Chaim (Halevi) Soloveitchik (
Yiddish
Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...
: חיים סאָלאָווייטשיק, ), also known as 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 t ...
and
Talmud
The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...
ic scholar credited as the founder of the
Brisker method of Talmudic study within
Judaism
Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...
. He was also a member of the
Soloveitchik dynasty, the son of
Yosef Dov Soloveitchik.
He is also known as the Gra"ch (
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...
: גר״ח), an abbreviation of "HaGaon Reb Chaim."
Biography
Soloveitchik was born in
Volozhin
Valozhyn or Volozhin (, ; ; ; ; ) is a town in Minsk Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Valozhyn District. It is located northwest of the capital Minsk, on the Valozhynka River in the Neman, Neman River basin, and the begi ...
on March 25, 1853, where his father, Rabbi
Yosef Dov Soloveitchik was a lecturer in the
Volozhiner Yeshiva. The family moved away from Volozhin,
and after a few years his father was appointed as a rabbi in
Slutsk
Slutsk is a town in Minsk Region, in central Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Slutsk District, and is located on the Sluch (Belarus), Sluch River south of the capital Minsk. As of 2025, it has a population of 59,450.
Geography ...
, where Chaim was first educated.
He joined the faculty of the Volozhiner Yeshiva in 1880, and later became assistant rosh yeshiva
for a short time, until the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
forced the yeshiva to close, when he moved to
Brisk, Belarus and succeeded his father as the rabbi there.
He died on July 30, 1918 after seeking medical treatment in
Warsaw
Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
and was buried in the
Jewish Cemetery
A Jewish cemetery ( ''beit almin'' or ''beit kvarot'') is a cemetery where Jews are buried in keeping with Halakha, Jewish tradition. Cemeteries are referred to in several different ways in Hebrew, including ''beit kevarot'' (house of s ...
there.
Works
He is considered the founder of the "
Brisker method" (in
Yiddish
Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...
: ''Brisker derech''; ), a method of highly exacting and analytical Talmudical study that focuses on precise definition/s and categorization/s of
Jewish law
''Halakha'' ( ; , ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws that are derived from the Written and Oral Torah. ''Halakha'' is based on biblical commandments ('' mit ...
as commanded in the
Torah
The Torah ( , "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. The Torah is also known as the Pentateuch () ...
. His works would have particular emphasis on the legal writings of
Maimonides
Moses ben Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (, ) and also referred to by the Hebrew acronym Rambam (), was a Sephardic rabbi and Jewish philosophy, philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah schola ...
.
Soloveitchik's primary work was ''
Chiddushei Rabbeinu Chaim'', a volume of insights on Maimonides' ''
Mishneh Torah
The ''Mishneh Torah'' (), also known as ''Sefer Yad ha-Hazaka'' (), is a code of Rabbinic Jewish religious law (''halakha'') authored by Maimonides (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon/Rambam). The ''Mishneh Torah'' was compiled between 1170 and 1180 CE ( ...
'' 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 () is a Haredi Judaism, Haredi religious List of political parties in Israel, political party in Israel. Founded in 1984 by Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, a former Israeli Sephardic Jews, Sephardi chief rabbi, who remained its spiritual leader until ...
''. This book is known as "Reb Chaim's stencils" and contains analytical insights into Talmudic topics.
Views
Soloveitchik worked with
Sholom Dovber Schneersohn, the fifth
rebbe
A Rebbe () or Admor () 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 Spirituality (Audio)''. UCTV, 20 Oct 2011. web. ...
of the
hasidic dynasty
A Hasidic dynasty or Chassidic dynasty is a dynasty led by Hasidic Jewish spiritual leaders known as rebbes, and usually has some or all of the following characteristics:
* Each leader of the dynasty is referred to as an ''ADMOR'' (abbreviation ...
of
Lubavitch, in counteracting antisemitic decrees by the czarist regime.
He expanded the definition of who represented
Amalek, claiming that all who sought to destroy the Jewish people were ideological descendants 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
rom
Rom, or ROM may refer to:
Biomechanics and medicine
* Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient
* Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac
* ...
Brisk").
He married the daughter of
Refael Shapiro, who was also the granddaughter of Berlin.
Reb Chaim had four children, R. Yisrael Gershon, R. Moshe, Sara (Glickson), and R.
Yitchak Zev (also known as Rabbi Velvel Soloveitchik). R. Moshe moved to the United States and subsequently served as a ''
rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva or Rosh Hayeshiva (, plural, pl. , '; 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, primarily the Talmud and th ...
'' 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). R. Yitzchak Zev moved to
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
and his sons led prominent yeshivas.
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
Volozhin Yeshiva alumni