Yosef Sholom Eliashiv
Encyclopedia
Yosef Shalom Elyashiv is a Haredi
rabbi
and posek
(arbiter of Jewish law
) 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 authority on halakha
, or Jewish law.
Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv
(the Leshem) (1841–1925) from Šiauliai
, Lithuania. His father was Avraham Elyashiv of Homel. His mother was Chaya Moussa Elyashiv, daughter of the Leshem
. He was an only child, born to his parents after 17 years of marriage.
Originally his father's surname was Erener, but his father adapted his father-in-law's surname in order to gain a certificate to enter the British Mandate of Palestine. The Elyashivs moved to Palestine in 1922 when Eliashiv was 12 years old.
Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook
, Chief Rabbi
of Israel, suggested a match for Eliashiv with Sheina Chaya (d. June 19, 1994), a daughter of Rabbi Aryeh Levin
. The couple had five sons and seven daughters. Six of their daughters married significant rabbinic figures. One son died of illness as a child, and one daughter was killed in 1948 by Jordanian shelling.
Elyashiv is the spiritual leader of the Degel HaTorah
party which has representatives in the Knesset
(Israel's parliament). He holds great influence over the policies of the party, currently part of the umbrella United Torah Judaism
list in the Knesset
. Degel HaTorah abides by all his rulings and instructions. In 1989, upon the establishment of the religious political party Degel HaTorah, Elazar Shach
asked Elyashiv to join in the public leadership, and Elyashiv acceded to his request. He came to the major public gatherings of Degel HaTorah and shared in the task of rendering decisions. Most rosh yeshiva
s ("yeshiva deans") associated with the Agudath Israel of America
movement actively and frequently seek out his opinions and follow his advice and guidelines concerning a wide array of policy and communal issues affecting the welfare of Orthodox Judaism
. Despite his exceptional scholarship and influence, Eliashiv holds no official title, neither as head of a congregation, yeshiva
, or particular community.
Elyashiv spends most of his days engaged in Talmud
ical study, and delivers lectures in Talmud
and Shulkhan Arukh at a local synagogue
in the Meah Shearim area in Jerusalem where he lives. He receives supplicants from all over the world and answers complex Halakhic inquiries.
Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman was asked if there is anyone in our generation who understands Kabbalah. Steinman thought for a while, and then nodded his head and answered affirmatively. He was then asked who it is, and after a moment’s silence Rabbi Steinman answered: “Rabbi Elyashiv.”
resulting from questions asked of him over many years. Many of his ethical and sermonic comments on the Torah, most dating from the 1950s, were collected and published as Divrei Aggadah
. A Haggadah for Pesach
including Eliashiv's comments and Halachic rulings was recently printed. Another work that includes his Halakhic rulings is titled "Yashiv Moshe." These works were not written by Eliashiv himself, but compiled by his relatives and students.
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...
and 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....
(arbiter of Jewish law
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...
) who lives 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...
.
At the age of , Elyashiv is active and remains the paramount leader of both Israel and the Diaspora
Diaspora
A diaspora is "the movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland" or "people dispersed by whatever cause to more than one location", or "people settled far from their ancestral homelands".The word has come to refer to historical mass-dispersions of...
Lithuanian
Lithuanian Jews
Lithuanian Jews or Litvaks are Jews with roots in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania:...
-Haredi community, and many Ashkenazi Jews
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...
regard him as the 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....
ha-dor, the contemporary leading authority on halakha
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...
, or Jewish law.
Biography
Yosef Shalom Elyashiv is a grandson of the kabbalistKabbalah
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...
Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv
Shlomo Elyashiv
Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv , also known as the Leshem or Ba'al HaLeshem, was a famous kabbalist, who lived in Šiauliai, Lithuania.His father was Rabbi Chayim Chaikl Eliashoff...
(the Leshem) (1841–1925) from Šiauliai
Šiauliai
Šiauliai , is the fourth largest city in Lithuania, with a population of 133,900. It is the capital of Šiauliai County. Unofficially, the city is the capital of Northern Lithuania.-Names:...
, Lithuania. His father was Avraham Elyashiv of Homel. His mother was Chaya Moussa Elyashiv, daughter of the Leshem
Leshem
Leshem is one of the Hoshen jewels.The name Leshem is a Hebrew name, meaning "precious gem".Notable people with the surname Leshem include:* Giora Leshem - Israeli poet and translator...
. He was an only child, born to his parents after 17 years of marriage.
Originally his father's surname was Erener, but his father adapted his father-in-law's surname in order to gain a certificate to enter the British Mandate of Palestine. The Elyashivs moved to Palestine in 1922 when Eliashiv was 12 years old.
Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook
Abraham Isaac Kook
Abraham Isaac Kook was the first Ashkenazi chief rabbi of the British Mandate for Palestine, the founder of the Religious Zionist Yeshiva Merkaz HaRav, Jewish thinker, Halachist, Kabbalist and a renowned Torah scholar...
, 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 Israel, suggested a match for Eliashiv with Sheina Chaya (d. June 19, 1994), a daughter of Rabbi Aryeh Levin
Aryeh Levin
Rabbi Aryeh Levin, , known as Reb Aryeh, was an Orthodox rabbi dubbed the "Father of Prisoners" for his visits to members of the Jewish underground imprisoned in the Central Prison of Jerusalem in the Russian Compound during the British Mandate...
. The couple had five sons and seven daughters. Six of their daughters married significant rabbinic figures. One son died of illness as a child, and one daughter was killed in 1948 by Jordanian shelling.
Spiritual and political leader
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:...
party which has representatives in the Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
(Israel's parliament). He holds great influence over the policies of the party, currently part of the umbrella 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...
list in the Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
. Degel HaTorah abides by all his rulings and instructions. In 1989, upon the establishment of the religious political party Degel HaTorah, Elazar Shach
Elazar Shach
Elazar Menachem Man Shach also spelt Eliezer Schach, was a leading Lithuanian-born and educated Haredi rabbi in Bnei Brak, Israel. He also served as one of three co-deans of the Ponevezh yeshiva in Bnei Brak along with Rabbis Shmuel Rozovsky and Dovid Povarsky...
asked Elyashiv to join in the public leadership, and Elyashiv acceded to his request. He came to the major public gatherings of Degel HaTorah and shared in the task of rendering decisions. Most 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...
s ("yeshiva deans") associated with the Agudath Israel of America
Agudath Israel of America
Agudath Israel of America , is a Haredi Jewish communal organization in the United States loosely affiliated with the international World Agudath Israel.-Functions:...
movement actively and frequently seek out his opinions and follow his advice and guidelines concerning a wide array of policy and communal issues affecting the welfare of Orthodox Judaism
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...
. Despite his exceptional scholarship and influence, Eliashiv holds no official title, neither as head of a congregation, yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
, or particular community.
Elyashiv spends most of his days engaged 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....
ical study, and delivers lectures 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....
and Shulkhan Arukh at a local synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
in the Meah Shearim area in Jerusalem where he lives. He receives supplicants from all over the world and answers complex Halakhic inquiries.
Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman was asked if there is anyone in our generation who understands Kabbalah. Steinman thought for a while, and then nodded his head and answered affirmatively. He was then asked who it is, and after a moment’s silence Rabbi Steinman answered: “Rabbi Elyashiv.”
Published works
The Halakhic rulings and sermonic insights of Eliashiv have been recorded in several books. The multi-volume Kovetz Teshuvos contains responsaResponsa
Responsa 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...
resulting from questions asked of him over many years. Many of his ethical and sermonic comments on the Torah, most dating from the 1950s, were collected and published as Divrei Aggadah
Aggadah
Aggadah refers to the homiletic and non-legalistic exegetical texts in the classical rabbinic literature of Judaism, particularly as recorded in the Talmud and Midrash...
. A Haggadah for Pesach
Passover
Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
including Eliashiv's comments and Halachic rulings was recently printed. Another work that includes his Halakhic rulings is titled "Yashiv Moshe." These works were not written by Eliashiv himself, but compiled by his relatives and students.
Further reading
- Schapiro, Moshe. "Halachic Ruling Redefines Role of Kiruv Work in Eretz Yisroel". Dei'ah veDibur, April 21, 1999.
- Eliashiv, Yosef Shalom. "Letter from HaRav Eliashiv". Dei'ah veDibur, June 2, 2002.