After years of effort, the final volumes of the Chumash HaGra
were finally released. Compiled by the well-known expert on
all aspects of the Vilna Gaon, HaRav Dov Eliach, the new five-
volume set seems destined to take its place as part of the
core Torah library of a Jewish home.
It is not just the stature of the Vilna Gaon that makes this
idea appropriate. When Rabbi Eliach asked him if his plan a
new Chumash was worth pursuing, one of the gedolei
hador responded, "Chumash HaGra is not only
permissible — it is appropriate and desirable. There is
no question about it."
One of the themes that the Gaon developed was the organic
unity between the Written Torah and the Oral Torah of Chazal.
Having his work brought together and organized together with
the Chumash, Rashi and Targum is not only a
delight for those who are thirsty for every word of the Gaon,
but also a convenience for those who just want a new
perspective on the familiar Chumash.
In all his projects, Rabbi Eliach consults with the
gedolei hador before committing himself. In this case
he sought and obtained the blessings of Maran HaRav Eliashiv
shlita and Maran HaRav Shteinman shlita who
were very encouraging.
Over the years he has developed a special relationship with
HaRav Chaim Kanievsky and, as with other works, HaRav
Kanievsky was very involved in the Chumash HaGra.
HaRav Eliach was careful to bring any newly discovered
comment attributed to the Gra to HaRav Kanievsky for his
review before including it. Rav Eliach told us that it was
often a very interesting experience.
On occasion, when seeing a comment of the Gra that was
putatively based on an unattributed source in "Chazal," HaRav
Chaim declared decisively, "There is no such Chazal." And in
a complementary case as well: Sometimes a particular
explanation was attributed to the Gra but HaRav Chaim
objected that there was an explicit source in Chazal, so that
the idea was not a chiddush of the Gra.
Much of the Gra's work was al pi sod — based on
the hidden parts of Torah. In planning his work, Rabbi Eliach
wanted to include primarily the works of the Gra that are
accessible to all so that the Gaon's Torah would reach the
widest audience. But he consulted with gedolei Yisroel
about where exactly to draw the line. Upon the recommendation
of HaRav Dovid Cohen, rosh yeshiva of Chevron, and others,
the Chumash HaGra also includes comments that are what
HaRav Cohen described as "borderline." That is, it does
include explanations of topics that are perhaps within the
boundaries of sod, as long as the basic concepts are
not completely obscure — even if they are not as well-
understood as other parts.
It is worth noting that the newly-published Vayikra
volume also includes the Kitzur Toras Cohanim of the
Gra separate and in addition to the regular compiled
commentary that appears in the rest of Chumash. The
Gaon's reading and glosses on the exegesis of the Toras
Cohanim also are an implicit commentary on the
Chumash itself.
