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Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (1895-1986) was an Orthodox Rabbi who was world renowned for his expertise in halakha (Jewish Law) and was the de facto supreme rabbinic authority for the Orthodox Jewry of North America. He was born, according to the Hebrew calendar, on the 7th day of Adar, 5655 (traditionally the date of birth of the Biblical Moshe) in Uzdan, near Minsk, Belarus, then part of the Russian empire.
The son of a rabbi and halachic authority, Rabbi Feinstein studied in Uzdan and Slutsk. He was a community rabbi in Lubań, Russia for over 20 years. Under increasing pressure from the Soviet regime, he and his family moved to New York City in 1935 where he lived for the remainder of his life. There, he became the rosh yeshiva (dean) of the yeshiva Mesivta Tiferes Jerusalem, and was named the rabbinic head of Agudath Israel of America in the 1960s. He later established a branch of his Mesivta Tiferes Jerusalem 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 published an eight-volume work of halakhic responsa called Iggeroth Moshe (Epistles of Moshe), which is a standard halakhic work in Orthodox Judaism circles. Talmudic novellae appeared as Dibroth Moshe (Moshe's Words), and novellae on the Torah appeared posthumously as Darash Moshe (Moshe Expounds, a reference to Leviticus 10:16). Some of Rabbi Feinstein's early works, including a commentary on the Yerusahalmi, were destroyed by the Communists.
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.
Death
Rabbi Feinstein died on the 23 March 1986 (13th of Adar II, 5746 on the Hebrew calendar). It has been pointed out that the 5746th verse in the Torah reads, "And it came to pass after Moshe had finished writing down the words of this Torah in a book to the very end" (Deuteronomy 31:24).
At the time he was regarded as Orthodoxy's foremost rabbinic scholar and halachic decisor. His funeral in Israel was said to be the largest among Jews since the Mishnaic era, and was attended by approximately 300,000 people. Among the eulogizers in America were Rabbis Yaakov Yitzchak Ruderman, David Lipschutz, Shraga Moshe Kalmanowitz, Nissan Alpert, Moshe David Tendler, Michel Barenbaum and Mordechai Tendler. 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 Michel Feinstein, Rabbi Yehuda Tzadkah and Rabbi Reuven Feinstein all tearfully bemoaned the massive loss to the generation.
In such massive esteem was Rabbi Feinstein held that Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, himself recognised as a Gaon and Posek, refused to eulogize the former, saying "Who am I to eulogize him? I studied his sefarim; I was his talmid (student)".
Rabbi Feinstein Moshe was buried on Har HaMenuchot near his teacher, Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer; his friend, Rabbi Aharon Kotler; his son-in-law Rav Shisgal and in proximity to the Belzer Rebbe.
References
- Rabbi Shimon Finkelman, Rabbi Nosson Scherman. Reb Moshe: The Life and Ideals of Hagaon Rabbi Moshe Feinstein. Brooklyn, NY: Artscroll Mesorah, 1986. ISBN 0899064809.
- ou.org - Rav Moshe Feinstein (1895-1986)
"Moshe Feinstein"