Shlomo Zalman Auerbach
Encyclopedia
Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (July 20, 1910 - February 20, 1995) (Hebrew: שלמה זלמן אוירבך), was a renowned Orthodox Jewish
rabbi
, posek
, and rosh yeshiva
of the Kol Torah yeshiva in Jerusalem, Israel
. The Jerusalem neighborhood, Ramat Shlomo
is named after Rabbi Auerbach.
, after whom he was named. His father, Rabbi Chaim Yehuda Leib Auerbach
, was rosh yeshiva
of Shaar Hashamayim Yeshiva
, and his mother was Rebbetzin Tzivia. His paternal grandfather, Rabbi Meir Auerbach, was the first Ashkenazi
chief rabbi
of Jerusalem
By the age of eleven he was proficient in the entire talmudic tractate
of Kiddushin. As a teenager he attended the Etz Chaim Yeshiva
in Jerusalem. He was known for his diligence which is illustrated by an event which occurred while he was in yeshiva. On the day the first automobile
rolled into Jerusalem along the Jaffa Road
, all the students left their studies to marvel at the horse-less wagon. Only young Shlomo Zalman remained in his chair immersed in his studies. Following his marriage he studied under Rabbi Zvi Pesach Frank at Kollel
Kerem Tzion which focused on the laws of the Land of Israel
. He was known as one of the Charedi
Ashkenazi supporters for Heter Mechira during the Shmita year.
His first major published work, Meorei Esh, was the first ever written on the subject of using electricity on Shabbat
. The work was endorsed by Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski
who read it and declared: "Or chadash al Tziyon ta'ir" — "A new light will shine upon Zion" — a quote from the daily morning prayers
.
He had a close association with Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski
, as well as the Chazon Ish and Rabbi Elazar Menachem Shach, the two iconic and preeminent leaders of Haredi Judaism of the first and middle segments of the 20th century. He became the pre-eminent halachic decisor of his time in Israel, respected by all streams of Orthodox Judaism. He was unique in his approach to halacha through thought experiment
s.
Renowned for his lucid classes as Rosh Yeshiva, his thousands of students continue to influence the Torah world today. An estimated 300,000 - 500,000 people attended his funeral in 1995. He was intered on Har HaMenuchot
.
He was the brother-in-law of Rabbi Sholom Schwadron
, who married his sister Leah. The two shared a long and close relationship as learning partners and personal friends.
He also authored a commentary on Shev Shema'tata
, which itself is a work of novellae on the Talmud by Rabbi Aryeh Leib HaCohen Heller
.
Most of Rabbi Auerbach's halachic rulings were delivered orally and not published formally. However, his rulings on medical halacha were summarized and publicized by Rabbi Yehoshua Neuwirth in his book Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchatah
, Rabbi Dr. Abraham S. Abraham in his Nishmat Avraham, and Rabbi Dr. Avraham Steinberg in his Encyclopedia Hilchatit Refuit. Rabbi Neuwirth also made many of Rabbi Auerbach's rulings on Hilkhot Shabbat (Shabbat laws) widely known in his bestselling book, which was first published in Hebrew
in 1965 and subsequently rendered into English
.
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
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...
, 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....
, and 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 the Kol Torah yeshiva in Jerusalem, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. The Jerusalem neighborhood, Ramat Shlomo
Ramat Shlomo
Ramat Shlomo Heights) is a large Jewish housing development in northern East Jerusalem. The population, mostly ultra-Orthodox, is 18,000-20,000....
is named after Rabbi Auerbach.
Biography
Auerbach was the first child to be born in the Shaarei Chesed neighborhood of Jerusalem founded by his maternal grandfather, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman PorushShlomo Zalman Porush
Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Porush, , was born in Babruysk, Russian Empire in 1850 to his father Rabbi Naftali Zvi Porush and mother Leah...
, after whom he was named. His father, Rabbi Chaim Yehuda Leib Auerbach
Chaim Yehuda Leib Auerbach
Chaim Yehuda Leib Auerbach was one of the founders and first roshei yeshiva of Shaar Hashamayim Yeshiva, a landmark Jerusalem institution specializing in Talmudic and kabbalah studies for Ashkenazi scholars...
, was 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 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...
, and his mother was Rebbetzin Tzivia. His paternal grandfather, Rabbi Meir Auerbach, was the 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
By the age of eleven he was proficient in the entire talmudic tractate
Tract (literature)
A tract is a literary work, and in current usage, usually religious in nature. The notion of what constitutes a tract has changed over time. By the early part of the 21st century, these meant small pamphlets used for religious and political purposes, though far more often the former. They are...
of Kiddushin. As a teenager he attended the Etz Chaim Yeshiva
Etz Chaim Yeshiva
Etz Chaim Yeshiva is an orthodox yeshiva located on Jaffa Road close to the Mahane Yehuda Market in downtown Jerusalem.-History:Etz Chaim Yeshiva was originally a Talmud Torah which was established in 1841 by the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, Shmuel Salant. For the first two years classes were held in...
in Jerusalem. He was known for his diligence which is illustrated by an event which occurred while he was in yeshiva. On the day the first automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
rolled into Jerusalem along the Jaffa Road
Jaffa Road
Jaffa Road is one of the longest and oldest streets in Jerusalem. It crosses the city from east to west, from the Old City walls to downtown Jerusalem, the western portal of Jerusalem and the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway. It is lined with shops, businesses and restaurants...
, all the students left their studies to marvel at the horse-less wagon. Only young Shlomo Zalman remained in his chair immersed in his studies. Following his marriage he studied under Rabbi Zvi Pesach Frank at 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...
Kerem Tzion which focused on the laws of the Land of Israel
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
. He was known as one of the Charedi
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 ....
Ashkenazi supporters for Heter Mechira during the Shmita year.
His first major published work, Meorei Esh, was the first ever written on the subject of using electricity on Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
. The work was endorsed by Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski
Chaim Ozer Grodzinski
Chaim Ozer Grodzinski was a pre-eminent Av beis din , posek , and Talmudic scholar in Vilnius, Lithuania in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
who read it and declared: "Or chadash al Tziyon ta'ir" — "A new light will shine upon Zion" — a quote from the daily 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....
.
He had a close association with Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski
Chaim Ozer Grodzinski
Chaim Ozer Grodzinski was a pre-eminent Av beis din , posek , and Talmudic scholar in Vilnius, Lithuania in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
, as well as the Chazon Ish and Rabbi Elazar Menachem Shach, the two iconic and preeminent leaders of Haredi Judaism of the first and middle segments of the 20th century. He became the pre-eminent halachic decisor of his time in Israel, respected by all streams of Orthodox Judaism. He was unique in his approach to halacha through thought experiment
Thought experiment
A thought experiment or Gedankenexperiment considers some hypothesis, theory, or principle for the purpose of thinking through its consequences...
s.
Renowned for his lucid classes as Rosh Yeshiva, his thousands of students continue to influence the Torah world today. An estimated 300,000 - 500,000 people attended his funeral in 1995. He was intered on Har HaMenuchot
Har HaMenuchot
Har HaMenuchot is the largest cemetery in Jerusalem, Israel. It is located at the western edge of the city adjacent to the neighborhood of Givat Shaul, with commanding views of Mevaseret Zion to the north, Motza to the west, and Har Nof to the south.-History:...
.
Children
Rabbi Auerbach had seven sons and three daughters. Among his children are:- Rabbi Shmuel AuerbachShmuel AuerbachShmuel 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...
is a leading authority of the Degel HaTorahDegel HaTorahDegel 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 - Rabbi Ezriel AuerbachEzriel AuerbachRabbi Ezriel Auerbach is a prominent Haredi rabbi and Posek. He is the son of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, and son-in-law of Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, two world-renowned Poskim. He is considered Rabbi Elyashiv's right-hand man in matters of halakha.Auerbach married Leah Elyashiv , daughter of...
is a son-in-law of Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, and the RovRovRov is a Talmudic concept which means the majority.It is based on the passage in Exodus 23;2: "after the majority to wrest" , which in Rabbinic interpretation means, that you shall accept things as the majority....
of Chanichei Hayeshivot in Bayit VeganBayit VeganBayit VeGan is a neighborhood in southwest Jerusalem, Israel, with a mostly charedi religious population. Bayit VeGan is located to the east of Mount Herzl and borders the neighborhoods of Kiryat Hayovel and Givat Mordechai. The Shaare Zedek Medical Center is located near Bayit VeGan... - Rabbi Mordechai Auerbach is the pulpit Rabbi of Avir Ya'akov in Tel AvivTel AvivTel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
- Rabbi Avraham Dov Auerbach is a Rabbi in Tiberias
- Rabbi Meir Simcha Auerbach is a posek and Rosh Yeshiva in Betar IllitBetar IllitBeitar Illit is an Israeli settlement and city west of Gush Etzion, south of Jerusalem, in the Judean Mountains of the West Bank. At the end of 2007, it had a total population of 38,800 consisting of over 6000 families. By 2020, the population is expected to reach 100,000...
- Rabbi Ya'akov Auerbach is a Rabbi in Beit Shemesh
- Rabbi Baruch Auerbach published the complete works of Rabbi Yom Tov Algazi, and was killed in an automobile accident in 1999.
- Rabbi Zalman Nechemia GoldbergZalman Nechemia GoldbergRabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg is a rabbi, posek, and Rosh Yeshiva in Israel. The scion of a Lithuanian Jewish family, Rabbi Goldberg is also a son-in-law of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach....
is a leading posekPosekPosek 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....
in Israel and is the son-in-law of Rav Shlomo Zalman (see Hebrew article)
- Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg
He was the brother-in-law of 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...
, who married his sister Leah. The two shared a long and close relationship as learning partners and personal friends.
Prominent students
- Rabbi Zalman Nechemia GoldbergZalman Nechemia GoldbergRabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg is a rabbi, posek, and Rosh Yeshiva in Israel. The scion of a Lithuanian Jewish family, Rabbi Goldberg is also a son-in-law of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach....
, his son in law. - Rabbi Avigdor Nebenzahl
- Rabbi Yehoshua NeuwirthYehoshua NeuwirthYehoshua Yeshaya Neuwirth is an eminent Orthodox Jewish rabbi and posek in Jerusalem, Israel. He is one of the primary and most renowned students of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and the author of a two-volume Hebrew language treatise, Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchatah — translated into English...
Works
Sefarim authored by Rabbi Auerbach include:- Meorei Eish, a pioneering work concerning electricityElectricityElectricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
in halacha, (1935) - Ma'adanei Eretz, a two-volume book regarding agricultural halacha, (1946)
- Minchas Shlomo (responsaResponsaResponsa comprise a body of written decisions and rulings given by legal scholars in response to questions addressed to them.-In the Roman Empire:Roman law recognised responsa prudentium, i.e...
), first volume (1986), second volume (2003) - Minchas Shlomo, a commentary on the TalmudTalmudThe 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....
He also authored a commentary on Shev Shema'tata
Shev Shema'tata
Shev Shema'tata , sometimes pronounced Shev Shmaytsa, is a work on Talmudic logic and methodology by R. Aryeh Leib HaCohen Heller...
, which itself is a work of novellae on the Talmud by Rabbi Aryeh Leib HaCohen Heller
Aryeh Leib HaCohen Heller
Aryeh Leib Heller-Kahane was a Rabbi, Talmudist, and Halachist in Galicia. He was known as "the Ketzos" based on his greatest work, Ketzot Hachoshen, קצות החושן.-Biography:...
.
Most of Rabbi Auerbach's halachic rulings were delivered orally and not published formally. However, his rulings on medical halacha were summarized and publicized by Rabbi Yehoshua Neuwirth in his book Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchatah
Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchatah
Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchatah, also pronounced Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchosoh, is a book of halachah authored by Rabbi Yehoshua Yeshaya Neuwirth, which discusses the laws of Shabbat and Yom Tov, and is viewed by many as an authoritative work regarding these laws...
, Rabbi Dr. Abraham S. Abraham in his Nishmat Avraham, and Rabbi Dr. Avraham Steinberg in his Encyclopedia Hilchatit Refuit. Rabbi Neuwirth also made many of Rabbi Auerbach's rulings on Hilkhot Shabbat (Shabbat laws) widely known in his bestselling book, which was first published 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...
in 1965 and subsequently rendered into English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.