Great Leaders of our People

Rabbi Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz, the "Chazon Ish"
(1878-1953)

The “Chazon Ish” devoted his life to the study of Torah, although he also learned sciences such as astronomy, anatomy, and mathematics, since he felt that a knowledge of these subjects was necessary for a full understanding of Jewish law and practice. In Vilna in 1911, Rav Karelitz began publishing the work for which he is best known, the “Chazon Ish.”

In 1933, he moved to Eretz Yisrael where he held no official positions and yet he became known as a worldwide authority on all matters relating to Jewish law and life. He considered man’s duty in life to be the constant study of Jewish law, aiming at the attainment of a maximum degree of perfection in religious observance.

M.G.