Chaim Soloveitchik

This article is about the founder of the Brisk rabbinical dynasty. For his great-grandson, the Jewish historian, see Haym Soloveitchik.

Chaim (Halevi) Soloveitchik (Yiddish: חיים סאָלאָווייטשיק, Polish: Chaim Sołowiejczyk), also known as Chaim Brisker (1853 – 30 July 1918), was a rabbi and Talmudic scholar credited as the founder of the Brisker method of Talmudic study within Judaism. He was also a member of the Soloveitchik dynasty, the son of Yosef Dov Soloveitchik.^{[citation needed]}

Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik
Title	Rabbi
Personal
Born	(1853-03-25)March 25, 1853 Volozhin, Russian Empire
Died	July 30, 1918(1918-07-30) (aged 65) Otwock, Kingdom of Poland
Religion	Judaism
Nationality	Belarusian
Children	Moshe Soloveichik, Yitzchok Zev Soloveitchik, Yisroel Gershon Soloveichik
Parents	Yosef Dov Soloveitchik (father) Lifsha Shapiro (mother)
Denomination	Orthodox Judaism
Yahrtzeit	21 Av 5678
Buried	Jewish Cemetery, Warsaw
Dynasty	Soloveitchik dynasty

He is also known as the Gra"ch (Hebrew: גר״ח), an abbreviation of "HaGaon Reb Chaim."

Biography

Soloveitchik was born in Volozhin on March 25, 1853, where his father, Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik was a lecturer in the Volozhiner Yeshiva.^[1] The family moved away from Volozhin,^[2] and after a few years his father was appointed as a rabbi in Slutsk, where Chaim was first educated.^[3]

He joined the faculty of the Volozhiner Yeshiva in 1880, and later became assistant rosh yeshiva^[2] for a short time, until the Russian Empire forced the yeshiva to close, when he moved to Brisk, Belarus and succeeded his father as the rabbi there.^[3][4]

He died on July 30, 1918 after seeking medical treatment in Warsaw and was buried in the Jewish Cemetery there.^[5][6]

Tomb of Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin and Soloveitchik in Warsaw

Works

He is considered the founder of the "Brisker method" (in Yiddish: Brisker derech; Hebrew: derekh brisk), a method of highly exacting and analytical Talmudical study that focuses on precise definition/s and categorization/s of Jewish law as commanded in the Torah.^[7] His works would have particular emphasis on the legal writings of Maimonides.^[8][9]

Soloveitchik's primary work was Chiddushei Rabbeinu Chaim, a volume of insights on Maimonides' Mishneh Torah which often would suggest novel understandings of the Talmud as well.^[10] Based on his teachings and lectures, his students wrote down his insights on the Talmud known as Chiddushi HaGRaCh Al Shas. This book is known as "Reb Chaim's stencils" and contains analytical insights into Talmudic topics.

Views

Soloveitchik worked with Sholom Dovber Schneersohn, the fifth rebbe of the hasidic dynasty of Lubavitch, in counteracting antisemitic decrees by the czarist regime.^[8][11] He expanded the definition of who represented Amalek, claiming that all who sought to destroy the Jewish people were ideological descendants of the Jewish enemy.^[12]

Soloveitchik was an opponent of Zionism and viewed it as a movement to destroy traditional Judaism and replace it with nationalism.^[13]

Family

A member of the Soloveitchik-family rabbinical dynasty, he is commonly known as Reb Chaim Brisker ("Rabbi Chaim [from] Brisk").

He married the daughter of Refael Shapiro, who was also the granddaughter of Berlin.^[2] Reb Chaim had four children, R. Yisrael Gershon, R. Moshe, Sara (Glickson), and R. Yitchak Zev (also known as Rabbi Velvel Soloveitchik). R. Moshe moved to the United States and subsequently served as a rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Yitzchak Elchonon (YU/RIETS) in New York and who was in turn succeeded by his sons Joseph B. Soloveitchik (1903–1993) and Ahron Soloveichik (1917-2001). R. Yitzchak Zev moved to Israel and his sons led prominent yeshivas.^[14]

v t e Brisker family tree
Rabbanit Esti Rosenberg, director of Migdal Oz (seminary) Rabbi Yitzchok Lichtenstein, Co-Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Torah Vodaas; Rabbi Bais Avrohom, Monsey, NY Rabbi Yosef Dov (Reb Berel) Soloveichik Rabbi Avrohom Yehoshua Soloveichik Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein, Co-Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Har Etzion Rabbi Meshulam Dovid (Reb Dovid) Soloveichik Rabbi Yitzchak Zev Soloveichik Rabbi Mayer Lichtenstein, Rabbi Ohel Menachem Bet Shemesh Rabbi Yosef Dov (HaLevi) Soloveichik author of Beis HaLevi Rabbi Chaim Soloveichik "Reb Chaim Brisker" Rabbi Yitzchak Zev (Reb Velvel) Soloveichik "The GRIZ" The Brisker Rov Lifsha Soloveitchik Feinstein Dr. Tovah Soloveitchik Lichtenstein Rabbi Jonathan Rosenblatt Rabbi Refael Shapiro, Rosh Yeshiva of Volozhin yeshiva Lifsha Shapiro Rabbi Refoel Soloveichik Rabbi Dr. Aharon Lichtenstein Tzipporah Rosenblatt Rabbi Meir Soloveichik Dr. Atarah Soloveitchik Twersky Rabbi Mosheh Twersky z"l, Maggid Shiur at Yeshiva Toras Moshe Rabbi Dr. Joseph B. (Yosef Dov) Soloveitchik "The Rav" Rabbi Dr. Isadore Twersky, Talner Rebbe of Boston Rabbi Mayer Twersky, Rosh Yeshiva at Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary Rabbi Moshe Soloveichik Rabbi Ahron Soloveichik Rabbi Dr. Haym Soloveitchik Rabbi Moshe Soloveichik, Rosh Yeshivas Brisk (Chicago); Rav of Kehilas Beth Sholom Ahavas Achim Peshka Feinstein Soloveichik Dr. Samuel Soloveichik Rabbi Eliyahu Soloveichik, Rosh Yeshiva at Lander College's Beis Medrash L'Talmud Rabbi Meir Yaakov Soloveichik Shulamit Soloveitchik Meiselman Rabbi Moshe Meiselman, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Toras Moshe Rabbi Yosef Soloveichik Sarah Orenshein Anne Soloveitchik Gerber Rabbi Chayim Soloveichik, Maggid Shiur at Yeshivat Reishit; Morah D’Asrah of Kehillat Ohr Shalom, Ramat Beit Shemesh Moshe Soloveichik Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveichik Rabbi Shmuel Chaim Soloveichik Rabbi Yitzchok Soloveichik Rabbi Yisroel Soloveichik Rabbi Yisroel Gershon Soloveichik Rabbi Moshe Soloveichik Rabbi Boruch Soloveichik Rabbi Avraham Yeshaya Soloveichik Daughter Soloveichik
Notes: Rabbi Chaim Halevi Soloveichik (the second)

References

1. Gefen, Yehonasan (Jun 29, 2020). "Parshat Chukat: The Importance of Forgiveness". aishcom. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
2. Schloss, Chaim (2002). 2000 Years of Jewish History: From the Destruction of the Second Bais Hamikdash Until the Twentieth Century. Feldheim Publishers. ISBN 978-1-58330-214-9.
3. Wolkenfeld, David. "Rabbi Hayyim Soloveitchik of Brisk". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
4. Zevin, S. Y. (1966). Ishim v'Shittos. Tel Aviv: A. Tsiyoni. p. 43. OCLC 19197943.
5. The Bones of Brisk
6. Tercatin, Rossella (July 22, 2020). "Unexploded Nazi mortar uncovered in 'Warsaw Ghetto' Jewish cemetery". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 2020-08-07.
7. Similarities in Criticism of the Methods and Responses. Vol. 7–8. San Diego: University of San Diego School of Law. 2005. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
8. Rubin, Eli; Rubin, Mordechai. "Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik of Brisk - Marking 100 Years Since His Passing". www.chabad.org. Retrieved 2020-08-07.
9. Zakon, Nachman (2002). The Jewish Experience--2000 Years: A Collection of Significant Events. Shaar Press. ISBN 978-1-57819-496-4.
10. BERGER, DAVID (2011), "THE USES OF MAIMONIDES BY TWENTIETH-CENTURY JEWRY", Cultures in Collision and Conversation, Essays in the Intellectual History of the Jews, Academic Studies Press, pp. 190–202, doi:10.2307/j.ctt21h4xrd.10, ISBN 978-1-936235-24-7, JSTOR j.ctt21h4xrd.10, retrieved 2020-08-07
11. Butman, Shmuel (March 19, 2020). "The 'Rambam Of Chassidus'". Retrieved 2020-08-08.
12. Firestone, Reuven (2012-07-02). Holy War in Judaism: The Fall and Rise of a Controversial Idea. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-997715-4.
13. Shapiro, Rabbi Yaakov (2018). The Empty Wagon. NY: Primedia. pp. 217–219. ISBN 978-1642555547.
14. "Rabbi Chaim "Brisker" Soloveitchik". geni_family_tree. Retrieved 2020-08-05.

External links

• Understanding Reb Chaim, Rabbi Yonoson Hughes, June 2010