- Yaakov Kamenetsky
Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetsky (
February 28 ,1891 -March 10 ,1986 ), was a prominentrosh yeshiva , "posek " andTalmudist in the post-World War II American Jewish community.He was born in the hamlet of Kalushkove,
Lithuania , in 1891. Shortly afterwards his family moved to the village of Dolhinov where he grew up. He studied inMinsk and then for 21 years inSlabodka yeshiva under Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel. It was there that he met his lifelong friend RabbiAharon Kotler , who would go on to found theLakewood yeshiva . His younger cousin, RabbiYaakov Yitzchak Ruderman , also grew up in Dolhinov.While studying in Slabodka, Rabbi Kaminetsky decided he wanted to spend a period in the Kelm Talmud Torah, famous for its focus on task and ability to avoid distraction. However, he knew that if he asked Rabbi Finkel directly he would be refused. Therefore, one day he took a round-about path to the outhouse instead of the direct one he always used. Rabbi Finkel called him over and sent him to Kelm to learn discipline. [Heard from Rabbi Kamenetsky's son-in-law.]
Rabbi Kamenetsky was appointed rabbi of Tzitavyan in 1926 and moved to North America in 1937, where he initially took rabbinical positions in Seattle and then
Toronto . From 1948 to 1968 he headedMesivta Torah Vodaath inBrooklyn , New York. Along with RabbiMoshe Feinstein , he led American Jewry in issues of halachic and spiritual guidance until 1986, when both men died.Rabbi Kamenetsky was renowned as "Chakima D'Yehudai", the wise man of the Jews. Aside from his extensive
Torah scholarship, he was known for his ever-present warm smile and his expertise in Hebrew grammar. Today, his son RabbiShmuel Kamenetsky is one of the leading Orthodox rabbis in America. Dozens of his descendants serve in key leadership positions across North America and in Israel.Works
*Emes leYaakov ("Truth to Jacob") - a multi-volume work with insightful commentary on the Torah and Talmud, including grammatical observations on the Hebrew of the Bible (
dikduk ).
*Iyunim BaMikra - a commentary onHumash References
cite book
last = Rosenblum
first =Yonason
title = Reb Yaakov
publisher = Mesorah Publications
date = 1993
location = Brooklyn, NY
isbn= 0-89906-413-2External links
* [http://ishimshitos.blogspot.com/2007/12/truth-of-yaakov-towards-intellectual.html Intellectual profile of R' Yaakov]
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