Rabbi Dovid Feinstein ( he, דוד פיינשטיין; 1929 – November 6, 2020) was a
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 ...
scholar and ''
halachic
''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 comman ...
'' authority, considered by many as the leading halachic authority in the United States in the 21st century. He served as the
rosh yeshiva (dean) of the
Mesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem
Mesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem ( he, מתיבתא תפארת ירושלים, ) (MTJ) is a yeshiva in New York City, and one of the oldest existent yeshivas in the city. It is the institution formerly led by Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, and then led by hi ...
yeshiva
A yeshiva (; he, ישיבה, , sitting; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are st ...
elementary and high school and
kollel
A kollel ( he, כולל, , , a "gathering" or "collection" f scholars is an institute for full-time, advanced study of the Talmud and rabbinic literature. Like a yeshiva, a kollel features shiurim (lectures) and learning ''sedarim'' (sessions); ...
, inheriting the position after the passing of his father Rabbi
Moshe Feinstein
Moshe Feinstein ( he, משה פײַנשטיין; Lithuanian pronunciation: ''Moshe Faynshteyn''; en, Moses Feinstein; March 3, 1895 – March 23, 1986) was an American Orthodox rabbi, scholar, and ''posek'' (authority on ''halakha''—J ...
in 1986. He was also a prolific and erudite author, penning at least 9 books on such topics as ''halacha'', Torah and the Jewish calendar, as well as some very popular
Passover
Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the Biblical story of the Israelites escape from slavery in Egypt, which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, the first month of Aviv, or spring. ...
Haggadah
The Haggadah ( he, הַגָּדָה, "telling"; plural: Haggadot) is a Jewish text that sets forth the order of the Passover Seder. According to Jewish practice, reading the Haggadah at the Seder table is a fulfillment of the mitzvah to each J ...
s.
His brother, Rabbi
Reuven Feinstein
Sholom Reuven Feinstein ( he, שלום ראובן פיינשטיין) (born August 1937) is an Orthodox Jewish rabbi and rosh yeshiva of the Yeshiva of Staten Island, New York. He is the youngest son of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, the leading posek ...
, is rosh yeshiva of the
Staten Island branch of Mesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem.
Biography
Rabbi Dovid Feinstein was born in 1929 in
Lyuban (in present-day Belarus), where his father Rabbi Moshe Feinstein served as a rabbi of the community. He was named after his paternal grandfather, who was descended from the brother of the Vilna Gaon. When he was eight, his family moved to Manhattan, where he would reside until his death.
He died at the age of 91 in 2020.
Kol Dodi
The title ''Kol Dodi'' ( he, קול דודי) originated in the 1970s, when Rabbi Feinstein's father was still alive, and Rabbi Feinstein would not allow his own name on the cover. Hence:
* ''Kol Dodi'' – the first three letters of ''Dodi'' ( he, דודי) spell the name ''Dovid'' ( he, דוד);
* the cover uses David rather than Dovid.
''Dodi'' means "My Beloved", and can be a reference to God.
Stone Chumash Masoretic notes
Within
ArtScroll's
Stone Chumash, at the end of each ''Parsha'' there is an explanation, authored by him, of that Parsha's ''Masoretic'' note.
References
External links
Books authored by Rabbi David Feinsteinravdovidfeinstein.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Feinstein, Dovid
1929 births
2020 deaths
Rosh yeshivas
American Haredi rabbis
Orthodox rabbis from New York City