Chaim Kanievsky

Shemaryahu Yosef Chaim Kanievsky (; January 8, 1928 – March 18, 2022) was an Israeli Haredi rabbi and ''posek''. He was a leading authority in Haredi Jewish society on legal and ethical practice. Known as the '' Gadol HaDor'' ("greatest of his generation") and the "Prince of Torah", much of his prominence came through Torah education and advice about Jewish law.

Though Kanievsky held no formal community-wide post, he was the ''de facto'' head of the Litvak community of Haredi Judaism, revered as a consummate scholar of Jewish law and tradition, with unimpeachable rulings.

Biography

Kanievsky was born in Pinsk, then part of Poland, as the eldest son of Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky ("the Steipler") and Pesha Miriam, sister of Rabbi Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz (the Chazon Ish). His father served as his sandek at his brit milah (circumcision) and named him Shmaryahu Yosef Chaim, after both his grandfathers: Rabbi Shmaryahu Yosef Karelitz, the rabbi of Kosava, and Rabbi Chaim Peretz Kanievsky. On 1 Nisan 1934, he emigrated with his family to Mandatory Palestine, and they settled in Bnei Brak. Initially, the family resided with his uncle, the Chazon Ish, and later moved to an adjacent apartment in the Givat Rokach neighborhood. When the Chazon Ish moved to Zikhron Meir, the Kanievsky family also relocated to be close to him.

He studied at the "Rabbi Akiva – Center" Talmud Torah and at the age of ten began attending Tiferet Tzion Yeshiva in Bnei Brak, where he studied under Rabbi Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz. After six years of study at Tiferet Tzion, his father requested he study at Yeshivat Beit Yosef (Bnei Brak), where he learned the Talmudic tractate ''Yevamot'' for one semester. He later transferred to Lomza Yeshiva in Petah Tikva, under the leadership of Rabbi Reuven Katz. At the age of 16.5, the head of the yeshiva testified to his extensive knowledge of three orders of the Talmud, "with foundational and comprehensive understanding of the Rishonim and Acharonim." In his first year there, at age 17, he completed the entire Babylonian Talmud for the first time. For two years, he attended lectures by Rabbi Elazar Menachem Man Shach and also learned from Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler in his final year, who had become the head of the yeshiva that same year. Each week, he returned home for Shabbat to learn with his uncle, the Chazon Ish. During his studies at Lomza Yeshiva, the 1948 Arab-Israeli War broke out, and all students were drafted to guard the southern front with sticks and stones only. Rabbi Shmuel Grossbard, appointed as their commander, instructed him to go up with his Talmud to the top of the hill, where he studied until the fighting ended.

On 7 Kislev 5712 (December 1951), Kanievsky married Batsheva Esther, daughter of Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv. The matchmakers were Rabbi Ben Zion Brook, head of Novardok Yeshiva in Jerusalem, and the Chazon Ish, who praised the groom in a letter and titled him "Master of All the Talmud." Rabbi Reuven Katz officiated the marriage. The couple resided in Petah Tikva for a few months while he continued to study at Lomza Yeshiva. They later moved to Bnei Brak and initially shared an apartment with the families of Rabbi Nissim Karelitz, Rabbi Amram Zaks, and Rabbi Dov Wintroub, with each family occupying a single room and sharing a communal kitchen. Later, they moved to a larger shared apartment with Rabbi Pinchas Schreiber's family. In Bnei Brak, he studied at the "Ateret Yosef" kollel, which later became known as Kollel Chazon Ish, where he studied for decades.

In the late 1970s, Kanievsky edited the ''Tevuna'' commentary on the Jerusalem Talmud by Rabbi Yitzchak Eizik Krasilschikov.

Although he was a Litvak rabbi, many sought his blessing (a practice more common among Hasidic Rebbes). His blessings were famously brief, typically consisting of the words "blessing and success." In the mid-2010s, he even abbreviated it to "BuH" to save time. His blessings were often used to encourage participation in various campaigns, such as fundraising or vaccination drives, in exchange for his blessing. Many stories circulated of the miracles reportedly brought about by his blessings.

He served on the rabbinical committee of Maayanei Hayeshua Medical Center.

Death and funeral

Kanievsky died from cardiac arrest at his home on Friday, 15 Adar II 5782 (March 18, 2022).

His funeral was held two days later, on Sunday, 17 Adar II 5782 (March 20, 2022), in Bnei Brak. The funeral procession covered approximately one kilometer, beginning at his home on Rashbam Street and ending at the Shomrei Shabbos cemetery. According to the Israel Police, around 500,000 people attended, while the Bnei Brak Municipality estimated up to 750,000 participants, making it the second-largest funeral in Israel's history. The funeral received extensive advance coverage due to concerns about the large turnout and its potential impact on infrastructure and services in the Gush Dan area.

After his passing, a dispute arose among his three sons over his estate. Following mediation conducted by the Beit Din Tzedek of Bnei Brak, an agreement was reached for equal division.

Study approach

Kanievsky was known for his encyclopedic knowledge, especially in Chazal literature, including minor Midrashim rarely studied in mainstream Haredi circles. His study approach was rooted in broad familiarity with texts, cross-referencing sources, and explaining them through comparison. This broad knowledge earned him the title "Minister of Torah" within the Haredi community.Gedalia Honigsberg, ''The Obligations of Our Master Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky,'' Bnei Brak, 2016, introduction.

Kanievsky followed a rigorous study schedule, which he adhered to from his twenties and referred to as "the obligations." He dedicated primarily the nighttime hours, from midnight until sunrise, to this study. His daily studies included the Babylonian Talmud, Jerusalem Talmud, Tosefta, Rambam, Tur, Shulchan Aruch, Nevi'im and Ketuvim, and Zohar. Every day, he studied eight pages of the Babylonian Talmud and the corresponding sections of the Jerusalem Talmud. For tractates not included in the Babylonian Talmud (primarily those in Seder Zeraim), he studied the Jerusalem Talmud at an accelerated pace to complete it in parallel with the Babylonian Talmud. He studied the Tur and Shulchan Aruch with their commentaries, completing about five pages per day (in the format of the Vilna edition). On Fridays, he added the study of twice reading the Torah portion with translation and included related Halakhic Midrashim alongside Biblical commentators from the Rishonim. Each day, he studied '' Tanna Devei Eliyahu,'' with a unique addition on Saturday nights.

He would complete the entire Talmud each year, and large crowds would attend the siyum (completion ceremony). The siyum was scheduled for Erev Pesach to hold a se’udat mitzvah in connection with the Fast of the Firstborn that applied to him. In a leap year, when the study load was lighter, he used the extra month to edit and publish a new Torah book he had been working on throughout the year. During his father's lifetime, he would add the title "Rabbi" before his name on the book's opening page, but after his father's death, he stopped this practice.

Over the years, he studied the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds with several chavrutas, including Rabbi Elazar Zadok Turtzin (with whom he published his work ''Shoneh Halachot''), Rabbi Chaim Yisrael Shapiro, Rabbi Avraham Goldschmidt, and Rabbi Gedalia Nadel. On Fridays, he had a regular chavruta session with his brother-in-law, Rabbi Yitzchak Zilberstein. In his later years, he often studied alone, and he studied the Babylonian Talmud with his son, Rabbi Yitzchak Shaul.

Kanievsky did not give lectures or public talks except on three occasions each year. On the anniversaries of the passing of the Chazon Ish and his father, he gave a Torah lecture following their study method in the Lederman Synagogue. On the yahrzeit of Rabbi Shach, he gave a lesson in Mishnah at his home.

Thousands of letters with questions were sent to him annually, covering all areas of Torah interest. His answers were typically very brief, often just a few words. From his written and oral responses, a large collection of responsa literature developed. Approximately a hundred books contain sections of his responses to various authors' questions. He frequently remarked that the time spent writing responses to these questions delayed the writing of his own books.

Leadership in the Litvak community

Kanievsky's public involvement began with the founding of the Degel HaTorah party in 1988. Rabbi Shach invited him to appear by his side at the party's founding gathering at Binyanei HaUma and included him in his travels to the event in Jerusalem. During an election rally held afterward, Shach requested that Kanievsky be brought from his home before he spoke, and he dedicated part of his speech to praising him and emphasizing the obligation to obey his directives. Among other things, Shach said about him:

When the Council of Torah Sages of Degel HaTorah was formed, Kanievsky was asked to join. After he refused, Shach instructed that he be added alongside his father-in-law, Rabbi Elyashiv, as a "non-member with an opinion," whose views should be considered even if he did not participate in the council's meetings.

During the Gulf War, it was stated in his name that no missiles would fall on Bnei Brak, based on a similar statement by his uncle, the Chazon Ish. A similar assurance was issued in his name during Operation Pillar of Defense.

In 2013, when the Bnei Torah party ran in the 2013 Israeli municipal elections in three cities against Degel HaTorah, Kanievsky attended a council meeting to publicly support Degel HaTorah. During this time, he harshly criticized supporters and voters of the Bnei Torah party, calling them "empty and reckless dissenters." After the elections, he advised many to separate from Bnei Torah supporters in educational institutions and communities.

After the passing of his father-in-law, Elyashiv, Kanievsky's involvement in the leadership of the Litvak community increased, and he supported the leadership actions of Rabbi Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman. During Elyashiv's last illness, a handwritten letter by Kanievsky was published in '' Yated Ne'eman'', stating:

After Shteinman's death in December 2017, Kanievsky's role in leading the Litvak Haredi community affiliated with Degel HaTorah increased. Alongside him in leadership stood Rabbi Gershon Edelstein, head of Ponevezh Yeshiva, who led the party's Council of Torah Sages. From Adar 5778, ''Yated Ne'eman'' referred to him as "Rabban Shel Kol Bnei HaGolah" (meaning "Leader of all the Children of the Diaspora," a title reserved for the highest leader). In October 2018, before the 2018 Israeli municipal elections, he again participated in a Council of Torah Sages meeting.

Kanievsky presided over numerous educational institutions and charitable organizations, including Ateret Shlomo, Yissachar B’Ohalecha, Kupat Ha'ir, Vaad Harabanim, Lev L’Achim, and the She'erit Yisrael Badatz. He received hundreds of visitors daily at his home seeking advice and blessings on various matters.

Halachic rulings and guidance

Kanievsky took great effort to uphold the rulings and positions of the Chazon Ish, including: not relying on the Heter mechirav during the sabbatical year (Shmita), prohibiting the use of electricity and water supplied through Shabbat desecration, not relying on city Eruvs due to the difficulty of monitoring them from week to week, reading the Book of Esther in Bnei Brak also on Shushan Purim out of doubt, and more.

To many visitors, Kanievsky instructed: growing a beard and placing payot in front of the ears, prohibiting men from wearing wristwatches due to the prohibition of cross-dressing, wearing long-sleeved shirts, writing Torah compositions, and more.

He frequently advised people with various health issues to study Torah related to the nature of their ailment – either by its name or its content.

Another prominent practice of his was encouraging early marriage around the age of eighteen, a practice followed by many of his grandchildren.

In 2012, Kanievsky ruled that it is forbidden to possess or use a smartphone without individual permission from a halakhic authority, and that owners are not allowed to sell their phones, but should instead burn them. In 2015, he instructed United Hatzalah paramedics that in the event of a terrorist attack, they should not treat the terrorists before the victims, even if the terrorist is more seriously injured, and they may even leave the terrorist to die.

In 2016, Kanievsky declared that medicinal cannabis was kosher for Passover as long as the possession of the cannabis is not in violation of the law of the land.

In 2011, he interpreted Arab Spring uprisings as evidence that the Messiah may be near. In 2015, following the 2014 Jerusalem synagogue attack, he repeatedly referred to the imminent arrival of the Messiah, and urged diaspora Jews to make aliyah (immigrate to Israel), reportedly resulting in the arrival of a substantial number of French Jews. In February 2020, shortly before the Israeli legislative elections, it was reported by one rabbi that Kanievsky had stated that the coming of the Messiah was possibly imminent.

Covid-19

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel (March 2020) and despite the Ministry of Health’s directive to close all educational institutions, Kanievsky instructed that yeshivas and Talmud Torahs remain open, citing that Bitul Torah was more dangerous. Kanievsky told his followers that the best ways to defeat the virus were to avoid ''lashon hara'' (gossiping about one's peers), to strengthen humility, and to place the needs of others before their own. As a result of the discussion, he was visited, on March 15, by senior police officials who, with great respect, wanted to ask him of the importance of following the orders of medical professionals with regard to the outbreak.

On March 29, after the ultra-Orthodox community was hit hard by the virus, with Bnei Brak having a high percentage of coronavirus cases in Israel, relative to its population, Kanievsky ruled that one who does not follow the Israeli Health Ministry's guidelines on COVID-19 is in the position of a ''rodef'', i.e., one who pursues another with intent to kill, a murderer. He also ruled that telephones may be answered on Shabbat to get COVID-19 test results, and that minyanim must not meet at all during the pandemic – a stricter requirement than the Health Ministry's rules, which at the time allowed congregations to meet outdoors as long as participants are at least two meters (6 feet) distant from each other.

In June 2021, he urged everyone, including ages 12–15, to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

On October 2, 2020, Kanievsky was diagnosed with COVID-19. On October 28, 2020, his physician said Kanievsky had recovered from the virus.

During the second wave of the pandemic (October 2020), it was publicized in his name that the Talmud Torahs should reopen contrary to government guidelines prohibiting it.

Responsa books from his answers

Kanievsky extensively responded to those who sought his guidance across all Torah topics. However, he generally based his answers on the rulings of earlier sages and rarely issued new decisions. His responses were typically very brief, often only a few words. From his written and spoken responses, an extensive literature of responsa has developed. Around one hundred books include his answers to questions posed by authors. Some notable books dedicated to his responsa include:
* ''Daat Nota'' – A compilation of halachic answers organized according to the order of the Mishnah Berurah, with additional notes and clarifications from Kanievsky, as well as cross-references to other poskim added by an editorial team led by his son Rabbi Yitzchak Shaul. Three volumes, 2009–2016. The series is expected to include around ten volumes.
* ''Derech Sichah'' – Questions on various topics arranged by the weekly parashot, compiled by his student Rabbi Eliyahu Man (based on his weekly Shabbat meal discussions with Kanievsky), two volumes.
* ''Shama Tefilati'' – Explanations on the order of prayers based on his answers to Tzvi Yabrov, Bnei Brak, 2008.
In 2012, a book titled ''Me’Achorei HaPargod'' was published, featuring Torah insights and sayings on various topics from him and Rabbi Steinman.

Additionally, a weekly Shabbat bulletin called ''Divrei Shi’ach'' was published, containing responses and words of Torah from him over the past week.

Kanievsky customarily signed his books with the initials "ShICh BaHaGRYY", an abbreviation of Shmaryahu Yosef Chaim Ben HaGaon Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael.

Family

Kanievsky was married to Rebbetzin Batsheva Kanievsky, daughter of Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, who died in 2011 (5772), and he was the father of eight children—five daughters and three sons. Two of his brothers-in-law are Rabbi Yitzchak Zilberstein and Rabbi Azriel Auerbach. His children are:
* Chana Steinman (died 2014 (5774)) – married to Rabbi Shraga Noach Steinman, head of Kehillas Yaakov Yeshiva and member of the Council of Torah Sages, son of Aharon Yehuda Leib Steinman.
* Rebbetzin Leah Kolodetzky – married to Rabbi Yitzchak, Magid Meisharim, and receives visitors following her mother's tradition.
* Rabbi Avraham Yeshayahu – editor of his grandfather the Steipler's writings, ''Karyana d'Iggarta'' and several of his father's books. He co-authored ''Mussar Av'' on the laws of the rebellious son (Ben Sorer U’Moreh). Served as the head of Yeshivat ''Sfat Hayam'' for Baal Teshuvas.
* Ruth – married to Yehoshua Tsivion. Authored the book ''Beit Imi'' about her mother.
* Rabbi Shlomo – head of Tiferet Tzion Yeshiva and Kiryat Melech Yeshiva.
* Bracha – married to Rabbi Zelig Berverman, head of Sadigura (Hasidic dynasty), Sadigura Yeshivas, ''Derech Emuna – Lod,'' and ''Netivot Yitzchak,'' and editor of his father-in-law's commentary on Jerusalem Talmud and Masechet Kallah.
* Dina – married to Rabbi Elazar David Epstein, a Rosh Mesivta in Torah B’Tifarta Yeshiva and author of ''Mishnat HaShabbat'' and ''Shechitat Chullin''.
* Rabbi Yitzchak Shaul (Shuki) – son-in-law of Rabbi Binyamin Beinush Korlansky (son-in-law of Rabbi Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz), studied with his father and authored parts of his letters. He is the chief editor of ''Daat Nota,'' which contains his father's responses according to the order of the Shulchan Aruch. Author of ''Bar Gibul'' and ''Ohel Arai,'' and editor of ''Siach Emunah,'' a commentary compiled from his father's teachings on the laws of Shemitta. His son, Yaakov Yisrael (Yanky), managed entry to Kanievsky and served as a liaison between him and political and other figures.

His works

On the Rambam

* ''Derech Emunah'' – a work styled after the ''Mishnah Berurah'' on Seder Zeraim from the Mishneh Torah by Rambam, 5 volumes.
* ''Derech Chochmah'' – a book modeled after the ''Mishnah Berurah'' on the laws of the Beit HaMikdash and its vessels from Sefer Avodah in the Mishneh Torah.
* ''Shekel HaKodesh'' – commentary on the laws of Shekalim and the laws of Kiddush HaChodesh in the Mishneh Torah.
* ''BeSha’ar HaMelech'' – discussions and annotations on the Rambam's introduction to the Mishneh Torah, printed in ''Siach HaSadeh,'' part one.
* ''Kiryat Melech'' – source annotations on the Mishneh Torah.

Mishnah

* ''Shaarei Emunah'' – insights and innovations on the Mishnah in Seder Zeraim.

Tanakh

* ''Ta’ama D’Kra'' – innovations on the Tanakh

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