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Сила Теилим

27 Av · Yahrzeit

Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin - the Netziv

Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin - the Netziv (1816-1893)
Yahrzeit - 27 Av
Resting place - Warsaw
Rabbi Naftali Berlin, known as the Netziv of Volozhin, was one of the greatest rabbis of his generation - he served as Rosh Yeshiva of the Volozhin Yeshiva, which became the spiritual center of Russian Jewry. He was the author of well-known commentaries on the Torah. He was born in the town of Mir, in present-day Belarus, to a Jewish merchant and scholar. Shortly after his bar mitzvah, his father arranged his marriage to the daughter of Rabbi Yitzchak of Volozhin, head of the Volozhin Yeshiva. After Rabbi Yitzchak's passing, his elder son-in-law took over the leadership of the yeshiva, but he soon passed away, and in 1853 Berlin was chosen to take his place together with Rabbi Yosef Ber Soloveitchik. The two sons-in-law led the yeshiva together for a time, but due to constant disagreements, Rabbi Soloveitchik had to leave the yeshiva and take up the position of rabbi of Brisk (Brest-Litovsk), where he also founded his own yeshiva. Berlin joined the "Chovevei Zion" movement in support of settling the Land of Israel from its very inception. He urged religious Jews to follow his example and support Jewish settlement in Eretz Yisrael. In 1892, the Volozhin Yeshiva was closed down by the authorities, and Berlin and his family were exiled. Eighteen months later, Berlin passed away.
Family
He was married twice. The first time to the daughter of Rabbi Yitzchak of Volozhin - a granddaughter of Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin - and the second time to his niece, the daughter of Yechiel Michel Epstein. From his first wife he had a son, Rabbi Chaim Berlin, who later became chief rabbi of Moscow, and 3 daughters; from his second wife - Meir Bar-Ilan and another son. The Netziv's main works: - "Ha'amek She'ela" on the Sheiltot of Rav Achai Gaon - "Ha'amek Davar" on the Torah - "Meromei Sadeh" on the Talmud
Stories of the Tzadikim
Once Rav Spektor and the Netziv traveled to St. Petersburg on business related to the pogroms of 1881-82. They had planned to return in time for Yom Kippur, but were forced to stay longer.
The sages went to the only synagogue within walking distance - one belonging to the cantonists (the cantonists were one of the few categories of Jews permitted to live in the capital).
Before Kol Nidrei (the annulment of vows), an elderly cantonist stood up and said: "Everyone knows that on this day it is customary to pray for three things - children, life, and livelihood.
What should we pray for? Not for children - we are not permitted to marry while in the army. For life? - But what value does our life have, if at any moment we may lose it defending this country.
For livelihood? The Tsar feeds us.
We have nothing to pray for on our own behalf - let us instead pray that the great Name of the Creator be exalted and sanctified!"
Everyone wept.
Both giants of Torah considered this Day of Atonement the finest of their lives.
(https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BD,_%D0%9D%D0%B0%D1%84%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B8_%D0%A6%D0%B2%D0%B8_%D0%98%D0%B5%D1%83%D0%B4%D0%B0, R. Aryeh Yudasin)
Pilgrimage site: Grave: Netziv