Chaim Dov Rabinowitz zt"l, author of Da'as
Sofrim on Tanach, was niftar in the 90th
year of his life on 25 Nisan. Masses of people, headed by
gedolei haTorah, accompanied him on his last earthly
journey.
HaRav Rabinowitz was born on the 24th of Teves, 5669, in the
town of Isblin in the Grodno district. He was the son of
HaRav Shraga Feivel Rabinowitz, rav of the town where many
gedolei Yisroel presided as rabbonim, among them
HaRav Yitzchok Elchonon Spector, the Ridvaz of Slutsk and
others.
As a youth, he studied under HaRav Elchonon Wassermann,
Hy"d, and later went to distant Grodno to study under
HaRav Shimon Shkop, who gave him smicha. He also drew
close to the mashgiach, HaRav Shlomo Harkavi,
Hy"d, and transcribed his discourses. In time, he
used those notes in order to publish the discourses of the
mashgiach of Grodno.
When seeking admission to the Grodno yeshiva, along with his
father, he approached HaRav Shimon Shkop, who had been born
in Toretz, Reb Chaim Dov's father's birthplace. Rav Chaim's
father began to speak in learning with HaRav Shimon.
Suddenly the young Chaim whispered to his father that there
is a Ketzos on the subject under discussion. Chaim's
father told HaRav Shimon, "My son says that there is a
Ketzos on this topic." HaRav Shimon Shkop asked to
see it, and the young Chaim showed him the Ketzos.
Reb Chaim was accepted into the yeshiva and HaRav Shimon
arranged lodgings for him.
After his marriage to Soroh Rivka, o"h, daughter of
HaRav Chaim Mordechai Bronrot, the ga'avad of
Tchechenov and the ravad of Tel Aviv, he moved to
Eretz Yisroel in 5697 (1937), settling in Tel Aviv. There he
directed the Ohel Yaakov Talmud Torah, the first chareidi
talmud Torah in that city.
In Eretz Yisroel, he was very close to the Chazon Ish, who
would greet him warmly. Rav Chaim Dov had a remarkable
memory and recalled many facts about the gedolei
Yisroel from previous generations, and many
hanhagos of the Chazon Ish were made known through
him. He was also very close with Maran HaRav Eliezer
Menachem Shach, shlita.
Upon the establishment of the State, HaRav Yitzchok Mayer
Levin, chairman of Agudas Yisroel, recruited Rav Chaim Dov
to work in the Welfare Ministry, where Rav Chaim Dov was
very active on behalf of the immigrants in the transit
camps.
Rav Chaim Dov's life's work was the monumental Da'as
Sofrim on Tanach, a twenty-volume commentary
based on the Rishonim. He invested all of his energy and
more than sixty years of his life into compiling this
commentary. Every time he would publish a new volume, he
would present it to the Brisker Rov, who would study and
comment on it. Once he asked the Chazon Ish for his opinion
on the seforim, and the Chazon Ish replied,
"Chazoko al chover." Approbations of HaRav Isser
Zalman Meltzer, the Admor of Ozherov and others grace these
seforim.
For many years, he lived near the Telshe yeshiva in
Cleveland, where he delivered shiurim in Torah and
hashkofo. The heads of the yeshiva held him in high
esteem and HaRav Mordechai Gifter once sent him an ardent
letter in praise of the seforim.
His seforim serve as basic works for the study of
Tanach and are used by the greatest mechanchim
throughout the world. Many talmidei chachomim study
Tanach according to Da'as Sofrim. The books
have been distributed all over the world and have been
translated into English. When he completed Da'as
Sofrim on the Tanach, he began to compile
Da'as Sofrim on Midrash Tanchuma, and merited
to publish editions on the three first Chumashim. An
uncompleted commentary on Bamidbor remains in
manuscript form.
In addition, he published articles in chareidi newspapers in
Eretz Yisroel and throughout the world on Jewish thought. He
also compiled a book about the European yeshivos of previous
generations and a work about the beginning of the chareidi
settlement in Eretz Yisroel.
Two years ago, his oldest son, HaRav Zecharya, was
niftar, and he justified the din. A month ago,
while he was involved in his writing, he fell ill, and last
week he returned his pure soul to its Maker.
His levaya, held on 25 Nisan in Jerusalem, was
attended by many bnei Yerushalayim. A hesped
was delivered by his cousin, HaRav Tzvi Markowitz, rosh
yeshiva of the Karlin yeshiva. He spoke of their mutual
study in the yeshiva of Grodno where the niftar was a
very great masmid who based his life on
mussar. A hesped was delivered by HaRav Shmuel
Auerbach, the rosh yeshiva of Maalos HaTorah, who said that
the niftar had been very close to HaRav Shlomo Zalman
Auerbach (HaRav Shmuel Auerbach's father). He also described
the great impression made by the niftar's prayers and
by his seforim, which are replete with wisdom. The
niftar's grandson, HaRav Yehoshofat Rabinowitz,
parted from him in the name of the entire family.
He is survived by his second wife, the granddaughter of
HaRav Aharon Marcus, author of Sefer Hachassidus, as
well as by his daughter, who is married to HaRav Avrohom
Lerman, a ram in Tifferes Yerushalayim, and another
daughter who is married to HaRav Chaim Mintz, the menahel
ruchani of Tifferes Yerushalayim, as well as by
grandchildren and great- grandchildren, all of whom are
bnei Torah and are following in his footsteps.
