Elchonon Wasserman
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Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman (1875-1941) (Hebrew: אלחנן וסרמן) was a prominent Rabbi and Rosh Yeshiva in pre-World War II Europe. He was one of the Chofetz Chaim's closest disciples and a Torah scholar of note, and well known for being a strong opponent of all forms of Zionism.
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[edit] Biography
Rabbi Wasserman was born in Birz, Lithuania. He studied in the Telshe Yeshiva in Telz, Poland under Rabbi Eliezer Gordon and Rabbi Shimon Shkop and also at Volozhin. Thereafter, he studied under Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik in Brisk.
He was appointed head of the Yeshiva of Amtshilov, where he won a reputation as an outstanding teacher. In 1907, after his marriage, he studied in the Kollel Kodshim in Radin, Russia, headed by the Chofetz Chaim. In 1910 he was appointed Rabbi of Brisk (now in Belarus), but during World War I returned to Radin.
The yeshiva moved to Smilovichi and Rabbi Wasserman was appointed its Rosh Yeshiva. After the War, he moved to Baranowicze, Poland (now in Belarus) where he founded a yeshiva which became one of the most famous in Europe. He was one of the leaders of the Agudath Israel movement and was regarded as the spiritual successor of the Chofetz Chaim.
Rabbi Wasserman had several sons. Rabbi Simcha Wasserman served as Dean of Yeshiva Beth Yehudah in Detroit in the 1940's, founded Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon in California in the 1950's, and later founded Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon in Jerusalem. Rabbi Wasserman's other sons were Naftoli and Dovid.
When World War II broke out Rabbi Wasserman fled to Vilna, Lithuania, and in 1941, while on a visit to Kovno, was arrested by the Nazis with 12 other rabbis and sent to his death.
[edit] Death
Rabbi Elchonon was taken and murdered by the Lithuanians on the 12th of Tammuz, 1941. Before he was taken he gave this statement: "In Heaven it appears that they deem us to be righteous because our bodies have been chosen to atone for the Jewish people. Therefore, we must repent now, immediately. There is not much time. We must keep in mind that we will be better offerings if we repent. In this way we will save the lives of our brethren overseas."
"Let no thought enter our minds, God forbid, which is abominable and which renders an offering unfit. We are now fulfilling the greatest mitzvah. With fire she (Jerusalem) was destroyed and with fire she will be rebuilt. The very fire which consumes our bodies will one day rebuild the Jewish people."
[edit] Works
Rabbi Wasserman was famous for his clear, penetrating Talmudic analysis. His popular works include Kovetz Heoros, Kovetz Shiurim, and Kovetz Maamarim. These works are required learning in yeshivos around the world.
He also wrote Ikvasa di-Meshicha and published the responsa of the Rashba with annotations in 1932. His talmudic novellae appeared in the rabbinic journal Sha'arei Tzion (1929–34) and in other publications.
After the 1929 Hebron massacre, Rabbi Wasserman wrote an analysis in which he blames the Zionists for being responsible for the murder of 66 unarmed yeshiva students by Arab mobs. [1]
