Rabbi Israel Meir HaCohen Kagan-The Chafetz Chaim
Date of Passing: 24-Elul. Rabbi Israel Meir HaCohen Kagan is commonly known as the "Chafetz Chaim," the name of his famous work on guarding one's tongue...
Rabbi Israel Meir HaCohen Kagan is commonly known as the “Chafetz Chaim,” the name of his famous work on guarding one’s tongue. Born in Zhetel, Poland on February 6, 1838, he was taught until age 10 by his parents and then moved to Vilna to further his Jewish studies. Refusing the pulpit rabbinate, the Chafetz Chaim settled in Radin (Poland) and subsisted on a small grocery store which his wife managed and he did the “bookkeeping”-watching every penny to make sure that no one was cheated. He spent his days learning Torah and disseminating his knowledge to the common people.
As his reputation grew, students from all over Europe flocked to him and by 1869 his house became known as the Radin Yeshiva. In addition to his Yeshiva, the Chafetz Chaim was very active in Jewish causes. He traveled extensively (even in his 90s!) to encourage the observance of mitzvot amongst Jews. One of the founders of Agudat Yisrael, the religious Jewish organization of Europe and later the world, the Chafetz Chaim was very involved in Jewish affairs and helped many yeshivot survive the financial problems of the interwar period. Exemplifying the verses in Psalms 34:13-14, “Who is the man who desires life…? Guard your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit,” the Chafetz Chaim passed away in 1933 at the ripe age of 95.
The Chafetz Chaim’s greatest legacy is the 21 sefarim (holy books) which he published. His first work, Sefer Chafetz Chaim (1873), is the first attempt to organize and clarify the laws regarding evil talk and gossip. He later wrote Ahavat Chesed (Love of Kindness), which is a compendium of the Torah’s laws regarding kindness. In Sefer Shmiras Haloshon (Guarding the Tongue), the Chafetz Chaim shows us the disastrous results of speaking evil talk and gossip, and the innumerable rewards of positive speech. The Mishnah Brurah (1894-1907), his commentary on the Daily Laws of a Jew (his first series in the Shulchan Aruch), is found in many Jewish homes and is accepted universally to decide Halacha.
Firmly believing that he was living right before the time of Mashiach and the rebuilding of the Holy Temple, the Chafetz Chaim wrote a work that stressed the learning of laws concerning sacrifices, the Holy Temple, and related topics. He also published sefarim to strengthen certain aspects of Jewish life including kashrut (kosher foods), family purity, and Torah study.
Source: Leaders in the Diaspora
For further information about programs (individual, family, business, school), daily learning, and books, see the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation website.
Related reading:
- Life-Giving Medicine – Stories about the Chafetz Chaim (Children’s book in Breslev Store)
- Junior Chafetz Chaim – Here is an easy-to-understand English adaptation of Sefer Chafetz Chaim that sticks as closely as possible to the actual words of the holy Chafetz Chaim. (Tweens’ and teens’ book in Breslev Store).
- The Chafetz Chaim’s Hitbodedut – People think that hitbodedut – personal prayer – is some kind of Breslev nuance. The Chafetz Chaim spent two hours a day in personal prayer and implores others to do the same.
- The Priceless Five Minutes – The student almost choked when he overheard the Chafetz Chaim chastising himself: “Yisroel Meir, where are the five minutes? What did you do with the five minutes?”
- The Bill Is on the Table – Hashem gave the Chafetz Chaim the privilege of seeing Divine justice fully manifest itself in this world. Read about two events in Radin when he was Rosh Yeshiva.
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