BDE Rav Chaim Kanievsky ZT"L

[YitzyS]

R’ Yitzchok Zilberstein writes in his sefer Aleinu Leshabeach that once, R’ Chaim was uncertain about some features of a certain type of grasshopper that came up in his studies. A short while later, he looked up and noticed a grasshopper had landed inside his room. After some scrutiny, he was able to see that this was the species of grasshopper he was contemplating earlier. He searched for the details he needed, and it departed.

(A similar story is said to have occurred with Rashi regarding the details of the Eiphod).

After R’ Yitzchok (his brother-in-law) told someone this story in shul, the man expressed skepticism that the story was plausible. When the fellow went home, he found his apartment infested with grasshoppers..

There is a joke told as a prologue to this story. Someone read the story in Aleinu Leshabe'ach and expressed doubt that the second part ever happened (that grasshoppers infested the apartment of the one who doubted Rav Chaim). But when the person came home, he found his house full of Aleinu Leshabei'achs.

[yitzgar]

Was wondering this also. Of course it's Tanach, mishna, gemara bavli, and shalchan aruch. Question is what else.

I think also medrash Rabba, sifra, sifri, tur, yerushalmi. Not sure if I am missing anything else

[S209]

There is a joke told as a prologue to this story. Someone read the story in Aleinu Leshabe'ach and expressed doubt that the second part ever happened (that grasshoppers infested the apartment of the one who doubted Rav Chaim). But when the person came home, he found his house full of Aleinu Leshabei'achs.

R’ Yankel Galinsky

[YitzyS]

This is a cool teshuva from Rav Chaim (the first one on the page) that I saw just last week, printed in Kuntris Ga'al Yisroel on Purim from Rabbi Yisroel Levovitz of Lakewood.

Rabbi Levovitz wrote to Rav Chaim that he heard from Artscroll's Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz that there are no known pessukim that begin with a פ and end with an א, so his daughter, whose name is פיגא, does not have a passuk to say for her name at the end of Shemonah Esray. He adds that there is also no known passuk for נח, so people just resort to saying אלה תולדות נח.

Rav Chaim answered matter-of-factly by simply stating two pessukim that fit the criteria perfectly! (In the footnote, Rabbi Levovitz writes that he sent the teshuva to Rabbi Zlotowitz, and Artscroll subsequently added those pessukim to their sidurim.)

This seems so simple but it's really mind-blowing. If someone asks us to find such a passuk in something we say 3 times a day in davening - it's highly doubtful any of us would be able to find it. But Rav Chaim was able to go through the entire Tanach like that and find those 2 pessukim!

[yuneeq]

Approximately 10 years I went to visit Rav Chaim with my in laws. My chavrusa gave me a note with a few names to pray for, including his father-in-law and his former Rosh Yeshiva.

When I got there, we went in 1 at a time. When it was my turn I gave him my friends note and stood there while he read them. Out of nowhere, Rav Chaim yelled out loudly that everyone outside could hear: “Rachmana Litzlan!!” Not something you ever want to hear.

When we got back I didn’t tell my friend as I didn’t know which name he was reading, it could be painful to hear.

Later that year, I saw a street sign announcing that my chavrusa’s former Rosh Yeshiva passed away.

[Kobe Bryant]

R’ Yitzchok Zilberstein writes in his sefer Aleinu Leshabeach that once, R’ Chaim was uncertain about some features of a certain type of grasshopper that came up in his studies. A short while later, he looked up and noticed a grasshopper had landed inside his room. After some scrutiny, he was able to see that this was the species of grasshopper he was contemplating earlier. He searched for the details he needed, and it departed.

(A similar story is said to have occurred with Rashi regarding the details of the Eiphod).

After R’ Yitzchok (his brother-in-law) told someone this story in shul, the man expressed skepticism that the story was plausible. When the fellow went home, he found his apartment infested with grasshoppers..

Massim Bchol Yom

[YitzyS]

I just realized something. R’ Chaim זצ״ל would make a siyum every Erev Pesach on Kol Hatorah Kula. On a leap year he'd have an extra month, which is famously when he would write his seforim. If my math is correct, because this year is a leap year, he would have finished Kol Hatorah Kula one last time yesterday..

See here about his schedule of learning on a leap year: https://hefkervelt.blogspot.com/2022/03/lakewood-zmanim_18.html#more

[joe1234]

This is a cool teshuva from Rav Chaim (the first one on the page) that I saw just last week, printed in Kuntris Ga'al Yisroel on Purim from Rabbi Yisroel Levovitz of Lakewood.

Rabbi Levovitz wrote to Rav Chaim that he heard from Artscroll's Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz that there are no known pessukim that begin with a פ and end with an א, so his daughter, whose name is פיגא, does not have a passuk to say for her name at the end of Shemonah Esray. He adds that there is also no known passuk for נח, so people just resort to saying אלה תולדות נח.

Rav Chaim answered matter-of-factly by simply stating two pessukim that fit the criteria perfectly! (In the footnote, Rabbi Levovitz writes that he sent the teshuva to Rabbi Zlotowitz, and Artscroll subsequently added those pessukim to their sidurim.)

This seems so simple but it's really mind-blowing. If someone asks us to find such a passuk in something we say 3 times a day in davening - it's highly doubtful any of us would be able to find it. But Rav Chaim was able to go through the entire Tanach like that and find those 2 pessukim!

its interesting because for those two pesukim artscroll in the siddur mixes up the 2 for the mekor..

[jj1000]

The number 97 sounds way too low.

@aygart @AsherO

I reached out to Rabbi Scherman and got some clarification.

From Rabbi Scherman:


"Misquote. I don’t remember the exact  question. Probably how many times it says Moshe in a particular section. People will know because the story was famous. The computer said he was wrong, but he showed that the computer include the word miseh (from a sheep, regarding Korban Pesach ) which had the same spelling as Moshe"

[koplonko]

A kasha on the times

משה אמוזעז קא רמית?

[AsherO]

@aygart @AsherO

I reached out to Rabbi Scherman and got some clarification.

From Rabbi Scherman:


"Misquote. I don’t remember the exact  question. Probably how many times it says Moshe in a particular section. People will know because the story was famous. The computer said he was wrong, but he showed that the computer include the word miseh (from a sheep, regarding Korban Pesach ) which had the same spelling as Moshe"

Yeah, if the entire Torah is 600+ (and no mentions of Moshe in Bereshis) then I guess it’s possible one of the Chumashim is 97 if the distribution varies widely in the other four.

The word I thought of that’s a different meaning is שמוט כל בעל משה ידו

[EliJelly]

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/18/obituaries/rabbi-chaim-kanievsky-dea.html

Rabbi Lipshutz recalled the time when a surgeon told him that he needed an operation to remove a sinus tumor, prompting him to travel to Bnei Brak to seek Rabbi Kanievsky’s advice. Rabbi Kanievsky told him that he would recover if he wore his hat brim up, in the old-fashioned style of European Jews. He did, he said, and the tumor turned out to be benign.

[ExGingi]

Yeah, if the entire Torah is 600+ (and no mentions of Moshe in Bereshis) then I guess it’s possible one of the Chumashim is 97 if the distribution varies widely in the other four.

The word I thought of that’s a different meaning is שמוט כל בעל משה ידו

https://www.bhol.co.il/forums/topic.asp?cat_id=4&topic_id=2224023&forum_id=771

[Eliyohu]

Re: R Chaim finishing Kol Hatotah Kula every year... Interesting perspective
C/p

There were many stories where someone asked R' Chaim where a ma'mar Chazal was. Thinking for a few moments, he'd say "not Bavli." Another few moments, "not Yerushalmi." Another few moments, "not tosefta." So it went, he either found the Chazal. he did not find it, it did not exist. Those few moments that was what takes most Jews 7 years to complete...

[tavster]

Was wondering this also. Of course it's Tanach, mishna, gemara bavli, and shalchan aruch. Question is what else.

[EliJelly]

For Zohar and Kisvei Ari is there a better source than this tweet?

[koplonko]

For Zohar and Kisvei Ari is there a better source than this tweet?

Also Mishna berura + shulchan aruch?
And isn't chidushei Torah for Shana meuberes?

[aygart]

Also Mishna berura + shulchan aruch?
And isn't chidushei Torah for Shana meuberes?

And both at the same pace?

I doubt that there were only chidushim then only that he didn't organize to a sefer.

[tavster]

For Zohar and Kisvei Ari is there a better source than this tweet?

Haven't found anything else. But no doubt it will come up during the hespedim

[TimT]

Levaya is at 6:00AM EST