הרב נתן צבי פינקל

Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel (5609/1849–29 Shevat 5687/1927), known to all generations as the Alter of Slabodka, was the founder of Yeshivat Knesset Yisrael in Slabodka and among the fathers of the mussar movement in Lita. Born in Rasein, he was orphaned very young and grew up in the home of his uncle in Vilna. He married Gitel Wolpert, of the family of the rav of Kelm, and through a letter given him by Rav Alexander Moshe Lapidot came to Rav Simcha Zissel Ziv, the Alter of Kelm, whose talmid he became; in Kelm his power to move hearts became known, and many drew near to the mussar movement through him.

In 5636–5637/1876–1877 he founded the yeshiva Knesset Yisrael in Slabodka, outside Kovno, and guided it for some forty-five years. He placed Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein and Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer at its head while he himself stood as its mashgiach and spiritual father, watching over every talmid. His hand was in the founding and strengthening of many other yeshivot — Slutsk, at whose head he set Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer; the kollel of Kovno; and Telz, for which he sent talmidim and raised funds — and his talmid Rav Shach would say that the very existence of the yeshivot is in the merit of the Alter.

His teaching was summed up in the words gadlut ha’adam, the greatness of man: the talmid is shown the height he was created for, and the middot are refined from within, through deepened understanding. His talmidim became the builders of the Torah world of the last century: his son Rav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel, rosh yeshiva of Mir; his son-in-law Rav Yitzchak Aizik Sher; Rav Aharon Kotler; Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky; Rav Yitzchok Hutner; Rav Yaakov Yitzchak Ruderman; Rav Yechezkel Sarna; Rav Yechezkel Levenstein; Rav Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg; and Rav Elazar Menachem Man Shach.

When a Lithuanian decree of 5684/1924 required secular studies in the yeshivot, he refused, and moved the yeshiva to Eretz Yisrael: in 5685–5686/1924–1925 most of its talmidim and rabbanim settled in Chevron, and the Alter went up with them. He was niftar on 29 Shevat 5687/1927 in Yerushalayim and buried on Har HaZeitim beside his son Rav Moshe. He wrote no sefarim of his own; his talks were gathered by his talmidim into Or HaTzafun. After the massacre of 5689/1929, in which many of its talmidim were murdered, the yeshiva moved to Yerushalayim, where it stands today as Yeshivat Chevron with about a thousand talmidim.