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Yechiel Michel Epstein

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Not to be confused withJehiel Michel Epstein (17th century).
Rabbi
Yechiel Michel Epstein
TitleAuthor ofAruch HaShulchan
Personal
Born24 January 1829
Babruysk
Died25 March 1908(1908-03-25)(aged 79)
Navahrudak
ReligionJudaism
DenominationOrthodox
Alma materVolozhin yeshiva
OccupationPosek
BuriedNavahrudak

Yechiel Michel ha-Levi Epstein(Hebrew:יחיאל מיכל הלוי אפשטיין) (24 January 1829 – 25 March 1908), often called "theAruch haShulchan"after his magnum opus,Aruch HaShulchan,was aRabbiandposek(authority inJewish law) inLithuania.

Biography[edit]

Yechiel Michel Epstein was born on 24 January 1829 inBabruysk,Russian Empire(presently inBelarus) to Aharon Yitzchak and Rashka Epstein. His father Aharon Yitzchak Epstein was a builder and contractor who spend much of his time traveling for his work, which were often projects of theCzaristgovernment. [1]

He had one brother, Benjamin Beinush Epstein, who lived inSaint Petersburg.The two brothers stayed in touch over the years, and when Epstein needed to travel to Saint Petersburg—usually to submit his writings to theRussian censorbefore publishing—he would stay at his brother's house. [2]

As a child, Epstein studied in a traditionalCheder.His original intent was to follow in his father's footsteps: to work as a merchant, while dedicating time to dailyTorah study.In his youth, he engaged in trade and was fluent in Russian, a skill not commonly found in rabbis at that time. However, Rabbi Eliyahu Goldberg, rabbi of the nearby town ofParichi(and a student of RabbiChaim of Volozhin), took an interest in the youth; the rabbi convinced Epstein to leave commerce and dedicate himself to Torah study. Soon after, Epstein left for the famedVolozhin yeshiva,where he studied for two years.[3]

In Volozhin, he met and started a lifelong friendship with RabbiNaftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin(theNetziv), who later became therosh yeshiva(head) of the Volozhin Yeshiva. After finishing his studies there, Epstein married Berlin's sister Michlah. (Epstein later became Berlin's father-in-law, when Berlin remarried to Epstein's daughter Batya Miriam after the death of his first wife.)

After his marriage, Epstein returned to Babruysk, and he taught in the Altshul yeshiva there.[4] He receivedsemicha(rabbinicordination) from Rabbi Eliyahu Goldberg, who had been appointed rabbi andAv Beit Dinof theMitnaggedcommunity of Babruysk in 1852.

By 1862, Epstein was serving as adayan (religious judge)on Goldberg'sbeit din.[5]Most of the family's income, however, came from his wife's fabric store. When eulogizing his wife, Epstein remarked—perhaps in exaggeration—that for 30 years Michlah ran the family store, and he did not even know where the store was located.[6]

In 1864, at the age of 35, Epstein was appointed rabbi ofNovozybkov(east ofGomel,nowBryansk region), a town with a large number ofHasidic Jews,mainly adherents ofChabad LubavitchandChernobyl.Several months after arriving in Novozybkov, Epstein traveled toLubavitchwhere he visited RabbiMenachem Mendel Schneersohn,also known as the Tzemach Tzedek, the thirdrebbe(spiritual leader) of theChabad LubavitchHasidicJews.[7]His major endeavor during this period was writing his first work,Ohr LaYesharim,a commentary toSefer HaYasharofRabbeinu Tam.He printed the first volume of this work in 1869, but lacked the funds to publish more.[8]

In 1874, after ten years as rabbi in Novozybkov, Epstein was appointed as the rabbi ofNavahrudak,where he would serve for 34 years, until his death. Here, he was recognized as aposek(decisor ofJewish law), and he was to compose most of his writings in Navahrudak.

Epstein was involved in many charitable endeavors. He was particularly close to RabbiShmuel Salant,the chief rabbi of Jerusalem, and wrote extensively on the obligation of all Jews to support theRabbi Meir Baal Haneischarity that Rabbi Salant founded in Israel in 1860.

Epstein died on 22Adar II5668 (25 March 1908) and is buried in Navahrudak.[9]

Children[edit]

The Epsteins had 5 children:

  • Eidel Kahanov,his first born, married a wealth merchant fromOdessa.
  • RabbiDov Ber Epstein[he],the eldest son, moved toJerusalemin 1902, where he served in a number of public positions.
  • Brina Walbrinskatook over publishing her father's works after his death. She was also on the executive board of the Navahrudak orphanage.
  • Batya Miriam Berlindivorced her first husband, a young man from a wealthy family, several months after the wedding, as he was unwilling to fulfill his promise to dedicate himself to Torah study. When RabbiNaftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin's first wife died several years later, she happily agreed to marry him, even though therosh yeshivawas 30 years her senior.[10]Among their children was RabbiMeir Bar-Ilan.
  • RabbiBaruch Epsteinwas a bookkeeper by profession but produced a number of scholarly and popular works, most notably theTorah Temimah.

Works[edit]

Arukh haShulchan,Orach Hayyimvol. 1
  • Aruch HaShulchan- his magnum opus, a code ofHalakhatracing the origins of each law and custom, clarifying the opinions of theRishonimand arriving at apsak(decision) - often supported by (and sometimes in disagreement with) theAcharonim.Regarded by some as the most comprehensive, seminal, and original modern restatement of Jewish law sinceRambam.[11][page needed]
  • Aruch HaShulchan he'Atid(Laying the Table of the Future) - a parallel work to Arukh HaShulkhan, summarising and analysing the laws that will apply in Messianic times. This work became more relevant when Jewish farming communities were re-established inIsrael,since many agricultural laws which apply only in Israel are covered in this work.
  • Ohr la-Yesharim- his first work, a commentary on the classic workSefer ha-Yasharby theTosafistRabbeinu Tam.
  • Meichal ha-Mayim- a commentary on theJerusalem Talmud.
  • Leil Shimurim- a commentary on theHaggadahforPassover.
  • Derashot Kol Ben Levi- a collection of sermons he delivered in the main synagogue of Navahrudak, often including long Halakhic sections.

Prominent rabbis he ordained[edit]

As a well-known authority ofHalakha,many young scholars asked to receive hissemicha(rabbinicordination). Below is a partial list of prominent rabbis whom Epstein ordained:[12]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^Henkin 2018,pp. 37–38.
  2. ^Henkin 2018,p. 38.
  3. ^Epstein, Baruch(1928).Makor Baruch.p. 1195.
  4. ^Bar-Ilan, Meir(1939).From Volozhin to Jerusalem.p. 276.
  5. ^Henkin 2018,pp. 47–49.
  6. ^Henkin 2018,p. 46.
  7. ^Henkin 2018,pp. 55–58, 321–348.
  8. ^Henkin 2018,p. 61.
  9. ^Henkin 2018,p. 224.
  10. ^Henkin 2018,pp. 213–216.
  11. ^Broyde & Pill 2021.
  12. ^Henkin 2018,pp. 365–370.

References[edit]

  • Henkin, Eitam (2018).Set a Table Before Me.Jerusalem: Maggid Books.ISBN978-965-526-260-5.
  • Shapiro, Chaim (1988). Rabbi Nisson Wolpin (ed.).The Torah Profile: A Treasury of Biographical Sketches.Brooklyn, New York: Mesorah Publications.ISBN0-89906-860-X.
  • Broyde, Michael; Pill, Shlomo (2021).Setting the Table: An Introduction to the Jurisprudence of Rabbi Yechiel Mikhel Epstein's Arukh HaShulhan.Academic Studies Press.ISBN978-164-469-070-3.

External links[edit]

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