אליהו פיינשטיין

Rav Eliyahu HaLevi Feinstein (7 Tevet 5603/10 December 1842 – 27 Tishrei 5689/11 October 1928), called Reb Elye Pruzhaner and known in English sources as Elijah Feinstein, was among the leading Litvishe rabbanim of his time. He was born in Slutsk to Rav Aharon HaLevi Feinstein, and while he was still small the family moved to the town of Starobin, where his father was appointed rav. In his childhood he drew close to Rav Yosef Feimer, “Reb Yossele Slutzker,” rav of Slutsk. At thirteen he became engaged to Guta, daughter of Rav Yitzchak Yechiel Davidson, av beit din of Karelitz, and his father-in-law-to-be sent him to learn in the Volozhin yeshiva, then led by the Netziv, where he was known as an illui (outstanding talmid chacham).

He married in 5620/1860 and spent the following years in his father-in-law’s town widening his knowledge of the Bavli and the Yerushalmi. He took it upon himself, and kept it to the end of his life, to finish both Talmuds every year, and when he walked in the street he would review mishnayot by heart. On his father’s passing in 5623/1863 he was appointed rav of Starobin in his place and held the position seven years, declining an offer to serve as raavad of Brisk. From 1870 he was rav of Kletsk, from 5633/1873 of Karelitz in place of his father-in-law, and from 5639/1879 of Chaslovitz for five years. In every post he made one condition: that until midday he be free of all community matters that were not urgent, so that he could learn without interruption.

In 5644/1884 he was called to Pruzhany, filling the place of Rav Yerucham Yehuda Leib Perlman, later the Gadol of Minsk, and he served there until his passing, turning down offers from larger cities. Twice he was offered the chief rabbinate of Eretz Yisrael, and twice he declined. At the assembly of rabbanim held after the pogroms he stood alone against appealing to Czar Alexander III for mercy, holding that riots on such a scale must have had organizational help or silent agreement from the government in St. Petersburg, so that an approach to it could only worsen the position of the Jews. In learning he sought the clear and straight explanation rather than involved pilpul.

His writings were arranged after his passing into Halichot Eliyahu, chiddushim on the Mishneh Torah of the Rambam together with responsa in halacha, printed in 5692/1932. His daughter Pesia was the wife of Rav Moshe Soloveitchik and the mother of Rav Yosef Dov and Rav Aharon Soloveitchik; his son-in-law Rav Menachem Krakowski, rav of Novardok and later in Vilna, wrote Avodat HaMelech on the Mishneh Torah; and his son-in-law Rav David Feigenbaum filled his place as rav of Pruzhany. He made the match of his wife’s sister, Feiga Gittel Davidson, with Rav David Feinstein — their son was Rav Moshe Feinstein.