By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com
This January 26th, the 4th of Shvat will be the 57th yahrtzeit of the renowned Gaon Rav Yechiel Yaacov Weinberg zt”l. He came from Poland originally and was a student of both the Slabodka Yeshiva and the Mir Yeshiva in Poland. The future author of the Sridei Aish was, in fact, the Chevrusah of Rav Laizer Yudel, when he studied in Mir as a bochur in 1903. Indeed, the Alter of Slabodka himself had sent him together with his son so that he would have a suitable chevrusah.
When Rav Weinberg was 17, he went to study in the Slabodka yeshivah, where he became a chavrusa of Rav Naftali Amsterdam, the prime student of mussar- movement founder Rav Yisrael Salanter, and studied under the Alter of Slabodka, Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel. In 1903, the Alter sent his son Rav Eliezer Yehudah to learn in Mir for five years, and sent Rav Weinberg, who was much younger, along so that his son would have a chavrusa. During that time they learned the entire Shas together.
Eventually became the Rosh Yeshiva of Rav Azriel Hildesheimer’s Yeshiva in Berlin. During the war, he went from Berlin to Warsaw, He passed away in 1966 at the age of 88. At his levaya, a controversy emerged – more on that after this brief introduction.
Rav Weinberg had survived the Churban of Europe, but the experience had left him both broken in health and shattered in spirit. Yet somehow and some way, he managed to continue in his remarkable Torah learning and published three volumes of the Sridei Aish in his lifetime (1961, 1962, and 1966). In it, he answered shailos from all over the world – where he lived in Switzerland. A fourth volume was published posthumously. “Sridei Aish” means Remnants of Fire – a reference to a lifetime of his Torah writings that were lost in the holocaust. Universally recognized as a halachic and Talmudic master, his knowledge was not limited to Torah, he was a master of all matters of history, Judaic studies, and secular knowledge as well.
He would often come to Warsaw, where he published his remarkable work entitled Lifrakim (Warsaw, 1936). When in Warsaw, he would daven at the Litvak shul at 39 Nalewki Street. Earlier in life he was knownas the Illuy of Czechanowic. Later he was the Rav of Pilwischki. He was also a university lecturer of Giessen, and the war-time president of the Agudas HaRabbanim of Warsaw. The last twenty years of his life he lived in Montreux, Switzerland.
It is interesting to note that his legacy has been claimed both by the Chareidi world as well as by the Mizrachi’ish world. Even at his levaya, there was an incident that reflected this dual claim for his legacy.
In his will, he had charged Mosha Shapira, a former talmid, and Zorach Warhaftig, two ministers in the Israeli government with arranging for his burial in Eretz Yisroel. (see biography of Zerach Warhaftig) They had chosen a spot next to Rav Weinberger’s friend, Rav Yitzchok Herzog, the Chief Rabbi in the Sanhedria cemetery. However, Rav Yechezkel Sarna disagreed with their decision and felt that he should be buried in the Gedolim section in Har HaMenuchos. He sent a number of his students to divert the funeral and take him to Har HaMenuchos instead. Reb Zorach Warfatig, wishing to avoid trouble, did not make more of a protest.
The author can be reached at [email protected]
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
2 Responses
R Weinberg zt”l was actually imprisoned by the Nazi’s ym”s in Berlin during the war where they eventually forgot about him. He survived the war in a German prison. It should also be mentioned that his shidduch was arranged by the Alter of Slabodka himself.
The Chief Rabbi was Rav Aizik Herzog zt”l. Chaim Herzog, who was not a rav, and not frum, was Rav Aizik’s son.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe zy”a’s smicha was from the Sridei Eish. Later in life someone suggested to the Sridei Eish that he go visit the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and he said he would feel awkward visiting a talmid of his who had become such a gadol.