Yisrael Meir (HaCohen) Kagan, also known to students of Judaism as the Chofetz Chaim, was a rabbi, Halakhist and ethicist, born in Zhetel, Poland on February 6, 1838, and died in Radin, Poland, September 15, 1933. His legal surname was "Poupko" but this is seldom used.
He was one of the most influential rabbis within Orthodox Judaism during the late 19th and early 20th century taking a central leadership role in the Agudath Israel movement in Eastern Europe. He is best known by the name of his first book, Chafetz Chayim (חָפֵץ חַיִּים "Seeker/Desire [of] Life") (published in 1873), that deals with the Biblical laws of gossip and slander (known in Hebrew as Lashon Hara meaning "Evil tongue" in Hebrew.)
Some of his other works include: Shmirat HaLashon ("Guarding [of] the Tongue"), Mishnah Berurah ("Clarified teachings") with its commentaries known as the Bi'ur Halacha ("Explanation [of the] law"), and Sha'ar HaTzion ("Gate of Zion/Excellence").
Two major American yeshivas were named in his honor:
Many smaller Jewish religious institutions throughout the world also carry his name. The Chofetz Chaim's teachings have inspired some modern Haredi English-speaking American Jews to establsih the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation dedicated to the dissemination of his teachings to Jewish communities around the world.
See also
External links
References
- Chafetz Chaim, the life and works of Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin by M.M. Yoshor. New York, NY: Mesorah publications, 1984. ISBN 0899064620.
