deyedi`a Sharabi Sar Shalom Sharabi , also known as the Rashash, the Shemesh or Ribbi Shalom Mizraḥi deyedi`a...
("the Rashash") and Rabbi Yedidiah Abulafia.
On the spot, Rabbis Auerbach and Horowitz decided to open a yeshiva for the study of the Arizal's kabbalah. The yeshiva opened shortly afterwards with accommodations for a Talmud Torah, a yeshiva ketana, a yeshiva gedola and a 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...
for married students.
Auerbach served as rosh yeshiva of Shaar Hashamayim Yeshiva from 1906 until his passing in 1954. When his father, the Admor of Chernowitz
Chernivtsi
Chernivtsi is the administrative center of Chernivtsi Oblast in southwestern Ukraine. The city is situated on the upper course of the River Prut, a tributary of the Danube, in the northern part of the historic region of Bukovina, which is currently divided between Romania and Ukraine...
-Chmielnik
Chmielnik
Chmielnik is a town in Kielce County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, Poland. It has a population of 4,005 . Town's name is derived from hop .- History :...
, died, his father's Hasidim
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
asked him to become their Rebbe. But Auerbach opted to stay on as rosh yeshiva of Shaar Hashamayim, leaving the position of Admor unfilled.
Leadership of the yeshiva has remained in the Auerbach family up to the present day. After Auerbach's passing, his son, Eliezer Auerbach, served as rosh yeshiva for many years. After Rabbi Eliezer's passing, another of Rabbi Auerbach's sons, Rabbi Refoel Dovid Auerbach, assumed leadership. Today, Shaar Hashamayim Yeshiva is headed by Rabbi Fishel Eisenbach, Rabbi Yaakov Meir Shechter
Yaakov Meir Shechter
Rabbi Yaakov Meir Shechter is a leading figure in the Breslov Hasidic movement in Israel. He is a well-known kabbalist and a rosh yeshiva of both the main Breslov Yeshiva in Meah Shearim, Jerusalem, and the Non-Breslov Shaar Hashamayim Yeshiva in Mekor Baruch.-Early life:Shechter was born in the...
, and Rabbi Gamliel Rabinowitz
Gamliel Rabinowitz
Rabbi Gamliel HaKohen Rabinowitz , a Rosh Yeshiva of Shaar Hashamayim Yeshiva in Jerusalem, Israel, is a recognized leader in the worldwide Jewish community, who lives in Jerusalem's Zikhron Moshe neighborhood...
.
Auerbach's son, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman, served as president of the yeshiva; after his passing, his son, Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach
Shmuel Auerbach
Shmuel Auerbach is a prominent Haredi rabbi in Jerusalem, Israel. He is regarded as one of the leading non-Hasidic Lithuanian poskim for Haredi Ashkenazi Jews living in Israel, whose views and declarations are regarded as authoritative...
, succeeded him. Rabbi Shlomo Zalman's nephew, Rabbi Yechezkel Schlaff of London, serves as yeshiva administrator.