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Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein (1829-1907), often called "the Aruch ha-Shulchan" (after his main work), was a posek (authority in Jewish law) in Lithuania. His surname is often preceded by ha-Levi, as he descended from a family of Levites.

Biography

Yechiel Michel was born into a family of wealthy army contractors for the Czarist Russian army in Bobroysk. His mother was the sister of Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin (the Netziv), who would become the rosh yeshiva (head) of the Volozhin yeshiva. (Rabbi Berlin was later to marry a daughter of Rabbi Epstein, after being widowed of his first wife.)

Yechiel Michel studied Torah locally, and was encouraged to do so by the town's rabbi and his parents (the concept of an out-of-town yeshiva was only slowly gaining ascendance). After his marriage he received semicha (rabbinic ordination) and accepted his first position.

Rabbi Epstein became the rabbi of Novozivkov, a town with a large number of Hasidic Jews, mainly adherents of Chabad Lubavitch. He visited the rebbe of the time Rabbi Menachem Mendel (the Tzemach Tzedek), and forged a close relationship with him; this would increase his statue in Hasidic circles.

Nine years after accepting his position in Novozivkov, in 1863, Rabbi Epstein was appointed as the rabbi of Novarodok, where he would serve for 34 years, until his death. Here, he was recognised as a posek (decisor of Jewish law), and he was to compose most of his writings in Novarodok.

Rabbi Epstein died and is buried in Novarodok. His son, Rabbi Baruch Epstein, was a bookkeeper by profession but produced a number of scholary and popular works.

Aruch ha-Shulchan

Rabbi Epstein's influence is mainly through his main work of Jewish scholarship, which he titled Aruch ha-Shulchan ("laying the table") - a clear allusion to Shulchan Aruch ("the set table"), the authoritative work of halakha on which it draws.

In Aruch ha-Shulchan, Rabbi Epstein traces the origins of each law and custom to its source in the Torah or Talmud, states the view of the Rishonim (early, pre-1550 authorities), and arrives at a psak (decision) - often supporting his views with the words of the Acharonim (later authorities) but occasionally disagreeing with them. The work follows the structure of the Shulchan Aruch, and hence comes in four books, subdivided into chapters, which are again subdivided in paragraphs.

In his work, Rabbi Epstein tends to take a lenient view (le-kula), but decidedly without compromising in any form on the power and rule of Jewish law.

Aruch ha-Shulchan is often quoted alongside Mishna Berura, a work composed slightly later by Rabb Yisrael Meir Kagan (the Chafetz Chaim). Due to the latter's influence, Mishna Berura is often considered authoritative over Aruch ha-Shulchan. Nevertheless, Aruch ha-Shulchan has a much wider scope.

The work was published in eight volumes, but recent editions feature a ninth volume which had until then remained in handwriting (on religious vows) and a collection of homiletics.

Bibliography

• Or li-Yesharim (a commentary on the classic work Sefer ha-Yashar, attributed to the Tosafist Rabbi Yaakov ben Meir, Rabbeinu Tam)
• Aruch ha-Shulchan (see above);
• Aruch ha-Shulchan he-Atid (laying the table of the future) - a parallel work to Aruch ha-Shulchan summarising and analysing the laws that will apply in Messianic times; this work has become relevant since Jewish colonisation of Israel, since many agricultural laws are covered in this work;
• Mical ha-Mayim - a commentary on the Palestinian Talmud);
• Leil Shimurim - a commentary on the Haggada;

References

• Chaim Shapiro. The Aruch HaShulchan. In: "The Torah Personality", ed. Rabbi Nisson Wolpin. Brooklyn, New York: Mesorah publications, 1988. ISBN 0-89906-860-X.

• Rabbis