Shlomo Zalman Auerbach

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Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach

Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (July 20, 1910 - February 20, 1995) (Hebrew: שלמה זלמן אוירבך), was a renowned Rabbi, Posek and Rosh Yeshiva of the Kol Torah yeshiva in Israel.

He was born in the Sha'arei Chessed neighborhood of Jerusalem founded by his maternal grandfather, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Porush after whom he was named. He studied at the Eitz Chaim Yeshiva in Jerusalem and then, following his marriage, at Kollel Kerem Tzion about the Halachos (Jewish laws) of Eretz Yisrael. He studied there under Rabbi Zvi Pesach Frank.

By the age of eleven, he knew all of Tractate Kiddushin by heart. His first major published work was Me'orei Esh, the first work ever written about the use of electricity on Shabbat. The work was endorsed by Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski who read it and declared: Or chadash al Tziyon ta'ir - "A new light will shine on Tziyon." (This is a quote from the daily morning prayer.)

He had a close association with Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski, as well as the Chazon Ish and Rabbi Elazar Menachem Shach, the two iconic and preeminent leaders of Haredi Judaism of the the first and middle segments of the 20th century. He became the pre-eminent Halachic decisor of his time in Israel, respected by all streams of Orthodox Judaism. He was unique in his approach to Halacha through thought experiments.

Renowned for his lucid classes as Rosh Yeshiva, his thousands of students continue to influence the Torah world today. An estimated 300,000 - 500,000 people attended his funeral in 1995.

[edit] Works

Sefarim authored by Rabbi Auerbach include:

Meorei Eish, a pioneering work concerning electricity in halacha (1935)
Ma'adnei Eretz, a two-volume book regarding agricultural halacha (1946)
Minchas Shlomo (responsa), first volume (1986), second volume (2003)
Minchas Shlomo, a commentary on the Talmud

He also authored a commentary on Shev Shematsa, which itself is a work of novellae on the Talmud by Rabbi Aryeh Leib Heller.

Many of Rabbi Auerbach's students have written their own works, but primarily based on his halachic decisions. They include: Shulchan Shlomo, Nishmat Avraham (on medical issues), Halichot Shlomo, and Shemiras Shabbos KeHilchasah (on the laws of Shabbos).

[edit] Children

Rabbi Auerbach had seven sons and several daughters. Among his children are:

Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach is a leading authority of the Degel HaTorah political party (see Hebrew article)
Rabbi Ezriel Auerbach is a son-in-law of Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv
Rabbi Mordechai Auerbach is the pulpit Rabbi of Avir Ya'akov in Tel Aviv
Rabbi Avraham Auerbach is a Rabbi in Tiberias
Rabbi Meir Simcha Auerbach is a posek and Rosh Yeshiva in Betar Illit
Rabbi Ya'akov Auerbach is a Rabbi in Beit Shemesh
Rabbi Baruch Auerbach published the complete works of Rabbi Yom Tov Algazi in 1999.
- Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg is a leading posek in Israel and is the son-in-law of Rav Shlomo Zalman (see Hebrew article)