Tzvi Pesach Frank
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Rabbi Tzvi Pesach Frank (1873–1961) (Hebrew: צבי פסח פרנק) was a renowned Halachic scholar and the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem for several decades.
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[edit] Biography
Born in Kovno, Lithuania, Rabbi Frank studied in Lithuanian yeshivas, learning under Rabbi Eliezer Gordon, among others. In 1893, he emigrated to the Land of Israel with his parents and continued his studies in yeshivas in Jerusalem. His father Yehuda Leib Frank was one of the founders of Hadera.
Rabbi Frank's scholastic abilities were soon recognised. In 1907, he was appointed dayan in the Jerusalem Beth Din, which was headed by Rabbi Shmuel Salant, the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, under whom he had studied.
Rabbi Frank was active in establishing the office of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, and he was instrumental in having Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook appointed to this post, along with Rabbi Jacob Meir, the chief Sephardic rabbi who had been in Palestine prior to the formal development of the office. However, although Frank was a member of the Israeli Chief Rabbinate Council from its inception in 1921, Rabbi Frank had not attended meetings of that body for six years prior to his death. One of his last acts was to send a letter to the meeting of rabbis in Tel Aviv, supporting the boycott of elections to the Chief Rabbinate.
[edit] Halachic rulings
As an important Posek, Rabbi Frank authored many Halachic decisions. He made rulings:
- that kitniot derivatives are permissible on Passover for Ashkenazim;
- in the summer of 1944 that it was permissible to drink powdered milk that was imported to Israel from the United States, removing powdered milk from the category of needing to be Chalav Yisrael (supervised by a Jew); he was opposed by the Chazon Ish;
- permitting gelatin from nonslaughtered animal sources.
All three rulings became official Jerusalem rabbinate policy. Rabbi Frank also ruled that one may not use an electric menorah on Hanukkah since the menorah must contain enough fuel at the time of lighting to burn for at least half an hour after nightfall.
[edit] Works
Rabbi Frank authored:
- Har Tzvi, a compendium of responsa
- Eretz Tzvi
- Mikra'ei Kodesh
[edit] Funeral
Rabbi Frank's funeral was attended by many thousands of mourners. All of Israel's Beth Din's were closed for the day and the Cabinet adjourned so that ministers could attend the funeral. Eulogies were delivered by Rabbi Yitzhak Nissim, the Sephardi Chief rabbi; Rabbi Isser Yehuda Unterman, Chief rabbi of Tel Aviv; and Rabbi R. Katz, Chief rabbi of Petah Tikva.
[edit] Descendants
His son-in-law Rabbi Menachem Sacks was head of Jewish education in Chicago for nearly six decades.
His great-grandson, Rabbi Yonason Sacks, is currently a Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshiva University, as well as the acting Rav at the Agudas Yisroel of Passaic Park in Passaic, New Jersey.
