Yisroel Belsky

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Rabbi Yisroel Belsky is an important posek in the United States, residing in Brooklyn, New York. He is the son of Rabbi Berel and Chana Belsky. His maternal grandfather is Binyomin Wilhelm (the founder of Yeshiva Torah Vodaas, which Berel attended) and who was one of the few American students who attended the Radin yeshiva in Europe ^[1]

Rabbi Belsky received Semicha from Yeshiva Torah Vodaas in 1962, where he currently serves as a Rosh yeshiva, and from Rabbi Moshe Feinstein in 1965.He also studied in Beth Medrash Elyon for a number of years. He also serves as a senior Halachic decisor for the Orthodox Union, a post he has dually filled since 1987.

Although Rabbi Belsky never attended secular college, he is extremely knowledgeable in the sciences (particularly astronomy) and technology. Until recently he was also a teacher of mathematics at the high school division of Torah Vodaas.

Some of his recent legal positions as posek of OU Kashrut, as found on web announcements, include^{[citation needed]}:

1. Allowing genetically modified food.
2. Allowing unfiltered NYC water.
3. Allowing human hair wigs from India.
4. Accepting meat from Postville, Iowa despite the scandals, stating that the kashrus was never impacted.
5. Forbidding the use of the Flatbush Eruv.
6. Encourages strictness concerning "bishul akum" by discouraging the reliance on igniting pilot lights.

[edit] Works

• Piske halakhot (Brooklyn 2002) - responsa
• Einei Yisroel on sefer Bereishis (Kiryat Sefer 2005) - adapted from the lectures by Moshe Armel and Reuven Mathieson

Rabbi Belsky also answers moral questions on a series called "Honesty" found on Torah.org.

[edit] References

1. ^ M. Samsonowitz (25 August 1999). The Founding of Torah Vodaas - Reb Binyomin Wilhelm. Dei'ah veDibur.