Nachman Shlomo Greenspan

Nachman Shlomo Greenspan

Rabbi Nachman Shlomo Greenspan (1878–August 1961) was an outstanding Talmudic scholar, renowned rosh yeshiva of Etz Chaim in London and a brilliant and erudite author, penning a number of Torah works.

Early years

Greenspan was born in the village of Lyakhovichi, then part of Poland, where his father Yaakov Moshe was engaged in commerce. There he gained a reputation for his vast Talmudic knowledge and expertise while still in early youth.

He studied under the greatest rabbis of his generation, including such legendary figures as the Sfas Emes, Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk and the Ridvaz, as well as learning under and with the Avnei Nezer; Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik; the Rogatchover Gaon; the Chofetz Chaim; and Rabbi Aharon Kotler, all world-renowned rabbinic luminaries. Rabbi Greenspan obtained semicha at the young age of eighteen, indicative of his acceptance into the highest circles of rabbinic scholarship due to his tremendous knowledge and ability.

Britain

Upon the outbreak of World War I, Rabbi Greenspan fled to Britain via Belgium with his children. His wife Beila returned to Warsaw to look after the family's restaurant business. Initially he was Rosh Yeshiva in Liverpool and later moved to Leeds to take up the position of Rosh Yeshiva there. He finally moved to the East End of London, where he assumed leadership of the Etz Chaim yeshiva. Rabbi Greenspan remained at Etz Chaim for the rest of his life, where he produced many hundreds of learned students and pupils alongside distinguished colleagues such as Rabbis Elya Lopian, Leib Gurwicz and Nosson Ordman. Among his more well-known students were future Chief Rabbi Lord Immanuel Jakobovits, Dayan Pinchas Toledano, Judge Leonard Gerber and Arnold J. Cohen.

Rabbi Greenspan died at the age of eighty-three, and with his death Europe lost one of its primary and most exceptional Torah scholars. A large number of people attended his funeral, where he was eulogised by Chief Rabbi Israel Brodie, Rabbi Leib Gurwicz, Dayan Grosnass of the London Beth Din and Rabbi Eliezer Lopian, rosh yeshiva of Toras Emes in London.

Writing of Rabbi Greenspan in the Jewish Chronicle, Rabbi Nosson Ordman described his deceased colleague as the "humblest and most well-mannered of men" despite his "scholarship and intellectual" abilities. He noted that Rabbi Greenspan's death was "a great and irreplaceable loss both to the yeshiva and Anglo-Jewry. He was... one of the outstanding... Talmudists of this generation". Rabbi Jakobovits, in deep reveration of Rabbi Greenspan, commented, "he may have been the greatest Torah scholar in England" and also noted his teacher's great modesty and knowledge of secular disciplines [1].

Rabbi Greenspan was survived by his wife, two daughters, son and grandchildren. Although he left many Halachic and Talmudic writings, a large number of his written manuscripts were destroyed in the First World War.

Torah works

  • Kodshei HaGevul (London, 1930)
  • Pilpulah shel Torah (London, 1935)
  • Meleches Machsheves (London, 1955)

Sources of information

  1. ^ Shashar, Michael, Lord Jakobovitz in Conversation, First Edition, Vallenine Mitchell, 2000, ISBN 0-85303-377-3

References

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Roch Yechiva — Rosh yeshiva Rosh yeshiva (ou Roch yechiva) (hébreu: ראש ישיבה, ou araméen ריש מתיבתא, Reish Metivta, « maître de la session ») est le titre donné au doyen d une académie talmudique. Actuellement, le roch yechiva est considéré comme le… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Roch Yechivah — Rosh yeshiva Rosh yeshiva (ou Roch yechiva) (hébreu: ראש ישיבה, ou araméen ריש מתיבתא, Reish Metivta, « maître de la session ») est le titre donné au doyen d une académie talmudique. Actuellement, le roch yechiva est considéré comme le… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Roch yechiva — Rosh yeshiva Rosh yeshiva (ou Roch yechiva) (hébreu: ראש ישיבה, ou araméen ריש מתיבתא, Reish Metivta, « maître de la session ») est le titre donné au doyen d une académie talmudique. Actuellement, le roch yechiva est considéré comme le… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Rosh Yeshiva — (ou Roch yechiva) (hébreu: ראש ישיבה, ou araméen ריש מתיבתא, Reish Metivta, « maître de la session ») est le titre donné au doyen d une académie talmudique. Actuellement, le roch yechiva est considéré comme le maître à penser dans son… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Rosh yeshiva — (ou Roch yechiva) (hébreu: ראש ישיבה, ou araméen ריש מתיבתא, Reish Metivta, « maître de la session ») est le titre donné au doyen d une académie talmudique. Actuellement, le roch yechiva est considéré comme le maître à penser dans son… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Rosh yeshiva — Rosh yeshiva, (pl. Heb. Roshei yeshiva; Yeshivish Rosh yeshivas), (Hebrew: ראש ישיבה‎), is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy (yeshiva). It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh meaning head, and yeshiva a school of religious… …   Wikipedia

  • Elyah Lopian — Eliyohu Lopian (1872 ndash;1970), known as Reb Elyah, was among the most prominent rabbis of the Mussar movement. As a disciple of the Kelm Talmud Torah method, he was known for his strict keeping of order and strong self control. It is told that …   Wikipedia

  • Immanuel Jakobovits, Baron Jakobovits — Infobox Rabbi honorific prefix = name = Immanuel Jakobovits honorific suffix = Baron Jakobovits, KBE, Lambeth DD title = Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth caption = Rabbi Immanuel Jakobovits began = 1966 ended =… …   Wikipedia

  • Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter — Infobox Rebbe title = Gerrer Rebbe caption = term = 1870 – 11 january, 1905 full name =Yehuda (Arye) Leib Alter main work = שפת אמת Sfas Emes predecessor =Chanoch Heynekh of Aleksander successor = Avrohom Mordechai Alter spouse1 =Yocheved Rivka… …   Wikipedia

  • Moses Hyamson — Rabbi Moses Hyamson Rabbi Dr. Moses Hyamson (September 3, 1862 – June 9, 1949) was an Orthodox rabbi, former head Dayan of the London Beth Din and between 1911 and 1913, acting Chief Rabbi of the British Empire. He was renowned as a highly… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”