Rabbi Moshe Feinstein
Date of Passing: 13-Adar. Rabbi Feinstein lived in Manhattan in the second half of the twentieth century. He became the halachic authority of his generation.
Rav Moshe Feinstein
(1895 – 1986) Rabbi Moshe Feinstein lived in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in the second half of the twentieth century. He became the leading halachic authority of his generation, and his p’sakim (halachic rulings) were accepted worldwide.
Rav Moshe was born in Uzdan, near Minsk, Belorussia, where his father was rabbi. He became rabbi of Luban, also near Minsk, as a single bochur. Later he married Shima Kustanovich in 1920, and he entrusted all material decisions to his lifelong partner. They had three children in Russia: Faye Gittel (who would marry a distinguished rav, Rav Moshe Schisgal Z”L in America), Shifra (who later would marry Rabbi Dr. Moshe David Tendler, Mora D’Asra of Community Synagogue in Monsey, as well as Maggid Shiur and professor of biology at YU), David (who would succeed his father as Rosh Yeshivah of Mesivta Tiferet Yerushalayim), and one in America, Reuven (currently Rosh Yeshivah of the Staten Island branch of MTJ).
Rav Moshe remained in Luban until 1937 and after overcoming technical difficulties was able to immigrate with his family to the United States.
In America Rav Moshe became Rosh HaYeshivah of Mesivta Tiferet Yerushalayim, which became world renowned in his time. His halachic decisions have been published in a collection called Igrot Moshe (The Letters of Moshe). He placed great emphasis on exact knowledge of halacha in this work, to avoid gross mistakes and inability to render decisions Rav Moshe says that he is only providing his opinion with respect to the halachic questions raised, that he indicates all his sources, and that he welcomes and encourages all readers to check his sources and question his conclusions.
The selflessness and modesty of this Torah scholar only magnify his greatness. And the fear of Heaven that underlay all his thoughts shows how great a “gadol,” a Torah giant, he was.
Source: Leaders in the Diaspora
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