Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz, who died this past week in Israel at age 83, was a teacher, philosopher, author and spiritual mentor. He received the Israel Prize in 1988 for his publication, “The Talmud: The Steinsaltz Edition,” which has been translated into English, Spanish and several other languages. His translation and commentary is widely credited with making Talmud more accessible to audiences worldwide.
Born in Jerusalem to secular parents in 1937, Steinsaltz studied chemistry and physics at Hebrew University. He became more religious in his teenage years when he began to question atheism and its principles. An autodidact, by age 27 Steinsaltz took on the task of creating the modern Talmud; in 1965 he founded The Israel Institute for Talmudic Publications to start his mission of translating the Talmud and making it easily accessible. Previously, he argued that the Talmud could only be thoroughly read and understood by religious experts because of its antiquated Hebrew and the absence of vowel notations and punctuation.
Steinsaltz added vowels and punctuation, translated Aramaic sections into modern Hebrew and added his own commentary and explanations of certain passages. In November 2010, Steinsaltz completed the task, and in 2012 Koren Publishers Jerusalem began to re-release volumes of his work, which included full-color illustrations. More than two million copies of his work have been distributed to date.
Four years ago, the rabbi finished his commentary on the Torah (The Pentateuch), as well as on the writings of the Prophets Jeremiah, Isaiah and Ezekiel, and on the Book of Psalms. In recent years he went on to complete the full commentary of the Old Testament, in both English and Hebrew, while his commentary on the Six Books of Mishnah are due to be published in the coming months.
The rabbi has authored more than 60 books and hundreds of articles on subjects ranging from psychology to zoology and social commentary. His book on the studies of Kabbalah, “The Thirteen Petalled Rose,” was first published in 1980 and has since been translated into eight languages. The Rabbi and author delved into the world of Kabbalah, and answered many questions about God’s existence and the nature of the universe.
Published in 2014, Steinsaltz wrote “My Rebbe,” which chronicled his personal experiences and perceptions of the Lubavitcher Rebbe and the Chabad movement. The book garnered praise, especially regarding explanations of the Rebbe’s abilities to lead the Chabad movement, and explained the Rebbe’s positions on the founding of the State of Israel in a way that was understandable for his wide audience.
In addition to the Israel Prize, Steinsaltz was also the recipient of many other awards in his lifetime, including the Abramowitz-Zeitlin Award in 1971 for a series of articles on contemporary Jewry, and the Medal of Honor from the Prime Minister of Italy in 1991. He also received the Israeli President’s Medal in 2012 and the Yakir Yerushalayim (Beloved of Jerusalem) Medal in 2017.
He has also received honorary PhDs from institutions of higher learning: Yeshiva University, Ben Gurion University, Bar-Ilan University and Florida International University. His other accomplishments included his attendance at the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders at the United Nations in 2000, and the first World Symposium of Catholic Cardinals and Jewish Leaders in New York City in 2004, which was a two-day gathering of some of the world’s highest level of Catholic and Jewish leaders in an effort to institute religious peace and fight back against anti-Semitism.
Rabbi Steinsaltz also founded multiple institutions, including the Shefa Institute in 1975. It serves as the umbrella organization for the rabbi’s many worldwide representatives, including the Aleph Society, which was founded in 1988 to support the rabbi’s network of publishing and educational projects. The goal of the Aleph Society is to support the expansion of Jewish identity and Jewish communities worldwide; they operate in Israel, Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom. Intent on keeping the rabbi’s works alive, the Shefa Institute’s current projects include publishing the rabbi’s full commentary on the Tanach and building a web-based archive of the rabbi’s work.
Other institutes Rabbi Steinsaltz founded have made their marks internationally. In 1985, the Rabbi founded the Mekor Chaim High School located in Gush Etzion in Israel. The yeshiva for boys was the recipient of the Religious Education Award by Israel’s Ministry of Education. The yeshiva helps fulfill the rabbi’s dream of spreading knowledge and education, and furthering people’s love of the Land of Israel. In 1989, he founded Mekor Chaim in Moscow, an action that helped serve as the rebirth of Jewish life in Russia since before WWII. The building had unfortunately burnt to the ground in 1996, but still had made an impact on many students who had the fortunate opportunity to experience a Jewish education in a country that was slowly warming up to the Jewish population. In 1999, he founded Yeshivat Tekoa, located south of Jerusalem. He served as the president of the yeshiva, and taught classes in Talmud, Jewish Thought and Chassidus twice a week. During the 1980s and ’90s, the rabbi served as a guest lecturer at many universities, including the Global Forum for Spiritual and Religious Leaders at Oxford University in 1987 and at the Academies and Universities of Beijing and Shanghai in 1996.
Opened in 2003, The Steinsaltz Center in Jerusalem served as the rabbi’s beit midrash, library and public lecture hall; it is also a home for many future scholars and laypeople who wish to study the rabbi’s teachings.
By Elizabeth Zakaim
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