Moshe Feinstein - Biography, Death, Works

Rabbi, born in Uzda, Russia. He studied and was ordained in Russia, and went to the USA in 1937. He was dean of Mesifta Tifereth Jerusalem in New York (1938–86), which became a leading yeshiva under his guidance. He was president of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the USA and Canada (1968–86), and published many books on Jewish jurisprudence and Talmudic analysis.

Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (1895 - 1986) was a Lithuanian Orthodox rabbi and scholar, who was world renowned for his expertise in halakha and was the de facto supreme rabbinic authority for Orthodox Jewry of North America.

Biography

Rabbi Feinstein was born, according to the Hebrew calendar, on the 7th day of Adar, 5655 (traditionally the date of birth of the Biblical Moshe) in Uzda, near Minsk, Belarus, then part of the Russian empire.

The son of Rabbi David Feinstein, rabbi of Uzdan; Rabbi Moshe Feinstein studied with his father and also in yeshivas in Slutsk, Shklov and Amstislav before being appointed rabbi of Lubań, where he served for sixteen years. He later established a branch of the yeshiva in Staten Island, New York, now headed by his son Rabbi Reuven Feinstein. Rabbi Moshe's son Rabbi David Feinstein heads the Manhattan branch. Rabbi Feinstein also took an active leadership role in Israel’s Chinuch Atzmai.

The Steipler Gaon, Rabbi Yonasan Steif, Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian, Rabbi Aharon Kotler, Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetsky and Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv all revered Rabbi Feinstein and declared him to be the Godol Hador (greatest Torah sage of the generation), although many of these were far older than he.

Rabbi Feinstein participated in the Rabbis March on Washington on October 6, 1943.

Death

Rabbi Feinstein died on the 23 March 1986 (13th of Adar II, 5746 on the Hebrew calendar). The Satmar Rebbe and Rabbi Feinstein's son Rabbi Reuven also spoke.

In Israel, Rabbi Eliezer Menachem Shach, Rabbi Dovid Povarsky, Rabbi Yitzchak Yaakov Weiss, Rabbi Yehuda Tzadkah, Rabbi Feinstein's son Rabbi Reuven Feinstein and his nephew Rabbi Michel Feinstein, all tearfully expressed grief over what they termed a massive loss to the generation.

Rabbi Feinstein was held in such great esteem that Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, himself regarded as a Torah giant, Talmid Chacham and Posek, refused to eulogize him, saying "Who am I to eulogize him?

Rabbi Feinstein Moshe was buried on Har HaMenuchot near his teacher, Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer;

Works

Rabbi Feinstein’s greatest renown stemmed from a lifetime of responding to religious questions posed by Jews in America and worldwide. Among Rabbi Feinstein's works:

Igros Moshe;

Some of Rabbi Feinstein's early works, including a commentary on the Talmud Yerushalmi, were destroyed by the Soviet authorities.