Menachem Mendel Yosef Zaks ( he, מענדיל זאקס; 1898–1974) (commonly known as Rabbi Mendel Zaks) was an

Orthodox Jewish Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as revealed by God to Moses ...

rabbi in Belarus and the United States, best known for being the ''

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 the

Raduń Yeshiva The Radin Yeshiva, originally located in Radun, Vilna Governorate, Russian Empire (now in Belarus), was established by Rabbi Israel Meir Kagan (known as the ''Chofetz Chaim'' after the title of his well-known '' sefer'') in 1869. Because of its f ...

and being the son-in-law to

Yisrael Meir Kagan Rabbi Yisrael Meir ha-Kohen Kagan (January 26, 1838 – September 15, 1933), known popularly as the Chofetz Chaim, after his book on lashon hara, who was also well known for the Mishna Berurah, his book on ritual law, was an influential Lit ...

, the ''Chofetz Chaim''.

Early life

Zaks was born in Siluva. Before joining the yeshiva in Radun, he studied in the

Yeshiva Knesses Beis Yitzchok Yeshivas Knesses Beis Yitzchak was an Orthodox Jewish yeshiva, founded in Vilijampolė, Slabodka on the outskirts of Kaunas, Lithuania (then ruled by the Russian Empire), in 1897. The yeshiva later moved to Kamyenyets, then part of Second Polis ...

(while it was still in Slabodka, before it moved to Kaminetz). He was forced to leave Radun during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

and then studied under Reuven Dov Dessler. He also studied under

Meir Simcha of Dvinsk Meir Simcha of Dvinsk (1843–1926) was a rabbi and prominent leader of Orthodox Judaism in Eastern Europe in the early 20th century. He was a kohen, and is therefore often referred to as ''Meir Simcha ha-Kohen'' ("Meir Simcha the Kohen"). He is k ...

whose ''Meshech Chochmah'' he had helped print. After the war, Zaks returned to Radun where he studied with his future father-in-law. In 1922, he married Faiga Chaya, Kagan's youngest daughter (who was 64 at the time of her birth). By doing so, he joined Kagan as leader of the yeshiva and in all other communal affairs. Zaks was immediately recognized for his teaching and leadership abilities. His vast knowledge of Talmudic Law, coupled with a photographic memory and unending hours spent with his students attracted even more students to the Radin Yeshiva at that time. In 1925, Zaks incorporated the Yeshiva in the United States in an effort to raise money there for the operation of the Yeshiva and its charities.

Teaching career

Upon the death of Naftoli Trop in 1928, Zaks was appointed Rosh Yeshiva in the yeshiva in Radun,

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is divided into Voivodeships of Poland, sixteen voivodeships and is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union (EU), with over 38 mill ...

. The outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

forced the yeshiva to transfer to

Vilna Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional ur ...

, and eventually Zaks re-established the yeshiva in 1943 at

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

. In 1941 he moved to New York. In 1946, he accepted the position of rosh yeshiva and bochen (examiner) at

Yeshiva University Yeshiva University is a private Orthodox Jewish university with four campuses in New York City."About YU
on the Yeshiva Universi ...

Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS ) is the rabbinical seminary of Yeshiva University (YU). It is located along Amsterdam Avenue in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. Named after Yitzchak Elchanan ...

. Legend has it that Zaks edited the final version of the '' Mishnah Berurah'' in his office (currently occupied by Dr. Seth Taylor) in the MTA building. Following his retirement, he died in

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

in 1974. Zaks had an extraordinary memory, a pure mind, and was an expert in the Talmud and its commentaries. His sons Gershon Zaks and Hillel Zaks (rabbi in Kiryat Sefer and Rosh Yeshiva in Yeshivas Knesses Hagedolah) died in 1989 and 2015, respectively. His daughter, Rivka Wiesenfeld, died in 2008.

References

External links

Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim (Rabbi Zaks' Yeshiva)A Picture of Reb Mendel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zaks, Mendel Lithuanian Orthodox rabbis American Orthodox rabbis Yeshiva University rosh yeshivas 1898 births 1974 deaths People from Raseiniai District Municipality 20th-century Lithuanian rabbis