Aharon Feldman
| Rabbi Aharon Feldman | |
|---|---|
| Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshivas Ner Yisroel | |
 Rabbi Aharon Feldman in 2010 | |
| Position | Rosh yeshiva |
| Yeshiva | Yeshivas Ner Yisroel |
| Began | 2001 |
| Predecessor | Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Kulefsky |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Aharon Feldman |
| Born | 1932 |
| Parents | Rabbi Joseph H. Feldman |
| Spouse | Lea |
| Occupation | Rosh yeshiva |
Rabbi Aharon Feldman (born 1932)[1] is an Orthodox Jewish rabbi and rosh yeshiva (dean) of Yeshivas Ner Yisroel (Ner Israel Rabbinical College) in Baltimore, Maryland. He has held this position since 2001.
Biography
Rabbi Aharon Feldman is the son of Rabbi Joseph Feldman (died 1993), a native of Warsaw and scion of a rabbinical family.[2] Rabbi Josef H. Feldman served as a rabbi in Manchester, New Hampshire in the 1930s, but left that post to assume the helm of Baltimore's Franklin Street Synagogue so his sons could attend a Hebrew day school.[3] He was the last rabbi to formally serve as chief rabbi of Baltimore. Rabbi Aharon Feldman has two brothers; his elder brother,[4] Rabbi Emanuel Feldman, was the prominent spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Jacob of Atlanta, Georgia for 40 years.[2] His younger brother, Rabbi Joel Feldman, is a former dean of Talmudical Academy of Baltimore.
Rabbi Feldman was born and raised in Baltimore, where he attended the Talmudical Academy and Ner Yisroel, becoming a close disciple of Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Yitzchak Ruderman.[1] Afterwards he taught in several yeshivas in New York.[1]
In 1961 Rabbi Feldman and his wife Leah made aliyah with their family to Israel in order to raise their eight children in a more religious environment.[1] They lived in Bnei Brak for 12 years and relocated to Jerusalem in 1973.[1] Rabbi Feldman served as one of the Rosh Yeshivas of Ohr Somayach Yeshiva for many years, and also founded Yeshiva Be'er HaTorah in Jerusalem in the early 1990s.[1]
In 2001 Rabbi Feldman accepted the request of Ner Yisroel to serve as its Rosh Yeshiva. Rabbi Feldman continues to teach and inspire at Ner Yisroel until today.
In 2005, he was one of 15 Jewish educators invited to an informal discussion on Jewish education in the White House's Roosevelt Room.[5]
Public positions
In 1994, Rabbi Feldman spoke publicly against the actions of Baruch Goldstein saying that there could be "no justification", and describing the actions as "way beyond the pale".[6]
Rabbi Feldman was interviewed in the 2001 documentary film Trembling before G-d about young orthodox Jewish gay men.[7]
In 2003, in response to a question from Gil Student, Feldman issued a ruling regarding Chabad messianists. He drew a distinction between what he terms the "meshichists" (those who believe the late Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson is the messiah) and the "elokists" (those who believe he was a part of God or God "clothed in a body"). He rules that it is forbidden to associate with elokists under any circumstances due to their heresy and they cannot be counted for a minyan. He rules it is also forbidden to support the meshichists in any way that lends credence to their messianic beliefs though they are not strictly heretics.[8]
In 2005, he wrote a critique of Rabbi Natan Slifkin, explaining and defending the 2004 ban issued against Slifkin's books.[9]
Audio Lectures
Selected bibliography
- The River, the Kettle and the Bird: A Torah guide to successful marriage. Feldheim Publishers. 1987. ISBN 0873064402.
- The Juggler and the King: The Jew and the Conquest of Evil: An elaboration of the Vilna Gaon's insights into the hidden wisdom of the Sages. Feldheim Publishers. 1990. ISBN 0873065573.
- The Eye of the Storm: A calm view of raging issues. Yad Yosef Publications. 2009. ISBN 1598264540.
- Mishnah Berurah: The Classic Commentary to Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim, Comprising the Laws of Daily Jewish Conduct (editor, Hebrew-English edition, 12 volumes)
- Yad L'Peah on Maseches Peah (1967) (Book Review in HaPardes; digital edition of Yad L'Peah at the Ner Israel Archive).
External links
- Free MP3 Lectures by Harav Aharon Feldman
- Article in Yeshurun Journal regarding Vilna Gaon's attempt to travel to Israel
- Torah Article in Yeshurun Journal
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Matthews, Mark (31 July 2001). "Rabbi returns to U.S. roots". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
- 1 2 "Rabbi Emanuel Feldman Papers" (PDF). The William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum. October 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
- ↑ Oberstein, Rabbi Elchonon (October 2009). "A Conversation with Rabbi Emanuel Feldman". Where What When. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
- ↑ Gros, Michael (27 January 2010). "A Shul and a Mission". Mishpacha Magazine. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
- ↑ Brown, Ellen Schur. "Bush hosts discussion on Jewish education", Cleveland Jewish News, December 16, 2005
- ↑ Lipman, Steve. "Way Beyond The Pale: Rabbis say Baruch Goldstein's murder rampage". Jewish Week, March 10, 1994.
- ↑ Trembling Before Gd overreaches, Deseret Morning News, February 14, 2003.
- ↑ http://moshiachtalk.tripod.com/feldman.pdf See also Rabbi Feldman's letter to David Berger:http://www.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/feldman_berger_sm_2.jpg
- ↑ Feldman, Aharon (June 27, 2005). "The Slifkin Affair – Issues and Perspectives". Retrieved 5 July 2010.
