Nahum Rabinovich

Nahum Eliezer Rabinovich (born 1928) is a prominent Israeli Orthodox rabbi and posek, and head of Yeshivat Birkat Moshe in Maale Adumim. He was born in Montreal, Canada. His late daughter is Dina Rabinovitch.

Contents

Studies

Rabinovich began studying with Rabbi Pinchas Hirschsprung at age 14. At age 20, he studied in Yeshivas Ner Israel, Baltimore, where he received Semicha from Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman. He also obtained a masters degree in mathematics from Johns Hopkins University. In 1951 he married Rachel Malka Shuchatowitz, the niece of Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman.

Public Life

Rabinovich taught Judaism in several places and served as a congregational rabbi: Between 1952 -1963 he was the Rabbi of the Jewish Community in Charleston, South Carolina. In 1963 he was called to serve as a community Rabbi in Toronto. In the 1970s, he completed a Ph.D. in the field of statistics and probability in the Talmud at the university of Toronto; the results are in his book which is highly cited: "Probability and Statistical Inference in ancient and medieval Jewish Literature" (Toronto, 1973). At that time he also gave lectures at the University and was an editor of the Rabbinical Council of America's journal "Hadarom".

Rabinovich also lived in London (1971–1982), where he served as dean of Jews' College and had a reputation as an influential scholar. He later agreed to be a head of Yeshivat Birkat Moshe in Ma'ale Adummim, Israel, a Hesder institution.

Philosophy and major works

Rabinovich is a world renowned expert on Maimonides; he has published scientific, theological and halachic books and essays on Maimonides' writings. His philosophical approach is influenced by Maimonides' rationalism. It emphasizes the connection between philosophy and halacha, between Torah and scientific studies and between theoretical learning and practical application in life. In a recent interview [2] (in Hebrew), Rabinovich said that he backed religious studies for women and did not see a problem in Halachic decisions taken by women. Jewish law has always spoken of monarchy as an ideal, but Rabinovitch said that it might not be dictatorial, and draws a picture of constitutional society, where the law is above all else.

In 1995, he defended a decision calling on soldiers to refuse orders for vacate army bases in the occupied territories, saying that is a classic democratic call for conscientious objection.[1]

In 1995, before Rabin's assassination, he had given an interview to Israeli ration, saying that Rabin was a moser--a deliverer of Jew to their enemies; however, he said resistance should be non-violent. .[2]

On January 21, 2008, Rabbi Dov Lior of Hebron, Rabbi Ya'acov Shapira of Jerusalem's Mercaz haRav Yeshiva, Rabbi Elyakim Levanon of Elon Moreh, and Rabinovitch met at Beit HaShalom to declare the government's policies on Israeli settlements to be "worse than the British Mandate's White Paper."[3]

Works by Rabinovich

Hebrew

English

References

  1. ^ " Yeshiva head defends rabbis' ruling on disobedience in army" Jerusalem Post -Jul 18, 1995 [1]
  2. ^ Lodi News-Sentinal Nov.15, 1995
  3. ^ Rightist rabbis brand gov't policy on settlements worse than White Paper Jerusalem Post