20 Adar · Yahrzeit
Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach
Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach was born in Jerusalem in 1910, where he lived his entire life until his passing in 1995.
Yahrzeit - 20 Adar
Resting Place - Jerusalem
Rabbi Shlomo Zalman and his wife raised ten children. He lived a very simple and unassuming life, devoting himself entirely to Torah study, the meticulous fulfillment of mitzvot, and listening to and helping all Jews in need, regardless of their affiliation.
Rabbi Shlomo Zalman was the first child born in the Shaarei Chesed neighborhood in Jerusalem, which was founded by his maternal grandfather, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Porush, after whom he was named. Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach's father, Rabbi Chaim Yehuda Leib Auerbach, was a great Mekubal and Rosh Yeshiva of “Shaar HaShamayim,” a yeshiva for the study of Kabbalah. His mother was Rebbetzin Tziviah. The home of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman's parents was almost devoid of material possessions, as they had been sold to pay off the debts that Rabbi Chaim Yehuda Leib had taken on to support his yeshiva. The only time they were brought to tears was when Rabbi Chaim Yehuda Leib had to sell sefarim (books) from his extensive library.
Rabbi Shlomo Zalman's paternal grandfather was the great Rabbi Meir Auerbach, the former Chief Rabbi of Kalisz, who later settled in Israel and was appointed in 1860 by Rabbi Shmuel Salant to join him in the office of Chief Ashkenazi Rabbinate of Jerusalem. Rabbi Meir Auerbach held this position until his passing in 1878.
At the tender age of eleven, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach already had an excellent command of the Talmud. As a teenager, he attended the Etz Chaim Yeshiva in Jerusalem. He was known for his diligence. After his marriage, he studied under Rabbi Tzvi Pesach Frank at the Kollel “Kerem Tzion”, where he studied the laws pertaining to the Land of Israel.
In 1949, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman became a senior Torah instructor at the Kol Torah Yeshiva. Three years later, he became Rosh Yeshiva and held this position until his death in 1995. Thousands of his students continue to influence the world of Torah to this day.
Rabbi Shlomo Zalman's first major published work, “Meorei Eish,” was the first written on the subject of the use of electricity on Shabbat. It was published in Jerusalem in 1936. The work was approved by Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski of Vilna, who read it and praised it generously.
Although he was recognized as one of the greatest rabbinic authorities of the twentieth century, he turned down offers to become a judge on the Supreme Rabbinical Court and refused to become the Chief Rabbi of Israel, or even of Jerusalem. He was beloved and admired not only for his erudition, but also for his honesty and humility. Throughout his life he lived modestly and was actively involved in charity and providing emotional support to those in need.
May the merit of the Tzadik protect Am Yisrael!
(https://dailyzohar.com/tzadikim/298-Rabbi-Shlomo-Zalman-Auerbach)