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Yisrael Meir (HaCohen) Kagan (1838 - 1933) was an influential Eastern European rabbi, Halakhist, Kabbalist, and ethicist. He is widely referred to as the Chofetz Chaim, for the title of his best known work.
Biography
Rabbi Kagan was born in Zhetel, Poland on February 6, 1838, and died in Radin, Poland, September 15, 1933. He was one of the most influential rabbis within Orthodox Judaism during the late 19th and early 20th century taking a central leadership role in the World Agudath Israel movement in Eastern Europe.
One major American yeshiva named in his honor is the Rabbinical Seminary of America centered in Queens, New York, with several branches in the United States and Israel. An Orthodox kibbutz was named Chafetz Chaim in his honor. Many smaller Jewish religious institutions throughout the world also carry his name. The Chofetz Chaim's teachings have inspired some modern Haredi English-speaking American Jews to establsih the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation dedicated to the dissemination of his teachings to Jewish communities around the world.
Just to give a taste of the greatness of the " Chofetz Chaim", a story is told of a man who came to the "Chofetz Chaim" seeking a "haskama" (certification) for his newly written work on anger management. When he approached the "Chofetz Chaim", the latter refused to adhere to this man's request. The man broke out in a rage over the decline of certification for his writings. The "Chofetz Chaim" simply replied "This is exactly why I didn't give you a 'haskama'. Before I wrote my 'seforim'(books) on 'shmiras halashon'(gossip) I didn't speak one word of gossip for forty years! How dare you be so rude to ask for certification on your book about anger management if you yourself can't control your own anger!"
Works
- Chafetz Chayim (חָפֵץ חַיִּים "Seeker/Desire * Life") Rabbi Kagan's first book, (published in 1873), deals with the Biblical laws of gossip and slander (known in Hebrew as Lashon Hara, meaning "Evil tongue").
- Sh'mirat HaLashon ("Guarding * the Tongue"), is a comprehensive discussion of the philosophy behind the Jewish concepts of power of speech and guarding one's speech. It also serves as an inspirational work designed to motivate the reader to be vigilant in the ethical usage of his speech and avoidance of others' unethical speech.
- Mishnah Berurah ("Clarified teachings") is a unique commentary on the Orach Chayim section of Rabbi Yosef Karo's comprehensive compilation of practical Jewish Law, the Shulkhan Arukh. It combines his own elucidations and differing opinions with those of earlier commentators.
- Bi'ur Halacha ("Explanation of the Law") is a commentary tangential to the Mishna Berurah. It usually provides complex analysis of the legal rulings of earlier Jewish legal decisors.
- Sha'ar HaTziyyun ("Gate of Distinction") serves primarily to document sources for laws and customs quoted in the Mishnah Berurah, but sometimes serves also to clarify ambiguous legal statements. The name Sha'ar HaTziyyun derives from the phrase sh'arim m'tzuyanim ba'halacha, translated as "gateways distinguished in (or marked in) Jewish Law," referring to the Torah study and scholarship that would distinguish Jewish homes. Rabbi Kagan chose the title as a double entendre, hinting at the distinguishment of scholarship referenced in his work, but primarily referring to (as he writes on his title page) the function of Sha'ar HaTziyyun to document (mark) sources.
See also
- Chofetz Chaim (disambiguation).
External links
- Rabbi Israel Meir Kagan, The Chofetz Chaim (1838-1933)
- Chofetz Chaim Biography
- The "Chofetz Chaim": The man within the legend
- Guard your speech - practical compendium of The book Chofetz Chaim by Zelig Pliskin, in russian
- The Chofetz Chaim - Reb Yisroel Meir Kagan
- Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation
References
"Yisrael Meir Kagan"