Avigdor Miller

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Rabbi Avigdor Miller

Rabbi Avigdor Miller (1908-2001) was known as a profound American thinker and lecturer of Orthodox Judaism. He served as a communal rabbi and Mashgiach ruchani for many years.

1 Biography
2 Death
- 2.1 Funeral
3 Bibliography
4 Footnotes
5 References

[edit] Biography

Born in Baltimore, Rabbi Miller was taught by Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Herman, a Torah pioneer in America in the early 1900s. Around the same time, Rabbi Herman also taught Rabbi Nosson Wachtfogel, the future Mashgiach of the Lakewood yeshiva), and Rabbi Boruch Kaplan, who later founded the Bais Yaakov school system in America. Rabbi Moshe Bick, known as the "Mezubesher Rav," who arrived in the United States in 1927, was another of Rabbi Miller's early study partners. Rabbi Miller's deep and energetic studying style had a powerful influence on Rabbi Mordechai Gifter, who later became Rosh yeshiva at Telshe in Cleveland). Rabbi Miller attended and graduated from Yeshiva College and RIETS, attaining a B.A. and rabbinical ordination, respectively.

[edit] Slabodka yeshiva

In 1932, at the age of 24, Rabbi Miller traveled to Europe to study at the famous yeshiva in Slabodka, Lithuania. There, he learned under Rabbi Chaim Yitzchok Isaac Sher, son-in-law of Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel. While there, Rabbi Shulman of Slabodka, son-in-law of Rabbi Sher, introduced Rabbi Miller to Ettel Lessin, daughter of Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Lessin of Slabodka. The two married in 1935.

[edit] Chelsea, Massachusetts

In 1938, partly due to the escalating instability in Continental Europe, Rabbi Miller sought to return to the United States with his wife and two children. Fortunately, the American consul in Kovno at the time was a Baltimore acquaintance of Rabbi Miller's, a public high-school classmate, who speedily arranged his passage.

Upon his return, Rabbi Miller became the rabbi of a synagogue in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Initially, the community was taken aback by Rabbi Miller's audacious and intense volume of Torah presentations, attempting to restrain his unconventional approach. However, within a few years the community had radically changed their minds, and indeed beseeched Rabbi Miller to stay longer.

[edit] Mesivta Chaim Berlin

In 1944, Rabbi Yitzchok Hutner, founder and Rosh yeshiva of Mesivta Rabbi Chaim Berlin, persuaded Rabbi Miller to become its Mashgiach, where he served until 1964. In 1945, Rabbi Miller also assumed the pulpit of the Young Israel of Rugby in Brooklyn, New York City. In 1975, with neighborhood demographics changing, Rabbi Miller established the "Bais Yisroel of Rugby Torah Center" on Ocean Parkway in Flatbush, which served as his main vehicle of Torah dissemination until his death.

[edit] Yeshiva Gedola Bais Yisroel

In 1986, Rabbi Shmuel Miller, Rabbi Avigdor's son, launched Yeshiva Gedola Beis Yisroel in Flatbush, where his father served as Mashgiach and Rosh yeshiva. Rabbi Avigdor was also a revered and honored lecturer at many yeshivas and Beis Yaakov schools throughout the years, cherished and privileged by his students.

[edit] Character and personality

Rabbi Miller was a master orator, having superb command of the English language. His personal magnetism drew students, young and old, from all Jewish backgrounds.

Rabbi Miller also trained himself to physically demand very little. For more than sixty years, he slept on a board. As a student in Slabodka, he wore a coat during the summer to conceal the multitude of overlapping patches that were his trousers.

Though having attended public school at a time when there were no formal yeshivas in Baltimore, he only spoke Yiddish at home, never speaking in English to his family.

Over a span of 50 years, Rabbi Miller produced over 2,500 tapes in English, as well as several in Yiddish. He gave most of his lectures in his modest synagogue in Flatbush, dealing with Torah education and self-help, of which several hundred thousand copies were sold. His tapes remain available for purchase through the Yeshiva he established, and at many Jewish book stores, and can be found in many Jewish tape libraries. Rabbi Miller was also the author of several books about Jewish history, Jewish thought, creationism, and other subjects. His tapes remain very popular after his death.

Rabbi Miller was also a staunch opponent of Zionism, in both its religious and secular forms.

[edit] Quotes

Rabbi Miller has been noted for his ability to summarize great ideas into easily digestible soundbites. He once memorably said, "Learning Mussar teaches one how to live, but learning Bava Kamma is living."

[edit] Death

Rabbi Miller was taken to Maimonides Medical Center during Chol HaMoed of Pesach 2001. Though his physical health was deteriorating, his mental acuity remained intact until the end. Rabbi Miller died on Friday morning, April 20, 2001.

[edit] Funeral

At a memorial service the following Sunday, Rabbi Miller was eulogized by Rabbi Yosef Rosenblum, the Rosh yeshiva of Shaarei Yosher; Rabbi Shmuel Berenbaum, Rosh yeshiva of Mir and Rabbi Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg, Rosh yeshiva of Torah Ore, who happened to be in America on a visit from Jerusalem. His son-in-law Rabbi Shmuel Brog and son Rabbi Shmuel also eulogized.

Rabbi Yaakov Perlow, the Novominsker Rebbe, head of Agudath Israel and a pupil, remembered Rabbi Miller’s first days as Mashgiach at Mesivta Rabbi Chaim Berlin. Rabbi Simcha Bunim Cohen, a grandson of Rabbi Miller, noted that Rabbi Miller's descendants married into the esteemed families of Torah scholars such as Rabbi Shmuel Ehrenfeld, the "Mattesdorfer Rav"; Rabbi Reuven Grozovsky; Rabbi Aaron Kotler and Rabbi Baruch Sorotzkin, Rosh yeshiva of Telshe. An estimated 30,000 people attended Rabbi Miller's funeral ^[1].

Rabbi Miller was taken to Israel, where a funeral was held at the Mirrer Yeshiva in Jerusalem where a crowd of 25,000 people attended. He was eulogized by Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel, the Mirrer Rosh yeshiva, and others. Rabbi Mattisyahu Solomon was in Israel at the time and he also delivered a moving eulogy. Rabbi Miller was buried on the Mount of Olives in chelka Tashach.

Rabbi Miller was survived by his wife Ettel, his sons Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Shmuel, and his daughters Shainey, wife of Rabbi Shmuel Elchanan Brog; Libby, wife of Rabbi Yeruchem Leshinsky; and Devora, wife of Rabbi Herschel Kanarek, Rosh yeshiva in Peekskill.

After his death, his followers in Williamsburg, Brooklyn founded a synagogue in his name - נטעי אביגדור "Nitei Avigdor", which included a tape library. The founder and Rabbi of the shul is Rabbi Avrohom Shlomo Yabo, a close student of Rabbi Miller's, who also gives lectures based on Rabbi Miller's teachings.