Yosef Dov Soloveitchik (Beis Halevi)

For Yosef Dov Soleveitchik (1903-1993), see Joseph B. Soloveitchik
For Yosef Dov Soleveitchik (1915–1981), see Berel Soloveitchik
Rabbi
Yosef Dov Soloveitchik
Personal life
Born1820
Nesvizh, Minsk Governorate, Russian Empire
Died1 May 1892(1892-05-01) (aged 71–72)
Brest-Litovsk, Grodno Governorate, Russian Empire
ChildrenChaim Soloveitchik
Religious life
ReligionJudaism
DenominationOrthodox Judaism

Yosef Dov[a] Soloveitchik (born 1820 in Nesvizh, Minsk Governorate, Russian Empire; died 1 May 1892 in Brest-Litovsk, Grodno Governorate, Russian Empire) was the author of Beis Halevi, by which name he is better known among Talmudic scholars. He was the great-grandson of Chaim Volozhin.[1]

Early years

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Yosef Dov Soloveitchik was born to Rivka, a granddaughter of Chaim Volozhin. His father was Yitschok Ze'ev, descendant of Simcha Rappaport.[2]

In his youth, Soloveitchik lived in Brod. One anecdote illustrates his early mastery of rabbinic learning. Shlomo Kluger, the rabbi of Brod, enjoyed engaging in Talmud studies with him. When Soloveitchik was about to leave Brod, Kluger is reputed to have said to him, "You have always resolved my kushyos (difficult Talmudic questions). But I have one difficulty you cannot resolve. How will I manage to part from you?"

Rosh yeshiva

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Soloveitchik was reputed to have one of the great minds of his time. In 1854, he was considered a candidate for rosh yeshiva of Volozhin yeshiva, over Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin (the Netziv). Ultimately, Berlin would be selected for the position,[3] with Soloveitchik becoming his assistant. Together, they led the yeshiva until 1865.[4][5]

Rabbinate

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In 1865, Soloveitchik became rabbi of Slutsk.[5] After assuming this position, he went to visit the cheder classes where the young boys received their education. When he observed the impoverished state of many children, he arranged for lunches to be served there, paid for by the community. His son, Chaim Soloveitchik, once said that while he himself responded to peoples’ needs, his father went further and discovered on his own what their needs were. His pupils in Slutsk included Joseph Rosen, later to gain fame as "the Rogatchover Gaon", and Zalman Sender Shapiro.

In 1877, Soloveitchik was overcome by a deep depression because of the incarceration of his highly revered and beloved mentor, Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Diskin, on false charges by the antisemitic authorities.[6]

He was a fierce opponent of the Maskilim, as a result of which he left Slutsk in 1874. He then moved to Warsaw where he lived in poverty. When the rabbi of Brisk, Yehoshua Leib Diskin left for the Land of Israel in 1877, Soloveitchik was offered the rabbinate of Brisk.[5][7] He continued to hold that position until his death in 1892, when he was succeeded by his son Chaim Soloveitchik. He is buried in Brest, Belarus.

Works

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Soloveitchik composed works on Jewish law (responsa) called Shu"t Beis Halevi, as well as a commentary on the first book and part of the second book of the Bible (Beis Halevi al Hatorah).[7]

Family tree

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Soloveitchik was the great-grandfather of the eponymous Joseph B. Soloveitchik and another descendant, Berel Soloveitchik who moved to Israel, both of whom are also known as "Yosef Dov Soloveitchik."

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Russian Jewish Encyclopedia
  2. ^ Pascal Massry, Sarah (September 27, 2012). "Her Father's Legacy". Ami Living (88): 47.
  3. ^ "Legendary Court Case: Who Would Lead The Volozhin Yeshiva?". jewishhistory.org. 2012-01-04. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  4. ^ "Valozhyn, Belarus (Pages 202-229)". jewishgen.org. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  5. ^ a b c Wolkenfeld, David. "Rabbi Hayyim Soloveitchik of Brisk". sefaria.org. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  6. ^ "'Gedolim' are human". 10 June 2016.
  7. ^ a b Schloss, Chaim (2002). 2000 Years of Jewish History: From the Destruction of the Second Bais Hamikdash Until the Twentieth Century. Feldheim Publishers. ISBN 978-1-58330-214-9.
  1. ^ Soleveitchik signed his own name "יוסף דובער", a common portmanteau of Dov and its Yiddish equivalent.
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