Gedaliah Nadel
Encyclopedia
Rabbi
Gedaliah Nadel (1923-2004) is known as one of the heads of Kollel Chazon Ish
and was the leading decider
of Jewish Law in the Chazon Ish neighborhood of Bene Barak. Rabbi Nadel is celebrated as an expert in all facets of Torah
and Talmud
ic knowledge.
, Lithuania
to Rabbi Reuven Keshel. In 1936, his family immigrated
to Palestine
and setteled in the Balfouria Colony in what is now Northern Israel. After briefly studying in Yeshiva
in Tel Aviv
, he switched to the Lomzha Yeshiva in Petach Tikvah. There he studied under Rabbi Elazar Menachem Shach. As a child Gedaliah was known for his diligence and devotion to studying Torah
, reportedly studying for up to eighteen hours consecutively. Afterwards Gedaliah studied under Rabbi Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz, known as Chazon Ish, who molded him into his principal student.
Rabbi Nadel married the daughter of Rabbi Eliyahu Weiner, a student of the Chofetz Chaim
. Following the wedding, they lived in Jerusalem for a short while, before moving to Bene Barak. There he lived an ascetic life. When the Chazon Ish realized his dream of establish a special community of religious devotees, he chose Rabbi Gedaliah Nadel to lead the community. As leader of the community, such leaders
as Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky
, and his son Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky
, turned to Rabbi Nadel for decisions. Rabbi Nadel's house was used as a gathering place for the Rabbinic personalities of his day, such as Rabbi Shach and Rabbi Y.Y. Kanievsky.
Rabbi Nadel also briefly served as the Rosh Yeshiva
of the Vishnitz
Hasidic community.
Rabbi Nadel asserted that certain concepts mentioned in the Torah and Talmud that were not of a legalistic nature were not necessarily to be taken literally.http://www.biu.ac.il/JH/Parasha/eng/haazinu/sto.html. His writings were analyzed and taken into account during the Slifkin affair. Rabbi Natan Slifkin
himself subscribes to the views espoused by Rabbi Nadel, much to the chagrin of many Hareidi leaders (see also http://parsha.blogspot.com/2009/08/is-rav-kanievsky-now-heliocentrist.html).
Rabbi Nadel also claimed that his mentor, the Chazon Ish, garnered a vast knowledge in medical science by studying medical journals in his spare time.http://parsha.blogspot.com/2009/07/did-chazon-ish-violate-did-chazal.htmlhttp://www.aishdas.org/avodah/vol23/v23n096.shtml#05http://parsha.blogspot.com/2009/06/is-it-important-how-chazon-ish-knew.html.
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
Gedaliah Nadel (1923-2004) is known as one of the heads of Kollel Chazon Ish
Kollel Chazon Ish
Kollel Chazon Ish is an elite group of married Rabbis who study the Talmud. The Kollel is located in Bene Barak, Israel. It is located on Rashbam street.The Kollel was originally established by Rabbi Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz, who was known as the "Chazon Ish"...
and was the leading decider
Posek
Posek is the term in Jewish law for "decider"—a legal scholar who decides the Halakha in cases of law where previous authorities are inconclusive or in those situations where no halakhic precedent exists....
of Jewish Law in the Chazon Ish neighborhood of Bene Barak. Rabbi Nadel is celebrated as an expert in all facets of Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
and Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
ic knowledge.
Biography
Gedaliah Nadel was born in ŠiauliaiŠiauliai
Šiauliai , is the fourth largest city in Lithuania, with a population of 133,900. It is the capital of Šiauliai County. Unofficially, the city is the capital of Northern Lithuania.-Names:...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
to Rabbi Reuven Keshel. In 1936, his family immigrated
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
to Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
and setteled in the Balfouria Colony in what is now Northern Israel. After briefly studying in Yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, he switched to the Lomzha Yeshiva in Petach Tikvah. There he studied under Rabbi Elazar Menachem Shach. As a child Gedaliah was known for his diligence and devotion to studying Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
, reportedly studying for up to eighteen hours consecutively. Afterwards Gedaliah studied under Rabbi Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz, known as Chazon Ish, who molded him into his principal student.
Rabbi Nadel married the daughter of Rabbi Eliyahu Weiner, a student of the Chofetz Chaim
Chofetz Chaim
"The Chofetz Chaim" is a book on the Jewish laws of speech written by Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan....
. Following the wedding, they lived in Jerusalem for a short while, before moving to Bene Barak. There he lived an ascetic life. When the Chazon Ish realized his dream of establish a special community of religious devotees, he chose Rabbi Gedaliah Nadel to lead the community. As leader of the community, such leaders
Gadol
Gadol or godol גדול , is a Hebrew term used mostly by Haredi Litvish Jews to refer to the most revered rabbis of their generation. These rabbis are usually held in high esteem by other Haredi or Orthodox Jews, though not necessarily to the same degree as by Litvish Jews...
as Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky
Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky
Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky, known as The Steipler or The Steipler Gaon , was a rabbi, Talmudic scholar, and posek .-Biography:...
, and his son Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky
Chaim Kanievsky
Shmaryahu Yosef Chaim Kanievsky, , is an Israeli rabbi and posek. Kanievsky is considered a leading authority in Haredi Jewish society.-Biography:...
, turned to Rabbi Nadel for decisions. Rabbi Nadel's house was used as a gathering place for the Rabbinic personalities of his day, such as Rabbi Shach and Rabbi Y.Y. Kanievsky.
Rabbi Nadel also briefly served as 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 Vishnitz
Vizhnitz (Hasidic dynasty)
Vizhnitz is the name of a Hasidic dynasty founded by Rebbe Menachem Mendel Hager. Vizhnitz is the Yiddish name of Vyzhnytsia, a village in present-day Ukraine.Followers of the rebbes of Vizhnitz are called Vizhnitzer chasidim....
Hasidic community.
Rabbi Nadel asserted that certain concepts mentioned in the Torah and Talmud that were not of a legalistic nature were not necessarily to be taken literally.http://www.biu.ac.il/JH/Parasha/eng/haazinu/sto.html. His writings were analyzed and taken into account during the Slifkin affair. Rabbi Natan Slifkin
Natan Slifkin
Natan Slifkin , also popularly known as the "Zoo Rabbi", is an ordained but non-pulpit serving Orthodox rabbi best known for his interest in zoology, science and for his books on these topics, which are controversial in the Haredi world.-Biography:Natan Slifkin was born and raised in Manchester,...
himself subscribes to the views espoused by Rabbi Nadel, much to the chagrin of many Hareidi leaders (see also http://parsha.blogspot.com/2009/08/is-rav-kanievsky-now-heliocentrist.html).
Rabbi Nadel also claimed that his mentor, the Chazon Ish, garnered a vast knowledge in medical science by studying medical journals in his spare time.http://parsha.blogspot.com/2009/07/did-chazon-ish-violate-did-chazal.htmlhttp://www.aishdas.org/avodah/vol23/v23n096.shtml#05http://parsha.blogspot.com/2009/06/is-it-important-how-chazon-ish-knew.html.