Eliyahu Boruch Finkel
Encyclopedia
Eliyahu Boruch Finkel was an influential maggid shiur (lecturer) at the Mir yeshiva
in Jerusalem.
to Rabbi Moshe Finkel, son of the rosh yeshiva
of the Mir, Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Finkel, and grandson of Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel, the Alter of Slabodka. His mother was Nechama Eidel Levin, daughter of Rabbi Mordechai Dovid Levin, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Eitz Chaim
).
He grew up under the tutelage of his grandfather, Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda, and studied in Talmud Torah Yavneh. At the age of 10 he went to learn in Yeshivas Tiferes Tzvi, a school named after his grandfather Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel. Half a year after his bar mitzvah, he moved to the Mir yeshiva and learned in chavruta
(study partner) with Rabbi Chaim Kamil
, where he was recognized as an outstanding student.
While learning at the Mir, he became close with Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz
and Rabbi Nochum Partzovitz
. He would learn with Rabbi Partovitz every day for a few hours, covering all the sugyos of Shas, even those topics not studied regularly in yeshivas. Because of all the years that they learned together, Rabbi Eliyahu Boruch considered Rabbi Partzovitz his rebbe muvhak (chief teacher).
In recognition of Finkel's tremendous abilities, the roshei yeshiva appointed him to be a maggid shiur at a young age.
In the summer of 1967 he went to learn in the Ponevezh Yeshiva
, where he learned in chavruta with Rabbi Mordechai Shlomo Berman, one of the roshei yeshivas. He also learned with Ponevezh rosh yeshiva Rabbi Shmuel Rozovsky
, who said about Eliyahu Boruch: "There was Rabbi Eliyahu Boruch Kamai (grandfather of Rabbi Eliyahu Boruch Finkel; Kamai means "first" in Aramaic
), and now we have Rabbi Eliyahu Boruch Basrai (Aramaic for "last")".
After his tenure in Ponevezh, he returned to the Mir until his marriage to Chana Gelman, daughter of Rabbi Shlomo Gelman of Queens
, New York.
intently and give over his shiur with excitement. His students recall his simchas ha-chaim (positive, happy attitude) and the personal relationship he built with each of them. His shiurim influenced the way of learning in the Mir specifically and in other yeshivos as well. Many of his students now say shiurim of their own and give over Rabbi Finkel's way of learning to the next generation of students and Torah scholars.
Before his death, Rabbi Finkel was delivering the second-largest shiur in the Mir, teaching hundreds of students.
Rabbi Finkel died suddenly on 31 March 2008. His funeral took place the following morning in the main building of the yeshiva. Tens of thousands of mourners accompanied his bier to Har HaMenuchos, where he was buried in the new area for rabbis. His eldest son, Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Leib Finkel, currently says shiur as his father's successor.
Mir yeshiva (Jerusalem)
The Mir yeshiva , known as the Mirrer Yeshiva or The Mir, is an Orthodox Jewish yeshiva in Jerusalem, Israel. With 6,000 students, it is the largest yeshiva in Israel. Many of the students are from the United States and Canada. It is also believed to be the largest yeshiva in the world...
in Jerusalem.
Biography
He was born in Jerusalem, IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
to Rabbi Moshe Finkel, son of the rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...
of the Mir, Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Finkel, and grandson of Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel, the Alter of Slabodka. His mother was Nechama Eidel Levin, daughter of Rabbi Mordechai Dovid Levin, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Eitz Chaim
Etz Chaim Yeshiva
Etz Chaim Yeshiva is an orthodox yeshiva located on Jaffa Road close to the Mahane Yehuda Market in downtown Jerusalem.-History:Etz Chaim Yeshiva was originally a Talmud Torah which was established in 1841 by the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, Shmuel Salant. For the first two years classes were held in...
).
He grew up under the tutelage of his grandfather, Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda, and studied in Talmud Torah Yavneh. At the age of 10 he went to learn in Yeshivas Tiferes Tzvi, a school named after his grandfather Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel. Half a year after his bar mitzvah, he moved to the Mir yeshiva and learned in chavruta
Chavruta
Chavruta, also spelled chavrusa , is a traditional Rabbinic approach to Talmudic study in which a pair of students independently learn, discuss, and debate a shared text. It is a primary learning method in yeshivas and kollels, where students often engage regular study partners of similar knowledge...
(study partner) with Rabbi Chaim Kamil
Chaim Kamil
Rabbi Chaim Kamil was the Rosh Yeshiva in the Yeshiva of Ofakim, Israel. As a youngster, he learned in Yeshivas Slabodka in Bnei Brak and eventually made his way to Yeshivas Mir in Jerusalem, where he became a student of Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz...
, where he was recognized as an outstanding student.
While learning at the Mir, he became close with Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz
Chaim Shmuelevitz
Chaim Leib Shmuelevitz, , was a member of the faculty of the Mirrer Yeshiva for more than 40 years, in Poland, Shanghai and Jerusalem, serving as Rosh yeshiva during its sojourn in Shanghai from 1941 to 1947, and again in the Mirrer Yeshiva in Jerusalem from 1965 to 1979...
and Rabbi Nochum Partzovitz
Nochum Partzovitz
Nochum Partzovitz was a rabbi and Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Mir and is known worldwide for erudite explanations of Talmudic topics.Partzovitz was born in Trakai, Poland to its Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Aryeh Tzvi Partzovitz...
. He would learn with Rabbi Partovitz every day for a few hours, covering all the sugyos of Shas, even those topics not studied regularly in yeshivas. Because of all the years that they learned together, Rabbi Eliyahu Boruch considered Rabbi Partzovitz his rebbe muvhak (chief teacher).
In recognition of Finkel's tremendous abilities, the roshei yeshiva appointed him to be a maggid shiur at a young age.
In the summer of 1967 he went to learn in the Ponevezh Yeshiva
Ponevezh yeshiva
Ponevezh Yeshiva, often pronounced Ponevitch Yeshiva, is a world renowned yeshiva located in Bnei Brak, Israel. Donated by Henry Krausher, it was originally established in the town of Panevėžys, Lithuania...
, where he learned in chavruta with Rabbi Mordechai Shlomo Berman, one of the roshei yeshivas. He also learned with Ponevezh rosh yeshiva Rabbi Shmuel Rozovsky
Shmuel Rozovsky
Rabbi Shmuel Rozovsky is known as a Talmudic lecturer at Ponevezh Yeshiva and is counted amongst the great rabbis of his generation. During his heyday, Reb Shmuel was known as the king of the yeshivah world. Hundreds attended his lectures...
, who said about Eliyahu Boruch: "There was Rabbi Eliyahu Boruch Kamai (grandfather of Rabbi Eliyahu Boruch Finkel; Kamai means "first" in Aramaic
Aramaic language
Aramaic is a group of languages belonging to the Afroasiatic language phylum. The name of the language is based on the name of Aram, an ancient region in central Syria. Within this family, Aramaic belongs to the Semitic family, and more specifically, is a part of the Northwest Semitic subfamily,...
), and now we have Rabbi Eliyahu Boruch Basrai (Aramaic for "last")".
After his tenure in Ponevezh, he returned to the Mir until his marriage to Chana Gelman, daughter of Rabbi Shlomo Gelman of Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, New York.
Maggid shiur
When Rabbi Nochum Partzovitz took ill, Finkel began to take his place in saying the shiurim. After Rabbi Partovitz died, Rabbi Finkel took his place permanently. His shiurim were characterized by profundity on the one hand and clarity on the other, even in the most complicated sugyos. He would analyze the words of the RishonimRishonim
"Rishon" redirects here. For the preon model in particle physics, see Harari Rishon Model. For the Israeli town, see Rishon LeZion.Rishonim were the leading Rabbis and Poskim who lived approximately during the 11th to 15th centuries, in the era before the writing of the Shulkhan Arukh and...
intently and give over his shiur with excitement. His students recall his simchas ha-chaim (positive, happy attitude) and the personal relationship he built with each of them. His shiurim influenced the way of learning in the Mir specifically and in other yeshivos as well. Many of his students now say shiurim of their own and give over Rabbi Finkel's way of learning to the next generation of students and Torah scholars.
Before his death, Rabbi Finkel was delivering the second-largest shiur in the Mir, teaching hundreds of students.
Rabbi Finkel died suddenly on 31 March 2008. His funeral took place the following morning in the main building of the yeshiva. Tens of thousands of mourners accompanied his bier to Har HaMenuchos, where he was buried in the new area for rabbis. His eldest son, Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Leib Finkel, currently says shiur as his father's successor.