הרב דב לנדו

Rav Ephraim Dov Landau (born 7 Nisan 5690/1930), known simply as Rav Dov Landau, is rosh yeshiva of Slabodka in Bnei Brak, nasi of the Vaad HaYeshivot, and one of the leaders of the Litvish olam haTorah alongside Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch. He was born in the town of Zgierz in Poland; on his father’s side he is a scion of the Strykov chasidic line, a grandson of the Admor Rav Elimelech Menachem Mendel Landau. When he was about five the family went up to Eretz Yisrael and settled in Rechovot. He began his learning in Yeshivat HaYishuv HeChadash, and after about a year and a half moved to Yeshivat Ponevezh, accepted there after a meeting with Rav Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman. He counts himself a talmid of Rav David Povarsky and Rav Shmuel Rozovsky, and learned for a period with Rav Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler; afterward he learned in Yeshivat Chevron, in chavruta with Rav Zalman Nechemiah Goldberg. Though he met the Chazon Ish fewer than ten times, he holds him his foremost rebbi, and over the years took on his derech in learning and his piskei halacha.

He married Adina, granddaughter of the rosh yeshiva of Slabodka Rav Isaac Sher and a great-granddaughter of the Alter of Slabodka; the shidduch was recommended by his rebbi, the Chazon Ish. After his marriage he was appointed a ram in Slabodka, and over the years a group of talmidim gathered around him who hold him their rebbi muvhak; in the early 5740s he was appointed rosh yeshiva alongside Rav Baruch Rosenberg, Rav Amram Zaks and Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch.

He is counted among the rabbanim of Chug Chazon Ish, identified with the derech of Rav Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz in hashkafah and in halacha. Though his family origin is chasidic he has belonged to the Litvish stream since his youth, and he keeps close personal ties with figures of the chasidic world, among them the Admor of Pshevorsk. In 5774/2014 he was appointed to the presidency of the Vaad HaYeshivot, and in 5783/2023 its second nasi. After the petirah of Rav Aharon Yehuda Leib Steinman his place in the leadership of the Litvish community grew, beside Rav Gershon Edelstein and Rav Chaim Kanievsky. In learning he holds that iyun is the preferred way, better than covering ground in bekius to finish Shas.

Twice a year, generally on Chol HaMoed, gatherings called Ritcha D’Oraita are held at his home, in which the roshei yeshiva take up a sugya he raises. Among his sefarim are Zecher Davar, halachic clarifications (Bnei Brak 5741); Minchat Davar on the Minchat Chinuch; Chidushei Rabbi Dov Landau on much of Shas; and Siach Davar, two volumes of his exchanges in chidushei Torah with Rav Chaim Kanievsky. Among his talmidim are Rav Shaul Alter, leader of the Pnei Menachem kehillah, who calls him his rebbi muvhak; Rav Yehuda Silman, raavad of the beit din of Bnei Brak; and Rav Moshe Yehuda Schlesinger, rosh yeshiva of Kol Torah.