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Revision as of 08:20, 9 May 2006 editIZAK (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, File movers, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers86,945 edits Copy edit wasteful POV pro Chabad propaganda. Add Category:Haredi rabbis in Israel← Previous edit Revision as of 20:41, 9 May 2006 edit undoShlomke (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers6,145 edits ShalomShalomo version is better. please dont censorNext edit →
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== Life in Europe == == Life in Europe ==


Rabbi Shach was born in Wabolnick (]), a rural village in northern ] to a family of merchants. He was a child ], and was sent to study in the ] at age seven. At thirteen he moved on to the ], where he caught the attention of its dean, Rabbi ]. He came to the attention of Rabbi ] and he soon became one of Rabbi Meltzer's favorite pupils, and when he left Slabodka to create his own ] in ], Rabbi Shach went with him. rabbi Shach was born in Wabolnick (]), a rural village in northern ] to a family of merchants. He was a child prodigy, and was sent to study in the ] at age seven. At thirteen he moved on to the ], where he caught the attention of its dean, Rabbi ]. He came to the attention of Rabbi ] and he soon became one of Rabbi Meltzer's favorite pupils, and when he left Slabodka to create his own ] in ], Rabbi Shach went with him.


Rabbi Meltzer became both a father figure and patron to Rabbi Shach, even arranging his marriage with his niece, Guttel. Rabbi Meltzer became both a father figure and patron to Rabbi Shach, even arranging his marriage with his niece, Guttel.
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== Escaping to the British Mandate of Palestine == == Escaping to the British Mandate of Palestine ==


Shortly before the start of ], several yeshivas began considering evacuating their rabbis, students and families. Rabbi Kotler eventually left for America, travelling across ] and arriving in the United States during the war. Rabbi Shach instead opted to go to ] with his family: "Rabbi Shach’s uncle, Reb Isser Zalman, who by then had moved to Yerushalayim where he was serving as Rosh Yeshivas Eitz Chaim, helped Rabbi Shach and his family get certificates to go to Eretz Yisroel (known then as Palestine), from the British Mandate powers." Shortly before the start of ], several yeshivas began considering evacuating their rabbis, students and families. Rabbi Kotler eventually left for America, passing through ] and ]. Rabbi Shach instead opted to go to ] with his family: "Rabbi Shach’s uncle, Reb Isser Zalman, who by then had moved to Yerushalayim where he was serving as Rosh Yeshivas Eitz Chaim, helped Rabbi Shach and his family get certificates to go to Eretz Yisroel (known then as Palestine), from the British Mandate powers."


Shortly after his arrival, he worked in several ] yeshivas, something that detractors later considered a "black mark" on his reputation. Several years after the re-establishment of the Ponevezh yeshiva in ], he was asked to be one of its deans. He remained in the position until his death. Shortly after his arrival, he worked in several ] yeshivas, something that detractors later considered a "black mark" on his reputation. Several years after the re-establishment of the Ponevezh yeshiva in ], he was asked to be one of its deans. He remained in the position until his death.


== Political life == == Political life ==
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He encouraged and guided the formation of the ] ] party before the elections to the ] in ], calling upon his ] followers to vote for Shas at that time. In ], he officially broke away from the ] party and formed the ] ("Flag of Torah") party. He nevertheless encouraged Degel HaTorah to work in an alliance with Agudat Israel under the name of ]. He encouraged and guided the formation of the ] ] party before the elections to the ] in ], calling upon his ] followers to vote for Shas at that time. In ], he officially broke away from the ] party and formed the ] ("Flag of Torah") party. He nevertheless encouraged Degel HaTorah to work in an alliance with Agudat Israel under the name of ].


Rabbi Shach was deeply opposed to secular ]. He was fiercely dismissive of secular ]i culture, at one time he derided ]niks as "breeders of rabbits and pigs" and said that the ] wanted some new, artificial "Torah" to replace the real one. Rabbi Shach was deeply opposed to secular ]. He was fiercely dismissive of secular ]i culture, deriding ]niks as "breeders of rabbits and pigs" and saying the ] wanted some new, artificial "Torah" to replace the real one.


Yet many considered him close to the politics of the Israeli left on diplomatic issues, as he called Israeli settlements in the ] and ] "a blatant attempt to provoke the international community." Yet many considered him close to the politics of the Israeli left on diplomatic issues, as he called Israeli settlements in the ] and ] "a blatant attempt to provoke the international community."


==Opposition to the Lubavitcher Rebbe== ==Opposition to the Lubavitcher Rebbe==
Rabbi Schach rose to prominence at the same period that he began targetting a favorite antagonist of the ] community, the ] movement and its ], Rabbi ].


Rabbi Schach was publicly criticical of Rabbi ] of the ] movement, whom he compared to the false messiah ]. Many analysts of ] politics agree that Schach's initial thrust into the limelight of the Litvak world was due to his willingness to vocally attack Schneerson, going so far as to compare Chabad followers to the supporters of false messiah ] shortly before his death.


In addition to Rabbi Schach's objections to some of Rabbi Schneerson's followers venerating him (i.e. Rabbi Schneerson) as the Messiah (both before and after his death), the two also disagreed on various issues of Jewish law, custom and philosophy, as well as politics. (See: ]). In addition to Schach's objections to some of Schneerson's followers venerating him as the Messiah (both before and after his death), the two also disagreed on various issues of Jewish law, custom and philosophy (''see ]''), as well as politics. While Chabad, particularly under its last rebbe, was staunchly opposed to any peace talks with the Palestinians or to relinquishing any Israeli territory under any circumstance, Schach alternately supported both left and right-wing parties in the Israeli elections. Schach's explanations were both pragmatic as well as philosophical, citing the halakhic teaching of ''pikuach nefesh'' ("the saving of a life"), in which the preservation of lives takes precedence over nearly all other obligations in the Torah, including those pertaining to the sanctity of land. For these and other reasons, the divide between the two leaders continued to increase up until the rebbe's death, and has continued among their followers.


⚫ While Schach's supporters defended his harsh criticism of Chabad by saying the movement represented a very real threat of turning religious Jews to apostasy, some of his critics felt that the opposition was personally vindictive in nature, Schach having once been rejected from a teaching position in a Lubavitch school after allegedly delivering a weak sermon.
While Chabad under its last rebbe was opposed to any peace talks with the Palestinians or to relinquishing any Israeli territory under any circumstance, Rabbi Shach alternately supported both left and right-wing parties in the Israeli elections. Shach's explanations were both pragmatic as well as philosophical, citing the Halakhic teaching of ''pikuach nefesh'' ("the saving of a life"), in which the preservation of lives takes precedence over nearly all other obligations in the Torah, including those pertaining to the sanctity of land. For these and other reasons, the divide between the two leaders continued to increase up until the rebbe's death, and has continued among their followers.

⚫ While Rabbi Shach's supporters defended his harsh criticism of Chabad by saying the movement represented a very real threat of turning religious Jews to apostasy, some of his critics felt that the opposition was too personal in its attacks on Rabbi Schneerson.


== Family == == Family ==
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] ]
] ]
] ]


] ]

Revision as of 20:41, 9 May 2006

Elazar Menachem Man Shach (אלעזר מנחם מן שך) (or Rav Leizer Shach, at times his name is written as Eliezer Schach in English publications) (January 22, 1898 - November 2, 2001), was a leading Haredi rabbi in modern Israel. Recognized as a noted Talmudic scholar and author of the Avi Ezri a commentery on the Mishneh Torah. He was the rosh yeshiva ("dean") of the Ponevezh yeshiva in Bnei Brak, and founded the Degel HaTorah political party representing Lithuanian Ashkenazi Jews in the Israeli Knesset, many of whom considered him to be the Gadol HaDor ("supreme of the generation").

File:Shach a.jpg

Life in Europe

rabbi Shach was born in Wabolnick (Vabalninkas), a rural village in northern Lithuania to a family of merchants. He was a child prodigy, and was sent to study in the Ponevezh yeshiva at age seven. At thirteen he moved on to the Slabodka yeshiva, where he caught the attention of its dean, Rabbi Nosson Zvi Finkel. He came to the attention of Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer and he soon became one of Rabbi Meltzer's favorite pupils, and when he left Slabodka to create his own yeshiva in Slutsk, Rabbi Shach went with him.

Rabbi Meltzer became both a father figure and patron to Rabbi Shach, even arranging his marriage with his niece, Guttel.

After his marriage, Rabbi Shach became involved in teaching and yeshiva administration. The Slutsk yeshiva relocated to Kletsk in Poland after the Russian Revolution of 1917. Rabbi Shach taught in the yeshiva, then run by Rabbi Meltzer's son-in-law, Rabbi Aharon Kotler, and also worked as the dean of a yeshiva run by the Karlin Hasidim in Luninets.

Escaping to the British Mandate of Palestine

Shortly before the start of World War II, several yeshivas began considering evacuating their rabbis, students and families. Rabbi Kotler eventually left for America, passing through Siberia and Shanghai. Rabbi Shach instead opted to go to Palestine with his family: "Rabbi Shach’s uncle, Reb Isser Zalman, who by then had moved to Yerushalayim where he was serving as Rosh Yeshivas Eitz Chaim, helped Rabbi Shach and his family get certificates to go to Eretz Yisroel (known then as Palestine), from the British Mandate powers."

Shortly after his arrival, he worked in several Religious Zionist yeshivas, something that detractors later considered a "black mark" on his reputation. Several years after the re-establishment of the Ponevezh yeshiva in Bnei Brak, he was asked to be one of its deans. He remained in the position until his death.

Political life

He encouraged and guided the formation of the Sephardi Shas party before the elections to the 11th Knesset in 1984, calling upon his Ashkenazi followers to vote for Shas at that time. In 1988, he officially broke away from the Agudat Israel party and formed the Degel HaTorah ("Flag of Torah") party. He nevertheless encouraged Degel HaTorah to work in an alliance with Agudat Israel under the name of United Torah Judaism.

Rabbi Shach was deeply opposed to secular Zionism. He was fiercely dismissive of secular Israeli culture, deriding kibbutzniks as "breeders of rabbits and pigs" and saying the Labor Party wanted some new, artificial "Torah" to replace the real one.

Yet many considered him close to the politics of the Israeli left on diplomatic issues, as he called Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip "a blatant attempt to provoke the international community."

Opposition to the Lubavitcher Rebbe

Rabbi Schach rose to prominence at the same period that he began targetting a favorite antagonist of the Litvak community, the Chabad-Lubavitch movement and its Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson.

Many analysts of Haredi politics agree that Schach's initial thrust into the limelight of the Litvak world was due to his willingness to vocally attack Schneerson, going so far as to compare Chabad followers to the supporters of false messiah Shabbtai Zvi shortly before his death.

In addition to Schach's objections to some of Schneerson's followers venerating him as the Messiah (both before and after his death), the two also disagreed on various issues of Jewish law, custom and philosophy (see Hasidim and Mitnagdim), as well as politics. While Chabad, particularly under its last rebbe, was staunchly opposed to any peace talks with the Palestinians or to relinquishing any Israeli territory under any circumstance, Schach alternately supported both left and right-wing parties in the Israeli elections. Schach's explanations were both pragmatic as well as philosophical, citing the halakhic teaching of pikuach nefesh ("the saving of a life"), in which the preservation of lives takes precedence over nearly all other obligations in the Torah, including those pertaining to the sanctity of land. For these and other reasons, the divide between the two leaders continued to increase up until the rebbe's death, and has continued among their followers.

While Schach's supporters defended his harsh criticism of Chabad by saying the movement represented a very real threat of turning religious Jews to apostasy, some of his critics felt that the opposition was personally vindictive in nature, Schach having once been rejected from a teaching position in a Lubavitch school after allegedly delivering a weak sermon.

Family

Rabbi Shach had three children, all born in Kletsk in the 1920s: Miriam Raisel, Devorah, and Ephraim. Miriam Raisel died as a teenager in 1939 of pneumonia. Devorah married Rabbi Meir Tzvi Bergman a Torah scholar in Israel and had several children. Ephraim was unsatisfied with the Haredi lifestyle and eventually became a member of the Religious Zionist camp. He served in the Israel Defense Forces, received a doctorate in history and philosophy, and presently works as a supervisor for the Israel Ministry of Education.

Rebbetzin Guttel Schach died in 1969 from complications relating to diabetes.

Quotes

"I remember how I was educated in my parents' home: when my yarmulke fell off my head, I was taught that you had to cry from distress. They were guided by a concern for the punctilious observance of mitzvos. Once I woke up after the zman Krias Shema according to the Mogen Avrohom and I burst out crying and continued to cry about it all day long."

Sources

External links

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