Shlomo Heiman
Encyclopedia
Shlomo Heiman was a Rabbi
, Talmudist, and Rosh Yeshiva
(dean) of the most prominent yeshiva
s in Europe
and America.
in Belarus
. His father was Rabbi Michel Heiman. When he was 12 years old, he went to Kaminetz
yeshiva to study under R' Baruch Ber Lebowitz
, with whom he was very close. In 1918, he married the daughter of Rabbi Yochanon Rudensky of Volozhin (the brother-in-law of R' Simcha Zelig Riger of Brisk
, who served as the dayan for the Brisker Rav).
After his marriage, Reb Baruch Ber asked Reb Shlomo to be a lecturer in the Kaminetz yeshiva, Beis Yitzchok, which was wandering from Slobodka
to Krementchug. It was at this time that Reb Shlomo developed a reputation of being one of Lithuania
's most outstanding Talmudists. During World War I
, Reb Shlomo was briefly drafted into the Russian army
for a some time. He served on the front lines of the war, yet still managed to review the entire tractate of Ketubot (Talmud) in the trenches
.
After the First World War Reb Shlomo began to deliver his Talmudic lectures in Ohel Torah of Baranowitz, under the leadership of Rabbi Elchanan Wasserman. In 1927, at the request of Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzensky of Vilna, Reb Shlomo became the Rosh Yeshiva of Ramailles, a position he held until 1935.
to lead Mesivta Torah Vodaath in the United States of America. With the approval of Reb Chaim Ozer, Reb Shlomo accepted this position, and therefore was spared the horrors of the Holocaust. Reb Shlomo died at the relatively young age of 52 in 1945.
It was in America that Reb Shlomo faced Secularism
which battled the Yeshivish
culture. He remarked once that one whose own children do not pursue the path of Torah can compensate by teaching Torah to the children of others. Nonetheless during the years of Reb Shlomo's tenure at Torah Vodaath, "the yeshivah 'entered a period of significant growth and expansion'".
He was succeeded in the Ramailles yeshiva by Rabbi Yisroel Zev Gustman and in Torah Vodaath by Rabbi Reuven Grozovsky.
, one of Rav Shlomo's greatest living students. It is called Chiddushei Rabbi Shlomo and is widely used by many yeshivas when studying the Talmud. It is considered a basic text among late acharonim
.
Recently a new volume was published based on the notes of his students: Shiurei Rabbi Shlomo (Rudensky Family Edition), with the approbations of some of Rav Shlomo's great living talmidim in addition to other gedolim.
His "talmid muvhak" was Rabbi Meir Greenberg, later a Chabad rav in Patterson, New Jersey and a rosh yeshiva in Tomchei Tmimim in Morristown, N.J. Rabbi Greenberg wrote Rabbi Heiman's shiurim, many of which were printed later on.
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...
, Talmudist, and 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...
(dean) of the most prominent 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...
s in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and America.
In Europe
In 1892, Reb Shlomo was born in Paritsh, MinskMinsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
in Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
. His father was Rabbi Michel Heiman. When he was 12 years old, he went to Kaminetz
Sremska Kamenica
Sremska Kamenica is a town and urban neighborhood of Novi Sad, in Serbia.-Name:In Serbian, the town is known as Sremska Kamenica , in Croatian as Srijemska Kamenica, in Hungarian as Kamanc, and in German as Kamenitz.-Geography:The town is located in the Syrmia region, on the northern slopes of the...
yeshiva to study under R' Baruch Ber Lebowitz
Baruch Ber Lebowitz
Boruch Ber Leibowitz Boruch Ber Leibowitz Boruch Ber Leibowitz (1864 - November 17, 1939 (5 Kislev, 5700) (Hebrew: ברוך בער ליבוביץ) was a main student of Rabbi Chaim Brisker and was famed for his Talmudic lectures....
, with whom he was very close. In 1918, he married the daughter of Rabbi Yochanon Rudensky of Volozhin (the brother-in-law of R' Simcha Zelig Riger of Brisk
Brisk
Brisk may refer to:* Brest, Belarus Brisk is the city's name in Yiddish* Brisk tradition and Soloveitchik dynasty, a school of Jewish thought originated by the Soloveitchik family of Brest...
, who served as the dayan for the Brisker Rav).
After his marriage, Reb Baruch Ber asked Reb Shlomo to be a lecturer in the Kaminetz yeshiva, Beis Yitzchok, which was wandering from Slobodka
Slobodka
Slobodka , Slabodka , Slobidka is a diminutive from "sloboda", a kind of settlement. The word may refer to one of the following:*Slabodka, Belarus...
to Krementchug. It was at this time that Reb Shlomo developed a reputation of being one of 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...
's most outstanding Talmudists. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Reb Shlomo was briefly drafted into the Russian army
Imperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army was the land armed force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian army consisted of around 938,731 regular soldiers and 245,850 irregulars . Until the time of military reform of Dmitry Milyutin in...
for a some time. He served on the front lines of the war, yet still managed to review the entire tractate of Ketubot (Talmud) in the trenches
Trench warfare
Trench warfare is a form of occupied fighting lines, consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are largely immune to the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery...
.
After the First World War Reb Shlomo began to deliver his Talmudic lectures in Ohel Torah of Baranowitz, under the leadership of Rabbi Elchanan Wasserman. In 1927, at the request of Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzensky of Vilna, Reb Shlomo became the Rosh Yeshiva of Ramailles, a position he held until 1935.
In America
In 1935, Reb Shlomo was invited by Reb Shraga Feivel MendlowitzShraga Feivel Mendlowitz
Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz was an early leader of American Orthodoxy and founder of key institutions such as Torah Vodaath, a Yeshiva in Brooklyn, and Torah U'Mesorah, an outreach and educational organization. He is credited by many to have pioneered authentic Jewish education in the United...
to lead Mesivta Torah Vodaath in the United States of America. With the approval of Reb Chaim Ozer, Reb Shlomo accepted this position, and therefore was spared the horrors of the Holocaust. Reb Shlomo died at the relatively young age of 52 in 1945.
It was in America that Reb Shlomo faced Secularism
Secularism
Secularism is the principle of separation between government institutions and the persons mandated to represent the State from religious institutions and religious dignitaries...
which battled the Yeshivish
Yeshivish
Yeshivish , refers to a sociolect of English spoken by yeshiva students and other Jews with a strong connection to the Orthodox yeshiva world.-Research:Only a few serious studies have been written about Yeshivish...
culture. He remarked once that one whose own children do not pursue the path of Torah can compensate by teaching Torah to the children of others. Nonetheless during the years of Reb Shlomo's tenure at Torah Vodaath, "the yeshivah 'entered a period of significant growth and expansion'".
He was succeeded in the Ramailles yeshiva by Rabbi Yisroel Zev Gustman and in Torah Vodaath by Rabbi Reuven Grozovsky.
Works
The two-volume works of Reb Shlomo was printed after his death (in 1966) based on some of his published and manuscripted writings as well as writings of his students. It was released by Rav Michel Yehuda LefkowitzMichel Yehuda Lefkowitz
Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz was a respected Haredi Lithuanian Torah leader and rosh yeshiva in Bnei Brak, Israel, for over 70 years. He was a maggid shiur at Yeshivas Tiferes Tzion from 1940 to 2011 and rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Ponovezh L’Tzeirim from 1954 to 2009, raising thousands of students...
, one of Rav Shlomo's greatest living students. It is called Chiddushei Rabbi Shlomo and is widely used by many yeshivas when studying the Talmud. It is considered a basic text among late acharonim
Acharonim
Acharonim is a term used in Jewish law and history, to signify the leading rabbis and poskim living from roughly the 16th century to the present....
.
Recently a new volume was published based on the notes of his students: Shiurei Rabbi Shlomo (Rudensky Family Edition), with the approbations of some of Rav Shlomo's great living talmidim in addition to other gedolim.
His "talmid muvhak" was Rabbi Meir Greenberg, later a Chabad rav in Patterson, New Jersey and a rosh yeshiva in Tomchei Tmimim in Morristown, N.J. Rabbi Greenberg wrote Rabbi Heiman's shiurim, many of which were printed later on.