Eliezer Yehuda Finkel (born 1879)

Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Finkel
Titel	Rosh Yeshivas Mir
Personal
Born	Eliezer Yehuda Finkel 1879 Lugoj
Died	1965 Jerusalem
Religion	Judaism
Nationality	Romania, British Mandate of Palestine, Israel
Spouse	Malka Kamai
Children	Moshe Chaim Zev Beinish
Parent	Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel
Denomination	Haredi
Jewish leader
Predecessor	Rabbi Eliyahu Boruch Kamai
Successor	Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz
Position	Rosh yeshiva
Yeshiva	Mir yeshiva (Belarus)
Began	1917
Ended	1965
Buried	Har HaMenuchot

Eliezer Yehuda Finkel, also known as Reb Leizer Yudel Finkel, (1879–1965) was the Rosh Yeshiva of Mir yeshiva in both its Polish and Jerusalemic incarnates.

Early life

Finkel was the son of the celebrated Mussar leader, the Alter of Slabodka. He studied under the famed Rabbi Chaim Soloveichik in Brisk (see Brisk yeshiva), where he developed a friendship with Rabbi Shlomo Polachek whom he later met on a fundraising trip in America in 1926. He also studied in Raduń Yeshiva where he was reputed to have mastered the entire Talmud at the age of 17.

In 1903, Finkel married Malka, the daughter of Rabbi Eliyahu Boruch Kamai who was the Rosh Yeshiva of the yeshiva in Mir, Belarus. Three years later he joined the staff of the Mir Yeshiva, and in 1917 became its Rosh Yeshiva upon the death of his father-in-law.

During the interwar period, the Mir Yeshiva flourished under Finkel's leadership to the point that its enrollment grew close to 500 students from all over the world. Also during this time, Reb Leizer Yudel enlisted the services of Rabbi Yeruchom Levovitz to serve as the Mashgiach. Also during this time, Finkel chose one of his prime students, Rabbi Chaim Leib Shmuelevitz as a son-in-law and eventually successor.

World War II and the re-establishment of the Yeshiva

The Mir yeshiva in the Beth Aharon Synagogue, Shanghai

With the outbreak of World War II, the Yeshiva was forced into exile and eventually it found refuge in Kobe, Japan and Shanghai, China. While the student body, led by Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz eventually relocated to the United States (see Mir Yeshiva (Brooklyn)), Reb Leizer Yudel established a new branch of the Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem with a handful of advanced Talmudic students from Etz Chaim Yeshiva.

Eventually Shmuelevitz came to Jerusalem to serve as Rosh Yeshiva under his father-in-law. Reb Leizer Yudel's son Moshe Finkel was the main fundraiser for the newly established Yeshiva and helped the Yeshiva financial support its great numbers.

Another son, Rabbi Chaim Zev Finkel became the Mashgiach of the Yeshiva. Yet another son, Rabbi Beinish Finkel succeeded his brother-in-law Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz as Rosh Yeshiva upon the latter's death in the 1979.

Lover of Torah

It is related that Reb Leizer Yudel's love of Torah was so great that he is reputed to have offered money for a Chiddush. Many of his own novel interpretations were printed under the title "Yad Eliezer" (יד אליעזר).

Building Brisk

His love for Torah was the impetus for the founding of many other yeshivos, among them the original yeshiva of the Brisker Rav, to whom he sent some of his top students following a suggestion from Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer, who casually remarked to him that the unique learning and teaching abilities of the Brisker Rav weren’t being properly utilized.

Hardly wasting a moment, Rav Leizer Yudel sent a group of his finest students to Brisk to hear shiurim from the Brisker Rav. Among others were Rav Leib Malin, Reb Yonah “Minsker” Karpilov Hy”d, Rav Michel Feinstein, Rav Henoch Fishman, Rav Naftali Wasserman, and Rav Ephraim Mordechai Ginsburg. Despite the challenging economic situation caused by the onset of the Great Depression, Rav Leizer Yudel financially supported the yeshiva in Brisk.

He was also instrumental in setting up and providing support for Yeshivas Brisk in Yerushalayim.