Pesach Stein
Encyclopedia
Rabbi Pesach Yitzhak Stein (1918 - 2002) was a renowned Rosh Yeshiva
at the Telz Yeshiva in Cleveland, Ohio
.
and a student of Rabbi Shimon Shkop
, who was the sandek
at Pesach Yitzchok's bris
.
Stein studied at the yeshiva
in Breinsk, and later at the Slonim
Yeshiva under Rabbi Shabsi Yogel.
In 1936 Stein went to study in the Mir Yeshiva
in Poland
, where he formed a close relationship with the rosh yeshiva, Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Finkel.
With the start of World War II
, Stein fled with the Mir Yeshiva to Vilna and then to Shanghai
, where he spent the remainder of the war. During this time, Stein formed a relationship with the Mashgiach
, Rabbi Yechezkel Levenstein
.
Stein was the only member of his family who survived the Holocaust. His parents and three brothers were killed by the Nazis
during the Holocaust. After the war, he joined the remainder of the Mir yeshiva students in New York
, where the yeshiva had re-opened. For a short period, he joined a group of students who went to Cincinnati, Ohio
, where Rabbi Eliezer Silver
had founded a yeshiva.
In 1948, Stein married the daughter of Rabbi Zalman Bloch, who had been the menahel ruchani of the Telz Yeshiva in Lithuania
.
Shortly after his marriage, Stein began to deliver shiurim at the Telz Yeshiva. At the time, Rabbi Stein was the only rosh yeshiva not to have studied in Telz and so his methodology and approach to Talmudic analysis were unique to the yeshiva.
In 1988, Stein's oldest son, Rabbi Shmuel Zalman, died at the age of 38. He was the author of Pri Shmuel, and delivered a shiur at the Heichal HaTorah Yeshiva in Jerusalem.
Stein died on Friday, 10 May 2002 (28 Iyar
). He was buried on the Mount of Olives
beside his son, Shmuel Zalman.
He is survived by a son, Rabbi Aaron Stein, rosh yeshiva at Or Hameir Yeshiva in Peekskill, New York
. One of his daughters is married to Rabbi Yisroel Ginsburg, a rosh yeshiva at the Yeshiva of Staten Island, and the other is married to Rabbi Avraham Doweck, a maggid shiur
at the Telz Yeshiva in Cleveland.
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...
at the Telz Yeshiva in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
.
Biography
Stein was born in Breinsk in 1918. His father, Rabbi Aharon Shmuel Stein, was the head of the Breinsk Beth DinBeth din
A beth din, bet din, beit din or beis din is a rabbinical court of Judaism. In ancient times, it was the building block of the legal system in the Biblical Land of Israel...
and a student of Rabbi Shimon Shkop
Shimon Shkop
Shimon Yehuda Hakohen Shkop was a rosh yeshiva in the Yeshiva Shaar Hatorah and in the Telshe yeshiva and a renowned Talmudic scholar. He was born in Torez in 1860. At the age of twelve he went to study in the Mir yeshiva, and at fifteen he went to Volozhin yeshiva where he studied six years...
, who was the sandek
Sandek
Sandak is the term for a person honored at a Jewish brit milah ceremony, traditionally either by holding the baby boy on the knees or thighs while the mohel performs the brit milah or by handing the baby to the mohel...
at Pesach Yitzchok's bris
Brit milah
The brit milah is a Jewish religious circumcision ceremony performed on 8-day old male infants by a mohel. The brit milah is followed by a celebratory meal .-Biblical references:...
.
Stein studied at the 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 Breinsk, and later at the Slonim
Slonim (Hasidic dynasty)
Slonim is a Hasidic dynasty originating in the town of Slonim, which is now in Belarus.Today, there are two Slonimer Rebbes, both in Israel: one resides in Jerusalem and the other in Bnei Brak...
Yeshiva under Rabbi Shabsi Yogel.
In 1936 Stein went to study in the Mir Yeshiva
Mir yeshiva (Poland)
The Mir yeshiva , commonly known as the Mirrer Yeshiva or The Mir, was a Haredi yeshiva located in the town of Mir, Russian Empire...
in Poland
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
, where he formed a close relationship with the rosh yeshiva, Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Finkel.
With the start of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Stein fled with the Mir Yeshiva to Vilna and then to Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, where he spent the remainder of the war. During this time, Stein formed a relationship with the Mashgiach
Mashgiach ruchani
Mashgiach ruchani or mashgiach for short, means a spiritual supervisor or guide. It is a title which usually refers to a rabbi who has an official position within a yeshiva and is responsible for the non-academic areas of yeshiva students' lives.The position of mashgiach ruchani arose with the...
, Rabbi Yechezkel Levenstein
Yechezkel Levenstein
Yechezkel Levenstein, known as Reb Chatzkel, , was the mashgiach ruchani of the Mir yeshiva, in Mir, Belarus and during the yeshiva's flight to Lithuania and on to Shanghai due to the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany in World War II...
.
Stein was the only member of his family who survived the Holocaust. His parents and three brothers were killed by the Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
during the Holocaust. After the war, he joined the remainder of the Mir yeshiva students in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, where the yeshiva had re-opened. For a short period, he joined a group of students who went to Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, where Rabbi Eliezer Silver
Eliezer Silver
Rabbi Eliezer Silver was the President of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the U.S. and Canada and among American Jewry's foremost religious leaders...
had founded a yeshiva.
In 1948, Stein married the daughter of Rabbi Zalman Bloch, who had been the menahel ruchani of the Telz Yeshiva in 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...
.
Shortly after his marriage, Stein began to deliver shiurim at the Telz Yeshiva. At the time, Rabbi Stein was the only rosh yeshiva not to have studied in Telz and so his methodology and approach to Talmudic analysis were unique to the yeshiva.
In 1988, Stein's oldest son, Rabbi Shmuel Zalman, died at the age of 38. He was the author of Pri Shmuel, and delivered a shiur at the Heichal HaTorah Yeshiva in Jerusalem.
Stein died on Friday, 10 May 2002 (28 Iyar
Iyar
Iyar is the eighth month of the civil year and the second month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. The name is Babylonian in origin. It is a spring month of 29 days. Iyar usually falls in April–June on the Gregorian calendar.In the Hebrew Bible, before the Babylonian Exile, the...
). He was buried on the Mount of Olives
Mount of Olives
The Mount of Olives is a mountain ridge in East Jerusalem with three peaks running from north to south. The highest, at-Tur, rises to 818 meters . It is named for the olive groves that once covered its slopes...
beside his son, Shmuel Zalman.
He is survived by a son, Rabbi Aaron Stein, rosh yeshiva at Or Hameir Yeshiva in Peekskill, New York
Peekskill, New York
Peekskill is a city in Westchester County, New York. It is situated on a bay along the east side of the Hudson River, across from Jones Point.This community was known to be an early American industrial center, primarily for its iron plow and stove products...
. One of his daughters is married to Rabbi Yisroel Ginsburg, a rosh yeshiva at the Yeshiva of Staten Island, and the other is married to Rabbi Avraham Doweck, a maggid shiur
Maggid shiur
The term Maggid Shiur literarly translates from Hebrew to mean "sayer of Shiur".This term is used to refer to the Rabbi that lectures in a Yeshiva or Kollel.A Maggid Shiur is generally a Rabbi who lectures on advanced and in-depth Talmudic studies....
at the Telz Yeshiva in Cleveland.