Moshe Feinstein
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Image:Reb Moshe Feinstein.jpg Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (1895-1986) was an Orthodox Rabbi who was world renowned for his expertise in halakha (Jewish Law) and was the de facto supreme rabbinic authority for the Orthodox Jewry of North America. He was born, according to the Hebrew calendar, on the 7th day of Adar, 5655 (traditionally the date of birth of the Biblical Moshe) in Uzdan, near Minsk, Belarus (then Russian empire).
The son of a rabbi and halachic authority, Feinstein was a community rabbi in Lubań, Russia for over 20 years. Under increasing pressure from the Soviet regime, he and his family moved to New York City in 1935 where he lived for the remainder of his life. There, he became the rosh yeshiva (dean) of the yeshiva Mesivta Tiferes Jerusalem, and was named the rabbinic head of Agudath Israel of America in the 1960s. He later established a branch of his Mesivta Tiferes Jerusalem in Staten Island, New York, now headed by his son Rabbi Reuven Feinstein; his son Rabbi David Feinstein heads the Manhattan branch.
Reb Moshe published an eight-volume work of halakhic responsa called Iggeroth Moshe (Epistles of Moshe), which is a standard halakhic work in Orthodox Judaism circles. Talmudic novellae appeared as Dibroth Moshe (Moshe's Words), and novellae on the Torah appeared posthumously as Darash Moshe (Moshe Expounds).
Reb Moshe died on 23 March 1986 on (13th of Adar II, 5746 on the Hebrew calendar). It has been pointed out that the 5746th verse in the Torah reads, "And it came to pass after Moshe had finished writing down the words of this Torah in a book to the very end (Deuteronomy 31:24).
At the time he was regarded as Orthodoxy's foremost rabbinic scholar and halakhic decisor. His funeral in Israel was said to be the largest among Jews since the Mishnaic era, and was attended by approximately 300,000 people.
Among the eulogizers in America were Harav Yaakov Yitzchak Ruderman, Rabbi David Lipschutz, Rabbi Chaim Stein, Rabbi Shraga Moshe Kalmanowitz, Rabbi Yaakov Joffen, Rabbi Levi Krupenia, Rabbi Nissan Alpert, Rabbi Moshe David Tendler, the Satmar Rav, Rabbi Reuven Feinstein, Rabbi Mordechai Tendler and Rabbi Michel Barenbaum.
In Eretz Yisrael, Harav Eliezer Menachem Shach, Rabbi Dovid Povarsky, Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak Weiss, Rabbi Michel Feinstein, Rabbi Yehuda Tzadkah and Rabbi Reuven Feinstein all tearfully bemoaned the massive loss to the generation.
In such massive esteem was Reb Moshe held that Harav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, himself a tremendous Gaon and Posek, refused to eulogize Reb Moshe, saying "Who am I to eulogize him? I studied his sefarim (books); I was his talmid (student)." There are numerous well known examples of other great sages, such as the Steipler Gaon, Harav Yonasan Steif, Harav Eliyahu Lopian, Harav Aharon Kotler, Harav Yaakov Kamenetsky and Harav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, all revering Reb Moshe and declaring him to be the Godol Hador, although many of these were far older than him.
Reb Moshe was buried on Har HaMenuchos near his Rebbi, Reb Isser Zalman Meltzer; his friend, Reb Aharon Kotler; his son-in-law Rav Shisgal and in close proximity to the Belzer Rebbe. Template:Judaism-bio-stubhe:משה פיינשטיין yi:רבי משה פיינשטיין