Creator Bio

Ḥayim of Volozhin

1749–1821

The foremost disciple of the Vilna Gaon, Ḥayim of Volozhin became the rabbi of Volozhin, his native town. Unlike the Vilna Gaon, Ḥayim did not consider Hasidism heretical but did consider its practices to be misguided. His magnum opus, Nefesh ha-ḥayim, published posthumously, is mainly a response to what he regarded as Hasidism’s challenges. He considered Torah study to hold the highest religious value for Jews. In 1802, Ḥayim founded the Volozhin yeshiva, drawing on support from throughout Lithuania and setting a model for others to follow, stressing intellectual learning over yirah (fear of God). The yeshiva remained prominent until its closing in 1892.

Entries in the Posen Library by This Creator

Primary Source

Igeret ha-yeshiva (Epistle on the Yeshiva)

Public Access
Text
Our dear brethren, Children of Israel, perhaps the time has now come to repair the breaches in our ranks; let us return to uphold the Torah of the Almighty with all our strength. Who will be the…
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Painting of travelers surrounding tomb.
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