‘Like a Modern-Day Rashi:’ Israel Mourns Death of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz

Jerusalem, 9 August, 2020 (TPS) -- Israel’s leadership expressed deep sorrow over the death of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, the great commentator of the Talmud and one of the greatest Jewish minds in recent decades.

Rabbi Steinsaltz passed away of Friday at the age of 83 after suffering from acute pneumonia in recent weeks.

He was buried in Jerusalem on Friday in a small funeral due o the Coronavirus pandemic.

Rabbi Steinsaltz dedicated his life to Judaism and education, the study of Talmud and Chassidut, philosophy and writing on all religions. He was one of Judaism’s greatest commentators, Israel Prize winner, recipient of Israel President’s Medal and Beloved of Jerusalem Medal.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that “from the depths of my heart, I lament the passing of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, whose knowledge was vast, a Torah genius and a man of exemplary spirit.”

He recalled his conversations with Rabbi Steinsaltz which “always imparted knowledge to me. These were not lessons in the conventional sense but spiritually uplifting conversations that embraced the entire world – Tanakh, the wisdom of our sages, history, philosophy, culture, linguistics and more.”

“Rabbi Steinsaltz was an outstanding example of the persistent Jew. He invested unceasing effort in his commentaries, especially his explanation of the Talmud which made the study of gemara accessible to the public at large in clear and understandable language. His important works will stand for generations at the foundation of Jewish heritage, as an eternal flame in his memory,” he said.

President Reuven Rivlin stated that “our hearts mourn the passing of Rabbi Adin Even Israel Steinsaltz זצ”ל. He was a man of great spiritual courage, deep knowledge and profound thought who brought the Talmud to Am Yisrael in clear and accessible Hebrew and English, like a modern-day Rashi.”

Rabbi Steinsaltz was born in Jerusalem in 1937. After graduating in chemistry and physics from the Hebrew University, he began his career as an educator and worked as a school principal in Jerusalem and wrote a great many varied Jewish books.

In 1965, in conjunction with the Government of Israel, he founded the Israel Institute for Talmudic Publications, later the Steinsaltz Center, which became his life’s work – making Judaism and the heritage of Israel accessible, translating and explaining the Talmud to the whole world.

Rabbi Steinsaltz is considered one of the greatest, important Jewish religious commentators and thinkers of our time. His writings and philosophical works have been translated into 60 languages, to the benefit of millions of people from all over the world.

He authored around 60 books on various topics, including guides to and commentaries on the Talmud, the Torah, Jewish mysticism, Hasidism, Jewish philosophy and more.

One of the Rabbi’s most renowned and significant projects was the Steinsaltz-Talmud: a translation from the original Aramaic, alongside an annotated explanation to all 2,711 pages of the Babylonian Talmud.

In recent years, the Rabbi completed the full commentary of the Tanakh, in both English and Hebrew, while his commentary on the Six Books of Mishnah is due to be published in the coming months.

His work earned him recognition and praise in Israel and around the world. Time magazine called him a “once-in-a-millennium scholar”, while the long list of awards and degrees he received included the Israel Prize for Jewish Studies in 1988, the President’s Medal in 2012, the Yakir Yerushalayim (Beloved of Jerusalem) Medal in 2017, and honorary doctorates from Bar Ilan University, Ben Gurion University, and Yeshiva University in New York.

The US Library of Congress recently announced the acceptance into its catalog of an English translation of an extensive work about the Steinsaltz Center and its work.

The Steinsaltz Center in Jerusalem has served as an umbrella organization, coordinating the Rabbi’s various activities and initiatives – and it will continue to do so in his memory.