Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, an Israel Prize laureate best known for his translation of the Babylonian Talmud, has passed away, at the age of 83.
Rabbi Steinsaltz had been hospitalized at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, where he was being treated for a lung infection not related to the coronavirus.
Along with his translation of the Talmud into modern Hebrew, Rabbi Steinsaltz was also well-known for his writings and commentaries on the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, and the Tanya.
A member of the Chabad Hasidic movement, Rabbi Steinsaltz was president of Yeshivat Makor Chaim and Yeshivat Tekoa.
Born to a secular Jewish family in 1937, Rabbi Steinsaltz, a native Jerusalemite joined the Chabad Hasidic movement as a teenager. He studied at the Chabad yeshiva Tomchei Temimim in Lod, while also studying math, chemistry, and physics at Hebrew University.
In 1965, Rabbi Steinsaltz began work on what came to be known as the Steinsaltz Edition of the Talmud, translating the entire Babylonian Talmud into modern Hebrew and adding technical notes and explanatory material.
The translation was completed in 2010, and has since been translated in part to a number of other languages, including Russian and English.
Rabbi Steinsaltz cofounded the Mekor Chaim yeshiva in 1984 and Yeshivat Tekoa a decade and a half later.
In 1988, Rabbi Steinsaltz won the Israel Prize for Jewish Studies; in 2012, he won the President's Medal; and in 2017 he was awarded the Worthy Citizen of Jerusalem Prize.
During an attempt to reform the ancient rabbinic court known as the Sanhedrin, Rabbi Steinsaltz was tapped to lead the court.
In 2016, Rabbi Steintsaltz suffered a stroke.
He is survived by his wife, Sarah, their three children, and their eighteen grandchildren.
The Tzohar organization released a statement Friday morning mourning Rabbi Steinsaltz's death.
"Tzohar was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, an exceptional leader of both Torah and love for the land. His life’s work opened countless doors for people to study and helped bridge the diverse communities within the Jewish world. He will be forever remembered as a teacher defined by passionate caring for his people and spreading the beauty of Judaism all across the globe."
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23 comments:
Brought a new energy to the Torah. I enjoy using his Shas. Very helpful.
A great mind and a great heart. Will greatly be missed.
What a loss to Klal Yisroel! One should keep in mind that the Art Scroll Shottenstein Shas was the work of over one hundred editors, while the Steinsaltz Shas was almost completely the work of Rav Steinsaltz himself.
While Rav Chaim Kanievsky is inarguably an amazing Torah Scholar, one cannot learn from him because he never explains his rulings and therefore many times they are out of context.
Rav Steinsaltz Zatzal on the other hand, was very approachable and his exposure to secular studies actually enhanced his understanding of the Talmud. He also mastered all the Chassidic writings of all the Chabad Rebbes and other Chasisidic Rebbes as well, while Rav Kanievsky, Yibodal Lechaim is completely ignorant when it comes to authentic Chassidic thought.
The breadth of Rav Steinsalktz knowledge is astonishing. His published works are not limited to Talmud, but encompass many fields of Jewish study, such as history, Kabbalah and Chassidus.
And notwithstanding all his accomplishments, Rav Steinsaltz was a humble person in the extreme. He was completely devoted to his Rebbe, the Rebbe of Lubavitch and followed his advice scrupulously, never questionjed his Rebbe's authority, even to the extent of changing his name to Even Yisroel at the Rebbe's suggestion. The is a video of him addressing a group of Chabbad Chsssidim delivered in perfect Heimishe Yiddish in which he admonished the group for not heeding rebbe's words.
What is also impressive was Rav Steinsaltz's keen sense of humor, which he employed skillfully in proving some point in the various venues in which he appeared.
Unfortunately, no book will ever be written about Rav Steinsaltz that can fully detail his Gadlus, because there is simply no-one on the level of understanding this extraordinary man.
One final note: You state that Rav Steinsaltz attempted to reestablish a Sanhedrin and that he was tapped to lead it. This is not completely accurate. Rav Steinsaltz wanted to reinstitute true Semicha which although far less ambitious than reconstituting a Sanhedrin, is nonetheless, quite a daunting task, since such Semicha has not existed for five hundred years. What is even more astonishing is that Rav Steinsaltz did not consider himself worthy of of such Semicha, but rather selected Rav Moshe Halberstam for that honor. Yes, you heard me right the first time. Rav Steinsaltz thought that Rav Halberstam of the Aidah Hacharedis would be the one who would be the most acceptable candidate. Such was the humility and the openminded broadness of Rav Steinsaltz. What a loss!
cyrano
Absolutely ... what is astonishing is that he was brought up in a secular household....
Also ... he started his translation before Artscroll... but some jealous "gedolim" urged Artscroll to preempt him and so they started their own translation...The Gerer Rebbe was seen learning from a Steisalts gemaarah ... this was done to show that he endorsed him...
The "gedoilim" were "motzei shem ra'on him and attempted to destroy him
Just like the "gedoilim" did to the Rambam 870 years ago..they then attempted and almost succeeded to destroy the Ramchall.
They did they same wit Harav Kook...
In our own time the actually destroyed Rav Slifkin who wrote what the Ramban wrote ...
Real Torah Scholars will learn from the Steinsalts....
Shtein Zaltz who is a koifer who was mevazeh Neviyim in his sefer published many years after he released his Shas is not the same parsha as Slifkin who quoted certain Rishonim.
I don't know who opposed his Shas at the beginning because I was a little kid then but Rav Schach ztl called him out in the 1990s for the new sefer.
Tzohar is the biggest Open Orthodox group in Israel so it's no surprise they are singing the praises of Rock Salt.
The idiot who started the Slifkin campaign is the thief & hypocrite Leib Pinter who probably fed more "kosher" treif to Jews than Moish Finkel. While I agree we should not learn certain Rishonim today, Pinter had no right to engineer Slifkin's destruction. The blogger by the way who started exclusively attacking Slifkin when Pinter was sent back to Federal lockup was a fugitive drug dealer who is a very strange guy bain adam lechaveiro.
Ben Torah
As you yourself say that you "was a little kid then" so you really don't know the situation first hand...
Rav Stensaltz z"l was a humble tzaadik that doesn't need your approval...
He wasn't "mevazeh " any Neviyim ....
Dear Readers ..
this is how they, the yeshivisha/ Chassidishe world systematically took down Harav Kook z"l
The Navie (not Neviem..in plural)in question is Shimshon Hagibor and he called him what other Rishonim called him ... I'm not going into the details ... Ve'Hamayvin Yavoin..
Rav Steinsaltz z"l wrote in Hebrew but when they translated it into English it didn't do his pshat justice ...
The Gerer Rebbe and the Lubavitcher Rebbe had the utmost respect for him and this is a huge loss for Klall Yisrael...and the Gerrer Rebbe made sure that he was photographed with a Steinsalts gemarrah....
There was another issue ..that he published his gemarrah without the TZuras Hadaf ....(He did another separate issue with the Tzuras Hadaf)
i personally see no issue with it since the Tzuras Hadaf was an invention of goyim ...
It'not a Jewish mesorah ... but the "gedoilim" say that the Tzuras Hadaf is our "mesorah" crazy ... since just a 1,000 years ago there was no Rashi and no Tosfois..
I'm not knocking the Tzuras Hadaf since its used a reference today by all who learn gemarrah but to make it holy is ludicrous
To compare Reb Steinsaltz with Rav Kook zt"l is improper.
Steinsaltz was an intelligent man, but let's not go overboard. At least Rav Kook zt"l had enough seichel not be a Lubavitcher (despite his maternal Habad roots), משא"כ Steinsaltz, who converted to the messianic sect.
"cyrano said...
What a loss to Klal Yisroel! One should keep in mind that the Art Scroll Shottenstein Shas was the work of over one hundred editors, while the Steinsaltz Shas was almost completely the work of Rav Steinsaltz himself."
Artcroll Shas is a different type of work than Steinsaltz. It is clear that you have a beef wit Atscroll. After all, why don't you knock the Oz Vehadar gemaras too, they also had many editors? Who needs Oz Vehadar if the Steinsaltz Hebrew was done many years earlier? Answer: 1) It is a different type of work, don't compare apples to oranges, 2) and not everyone holds of the derech of Steinsaltz.
"cyrano said.......
While Rav Chaim Kanievsky is inarguably an amazing Torah Scholar, one cannot learn from him because he never explains his rulings and therefore many times they are out of context.
.....Rav Kanievsky, Yibodal Lechaim is completely ignorant when it comes to authentic Chassidic thought."
Shame on you for taking cheap shots like that at מרן שר התורה שליט"א.
"one cannot learn from him"
Huh??? I think you have a mental block, since so many have learned and do learn from him, ב"ה. Just because he didn't accept your dead Rebbe from Crown Heights as Messiah all of a sudden "one cannot learn from him"???
Re the second part, how do you know to say What Rav Chaim knows and does not know? Did you give him a farher? And if he does not know some of the nonsense that your sect teaches, that is good, why should he waste time and energy on studying the Lubavitch religion, he would rather learn authentic Torah and Yiddishkeit.
I do know the situation first hand about Rock Salt's 1990s bizayon of Neviyim plural that was not limited to Shimshon. I saw the exact words of the bizayon which are appalling, like Shimshon the "ruffian".
There is no way that Rav Kook ztl would ever be mevazeh Neviyim like that. Rav Schach only attacked Rock Salt. (One Rebbe even told Adin his last name is a shem ra which he should change)
The yeshivishe velt are not on the same page as the Hungarian Chassidishe on Rav Kook ztl. We believe Rav Kook was a big tzaddik who made one mistake that was fort well intentioned. Maybe you are confusing our position on Shlomo Goren who we do NOT think he was a tzaddik.
There are multiple issues that go into the tzuras hadaf of Shas. One of them is the dinei Torah that Vilna had first dibs over Slavita, Zhitomir & whoever else comes along after that. Rock Salt has no terutz that he violated the psak of the batei din, first the beis din of R' Akiva Eiger that was a 25 year copyright and then the Poilishe Rebbes with no time limit, who even they sided with the Litvaks. When people didn't listen to the psak it led to much tzorus. Whether the Slavita binder - who massered on his bosses - either hung himself or fell & banged his kop on the press, it aroused the Czar yms to cause major problems from torturing people to shutting down most printing of sifrei koidesh. The Steipler grada said that the dead moyser-binder was the son of long time childless Shpoler Chassidim who the Zeyde refused to give them a brocha for kinder. The Koretzer eventually gave a brocha which had it's chaloiss on that one moyser and the ingrate moyser's bosses were grandsons of the Koretzer!
There is another problem with Rock Salt's pirush - even if he wasn't krum - it takes away from the horvanya.
"The Gerer Rebbe and the Lubavitcher Rebbe had the utmost respect for him and this is a huge loss for Klall Yisrael...and the Gerrer Rebbe made sure that he was photographed with a Steinsalts gemarrah...."
You are trying to make it as if Lubavitch and Ger were and are full throated supporters of Steinsaltz. That is quite questionable as it appears to me.
Do Gerrer shtieblech have sets of Steinsaltz gemaras? Maybe you can find a volume here and there, but do the hamon am of Ger regularly use them? I have serious doubts, don't think so (for the most part - of course there could be a few exceptions). If I am wrong, please correct me. Ger is into Daf Yomi. How many Gerrers do the daf with Steinsaltz gemaras?
Same re Lubavitch - do Lubavitcher shtieblech have sets of Steinsaltz talmud? Maybe some do, maybe more than Ger, but do Lubavitchers use the Steinsaltz talmud as much as Modern Orthodox? I have doubts.
Do Gerrer yeshivas have/use Steinsaltz works? Do Lubavitcher yeshivas? As above, I don't think so, with a few exceptions possible.
I think the users of the Steinsaltz Talmud are more from the Modern Orthodox segments.
Is there going to be a hesped at 770 for R. Steinsaltz? Will there be a hesped in Ger?
If they were such big Chasidim of his, why not?
Some ztadikim here didn't learn the lesson of covid and are busy offering evil talk. What a wasted disease
DIN:
Greetings.
How are things in the הייליגע לאנד?
Can you please tell us if you yourself learn gemara with the Steinsaltz talmud exclusively?
You do the daf, daf yomi? With Steinsaltz Talmud exclusively?
Thanks for sharing.
Inquiring minds want to know.
Question for DIN
Yes I do the daf and the הייליגע לאנד is B'H great and there is nowhere where I'd rather be ... and I hope that one day soon you and your family will join us here .. we need every Jew ...
I have to admit that I don't learn exclusively with Steinsaltz....
now that I'm not working I learn on Zoom and before the virus I learned with a chavrusah and managed with "mesivta" ... but if I need to do a quick look up for reference or do a "chazara" I go to the Steinsaltz... I go to the Artscroll Hebrew as well, but I found the Steinsaltz clearer and less confusing ... it could be because Artscroll has many editors it isn't as smooth...
I found the "mesivta" excellent, since it goes over the Tosfos as well and has a review of each daf and has a special section for specific sugyos...
But it cost a small fortune as each mesachte can have up to 6 volumes ..
But as my father z"l used to say: "A bee men lerent" "as long as we learn"
thanks for following my blog
Reb DIN shlit"a - א גרויסע יישר כח!
That is what I like about you, you are מודה על האמת (at least sometimes :). חזק ואמץ!
DIN, take a look at this video!
https://anash.org/rabbi-steinsaltzs-memorable-farbrengen/
For those who don't understand Yiddish, there is an English translation-transcription attached.
I would like to make a few things clear to those who responded negatively to my post, as no-one responded positively to it.
First of all, I certainly do not believe that the Lubavitcher Rebbe is, was, or will be the Melech Homoshiach. On the contrary, I firmly believe, that the Rebbe is NOT Meshiach; that Moshiach is far, far greater than the Lubavicher Rebbe was.
I do occasionally take a peek at the sefer Hatanyah, (Sefer shell Baynonim), but one can hardly say that I am a Lubavicher Chossid. I never was at a farbrengen. I never even met him personally, although I did attend his levaye out of respect for the many thousands of Jews who were left without a leader.
I do not have a "beef" with the ArtScroll shas; I use the ArtScroll shas. I was merely praising the scholarship of Rav Steinsaltz who single-handedly produced a work that could compete on some level (not on every level) with the end product that was a collaboration of over a hundred rabbis.
When I wrote That Rav Kanievski is ignorant of Chassidus. I did not mean Chabad Chassidus" I meant any Chassidus. When I met Rav Kanievski and introduced myself as a descendant of Rav Mottele Chernobler, the father of the Rebbe Yakkov Yisorel of Cherkas who his father the Steipler Gaon was named after, he stared at me blankly. "Vehr?", he asked. I repeated, "Rav Yaakov Yisroel funn Cherkas". "Vehr?, he asked again. and then he moved on without another word. I had no expectation that he acknowledge my humble self, but I was disappointed that he dismissed his father's rebbe.
It is well known that Rav Kanievsky completes the entire Shas Bavli and Yerushalmi, Sifri, Sifro, Michilta and Four Chelkay Shulchan Aruch on an annual basis and has done so over seventy times. His appellation as "Sahr HaTorah" is well deserved. On the other hand, he is not known to delve into Chassidus just as he is not known to engage in the Seforim of the Baalay Mussar from the Cheder of Rav Yisroel of Salant. His strengths lie elsewhere. This should not mean that the teachings of Kelem, Slobodka, Novardok, Chernoble, Liszhensk, Ropshlipts, Lublin, Pshiskhe, Kotzk, Ger, Alexander, Apte, and Rodomsk have no vaue, but it not a lie to say that Rav Kanievski is not familiar with those teachings.
When I stated that one cannot learn from Rav Kanievsky, I do not mean that I am not filled with awe and admiration for his accomplishments, for I most certainly am. The fact however remains that he does not have a Yeshiva, does not give sheurim on a consistent basis (or even on a non-consistent basis) and does not author teshuvos that explain his rulings. I cannot see how someone can claim to be a Talmid Muvhack of Rav Kanievsky in the same way as some who are Talmidim of Rav Shach, Rav Moshe Feinstein, Rav Ahron Kotler or Rav Hutner. I don't think there is anyone who can claim to have had a five minute conversation with Rav Kanievski.
As to Rav Steinsaltz referring to Shimshon Hagibor in a derogatory fashion, one must carefully examine the context in which that term was used. I have heard Shmuzin from the Kelemer Cheder that extolled the prowess of Bilaam Horosha in Nevuah greater than Moshe Rabbaynu, only to fail in Midos. Does that mean that the Mashgiach claimed that Bilaam was a great guy? Such misinterpretations are worthy of Democrats who misconstrue Trump's proposal to deny Social Security benefits to multi millionaires, as in an indication that the President is a racist. (I'm still scratching my head over that one).
The controversy over the Slovita Shas, is a whole other story and has no parallel to the Steinsaltz Shas. Bottom line, the Slovita controversy was chiefly about money, which was in short supply at the time, with a little ideology thrown into the mix, because hey, why not? We can debate the Slovita issue, Slifkin and Pinter in another blog. Okay?
Chazal themselves said that Bilam was greater in Nevuah than any Yid so the school of Kelm has every right to repeat it. But Chazal never called Shimshon a street thug. That was Rock Salt's arrogant invention. Who cares for our purposes if Bilam was greater? It was a gift that he misused and sullied with all of his rishus. He was only gifted so that goyim will have a tayna that if we had a Moishe Rabbeinu ....
My point about Slavita is that no one can usurp Vilna's tzuras hadaf, not them and not anyone later.
A new poisek about copywright tzuras hadaf, ben torah. You're wrong, the tzurah is important to identify location of a discourse to make it easier to find and for no other reason. A copywrite for the Talmud does not exist just the same for siddur or machzor, don't sell made up history.Even if it did, it cannot legally stand forever.
11:17
"But Chazal never called Shimshon a street thug."
I think you are right ..
but, they referred to him a lot worse ...
עיין בר"ר צח, יד
עיין במד"ר יד, ט
:עיין סוטה ט
The Tzuras Hadaf was invented by goyim .... Catholics to be precise..
It was the publishers that made a big deal and made it their own and made it holy ...dragging the Gedoilim into their now "Tzuras Hadaf money making machine."
Tzuras hadaf is a great way to find your place but has absolutely no kedusha..absolutely none ... zero....
As you know that the "kapitlach" or "chapters" in the entire Tanach was invented by Christians ... has no "mkor" and is actually confusing ...but we use it now for reference ... no serious publisher would remove it ...
Actually a rabbi (who shall remain nameless for different reasons)who lives in Flatbush printed and published the entire Chumash .. removing the goyishe chapters and made the "kapitlach" the Jewish way ..like the breaks in the Sefer Torah
well he was laughed out of all Yeshivos...because all references have the Christian chapters and verses... so how would any one find a pasuk?
So this "tzuras hadaf" business is just something that they can attack Rav Steinsaltz z"l.
Your comment above
"There is another problem with Rock Salt's pirush - even if he wasn't krum - it takes away from the horvanya."
can be addressed to Artscroll... and Mesivta as well...
People B'H have lots of children who learn different gemaaras, and if you want to learn with them .. the only way is learning with these tools...
And you know something?
I am positive that people made your comment about "it takes away from the horvanya" when Rashi first came out ...
I'm sure there were wise guys like you pointing to the guy learning the gemmarrah with Rashi...."look at that big am haaretz he is learning gemarrah with Rashi."
Different Torahs have different tzures.
My uncle is a sofer in Baltimore and a prominent one. Your critism has absolutely no basis whatsoever.
The Chasam Sofer on the Haftorah nogaya Shimshon explains that whenever Chazal *appear* to have a very negative opinion of Shimshon it's because 90% of his bechira was taken away from him (like Yehuda by Tamar) and 10% of his free will he had left he made an error thinking his behavior was lshaim Shomayim.
Guaranteed that Rock Salt had no such charitable intentions.
I never said there was kedusha attached to the tzuras hadaf, just that every bais din sided with Vilna - even the Chassidish ones - who canonized it as THE tzura that no one from Slavita & on should alter.
Rashi does not enter into the horvanya equation. First of all he wrote his pirush al pi Ruach Hakoydesh. Second of all, his pirush was not even widely available until centuries later.
Yes there is a horvanya problem with Artscroll but lav davka Mesivta. Artscroll was also oyver on the mitzvas Asai of Maggid Devorov lYaakov which is why Rav Schach ztl shreyed the whole time against it & why Rav Gifter & others asked for their haskomos back but that bum Scherman ignored them. Do you know how corrupt Artscroll is? UOJ once said if he ever somehow finished taking down all the molesters, Artscroll would be next.
Scherman has personally had a hand in whitewashing almost countless lowlives from Yudi Kolko to Leib Pinter and in between, sometimes giving them author status and even going as far as putting all the relatives on the payroll. Some of the shtellers may even be illegal "no show" category that pay handsomely at 6 figure.
To Ben Torah,
It is written that Yaakov Avinu was punished for putting Dinah in a box to hide her from Esav, thereby missing the opportunity to bring Esav to teshuva. The Alter fun Kelm asks why was Yaakov punished for not taking a chance with Dinah? Wasn't it his duty to protect her from Esav, not to take such risks with her life? The Alter answers that when Yaakov used a number of nails to hammer the box securely shut he used one nail more than necessary to accomplish this purpose. That extra nail was not L'shem Shomayim. That extra nail was self serving because Yaakov could not bear the thought that Esav would marry his daughter. Because he committed an act that was not purely Lishmo, he was punished.
I cringed when I heard this Pshat. How can anyone even speak the slightest criticism of Yaakov Avinu? If you have a "kasha" on why Yaakov was punished it is better to remain with the "kasha" rather than impugn the reputation of our holy forefather in the slightest. But the Alter fun Kelm does give this analysis and in the context than he said his interpretation, he deemed it appropriate. Who am I to argue?
The Gemorah in Sotah offers conflicting points of view regarding Shimon. On the one hand, Shimshon is elevated to the status of a Malach. He is said that as a Shofait his judgement was sound as the judgement of our Heavenly Father. But on the other hand, the Gemorah has some drastically negative things to say about Shimshon. It is difficult to reconcile the contrary aspects of Shimshon's personality. For myself I would rather say that there are many things that I don't understand, and I am content to accept that this is one of them.
That being said, if Rabbi Steinsaltz chose to focus on those negative statements made by the Gemorah, I would need to know the context in which his statements were made before I criticized Rav Steinsaltz.
Rabbi Berl Wein in one of his tapes paraphrased a Misrash, calling Yitchoch Avinu a "spoiled brat". Being only child, he had to have steak every day, and that is why Esav was able to deceive him by preparing savory meals for him, thus gaining his favor. Rabbi Wein said that he personally could never have said this regarding Yitzchock Avinu, but what could he do? There is such a Midrash.
My point is that you cannot "shlug up" someone completely for making a random reference, because you feel he used a poor choice of wording, that you might have said it in a way that was less offensive.
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