Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz

Rabbi Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz
Personal
Born	(1878-11-07)November 7, 1878 Kosava,Grodno Governorate,Russian Empire
Died	October 24, 1953(1953-10-24)(aged 74) Bnei Brak,Israel
Religion	Judaism
Spouse	Bashe Bei
Parent(s)	Rabbi Shmaryahu Yosef Karelitz Rasha Leah Katzenellenbogen-Epstein
Occupation	Rabbi

Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz(7 November 1878 – 24 October 1953), also known asthe Chazon Ish(Hebrew:החזון איש) after hismagnum opus,was aBelarusian-bornOrthodoxrabbiwho later became one of the leaders ofHaredi JudaisminIsrael,where he spent his final 20 years, from 1933 to 1953.

Biography

Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz was born inKosava,in theGrodno Governorateof theRussian Empire(nowBrest Region,Belarus), the son of Shmaryahu Yosef Karelitz, therabbiof Kosava; his mother was Rasha Leah,the daughter of Shaul Katzenelbogen.Avraham Yeshaya was born after his older brother Meir. His younger brothers were Yitzchak and Moshe. Yitzchak succeeded their father as the rabbi of Kosava; he and his wife and daughter were shot to death in their home by the Germans in mid-1942.

His oldest sisters were Henya Chaya, Badana, Tzivia and Batya. Karelitz's youngest sister, Pesha Miriam (Miril), married RabbiYaakov Yisrael Kanievsky.Kanievsky referred to his brother-in-law Avraham Yeshaya as his mentor as long as the latter was alive.

As a youth, Karelitz was sent to study underChaim Soloveitchikof Brisk. He did not take to theBrisker methodof study, and later it became clear that he actually opposed it. After a few days, he returned home and continued to study with his father who was head of the localBeth din.He married Bashe Bei ofKvėdarnaand developed a close relationship withMoshe Rosen (Nezer HaKodesh).

He moved to Vilna in about 1920, and became close toChaim Ozer Grodzinski,consulting with him in all religious and communal matters. Encouraged by Grodzinski and withAbraham Isaac Kook’s help, Karelitz settled inEretz Israel,then theBritish Mandate of Palestine,in 1933. His house inBnei Brakbecame the address for thousands who sought religious guidance.

Karelitz, his brother-in-law Kanievsky andYaakov Galinskywere extremely close.

Karelitz devoted his life to the study ofTorahwhile simultaneously gaining knowledge in secular sciences such asastronomy,anatomy,mathematics,andbotany.After his marriage, he continued to lead an extremely modest life, his wife providing for their needs while he spent day and night studying Torah in-depth. He did not have any children.

Though he served as a religious leader for much of his life, he never received formal ordination as a rabbi.

Influence and authority

Karelitz did not publish manyresponsa,yet still achieved recognition as a leading authority onhalakha.Like his brother-in-law Kanievsky, Karelitz "held no official position but nevertheless became a recognized worldwide authority on many matters relating to Jewish law and life."

He declined to participate in any of the religious-political movements which were very active prior to, and during, the formation of the State of Israel in 1948. Yet, he had an immense influence onHarediJudaism in Israel, whose formative period coincided with his years in Israel. He maintained an anti-Zionist viewpointand begrudgingly accepted the existence of the Israeli state.

In recognition of his deep insight and interest in many fields of study, many sought his guidance on social and political issues.David Ben-Gurion,the prime minister of Israel, andYitzhak Ben-Zvi,who became the second president of Israel, visited him once to discuss political-religious issues. Karelitz cited one of a pair of metaphors from theTalmudicdiscussion (Sanhedrin32b): one is about two camels which meet on a narrow mountain pass as a metaphor. A camel without goods was expected to defer to a camel laden with goods; similarly, Karelitz contended secular society should defer to religious society, which bore the "goods" of tradition.

Chazon Ish etrog

Only anetrogfrom a pure etrog tree is considered fit for theSukkotfestival service. There exists a common concern that any etrog may have come from a tree grafted with lemon branches, a practice which would result in nicer looking produce, though rendering the fruit unfit for the festival service. There is a variety ofBalady citronin Karelitz's name, which he certified for use as a pureetrog.After one Sukkot, Karelitz handedMichel Yehuda Lefkowitza packet of seeds taken from the etrog he had used for the festival and instructed him to plant them in his yard. Lefkowitz, who had no agricultural experience, followed his mentor's instructions to plant and water it, and the tree grew and bore fruit. Every year Karelitz came to select his etrog for the holiday from the tree, as did his brother-in-law, Kanievsky, and other senior rabbis. Lefkowitz also allowed etrog growers to take cuttings from the tree to grow entire orchards of etrogim certified as kosher by Karelitz.

Halachic and philosophical positions

He believed that a halachic position taken by theShulchan Aruchcould not be reversed based on the new discovery of manuscripts of which theShulchan Aruch's author was presumably unaware. This position is sometimes misunderstood to mean thatnoevidence from manuscripts may be used in the halachic process.

Published works

In 1911, he published his first work onOrach Chayimand other parts of theShulchan AruchinVilna,anonymously under the titleChazon Ish,meaning "Vision of a man",with the word Ish alluding to the first letters of his two names (אברהםישעיה), similar toYaakov Emden's pen-name "Yaavetz".In later years, he became almost exclusively known by the titleChazon Ish.

Although essentially an academic scholar, he applied himself to practical problems, devoting much effort to the strengthening of religious life and institutions. His rulings on the use of the milking machine onShabbatand on cultivation byhydroponicsduring thesabbatical yearare two illustrations of his practical approach. Karelitz wrote over 40 books inHebrew.

In contrast to other greatachronimsuch asChaim Soloveitchik,Karelitz is known for avoiding formulaic or methodical analysis of Talmudic passages, instead preferring a more varied and intuitive approach similar to that of therishonim.Karelitz also discounted the need to delve intomusaras a formal study, feeling that a life dedicated to traditional Torah study would guide one toward the proper path. He particularly rejected elements of theNovardok philosophy,such as their extreme self-effacement and self-abasement.

In one of his regular lectures,Aharon Leib Steinmanspoke about studying Kabbalah, and related that Karelitz had vast knowledge in Kabbalah. Karelitz studied with a secret kabbalist known as "The Baker of Kosovo."

Recently translated into English is his philosophical essayEmunah Ubitachon(Faith and Trust) discussing his approach to faith and trust in God.

A fictionalized portrait of Karelitz by his onetime disciple, the Yiddish poet and novelistChaim Grade,is to be found in Grade's epic novelTsemakh Atlas: Di Yeshive,translated into English asThe Yeshiva.Karelitz appears there as "Reb Avraham-Shaye Kosover."

A number of multi-volume biographies have been published about Karelitz, includingPe'er Hador,and the more recentMaaseh Ish,both in Hebrew.

A 1,000-page academic biography of Karelitz by Benny Brown was published by Magnes Press in 2011.The contents of this academic biography were subsequently debated by Brown and Joshua Envel in the journalYeshurun,Vol. 30.In the following edition ofYeshurun,Vol. 31, Envel presented his own hypothesis how to systematically conceptualize the methodology of Karelitz.Envel's approach was then the subject of correspondence with several readers inYeshurun,Vol. 32.More recently, a chapter from Brown's book was translated and published inḤakirah,Vol. 24.

Further reading

• Chazon Ish.Faith & Trust.Translated by Y. Goldstein. Am Asefer.2008.ISBN978-965-7452-00-4