HaRav HaGaon Chaim Kanievsky

Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky (Shmaryahu Yosef Chaim Kanievsky), one of the most prominent Rabbis of the Haredi community, passed away on Shushan Purim, 5782 (2022). 

His Youth 

He was born on January 8, 1928, in Pinsk, Poland, the son of the “Steipler” rav (HaRav Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky). The Steipler’s brother-in-law was HaRav Avraham Yeshayahu Karelitz (“Chazon Ish”).  

On Purim, 5694 (1934), the Kanievsky family set out to make aliyah to Eretz Yisrael. After a three-week journey at sea, they landed in Haifa. The Kanievskys lived in Bnei Brak near the Chazon Ish. They lived in deep poverty – on most Sabbatot, they had only challah, but on special Shabbatot, they also had sardines! 

Early Torah Education 

The close proximity of the Chazon Ish to the Kanievsky family had a deep influence on young Chaim, who learned with the Chazon Ish many hours each week. Chaim learned in Yeshivah Tiferet Tzion in Bnei Brak, which was founded by the Chazon Ish. 

When Chaim reached bar mitzvah age, he learned in the Lomza Yeshivah in Petach Tikvah. It was at this yeshivah that he heard shiurim from Harav Eliezer Menachem Man Shach and Rav Michel Yehudah Lefkowitz.  

The Kanievsky Home 

R’ Chaim was 23 when he married Batsheva Elyashiv, daughter of Harav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv of Jerusalem. They settled in Petach Tikvah for a few months before moving permanently to Bnei Brak, near the Steipler and the Chazon Ish. Both had tremendous influence on R’ Chaim. 

R’ Chaim’s Chovot (“obligatory learning”) 

R’ Chaim’s learning schedule and intense focus while learning became legendary. R’ Chaim called his learning schedule a “chovot” (literally, it means “debts”, but he means it as “obligatory learning”). His chovot took about 3 ½ hours each day.  

R’ Chaim began completing Shas with Tosafot every year when he was 16 years old – and that year, he completed Shas four times! At the age of 20, he added Rambam and Shulchan Aruch to his chovot. 

R’ Chaim started his chovot at 3:00AM. When he finished his chovot, he wrote sefarim and answered mail from people around the world. 

R’ Kanievsky authored many books on Jewish law, such as Derech Emunah (The Path of Faith) on agricultural laws, Derech Chochmah (The Path of Wisdom) on the laws of the Jewish temple rites, and Shoneh Halachos (Law Review), a systematic presentation of the popular legal work Mishnah Berurah. His halakhic rulings on prayer are recorded in Ishei Yisroel, and rulings pertaining to shiluach haken (sending away a mother bird to take her eggs) are found in Shaleiach T’Shalach. 

Kabbalat Kahal 

Only after his chovot, sefer writing, and mail-in questions were completed did R’ Chaim begin his kabbalat kahal (hours to receive the public). People came from around the world seeking his advice or his brachah (blessing). R’ Chaim followed this grueling schedule six days of the week. He was known to burst into tears while listening to the pain that some Jews carried.  He remembered their names and prayed for them; he sometimes even included them in his Shemonah Esrei. 

R’ Kanievsky was the leader of the Lithuanian Haredi community world-wide, yet he was recognized as one who loved all of Am Yisrael. May he continue to be an advocate for each Jew and for the Jewish nation from his place in Shamayim! 

In the video below (filmed during the funeral, 2022/5782), Rabbi Dayan Elgrod discusses the role of gedolei Yisrael (spiritual leaders of the People of Israel), a harsh decree on the world is mitigated by the death of gedoleim, the death of a gedol haDor (leader of the generation) and Parshat Parah, his tremendous love for each and every Jew(!), and who leads Am Yisrael now?