Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Aurbach

Dena Lebowitz6647 N. MozartChicago, Illinois 60645Rabbi Shlomo Zalman AurbachAkiba-Schechter5 th Grade

Have you heard of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach? You probably have. He wasa great torah scholar and teacher. His teachings are still used today. He was a very seriousstudent when he was in school. He was very respected by the orthodox Jewishcommunity. Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach was a very influential rabbi to orthodoxJewish people.Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach was the first child to be born in theneighborhood of Shaarei Chesed, Jerusalem on July 20, 1910 which was founded by hisgrandfather on his mother’s side, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Porush. He was named after hisgrandfather. His grandfather on his father’s side was Rabbi Meir Auerbach, was the firstAshkenazi chief rabbi of Jerusalem. His father was Rabbi Chaim Yehuda Leib Auerbachwho was rosh yeshiva of Shaar Hashamayim Yeshiva, and his mother was RebbetzinTzivia Auerbach. At the age of eleven he knew the entire Kiddush by heart. As a teenagerhe attended Etz Chaim Yeshiva in Jerusalem.Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Aurbach was so immersed in his studies, that on the daywhen the first automobile came on Jaffa Road and all the other students went to thewindow and looked, he stayed in his seat and continued learning. When his father senthim to bed early so that he would have strength to study in the morning He would sneakout of bed so that he could learn at the local Beit Hamidrash. He married Chaya RivkaRuchamkin on erev Shabbat and Purim in 1930.

Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach had seven sons and several daughters. His sevensons are Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, Rabbi Ezriel Auerbach, Rabbi Mordechai Auerbach,Rabbi Avraham Auerbach, Rabbi Meir Simcha Auerbach, Rabbi Yaakov Auerbach, andRabbi Baruch Auerbach. As his mother got older, she needed her sons’ help. She didn’tlike this. One thing she in disappointment said was “Your father and I built a BeitHamikdash, and now I am destroying it.” She must have felt that she was depriving hersons’ the time to learn Torah.After his marriage, he studied with Rabbi Zvi Pesach Frank at Kollel KeremTzion which was focused on the laws of the land of Israel. His first major published workwas Meorei Esh which talks about the subject of electricity on Shabbat. Rabbi ChaimOzer Grodinski read Meorei Esh and then said "Or chadash al Tziyon ta'ir" — "A newlight will shine upon Zion" In the middle of the 20 th century, Rabbi Shlomo ZalmanAurbach was the pre-eminent halachic decisor in Israel and gained the respect of allorthodox people.Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Aurbach was greatly respected by orthodox Jews, and wasunique by approaching Halacha through thought experiments. He died on February 20,1995. In estimated 300,000 – 500,000 people were at his funeral. A little wile after hisdeath, people realized that Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Aurbach was not in encyclopedias.They quickly changed that.

Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Aurbach did a lot for orthodox Jews. He learned,taught,and helped the Jewish orthodox people. He answered many questions and solved manyhalathic problems. His respect from the Jewish community was well deserved.