Chaim (Halevi) Soloveitchik (
Yiddish
Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ve ...
: חיים סאָלאָווייטשיק, pl, Chaim Sołowiejczyk), also known as Reb Chaim Brisker (1853 – 30 July 1918), was a
rabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
and
Talmud
The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the center ...
ic scholar credited as the founder of the popular Brisker approach to
Talmud
The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the center ...
ic study within
Judaism
Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...
. He is also a member of the
Soloveitchik dynasty, as the son of the
Beis HaLevi.
He is also known as the Gra"ch (
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
: גר״ח), an abbreviation of "HaGaon Reb Chaim."
Biography
Soloveitchik was born in
Volozhin on March 25, 1853, where his father, Rabbi
Yosef Dov Soloveitchik served as a lecturer in the famous
Volozhiner Yeshiva.
Prior to his birth, Soloveitchik's father was passed for the position of ''
Rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva ( he, ראש ישיבה, pl. he, ראשי ישיבה, '; Anglicized pl. ''rosh yeshivas'') is the title given to the dean of a yeshiva, a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primar ...
'' at the Volozhiner Yeshiva, in favor of
Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin in 1854, ultimately resulting in their family moving away from Volozhin.
After a few years, his father was appointed as a rabbi in
Slutzk, where young Chaim was first educated.
While still a youngster, his genius and lightning-quick grasp were widely recognized.
Despite Soloveitchik's father leaving the yeshiva, Berlin would request that Soloveitchik return as a member of the faculty of the Yeshiva in 1880, later requesting that he become assistant Rosh yeshiva alongside him.
This would not last long, however, as the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. T ...
forced the yeshiva to close, resulting in Soloveitchik moving to
Brisk, Belarus and succeeding his father as the rabbi of Brisk.
Soloveitchik was buried in
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is official ...
, in the
Jewish Cemetery
A Jewish cemetery ( he, בית עלמין ''beit almin'' or ''beit kvarot'') is a cemetery where Jews are buried in keeping with Jewish tradition. Cemeteries are referred to in several different ways in Hebrew, including ''beit kevarot'' ...
, having died on July 30, 1918 after seeking medical treatment in that area.
Works
He is considered the founder of the "
Brisker method" (in
Yiddish
Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ve ...
: ''Brisker derech''; ), a method of highly exacting and analytical Talmudical study that focuses on precise definition/s and categorization/s of
Jewish law
''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical comm ...
as commanded in the
Torah
The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the s ...
.
His works would have particular emphasis on the legal writings of
Maimonides
Musa ibn Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (); la, Moses Maimonides and also referred to by the acronym Rambam ( he, רמב״ם), was a Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah s ...
.
Soloveitchik's primary work was ''
Chiddushei Rabbeinu Chaim'', a volume of insights on Maimonides' ''
Mishneh Torah
The ''Mishneh Torah'' ( he, מִשְׁנֵה תּוֹרָה, , repetition of the Torah), also known as ''Sefer Yad ha-Hazaka'' ( he, ספר יד החזקה, , book of the strong hand, label=none), is a code of Rabbinic Jewish religious law ('' ...
'' which often would suggest novel understandings of the Talmud as well. Based on his teachings and lectures, his students wrote down his insights on the Talmud known as ''Chiddushi HaGRaCh Al
Shas
Shas ( he, ש״ס) is a Haredi religious political party in Israel. Founded in 1984 under the leadership of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, a former Israeli Sephardi chief rabbi, who remained its spiritual leader until his death in October 2013, it primari ...
''. This book is known as "Reb Chaim's stencils" and contains analytical insights into Talmudic topics.
Views
Soloveitchik would work alongside
Sholom Dovber Schneersohn
Sholom Dovber Schneersohn ( he, שלום דובער שניאורסאהן) was the fifth Rebbe (spiritual leader) of the Chabad Lubavitch chasidic movement. He is known as "the Rebbe Rashab" (for Reb Sholom Ber). His teachings represent the eme ...
, the fifth
Lubavitch Rebbe
A Rebbe ( yi, רבי, translit=rebe) or Admor ( he, אדמו״ר) is the spiritual leader in the Hasidic movement, and the personalities of its dynasties.Heilman, Samuel"The Rebbe and the Resurgence of Orthodox Judaism."''Religion and Spiritua ...
, specifically for his work in counteracting antisemitic decrees by the czarist regime.
He would expand the definition of who represented
Amalek
Amalek (; he, עֲמָלֵק, , ar, عماليق ) was a nation described in the Hebrew Bible as a staunch enemy of the Israelites. The name "Amalek" can refer to the nation's founder, a grandson of Esau; his descendants, the Amalekites; or the ...
, claiming that all who sought to destroy the Jewish people were ideological decedents of the Jewish enemy.
Soloveitchik was an opponent of Zionism, and viewed it as a movement to destroy traditional Judaism and replace it with nationalism.
Family
A member of the
Soloveitchik-family rabbinical dynasty, he is commonly known as ''Reb Chaim Brisker'' ("Rabbi Chaim
romBrisk").
He married the daughter of
Refael Shapiro, who was also the granddaughter of Berlin,
and had two famous sons,
Yitchak Zev (also known as Rabbi Velvel Soloveitchik) who subsequently moved to
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
and
Moshe who moved to the United States and subsequently served as a ''
rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva ( he, ראש ישיבה, pl. he, ראשי ישיבה, '; Anglicized pl. ''rosh yeshivas'') is the title given to the dean of a yeshiva, a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primar ...
'' of
Yeshiva Yitzchak Elchonon (YU/RIETS) in New York and who was in turn succeeded by his sons
Joseph B. Soloveitchik (1903–1993) and
Ahron Soloveichik (1917-2001). Yitchak Zev's son,
Meshulam Dovid Soloveitchik (circa 1922 - 2021), headed a renowned yeshiva in Jerusalem; two of his other sons, Meir and Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, also led prominent yeshivas.
Soloveitchik had eight main students; his sons Moshe and Yitzchak Zev,
Baruch Ber Lebowitz,
Isser Zalman Meltzer
Isser Zalman Meltzer ( he, איסר זלמן מלצר) (February 6, 1870 – November 17, 1953),Isser Zalman Meltzer "Even HaEzel" (1870 - 1953) was a famous Lithuanian Jewish and Belarusian Orthodox rabbi, rosh yeshiva and posek. He is also kn ...
,
Elchonon Wasserman,
Shlomo Polachek,
Chaim Ozer Grodzinski and
Shimon Shkop.
References
External links
Understanding Reb Chaim, Rabbi Yonoson Hughes June 2010
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soloveitchik, Chaim
1853 births
1918 deaths
People from Valozhyn
People from Oshmyansky Uyezd
Belarusian Orthodox rabbis
Soloveitchik rabbinic dynasty
Talmudists
Anti-Zionist Orthodox rabbis
Volozhin rosh yeshivas
19th-century rabbis from the Russian Empire
20th-century Russian rabbis