Rosh Chodesh Nissan: Rav Elyashiv to Celebrate 100th Birthday

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rav-elyashiv2The posek hador, Maran Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv shlit”a, will iy”H mark a milestone this coming Rosh Chodesh Nissan: his 100th birthday. Born in April of the year 1910, the nonagenarian gadol, according to reports, has asked that various ziknei Yerushalayim, known for being able to remove an ayin harah, should come to his house in Meah Shearim at the time of his birthday to remove any ayin harah from him.

Over the last year, Rav Elyashiv has been zoche to celebrate the births of great-great-grandchildren.

On the day of his birthday, Rav Elyashiv is slated to participate in a chanukas habayis at the famed Churvah Shul in the Old City of Yerushalayim. The event will be attended by the prime minister and others.
Born on April 10, 1910, Rav Elyashiv is a grandson of Rav Shlomo Elyashiv zt”l, the Leshem, who was niftar in 1925 and hailed from Šiauliai, Lithuania. His father was Rav Avraham of Homel and his mother was Rebbetzin Chaya Moussa, daughter of the Leshem. His wife, who passed away in June, 1994, was a daughter of Rav Aryeh Levin zt”l, the “Tzaddik of Yerushalayim.”

Rav Elyashiv and his Rebbetzin had eleven children. His daughters’ husbands include Rav Chaim Kanievsky; Rav Yosef Yisroel Yisraelzon zt”l; Rav Elchonon Berlin, rov of the Achva shul; Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein, rov of Ramat Elchanan (whose wife was nifteres and who has since remarried; Rav Ezriel Auerbach; and Rav Binyomin Rimer, a rosh yeshiva at the Tshebiner Yeshiva and at Yeshiva Kiryas Melech in Bnei Brak.

One of Rav Elyashiv’s daughters was killed in 1948 by Jordanian shelling.

In 1989, upon the establishment of Degel HaTorah, Rav Shach asked Rav Elyashiv to join in the leadership of the party. Rav Elyashiv has never held an official title, neither as head of a shul, yeshiva, or particular kehillah. He davens each day at the Tiferes Bachurim Shul, located above The Shtiblach in Meah Shearim, where he delivers his famous shiurim.

When Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman was once asked if there is anyone in our generation who understands Kabbolah, Rav Steinman thought for a while, and then nodded his head and answered affirmatively. He was then asked who it is, and after a moment’s silence, Rav Steinman answered, “Rav Elyashiv.”

The halachic rulings and insights of Rav Elyashiv have been published in several seforim. The multi-volume Kovetz Teshuvos contains teshuvos from questions asked of him over many years. Many of his drashos and chiddushim, most dating from the 1950s, were collected and published as Divrei Aggadah. Another work that includes his p’sakim is titled “Yashiv Moshe.” These works were not written by Rav Elyashiv himself, but were compiled by his relatives and talmidim.

May Hakadosh Boruch Hu give Rav Elyashiv kochos and gezunt to continue leading Klal Yisroel for many, many more years, amidst good health.

{Yair Alpert-Matzav.com Israel}


16 COMMENTS

  1. Yomim al Yimei Melech Tosif –

    Correction- Rav Elyashiv Shlita”a davens for the last number of years in the caravan Bais Medrash set up near his home

  2. “Rav Elyashiv has never held an official title”

    Right, he was “just” a senior dayan of the Supreme Rabbinical Court of Israel, deciding matters directly concerning millions of Jews.

  3. If he was born on Rosh Chodesh Nisan, then his birthday is not April 10, 1910, but 1 Nisan Tav Resh Ayin. I am willing to bet Rav Elyashiv does not think his bithday this year is April 10, which falls out on 26 Nisan. I’m also willing to bet he doesn’t use non Jewish dates. And also that he has not invited mekubalim to take away an ayin hara from him.

  4. For #9’s edification as well as for the sake of historical accuracy, Rav Elyashiv was the av beit din of the beit din hagadol of the rabbanut – he retired when Rav Goren became rav haroshi because the latter, by virtue of his position, became the nasi of that beit din. During Rav Elyashiv’s tenure, the beit din also had dayanim of the caliber of Rav Ovadya Yosef, Rav Betzalel Zolti – who later became rav haroshi of Yerushalayim – and Rav Kapach who retranslated the pirush hamishnayot of the Rambam from the original Arabic and with whom Rav Elyashiv would not sit because of his [rav Kapach zt”l’s] family connection to the Dardaim who held that the Zohar was a forgery.

  5. To #14, thank you for that valuable information. It is definitely true that Rav Elyashiv and his family were members of the supporters of Rav Kook, Rav Kook being the mesader kiddushin at Rav Elyashiv’s wedding.
    As an aside, to those who are more well informed and mildly open minded, it is well established that the Zohar was written in the late 13th century.

  6. This sounds like, an important event. I was planning to come to Jerusalem for rosh chodesh Nissan and would really like to attend. Will it be open to the public? Are people gonning have to line up to get in? If any body knows any information to help me please conntact me at [email protected]

    If Attendance is not an option, does anyone know the time of minyan at the kotel with nice melodies and cavana. Infact any suggestions of a good minyan in Jerusalem for rosh chodesh Nissan would be much appriciated!

    -James

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