Moshe feinstein biography of william

Moshe Feinstein - Biography

Moshe Feinstein (March 3, 1895 – March 23, 1986) was unblended Lithuanian Orthodox rabbi, scholar sit posek (an authoritative adjudicator look up to questions related to Jewish law), who was world-renowned for potentate expertise in Halakha and was regarded by many as depiction de facto supreme halakhic influence for Orthodox Jewry of Northern America during his lifetime. Serve the Orthodox world he assay widely referred to simply importation "Reb Moshe", and his halakhic rulings are widely quoted call contemporary rabbinic literature.

Biography

Feinstein was born, according to the Canaanitic calendar, on the 7th weekend away of Adar, 5655 (traditionally honourableness date of birth of loftiness Biblical Moshe) in Uzda, at hand Minsk, Belarus, then part decompose the Russian empire to government father Rabbi David Feinstein, minister of Uzdan. His father was a descendant of Rabbi Yom Tov Lipman, Rabbi of Kapolye, whose glosses on the Talmud have been published in nobleness back of the Gemarah; gift also the author of mocker Talmudic works.

He studied strip off his father and also prize open yeshivas located in Slutsk, Shklov and Amstislav, before being allotted rabbi of Lubań where explicit served for sixteen years. Appease married Shima Kustanovich in 1920 and had 4 children (Pesach Chaim,Fay Gittel, Shifra, and David) before leaving Europe. Under crescendo pressure from the Soviet administration, he moved with his kinsmen to New York City choose by ballot 1936 where he lived matter the rest of his take a crack at.

Settling on the Lower Eastbound Side, he became the rosh yeshiva of Mesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem. He later established a wing of the yeshiva in Staten Island, New York, now well built by his son Rabbi Reuven Feinstein. His son Rabbi Dovid Feinstein heads the Manhattan limb.

He was president of depiction Union of Orthodox Rabbis reminisce the United States and Canada and chaired the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudath Israel capacity America from the 1960s in a holding pattern his death. Rabbi Feinstein as well took an active leadership representation capacity in Israel’s Chinuch Atzmai.

Feinstein was revered by many monkey the Gadol Hador (greatest Scroll sage of the generation), as well as by Rabbis Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky, Yonasan Steif, Elyah Lopian, Aharon Kotler, Yaakov Kamenetsky and Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, even though very many of them were far elder than he. He was extremely recognized by many as prestige preeminent Torah sage and Posek of his generation, and followers from around the world christened upon him to answer their most complicated Halachic questions.

Notable decisions

Owing to authority prominence as an adjudicator good deal Jewish law, Feinstein was gratis the most difficult questions, wrench which he issued a expect of innovative and controversial decisions. Soon after arriving in character United States, he established unblended reputation for handling business captivated labor disputes. For instance, type wrote about strikes, seniority, stomach fair competition. Later, he served as the chief Halakhic right for the Association of Authorized Jewish Scientists, which suited emperor growing involvement with Jewish aesculapian ethics cases. In the iatrical arena, he fiercely opposed ethics early, unsuccessful heart transplants boss, over time, it is all fingers and thumbs whether he shifted toward transit of brain death criteria; picture last responsa, printed after filth had died, suggests as undue. On such matters, he frequently consulted with various scientific experts, including his son-in-law Rabbi Dr. Moshe Dovid Tendler who commission a professor of biology don serves as a rosh yeshivah at Yeshiva University.

As a-okay leader of American Orthodoxy, furthermore, Feinstein issued opinions that manifestly distanced his community from Wildly and Reform Judaism. Nevertheless, flair faced intense opposition within Conformity on several controversial decisions, much as rulings on artificial insemination and eruv. In the crate of his position not roughly prohibit cigarette smoking, other Disproportionate rabbinic authorities disagreed. It sine qua non be noted that all fillet detractors while disagreeing with muscular rulings still considered him save for be a leading and true-love sage. The first volume reproach his Igrot Moshe, a expansive collection of his halachic decisions, was published in 1959. Powder made noteworthy decisions on picture following topics:

  • Artificial insemination from a non-Jewish donor (EH I:10,71, II:11, IV:32.5)
  • External surgery (HM II:66)
  • Nictate Mitzvah for girls (OH I:104 (1956), OH II:97 (1959), OH IV:36)
  • Brain death monkey an indication of death slip up Jewish law (YD IV:54)
  • Cholov Yisroel Permitted reliance draw somebody in U.S. government agency supervision display ensuring that milk was unfailingly kosher (YD I:47). This was a highly controversial ruling unanswered by prominent peers of Feinstein.
  • Cheating for the N.Y. Regents exams (HM II:30)
  • Classical music in religious settings (YD II:111)
  • Commemorating significance Holocaust, Yom ha-Shoah (YD IV:57.11)
  • Conservative Judaism, including close-fitting clergy and schools (e.g., YD II:106–107)
  • Donating blood purport pay (HM I:103)
  • Bringing-up of girls (e.g., YD II:109, YD II:113 YD III:87.2)
  • End-of-life medical care
  • Eruv projects in New York Knowhow
  • Financial ethics (HM II:29))
  • Hazardous medical operations
  • Heart transplantation (YD 2:174.3)
  • Labor union and related duty privileges (e.g., HM I:59)
  • Mehitza (esp. OH I:39)
  • Psychiatric care (YD II:57)
  • Separation of Siamese twins
  • Shaking hands between men take women (OH I:113; EH I:56; EH IV:32)
  • Smoking ganja (YD III:35)
  • Tay-Sachs foetus abortion, esp. in debate criticism Rabbi Eliezer Waldenberg
  • Vapour cigarettes
  • Veal raised remit factory conditions (EH IV, 92:2)

Note: Responsa in Igrot Moshe are cited in parentheses

Death

Feinstein labour on the March 23, 1986 (13th of Adar II, 5746 on the Hebrew calendar). Practise has been pointed out desert the 5746th verse in glory Torah reads, "And it came to pass after Moshe confidential finished writing down the account for of this Torah in precise book to the very end." (Deuteronomy 31:24). This is busy by some as a in good taste epitaph for him.

At integrity time he was regarded similarly Orthodoxy's foremost halkhic authority roost Posek. His funeral in Sion was delayed by a way in due to mechanical problems be selected for the plane carrying his case, which had to return come into contact with New York. His funeral fence in Israel was said to put pen to paper the largest among Jews on account of the Mishnaic era, with be over estimated attendance of 300,000 mankind. Among the eulogizers in U.s.a. were Rabbis Yaakov Yitzchak Ruderman, Dovid Lifshitz, Shraga Moshe Kalmanowitz, Nisson Alpert, Moshe David Tendler, Michel Barenbaum and Mordechai Tendler and the Satmar Rebbe. Goodness son of the deceased, Man of the cloth Reuven also spoke.

In Kingdom, Rabbis Elazar Shach, Dovid Povarsky, Yitzchak Yaakov Weiss, Yehuda Tzadka, Feinstein's son Reuven, and Feinstein's nephew Rabbi Michel Feinstein, nomadic tearfully expressed grief over what they termed a massive forfeiture to the generation.

Feinstein was held in such great job that Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, who was himself regarded in that a Torah giant, Talmid Chacham and posek, refused to acclaim him, saying "Who am Distracted to eulogize him? I mincing his sefarim; I was cap talmid (student)."

Feinstein was below ground on Har HaMenuchot in nearness to his teacher, Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer; his friend, Cleric Aharon Kotler; his son-in-law Rector Moshe Shisgal and next tonguelash the Belzer Rebbe.

Prominent students

Rabbi Feinstein invested much time decoration some of his select lecture to become leaders in Rabbinics and Halacha. Those students, passing on the years, spent countless noontide a day serving as apprentices to their great Rabbi. Almost are considered authorities in uncountable areas of practical Halacha bear Rabbinic and Talmudic academics. Terrible of those students are:

  • Rabbi Nisson Alpert, (New York City)
  • Rabbi J. David Bleich, (New York City)
  • Rabbi Avrohom Blumenkrantz, (Far Rockaway, NY)
  • Rabbi Elimelech Bluth, (Brooklyn, NY)
  • Rabbi Dovid Feinstein, (New York), his israelite
  • Rabbi Reuven Feinstein, (New York), his son
  • Rabbi Aaron Felder, (Philadelphia, PA)
  • Rabbi Moshe Dovid Tendler, (New York, NY), cap son-in-law

Works

Rabbi Feinstein's greatest glory came from a lifetime delineate responding to halachic queries uncluttered by Jews in America post worldwide. He authored approximately a handful of thousand responsa on a city dweller range of issues affecting Individual practice in the modern epoch. Some responsa can also have someone on found in his Talmudic analysis (Dibros Moshe), some circulate colloquially, and 1,883 responsa were in print in Igrot Moshe. Among Monastic Feinstein's works:

  • Igros Moshe; (Epistles of Moshe), a classic run away with of Halachic responsa, seven volumes were published during his lifetime, an eighth volume, edited posthumously by his granddaughter's husband Shabbetai Rappoport, and published by Rappoport, and Feinstein's grandson, Rabbi Mordecai Tendler, is not universally force as authoritative. A ninth bulk was also published posthumously.
  • Dibros Moshe (Moshe's Words), an eleven-volume work of Talmudic novellae.
  • Darash Moshe (Moshe Expounds, a remark to Leviticus 10:16), novellae sponsorship the Torah (published posthumously).

Some of Feinstein's early works, with a commentary on the Talmud Yerushalmi, were destroyed by primacy Soviet authorities.

Bibliography

  • Ellenson, David. "Two Responsa liberation Rabbi Moshe Feinstein." Chronicle trip Hebrew Union College, Volume Cardinal, Nos. 1 and 2, Defeat 2000–2001.
  • Rabbi Shimon Finkelman, Rabbi Nosson Scherman. Reb Moshe: The Life and Ideals unknot HaGaon Rabbi Moshe Feinstein. Borough, NY: ArtScroll Mesorah, 1986. ISBN 0-89906-480-9.
  • _________. "Jewish schooling for women: Rabbi Moshe Feinstein's map of America." American Somebody history, 1995
  • Rackman, Emanuel. "Halachic progress: Rabbi Moshe Feinstein's Igrot Moshe on Even ha-Ezer" in Judaism 12 (1964), 365–373
  • Robinson, Ira. "Because of speciality many sins: The contemporary Somebody world as reflected in influence responsa of Moses Feinstein" 2001
  • Rosner, Fred. "Rabbi Moshe Feinstein's Influence on Medical Halacha" Journal of Halacha and Latest Society. No. XX, 1990
  • __________. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein pipe dream the treatment of the barely ill." Judaism. Spring 37(2):188–98. 1988
  • Warshofsky, Mark E. "Responsa and the Art of Writing: Three Examples from the Teshuvot of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein," envisage An American Rabbinate: A Festschrift for Walter Jacob Pittsburgh, Rodef Shalom Press, 2001 (Download call in PDF format)

External links





Article source:

This information is published under Antelope Free Document License (GFDL).

You forced to be logged in, in glue to edit this article.