Yosef Sholom Eliashiv

Rabbi Yosef Sholom Elyashiv (יוסף שלום אלישיב) (born April 19, 1910) is a Haredi rabbi and "posek" (arbiter of Jewish law) who lives in Jerusalem, Israel.

Presently well into his nineties, he is active and remains the paramount leader of Israel's Lithuanian non-Hasidic Haredi Ashkenazi Jews (sometimes called by the old label of "misnagdim") who regard him as the "posek ha-dor" (Hebrew: "the generation's decisor"), the contemporary leading authority on halakha, or Jewish law.

Family

He is a grandson of the noted kabbalist Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv (the "Leshem") (1841-1925) from Šiauliai, Lithuania. His father was the noted Rabbi Avraham of Homel. His mother was Chaya Moussa Elyashiv, daughter of the "Leshem". His late wife (died June 19, 1994) was the daughter of Rabbi Aryeh Levin. Six of his daughters married significant rabbinic figures:

* Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, an important "posek" who lives in Bnei Brak, Israel.
* Rabbi Yosef Yisroel Yisraelzon, head of the "Bar Shaul" kolel in Rehovot.
* Rabbi Elchonon Berlin, rov of the "Achva" shul
* Rabbi Yitzchok Zilberstein, the Chief Rabbi of Ramat Elchanan and the rabbi of the Mayenei HaYshua Hospital in Bnei Brak. Rabbi Zilberstein's wife has died, and he has since remarried.
* Rabbi Ezriel Auerbach, the son of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach.
* Rabbi Binyomin Rimer, a rosh yeshiva at the Tshebiner Yeshiva in Jerusalem.A seventh daughter was killed in 1948 by Jordanian shelling.

Work and Influence

Rabbi Elyashiv is presently the spiritual leader of the Degel HaTorah (Flag of the Torah) party which has representatives in the Knesset (Israel's parliament). He holds great influence over the policies of the party, currently part of the umbrella United Torah Judaism list in the Knesset. Degel HaTorah abides by all his rulings and instructions.

Most rosh yeshivas ("yeshiva deans") associated with the Agudath Israel of America movement actively and frequently seek out his opinions and follow his advice and guidelines concerning a wide array of policy and communal issues affecting the welfare of Orthodox Judaism.

Among many Torah scholars, he is also regarded as a Kabbalist, but this aspect of his work is almost never publicly revealed.

Despite his exceptional scholarship and influence, Eliashiv holds no official title, neither as head of a congregation, yeshiva, or particular community.

Rabbi Elyashiv spends most of his days engaged in deep Talmudical study, and delivers advanced lectures in Talmud and Shulkhan Arukh at a local synagogue in the Meah Shearim area in Jerusalem where he lives, and receives supplicants from all over the world, answering multitudes of complex Halakhic inquiries.

Relationship with the Israeli Rabbinate

In an earlier stage in his life, Rabbi Eliashiv served for many years as a dayan (rabbinical judge) in the Israeli Chief Rabbinate, achieving a position on its Supreme Rabbinical Court. His involvement stood out, as most of the Haredi establishment - including its then leader, Rabbi Elazar Shach - urged their community to avoid becoming government dayanim.

In 1972, the election of Rabbi Shlomo Goren to the position of Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel led Rabbi Eliashiv to resign from the Rabbinate. Rabbi Goren had previously served as Chief Chaplain of the Israel Defense Force and was a revered figure in Dati Leumi (Religious Zionist) circles. The two rabbis had several Halakhic diasagreements and a protracted falling-out. Their disputes were both philosophical and legal, often surrounding high profile Halakhic cases involving mamzerim (illegitimate births) and agunot (wives denied divorce by their husbands). Rabbi Eliashiv felt that Rabbi Goren was far too willing to rule leniently in such cases and refused to serve under his authority.

Since his resignation, he has abstained from positions affiliated with the government. At the same time, however, he holds great sway over Haredi members of the Rabbinate and is often linked to attempts to increase Haredi influence therein. Modern Orthodox and Dati Leumi (Religious Zionist) critics accuse him of seeking to "Haredize" the Rabbinate and of attempting to purposely lessen its prestige. It is widely reported that Israel's most recent Chief Rabbis, themselves subject to great critique, were appointed because of Rabbi Eliashiv's personal recommendation.

Published Works

The Halakhic rulings and sermonic insights of Rabbi Eliashiv have been recorded in several books. The multi-volume "Kovetz Teshuvos" contains responsa resulting from questions asked of him over many years. Many of his ethical and sermonic comments on the Torah, most dating from the 1950s, were collected and published as "Divrei Aggadah." A Haggadah for Pesach including Rabbi Eliashiv's comments and Halachic rulings was recently printed. Another work that includes his Halakhic rulings is titled "Yashiv Moshe." These works were compiled by relatives and students of Rabbi Eliashiv and the accuracy of "Yashiv Moshe" has come under some attack.

Rulings and Legal Reputation

Rabbi Eliashiv's rulings span the entire gamut of Jewish law and are constantly sought by both rabbis and laymen. As his age and position has advanced, his rulings have merited greater and greater esteem, to the point of oft being considered Daas Torah. Within much of the Ashkenazi Haredi world the strength of his rulings are sometimes compared to Rabbis Moshe Feinstein and Shlomo Zalman Auerbach.

Unlike those predecessors, however, Rabbi Eliashiv's rulings are accepted with less standing in Modern Orthodox, Dati Leumi, and even some American Haredi circles.

Also unlike those predecessors, he is not widely known for any groundbreaking kulot (lenient positions).

Due to his position as a major posek, he has been involved in several minor Halakhic controversies. A notable example is his ban on the use of hair procured from Hindu religious ceremonies. (Many observant Jewish woman wear the hair in wigs known as "sheitels".)ref|2 He also is known for a ban on using human organs unethically obtained from China.

ee also

*Posek
*Daas Torah
*Halakha
*Steven Greenberg (rabbi) for R. Eliashiv's brief statement regarding homosexuality and Judaism.

Footnotes

* Moshe Schapiro. "Halachic Ruling Redefines Role of Kiruv Work in Eretz Yisroel". Dei'ah veDibur, April 21, 1999 ( [http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/archives5759/ach_ked/AKruling.htm article] ).
* Yosef Shalom Eliashiv. "Letter from HaRav Eliashiv". Dei'ah veDibur, June 2, 2002 [http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/archives5764/BHL64asheitel1.htm]

External links

* [http://www.ijn.com/archive/2002%20arch/011102.htm#story1 Description of Eliashiv's morning minyan and routine.]
* [http://www.ijn.com/archive/2005%20arch/031805.htm#story3 A short description of listening to one of Eliashiv's lectures]
* [http://www.toldot.ru/gallery/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=38&pos=2 Picture of Rabbi Eliashiv with Rabbis Yitzchok and Ben Tzion Zilber]