Shlomo Zalman Auerbach
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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.
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[edit] Biography
Rabbi Auerbach was the first child to be born in the Shaarei Chesed neighborhood of Jerusalem founded by his maternal grandfather, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Porush (1850-1898), after whom he was named.[1]His father, Rabbi Chaim Yehuda Leib Auerbach, was rosh yeshiva of Shaar Hashamayim Yeshiva, and his mother was Rebbetzin Tzivia.
By the age of eleven he was proficient in the entire talmudic tractate of Kiddushin. As a teenager he attended the Etz Chaim Yeshiva in Jerusalem. He was known for his diligence which is illustrated by an event which occurred while he was in yeshiva. On the day the first automobile rolled into Jerusalem along the Jaffa Road, all the students left their studies to marvel at the horse-less wagon. Only young Shlomo Zalman remained in his chair immersed in his studies.[1] Following his marriage he studied under Rabbi Zvi Pesach Frank at Kollel Kerem Tzion which focused on the laws of the Land of Israel.
His first major published work, Meorei Esh, was the first ever written on the subject of using 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 upon Zion" — a quote from the daily morning prayers.
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 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] 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
ulpit 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)
He was the brother-in-law of Rabbi Sholom Schwadron, who married his sister Leah. The two shared a long and close relationship as learning partners and personal friends.
[edit] Prominent students
- Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg
- Rabbi Avigdor Nebenzahl
- Rabbi Yehoshua Neuwirth
[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 Shema'tata, which itself is a work of novellae on the Talmud by Rabbi Aryeh Leib HaCohen 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 Jewish medical ethics), Halichot Shlomo, and Shemiras Shabbos KeHilchasah (on the laws of Shabbos).
[edit] References
- ^ Teller, Hanoch (1995). And From Jerusalem His Word. New York: N.Y.C. Publishing Co.. ISBN 1-881939-05-7.
