Chaim Kanievsky


Shemaryahu Yosef Chaim Kanievsky was an Israeli Haredi rabbi and posek. He was a leading authority in Haredi Jewish society on legal and ethical practice. Known as the Gadol HaDor and the "Prince of Torah", much of his prominence came through Torah education and advice about Jewish law.
Though Kanievsky held no formal community-wide post, he was the de facto head of the Litvak community of Haredi Judaism, revered as a consummate scholar of Jewish law and tradition, with unimpeachable rulings.

Biography

Kanievsky was born in Pinsk, then part of Poland, as the eldest son of Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky and Pesha Miriam, sister of Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz. His father served as his sandek at his brit milah and named him Shmaryahu Yosef Chaim, after both his grandfathers: Shmaryahu Yosef Karelitz, the rabbi of Kosava, and Chaim Peretz Kanievsky. On 1 Nisan 1934, he emigrated with his family to Mandatory Palestine, and they settled in Bnei Brak. Initially, the family resided with his uncle, Avrohom Karelitz, and later moved to an adjacent apartment in the Givat Rokach neighborhood. When Karelitz moved to Zikhron Meir, the Kanievsky family also relocated to be close to him.
He studied at the "Rabbi Akiva – Center" Talmud Torah and at the age of ten began attending Tiferet Tzion Yeshiva in Bnei Brak, where he studied under Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz. After six years of study at Tiferet Tzion, his father requested he study at Yeshivat Beit Yosef, where he learned the Talmudic tractate Yevamot for one semester. He later transferred to Lomza Yeshiva in Petah Tikva, under the leadership of Reuven Katz. At the age of 16.5, the head of the yeshiva testified to his extensive knowledge of three orders of the Talmud, "with foundational and comprehensive understanding of the Rishonim and Acharonim." In his first year there, at age 17, he completed the entire Babylonian Talmud for the first time. For two years, he attended lectures by Elazar Shach and also learned from Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler in his final year, who had become the head of the yeshiva that same year. Each week, he returned home for Shabbat to learn with his uncle Avrohom Karelitz. During his studies at Lomza Yeshiva, the 1948 Arab–Israeli War broke out, and all students were drafted to guard the southern front with sticks and stones only. Shmuel Grossbard, appointed as their commander, instructed him to go up with his Talmud to the top of the hill, where he studied until the fighting ended.
On 7 Kislev 5712, Kanievsky married Batsheva Esther, daughter of Yosef Shalom Elyashiv. The matchmakers were Ben Zion Brook, head of Novardok Yeshiva in Jerusalem, and Avrohom Karelitz, who praised the groom in a letter and titled him "Master of All the Talmud." Reuven Katz officiated the marriage. The couple resided in Petah Tikva for a few months while he continued to study at Lomza Yeshiva. They later moved to Bnei Brak and initially shared an apartment with the families of Nissim Karelitz, Amram Zaks, and Dov Wintroub, with each family occupying a single room and sharing a communal kitchen. Later, they moved to a larger shared apartment with Pinchas Schreiber's family. In Bnei Brak, he studied at the "Ateret Yosef" kollel, which later became known as Kollel Chazon Ish, where he studied for decades.
In the late 1970s, Kanievsky edited the Tevuna commentary on the Jerusalem Talmud by Yitzchak Eizik Krasilschikov.
Although he was a Litvak rabbi, many sought his blessing, a practice more common among Hasidic rebbes. His blessings were famously brief, typically consisting of the words "blessing and success." In the mid-2010s, he even abbreviated it to "BuH" to save time. His blessings were often used to encourage participation in various campaigns, such as fundraising or vaccination drives, in exchange for his blessing. Many stories circulated of the miracles reportedly brought about by his blessings.
He served on the rabbinical committee of Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center.

Death and funeral

Kanievsky died from cardiac arrest at his home on Friday, 15 Adar II 5782.
His funeral was held two days later, on Sunday, 17 Adar II 5782, in Bnei Brak. The funeral procession covered approximately one kilometer, beginning at his home on Rashbam Street and ending at the Shomrei Shabbos cemetery. According to the Israel Police, around 500,000 people attended, while the Bnei Brak Municipality estimated up to 750,000 participants, making it the second-largest funeral in Israel's history. The funeral received extensive advance coverage due to concerns about the large turnout and its potential impact on infrastructure and services in Gush Dan.
After his death, a dispute arose among his three sons over his estate. Following mediation conducted by the Beit Din Tzedek of Bnei Brak, an agreement was reached for equal division.

Study approach

Kanievsky was known for his encyclopedic knowledge, especially in Hazal literature, including minor midrashim rarely studied in mainstream Haredi circles. His study approach was rooted in broad familiarity with texts, cross-referencing sources, and explaining them through comparison. This broad knowledge earned him the title "Minister of Torah" within the Haredi community.
Kanievsky followed a rigorous study schedule, which he adhered to from his twenties and referred to as "the obligations." He dedicated primarily the nighttime hours, from midnight until sunrise, to this study. His daily studies included the Babylonian Talmud, Jerusalem Talmud, Tosefta, Maimonides, Arba'ah Turim, Shulchan Aruch, Nevi'im and Ketuvim, and the Zohar. Every day, he studied eight pages of the Babylonian Talmud and the corresponding sections of the Jerusalem Talmud. For tractates not included in the Babylonian Talmud, primarily those in Zeraim, he studied the Jerusalem Talmud at an accelerated pace to complete it in parallel with the Babylonian Talmud. He studied the Arba'a Turim and Shulchan Aruch with their commentaries, completing about five pages per day. On Fridays, he added the study of twice reading the Torah portion with translation and included related Halakhic Midrashim alongside Biblical commentators from the Rishonim. Each day, he studied Tanna Devei Eliyahu, with a unique addition on Saturday nights.
He would complete the entire Talmud each year, and large crowds would attend the siyum. The siyum was scheduled for Erev Pesach to hold a seudat mitzvah in connection with the Fast of the Firstborn that applied to him. In a leap year, when the study load was lighter, he used the extra month to edit and publish a new Torah book he had been working on throughout the year. During his father's lifetime, he would add the title "Rabbi" to his name on the book's opening page; however, after his father's death, he stopped this practice.
Over the years, he studied the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds with several chavrutas, including Elazar Zadok Turtzin, Chaim Yisrael Shapiro, Avraham Goldschmidt, and Gedalia Nadel. On Fridays, he had a regular chavruta session with his brother-in-law, Yitzchok Zilberstein. In his later years, he often studied alone, and he would also study the Babylonian Talmud with his son, Yitzchak Shaul.
Kanievsky did not give lectures or public talks except on three occasions each year. On the anniversaries of the passing of Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz and his father, he delivered a Torah lecture based on their study method at the Lederman Synagogue. On the yahrzeit of Elazar Shach, he gave a lesson in Mishnah at his home.
Thousands of letters with questions were sent to him annually, covering all areas of Torah interest. His answers were typically brief, often consisting of just a few words. From his written and oral responses, a large collection of responsa literature developed. Approximately a hundred books contain sections of his responses to various authors' questions. He frequently remarked that the time spent writing responses to these questions delayed the writing of his own books.

Leadership in the Litvak community

Kanievsky's public involvement began with the founding of the Degel HaTorah party in 1988. Elazar Shach invited him to appear by his side at the party's founding gathering at International Convention Center and included him in his travels to the event in Jerusalem. During an election rally held afterward, Shach requested that Kanievsky be brought from his home before he spoke, and he dedicated part of his speech to praising him and emphasizing the obligation to obey his directives. Among other things, Shach said about him:
When the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah was formed, Kanievsky was asked to join. After he refused, Shach instructed that he be added alongside his father-in-law, Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, as a "non-member with an opinion," whose views should be considered even if he did not participate in the council's meetings.
During the Gulf War, it was stated in his name that no missiles would fall on Bnei Brak, based on a similar statement by his uncle Avrohom Karelitz. A similar assurance was issued in his name during the 2012 Gaza War.
File:PikiWiki Israel 9440 harav-shach.jpg|thumb|250px| Kanievsky on the podium at a conference of Degel HaTorah, Yad Eliyahu Arena, 1990. Next to him: Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, Elazar Menachem Man Shach, and Shlomo Shimshon Karlitz.
In 2013, when the Jerusalem Faction ran in the 2013 Israeli municipal elections in three cities against Degel HaTorah, Kanievsky attended a council meeting to publicly support Degel HaTorah. During this time, he harshly criticized supporters and voters of the Bnei Torah party, calling them "empty and reckless dissenters." After the elections, he advised many to separate from Bnei Torah supporters in educational institutions and communities.
After the passing of his father-in-law, Elyashiv, Kanievsky's involvement in the leadership of the Litvak community increased, and he supported the leadership actions of Aharon Leib Shteinman. During Elyashiv's last illness, a handwritten letter by Kanievsky was published in Yated Ne'eman, stating:
After Shteinman's death in December 2017, Kanievsky's role in leading the Litvak Haredi community affiliated with Degel HaTorah increased. Alongside him in leadership stood Gershon Edelstein, head of Ponevezh Yeshiva, who led the party's Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah. From Adar 5778, Yated Ne'eman referred to him as "Rabban Shel Kol Bnei HaGolah". In October 2018, before the 2018 Israeli municipal elections, he again participated in a Council of Torah Sages meeting.
Kanievsky presided over numerous educational institutions and charitable organizations, including Ateret Shlomo, Yissachar B’Ohalecha, Kupat Ha'ir, Vaad Harabanim, Lev L’Achim, and the She'erit Yisrael Badatz. He received hundreds of visitors daily at his home seeking advice and blessings on various matters.