Eliyahu's Branches: THE GAON OF VILNA - VERIFYING ORAL TRADITIONS

Thursday, 24 February 2011

THE GAON OF VILNA - VERIFYING ORAL TRADITIONS

Based on "Eliyahu's Branches - The Descendants of the Vilna Gaon and His Family",
Chaim Freedman "Avotaynu 1997.
Published as an article in Avotaynu, Volume XIII, #3, Autumn, 1997
Chaim Freedman – lecture to the Israel Genealogy Society, Jerusalem, February 2000.
The Legend
Tracing the family tree of the Gaon of Vilna, has long posed a challenge to genealogists due to the many difficulties encountered in validating the claims of families which hold an oral tradition of descent from the Gaon. Many families of Lithuanian origin preserve a tradition of descent from the Gaon, but the exact nature of many of their claims defies clear definition. Indeed, the apparent uncertainty of such claims has engendered amongst scholars and the general public an attitude of scepticism as to their authenticity, and an aura of legend has surrounded this perplexing puzzle.

THE HISTORY OF RESEARCH OF THE FAMILY OF THE GAON OF VILNA
A number of attempts have been made in the past to research the family of the Gaon of Vilna. The most comprehensive published genealogy is "Sefer Hayakhas Lemishpakhat Rivlin Umishpakhat HaGaon miVilna " (the Genealogy of the Rivlin Family and the Family of the Gaon of Vilna) written by the late Eliezer Rivlin in Jerusalem in 1935. He recorded many branches of the Gaon's family that were known at the time. But Rivlin's work encompasses only 300 descendants of the Gaon . It should be noted that at the time when Rivlin conducted his research (prior to the Second World War) communication technology was limited, and the difficulty of exchange of information over closed borders limited the scope of the material Rivlin was able to collect.

Number of descendants
A mathematical extrapolation over the eight to ten generations that are descended from the Gaon can be shown to yield about 140,000 - 150,000 theoretical descendants. Even allowing for factors such as cousin marriages and considerable decimation during the Holocaust, the Gaon's family tree should potentially encompass a considerable number of families of Lithuanian origin.

Personal involvement

This author has been interested in the genealogy of the Gaon since his childhood when he heard his grandparents telling stories about their ancestors, including the Gaon of Vilna. The subject of the Gaon gained new momentum during a discussion which took place in Jerusalem between genealogist the late Rabbi Shmuel Gorr and Benyamin Rivlin, son of Eliezer Rivlin, the author of the above-mentioned original genealogy of the Gaon. Rivlin suggested to Gorr that he propose to Chaim Freedman that Freedman take upon himself the project of updating the Gaon's genealogy. This major research project was instigated in mid-1987. Its objective was to collate all available material about the Gaon's family and to publish an updated genealogy. The importance of pursuing this project was that it would provide the last opportunity to preserve oral traditions and link them to related archival material before the passage of time further eroded the genealogical memory base of oral traditions which were the key to research.

Comparison of parallel traditions
Cross-reference by the author of seemingly independent family histories resulted in the discovery of long-standing missing links. Families which held traditions that, when considered individually failed to provide a basis for establishing their descent from the Gaon, yet when collated by the author, displayed a common denominator which led to the establishment of their relationship.

Collection of material

Freedman's research involved the recording, analyzing and assessing of material provided by families claiming a relationship with the Gaon, as well as a comprehensive survey of library resources in Israel including community histories, newspapers, journals, rabbinic texts, biographies, manuscripts and published family histories.

Additional material was provided from resource centres outside Israel by Freedman's genealogical colleagues. Notable New York genealogist, Alex Friedlander was of particular and constant help. He researched vital statistic records obtained from Polish and Lithuanian archives.

The material collected by Freedman constitutes a valuable database for those interested in the Gaon's family.

FAMILY CATEGORIES
The nature of the material researched by this author in preparing a book on the family of the Gaon of Vilna necessitated the establishment by the author of three categories of families:

1) Families which claim a relationship with the Gaon of Vilna that is definitely established by reliable sources and records.

2) Families which hold an oral tradition of a relationship with the Gaon that, when critically analysed in the light of sources and records, is, in the opinion of the author, highly likely to be valid, beyond any reasonable doubt.

3) Families which hold an oral tradition of a relationship with the Gaon, but are unable to provide sufficient evidence for the author to verify their claims from the sources available to him. Such families have been further divided into two groups:

a) Families for which sufficient evidence exists for the author to decide to record the available information, for the purpose of preserving it in case further evidence is discovered in the future. Should such evidence be discovered, the inclusion of these families will facilitate a renewal of research, which may lead to the authentification of the families' relationship with the Gaon.

b)Families which have provided information that, after analysis and research by the author, enabled him to come to the conclusion that, in his opinion, these families are most probably not related to the Gaon.

ORAL TRADITION AND DOCUMENTED SOURCES

Modern aids
The place of oral tradition in genealogical research is the subject of academic dispute. Modern genealogist have at their disposal many sources which were unavailable to their predecesors several decades ago. Modern computer and communication technology facilitate access to a wide range of depositories of sources. Documents preserved by archives throughout the world are becoming more readily accessible, particularly those documents which are held in libraries and archives in the former Soviet Union and neighbouring countries.

Past reliance on oral family history
Genealogists in the past have relied mainly on records kept by family members. These were supplemented by research in libraries and archives where communal and personal documentation may have been found. In the case of families of rabbinic descent, the religious literature provided considerable information about the familial relationships of the authors.

Vital Statistic records versus oral tradition

Given the rapid advances in modern Jewish genealogical research, much of it based on newly uncovered vital statistic records (birth, marriage and death registrations), there is a tendency amongst researchers to play down the importance and validity of oral tradition.This author contends that oral tradition still has, and always will have a valuable place in Jewish genealogical research. A person usually is told by his parents, grandparents or other relatives about his family history.This is the first indication that a person receives about his family history and is derived from oral tradition. Documents may or may not be available to support this information, but in their absence it is the natural tendency of a person to initially accept what he has been told. If he is sufficiently interested, he may engage in research in order to validate the oral traditions and to expand the information which he may desire to preserve for the benefit of future generations.

Limitations of Oral History
It cannot be denied that the indiscriminate use of oral tradition by genealogists has its pitfalls. It may be embellished in order to aggrandise past generations. Distasteful information may be suppressed. When oral information is repeated it may not be recalled accurately, or it may be distorted due to insufficient attention paid when the information was conveyed. These distortions and inaccuracies may be perpetuated when the information is passed on to subsequent generations. In extreme cases information may even have been fabricated.

In assessing the validity of oral tradition it is important to analyse the terms in which it was conveyed. In particular it is important to know whether the information was conveyed spontaneously without any leading questions which may have put into the mind of the person being questioned ideas which were not part of the original information. However, with respect to certain factors, it is valid to ask leading questions. For instance, a parent or grandparent may not recall the name of an ancestor when asked for the name directly. Yet, if the question is rephrased in terms of after whom the parent was named, he may then recall that he was told that he was named after a certain greatgrandparent. Such oral information may then lead to a new line of research.

Preservation of traditions for future research
The greater the number of generations removed from a particular ancestor being sought, the more likelihood there is of discrepancy in oral tradition. If one is told that one's grandfather claimed that his grandfather was a fourth generation descendant of the Gaon then there are thirty-two possible lines of descent from the Gaon. There may be additional information, such as place of residence or dates of birth which may reduce the possibilities. But the number of ancestral lines which need to be researched is still very large. If the link is not discovered in the current generation and the story is passed on to yet another generation, members of that generation have to cope with a bigger puzzle in which the number of possibilities soars to sixty-four. This simple calculation further justifies the author's decision to record all reasonable oral traditions in his book on the family of the Gaon of Vilna, in order to assist the coming generations should they try to uncover the `missing link'.

Oral tradition and documented sources complement each other in pursuing lines of research.A competent genealogist takes into account all the above factors in considering the validity of oral tradition, uses the available documented sources, and comes to a conclusion which is valid beyond a reasonable doubt.

Attitude to oral tradition in Judaism
Since this book deals with one of the most prominent personalities of Jewish scholarship, it is fitting that a principle established in traditional Jewish law be used to support the case for the use of oral tradition. Jewish law defines the forms of evidence required in solving a dispute brought before a Beth Din. Considerable material exists in the Talmud and in its commentaries about the need for conclusive evidence being presented to prove cases brought to litigation.

The late Rabbi Shmuel Gorr of Jerusalem, a prominent genealogist, used to expound the Talmudic principle ( (זבחים פרק י"ד, משנה ד'that the assertion: "I have not seen it", that is no evidence (to the contrary). He explained that simply because documented evidence may not have been discovered does not mean that the evidence does not exist, or that the point claimed to be valid must be disregarded. This was one of Rabbi Gorr's favourite quotations whenever the value of oral tradition was denigrated.

In his book on the family of the Gaon of Vilna the author exhaustively sought documented evidence to establish the genealogy of the families included. Oral tradition has been objectively considered. In many cases the author has consulted genealogical colleagues and taken into consideration their opinions.The conclusions presented are those of the author based on his expertise and experience in Jewish genealogical research.

RESEARCH DIFFICULTIES

The paradox - only 200 years
The difficulties that have been encountered over the years in tracing the descendants of the Gaon are surprising, considering that only 200 years have elapsed since his death in 1797. Only about eight generations have been born since that time . At the time Freedman started his research in the early 1960's, there were people alive who had heard stories about their descent from the Gaon from their grandparents (born in the 1830's) who were grandchildren of the Gaon's grandchildren (born in the 1780's). Such a chain of oral tradition was not so extended as to preclude the preservation of far more oral traditions than were in fact discovered.

There are several reasons for the difficulties encountered in researching the Gaon's family.

1) Lack of official records

Official records of births marriages and deaths were kept by a law instituted in the Russian Empire only in the early 19th century, except for communal lists which were compiled several times during the 18th century. Since all of the Gaon's children and most of his grandchildren were born prior to this date, there were few official records which could confirm their identity. It was not until the commemorative activities which took place in Vilna in 1997 to mark the 200th anniversary of the Gaon’s death that the census of 1765 was revealed. Study of the family unit of the Gaon made it possible to confirm the relative age of the Gaon’s sons as proposed in my book. Later the census lists for 1784 and 1795 added to the overall picture.

2) בטול תורה

It is a characteristic of Lithuanian families to play down their Yichus (pedigree). One example of this phenomenon was encountered when Freedman contacted an elderly rabbi living in Jerusalem. He was reluctant to discuss the issue, but grudgingly related what his mother had heard from her mother about their descent from the Gaon. But he soon cut the conversation short retorting: "What does it matter. Such research is Bitul Torah". He was expressing the sentiment of which the Gaon himself was a renowned proponent. One is obligated to spend as much time as possible in the study of the religious texts. The only time which can be justifiably used for other purposes is that needed to earn a mimimal livelhood. Even time required to attend to family affairs is begrudged. There are several stories related about the Gaon's disinterest in his children's everyday activities, despite his love for them. In the light of this attitude it is no wonder that orthodox Lithuanian families spent little time telling their children about their family history. Thus, much information was forgotten with the passage of time.

One oral tradition conveyed to this author related that an elderly relative in Vilna had possessed a book in which the Gaon himself had recorded his genealogy. Bearing in mind the Gaon's personality and relationship with his family, this story was obviously fictitious, or at best, an embellishment of some other book in the family's possession.

3) Wars

Wars and pogroms which plagued Europe over the last 200 years destroyed many records. Jewish cemeteries have been severely damaged or obliterated in many towns in which the Jewish population was decimated by the Holocaust. The loss of six million Jews during the Holocaust severed what might have been a continuation of the passage of oral traditions.

4) Migration

Mass emigration of Jews from the age old cradles of their family origins in Europe to the `New World' in North and South America, England, Australia, South Africa and Israel severed the natural contact between the generations. A new generation grew up, cut off from contact with its grandparents. Immigrant parents were all too anxious to forget about the Diaspora and its often sad and harsh history. It is no wonder that genealogical information was not passed on.

Information useful to genealogists is often found in old Hebrew prayer books, bibles or other religious texts. It was the custom in traditional families to record names of relatives and their dates of death in such books and pass them on to the ensuing generations. When young couples emigrated, these books usually remained with their parents, since they were still in use. Only if the parents or grandparents had already died at the time of their family's emigration might such books be taken with the emigrants, if they valued them.

Photographs are also useful in establishing genealogical details. But people often are negligent in not writing the names of the subject of the photograph on the back. When these photographs are passed on to the next generation, the identity of the relatives depicted is often unknown.

Sometimes, such photographs can lead to completely erroneous conclusions. This author was presented with an album of photographs collected by an elderly relative. Some were inscribed on the back, and others were identified by elderly relatives still alive. One photograph was the subject of much conjecture until the author examined the Russian inscription. It was a photograph of the famous Russian writer, Leo Tolstoy, obviously not a relative at all !

5) Modesty

Because the Gaon of Vilna was such a prominent figure in Jewish scholarship, descent from him was considered to be particularly worthy of honour. Some people may have been embarrassed to publicise stories told by their parents about their descent lest they be thought to be boasting. Descent from the Gaon also carried with it a responsibility to live up to his standards of behaviour, particularly in religious matters. Perhaps people who no longer were religiously observant considered descent from the Gaon an onerous burden.Yet, ironically, many non-observant people take great pride in their descent from the Gaon and preserve the oral traditions conveyed to them.

6) The title “Gaon"

The term `Gaon' was quite sparingly used during the time of the Gaon of Vilna. Over the ensuing generations it has been rather liberally ascribed to rabbinic scholars as a term of honour. This may result in a person being told that he was descended from `the Gaon' yet the term may refer to another rabbi who was known by that title.

The families Elion and Jodaikin held a tradition of descent from the "Gaon Eliyahu" and believed therefore that their ancestor was the Gaon of Vilna. Two factors led to the confusion. The families were in fact descended from a famous rabbi who was often referred to as a "Gaon". He was Rabbi Eliyahu Luntz (or Rabbinowitz) of Krozhe. Furthermore, this Eliyahu was a brother-in-law of the Gaon of Vilna whose second wife was Luntz's sister. The coicidence of these two factors led the above families to believe that they were descended from Eliyahu, the Gaon of Vilna.

An extreme example of confusion between rabbinic personalities arose when the author was informed by a certain family of it's descent from the Gaon of Vilna. Unable to discover the link, the author's problem was solved when his contact apologised profusely. The ancestor was actually Rabbi Shneour Zalmen of Liadi, ironically the Gaon's rival !

7) Forgotten daughters

Genealogies of rabbinic families often omitted sons or sons-in-law who were not scholars. Similarly, daughters were often not recorded in such families. The Gaon's son Rabbi Yehudah Leib of Serhei, Lithuania is recorded in Rivlin's work as the father of only two daughters. This author has discovered that Yehudah Leib had at least six daughters.

8) עין הרע

Certain families, known to be descended from the Gaon, simply refuse to publish their family tree, for a number of personal reasons. This is regrettable, since their non-inclusion in this present book may lead to the impression, in the future, that such people are really not descended from the Gaon. A prominent rabbinic family in Israel is known to have about 500 living descendants, yet the family refuses to record their names.

9) Surname changes

Siblings born to a mutual father often used different surnames to each other and to that borne by their parents. This practice was prevalent in the Tsarist Empire, and was a ploy used to confuse the military authorities. The notoriously anti-Semitic practices of the Tsarist army resulted in male Jews using this surname change as a means of evading conscription. Such variation of surnames within the one family leads to confusion in genealogical research.

For example, one of the Gaon's daughters, Khiena, the wife of Rabbi Moshe of Pinsk, bore eight sons who used the surname Chinitz, one whose surname is unclear, but whose descendants used the name Lipshitz and Neches. Certain families claim that one of Khiena's sons used the surname Penchuk and yet another, Landau.
Each of these claims had to be carefully analysed by the author, and some remain unverified.

10) Inaccurate translations

Some historians and genealogists who are not fluent in Hebrew have used, as the basis of their research, sources translated from Hebrew to English. These second-hand sources are prone to errors. Similarly, members of families which claim descent from the Gaon of Vilna, have been assisted in their research by incompetent translators, who are not familiar with the genealogical nuances of sources.

One researcher went to the trouble of having Rivlin's work translated into English. This led to confusion between a descendant of the Gaon's brother who lived in the town of Eiragola, Lithuania, or Ragoler to the Jews, with a certain person who live in a place called Raguva. The researcher conveniently merged the two personalities and added to his family tree hundreds of people who had no place on it.

THE WIVES, SIBLINGS AND STUDENTS OF THE GAON OF VILNA
Wives

The Gaon was married twice. The first wife was Khana, daughter of Yehudah Leib of Keidan. After Khana's death in 1782, the Gaon remarried a widow Gittel, daughter of Rabbi Meir Luntz (born 1709) of Krozhe, Lithuania. The fact that the Gaon was married twice has caused considerable confusion. There are families that held a tradition of descent from the Gaon's second wife, Gittel. Since the sources on her family clearly establish that Gittel bore no children to the Gaon, then families descended from Gittel are descended from her first husband, and not from the Gaon.

A major error made by a certain researcher arose from the Gaon's second marriage. Knowing that the Gaon was a brother-in-law to Rabbi Yekhezkel Luntz of Shavli, the researcher assumed that the connection was through Luntz's wife Malka. The researcher drew up a family tree of the Gaon's family and included all of the descendants of Yekhezkel Luntz as descendants of the Gaon's hypothetical sister, Malka. If the researcher had been conversant with Hebrew sources, he would have been able to read a book written by a grandson of Luntz, the contents of which make it clear that there was no such descent. The Gaon was a brother-in-law of Luntz, not through a hypothetical sister, but due to the fact that Luntz's sister Gittel was the Gaon's second wife.

Brothers and relatives

Certain families have believed that they were descended from the Gaon. After investigation however, it becomes clear that they were descended either from the brothers of the Gaon, or from one of his students. Terminology used to refer to relationships is misleading. "‏Of the family of the Gaon of Vilna‏" may mean actual descent, but more often the term refers to the descendants of the Gaon's siblings, or even may refer to more further removed connections by marriage without an actual blood relationship.

A prominent family that settled in Jerusalem 140 years ago maintained steadfastly it was descended from a daughter of the Gaon. This author failed to identify the relevant daughter, despite considerable research by members of the family. Recently new material came to light. A letter written about 1855 by a Lithuanian rabbi records a match arranged between his son and a daughter of the above family in Jerusalem. Of immense genealogical value was a statement by the writer of the letter giving details of the descent of the bridegroom from a sister of the Gaon. At last the puzzle had been solved.

Erroneous families

One of the Gaon's ancestors, Rabbi Moshe Kremer, who was chief rabbi of Vilna in the seventeenth century, was known as "Kremer", meaning shopkeeper, since his wife operated a stall in the market. The appelation "Kremer" was not a surname. Indeed most Jews in the Russian Empire only acquired surnames at the beginning of the nineteeth century. Yet many families bearing the name Kramer or Kremer erroneously believe that they are descended from the Gaon of Vilna. (Some are descended from a brother of the Gaon whose descendants did adopt the name Kremer).

Likewise a widely ramified Galician family believe that they are descended from the Gaon, simply because they bear the surname Wilner.

DOUBTFUL ORAL TRADITIONS

An important means of disproving certain oral traditions is often a simple arithmetic calculation.

Members of a certain Kossowsky family, whilst probably genuinely descended from the Gaon, instilled doubt in the mind of the author when they claimed that an ancestor recalled sitting on the knee of the Gaon, who, it was claimed, was her grandfather. Since the Gaon died in 1797, and since the ancestor was born in 1826, this incident could not possibly have occurred. On rechecking the source of the story, it was found that the incident occurred a generation earlier, which brought the event within a feasible time frame.

The Kantorovitch family of Jerusalem, whose claims to descent from the Gaon are most likely valid for other reasons, recorded certain events which cannot have occured in the way they were stated. It was claimed that the Gaon's youngest son Avraham wrote a letter to a grandson, Yaakov Koppel Kantorovitch, congratulating Kantorovitch on the completion of his studies and on obtaining Semikha (rabbinic ordination). Since Avraham died in 1808 at the age of 44, it is not likely that he had grandson of a suitable age to have obtained Semikha during his lifetime.

It is claimed that the Gaon's daughter Khiena had a son "Haskell Landau" whose daughter married a Remigolsky. This author's research identified the relevant Remigolsky. Yet details of Remigolsky's son in a rabbinic encyclopedia, whilst recording his emminent rabbinic ancestors, fail to record descent from the Gaon of Vilna. This omission renders the family tradition highly suspect.

A common source of confusion in oral traditions is the assumption that if one's cousin is descended from the Gaon of Vilna, so must one also be. This author attended a family reunion at which various sides of his family were represented. He had to repeatedly correct the impression held by one side of his family that they were descendants of the Gaon, like the majority of their cousins attending the reunion.

VALID ORAL TRADITIONS
It has been this author's fortunate experience that he was able to verify many valid oral traditions of descent from the Gaon of Vilna. One example was discovered in Australia where a family which had settled there in 1854, still maintained an oral tradition of decent from the Gaon. Much effort was expended in researching this family which resulted in the discovery of a photograph of the tombstone of the original member of the family who settled in Australia. Although the tombstone was no longer standing, a photograph preserved by the Australian Jewish Historical Society revealed that the person in question was actually a grandson of the Gaon. Details of the inscription correlated with oral traditions held by another family living in England. Thus, this author was able to solve the links of several families, hitherto unknown to each other, yet each holding the same tradition.

Many were such success stories and the author continues to hope that other missing links, recorded in his forthcoming book, will one day be resolved.

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Purpose of this Blog

I am in the process of updating my database of descendants of the Vilna Gaon and his siblings, published in my book

"Eliyahu's Branches - the Descendants of the Vilna Gaon and His Family"
(Avotaynu 1997)

In the light of additional material received from many families and with resource to new archival records which were not available when my book was published, I am re-assessing the data

I Invite those, whose families appear in my book, to send updates of children born since the book’s publication twelve years ago, and any corrections. I would also like to hear from all families who hold a tradition of a relationship with the Gaon

Families currently under Review

The following familes are currently being researched in the light of material which became available since the publication of "Eliyahu's Branches" in 1997.

Bardin

Bayuk (see Pinchuk)

Behr

Bendet

Bloch

Chayen (see Pinchuk)

Chinitz

Chwat

Danzig

Dessauer

Donchin

Efron

Epstein

Eshed (see Landa)

Feinstein

Finkel (see Kamai)

Friedland

Friedlander

Gaffinowitz

Gaon's mother (including Mandelbaum)

Gaon's wife

Gaon's ancestry

Gaon's children

Garelik

Gorovitz

Grad

Grinblat (see Komisaruk)

Gringort

Gurewicz (see Helman)

Habas

Heilprin

Helman (includes Gurewicz, Kushelevsky, Olkenitsky)

Hershman

Jaffe

Jurbarsky

Kahana

Kamai ( includes Finkel)

Kantorowitz

Klatzki

Kletz

Komisaruk (includes Grinblat and Zmood)

Kossowsky

Krechmer

Kremer

Kruskal

Kushelevsky (see Helman)

Landa (includes Wasserman, Eshed)

Landy

Lipshitz

Luria

Margolis

Mayevsky

Medalie

Menkin

Mileikovsky (includes Netanyahu)

Minz

Neches

Neiman

Netanyahu (see Mileikovsky)

Okenitsky (see Helman)

Papierna

Pinchuk (includes Pomerantz, Bayuk, Chayen)

Pines

Pomerantz (see Pinchuk)

Rabbinowitz

Ragoler

Reezel

Reich

Rotenberg

Sachs

Szczeransky (insluding Szleser)

Segal

Shatz

Shach

Shlezinger

Shternbuch

Solomon

Sunstein

Tarshish

Warshavsky

Wasserman (see Landa)

Wilner

Wolpe/Volpa

Zelinkosher

Ziv (includin Sieff)

Zmood (see Komisaruk)

Sources for updates:

Rabbinical genealogies published in religious texts.

Newspaper obituaries

Internet genealogy sites (GENI, Family Tree of the Jewish People)

Jewishgen databases

Eastern European archives which became available after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Personal research submitted my families that appeared in "Eliyahu's Branches"

Digitalised cemetery records.

Improved Email correspondence.

"Google" searching.

Review by Arthur Kurzweil

“Eliyahu's Branches: The Descendants of the Vilna Gaon and His Family”

Review by Arthur Kurzweil
Published in Avotaynu.

It is not since Neil Rosenstein's extraordinary ground-breaking work, The Unbroken Chain, that I have had such enjoyment reading a book in our field of Jewish genealogy. “Eliyahu's Branches: The Descendants of the Vilna Gaon and His Family” by Chaim Freedman, which traces the family tree of Rabbi Elijah, the Gaon of Vilna, is as fascinating as a detective novel, intricate as a scientific thesis, and uplifting as the most beautiful poetry.

A great sage once said that the Jewish People, as a single entity, is not an animal but a plant. The implications of this metaphor are frightening, or at best paradoxical, for as every botanist knows, it is when a plant is cut back that it is stimulated to grow. I have heard a stirring presentation on this notion from a revered rabbi who aptly points out that when we look at Jewish history, the pattern becomes clear. A few examples will suffice: right after the incredibly traumatic expulsion from Spain, we see the most creative period in Jewish theological history, that of the mystics of Safed; after the massacres in the Ukraine, we see the great revival movement known as Hasidism; after the Holocaust, we see the birth and growth of the State of Israel.

This troubling metaphor passes through my mind as I reflect on Eliyahu's Branches. It does not take much imagination to actually feel that it is not a book, but a living, growing part of that glorious tree called the Jewish People. As I leaf through this inspiring book, I feel like I am looking at one of those scientific documentary films that use special photography to show us how flowers grow and bloom. The petals appear and unfold right before our eyes.

We, in Jewish genealogy, often quote a well-known passage found in the Talmud: If you save one life, you save a whole world; if you kill one life, you kill a whole world. Of course, every family tree, from the most modest to the most elaborate, illustrates this notion: How many of us have been struck by the realization that if a certain two people never met, married and had children, we-and dozens, if not hundreds of others would not be here? This is the striking message of this outstanding, deeply moving new book; every life is sacred; every life has the potential to create an entire world.

Chaim Freedman has been researching the descendants of the illustrious Gaon of Vilna for more than 30 years. And, while the careful critic will observe that Freedman makes some leaps of faith in this methodology, resulting in some doubtful branches and descendants, one must surely be in awe of his monumental efforts. The introductory material in this book, where the author explains some of his methods and some of the many difficulties involved in such a mammoth search, will delight any family historian. Freedman invites us to think about his search strategies and some of the stumbling blocks that he had to encounter. Of great importance is Freedman's discussion about the pitfalls and problems facing the genealogist who must depend upon sometimes dubious oral testimony. (In all of my travels, including public speaking about Jewish genealogy before more than 800 Jewish groups nationwide, the one individual who is claimed as an ancestor more than any other is the Vilna Gaon.)

The vast majority of this book is the genealogy itself. Freedman has painstakingly tracked down about 20,000 descendants of the Vilna Gaon, providing the reader with capsule biographies of many of them. These brief biographies alone communicate the exceptional creativity bursting forth from the lives of the descendants of this illustrious sage. But, this massive volume offers more: There is a wonderful essay on the importance of genealogy as reflected in Jewish thought through the ages; biographical material on the Vilna Gaon himself; a listing of every town mentioned in the book (along with the current name of the location); a useful glossary; a rich bibliography of sources; and, of course, a name index.

Every Jewish genealogist should have this book on his or her shelf. Even if the contents do not help you specifically with your research, the volume will serve as an inspiration, not only to show what can be done in our field if one has the will, but, also, as a monument to an eternal people, who despite the trials and tragedies of history, persevere.

My activities

Chaim (Keith) Freedman was born in 1947 in Melbourne, Australia to parents of eastern European origins. He was educated at Mount Scopus College in Melbourne. In 1977, he immigrated with his wife to Israel. Chaim is a noted genealogist having lectured at numerous genealogical and historical conferences including The International Conference on Jewish Genealogy, Jerusalem 1984,1994 and 2004. He has published his research in Avotaynu, Sharsheret Hadorot, Search, RootsKey, the Journal of the Australian Jewish Historical Society and Yated Ne'eman. Freedman edited "Jewish Personal Names: Their Origin, Derivation and Diminutive Forms" by the late Rabbi Shmuel Gorr, published in 1992 by Avotaynu. Freedman wrote several books about his immediate family, "Our Fathers' Harvest", a history of the Komisaruk and other families involved in Jewish agricultural colonization in the Ukraine, and "The Pen and the Blade", a history of the Super family. Chaim Freedmans major work "Eliyahu's Branches, The Descendants of the Vilna Gaon and His Family" was published in 1997 by Avotaynu. The book is the culmination of thirty years of research of the Vilna Gaon, and includes 20,000 names with valuable biographical and historical details. Freedman's particular expertise in Rabbinical genealogy was published in 2001 in his book "Beit Rabbanan, Sources of Rabbinical Genealogy". Much of the content of this book appears on the RavSIG site http://www.jewishgen.org/Rabbinic/ Freedman's presentation of Rabbinical genealogical sources has been published in Avotaynu's "Guide to Jewish Genealogical Research" (2004). Freedman acted as a consultant to Beit Hatefutsot's exhibition on the Vilna Gaon in 1998. He provided material for Beit Hatefutsot's 1983 exhibition "The Jewish Agricultural Experience in the Diaspora". Freedman has lectured to the Israeli Genealogical Society in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and to the Jewish Family Research Association in Tel Aviv and Petah Tikvah. His lectures always draw a good and attentive audience who appreciate the opportunity to hear of his activities in genealogical research and learn from his wide experience in using a range of valuable sources. Many of his compositions appear on the Internet

Torah and Genealogy

Torah and Genealogy
By Chaim Freedman Reprinted from Eliyahu's Branches, the Descendants of the Vilna Gaon and His Family (Avotaynu 1997)

Yikhus (lineage) has always been an integral part of Judaism. In the opening chapters of the Bible, in the weekly Torah portion, the concept of recording the history of mankind appears with the use of the term Sefer Toldot Adam (Book of the history of man), Bereishit (Genesis) 5:1. The Midrash (Midrash Rabba, Parasha 24) explains this term to indicate that Adam, the first man, was given a preview of all the generations that were destined to descend from him: God revealed to Adam each generation with its scholars, each generation and its wise men, each generation and its writers, each generation and its leaders. Adam was the only one who saw the yikhus which descended from him, until the end of all generations. (Yalkut Shimoni) The Midrash asserts that the Messiah will arrive only when all those generations that were predestined to live have in fact been born. The course of the Biblical narrative revolves around the sequence of the generations, from the early generations descended from Adam, through the division of the nations descended from Noakh, and down to the Jewish Patriarchs: Avraham, Yitskhak and Yaakov (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob). Each major figure is introduced in the Bible first by a narration of his descent, connecting him with all the previous generations. Thus, the great Jewish teacher Moshe (Moses) is introduced through his father's descent from the tribe of Levi. From the time of the descent of the Children of Israel to Egypt and following their liberation from Egyptian bondage, their genealogy is noted at the very beginning of the book of Shmot (Exodus). Time and time again throughout the Bible, lengthy genealogical lists are recorded. The Torah includes 477 genealogical records. The Prophets and other books of the Bible include 2,756 genealogical records. Divrei Hayamim (Chronicles) is almost entirely concerned with genealogy. For the Jews returning from the Babylonian Exile, it was particularly important that they retained knowledge of their descent. This knowledge conferred upon them their status in society, which was often based on their relationships with prominent families, in particular, the ruling House of David. Those who had assimilated with their non-Jewish neighbours in Babylon found that their lineage was held in suspicion, particularly if they belonged to the priesthood. Such problems are portrayed in detail in the book of Ezra: They sought their genealogical records, but they were no longer available, and so they were banished from the priesthood. Those immigrants could not state which was their father's house or whether they were of the seed of Yisrael. (Ezra 2:62) The Talmud in the Tractate Kiddushin (Chapter 4) stresses the importance of yikhus: Ten lineages emigrated from Babylon. The Holy One, Blessed Be He, does not bestow his Divine Presence, other than on Israeli families of noble Yikhus. Yet the Rambam (Mishne Torah, Hilkhot Melakhim, Chapter 12, Halakha 3) gives hope in the future for those who have lost the records of their lineage: In the time of the king Mashiakh, when his kingdom is established and all Yisrael are gathered, their lineage will be revealed by the Holy Spirit which will rest upon him, and he will announce to everyone in Yisrael to which tribe he belongs. The Torah places importance on yikhus because man is influenced by the qualities and characteristics of his forefathers, both genetically and by the moral values that are passed from generation to generation. The book of Mishlei (Proverbs, 1:8) states: Heed, my son, the moral advice of your father, and do not abandon the teaching of your mother. The Gaon of Vilna comments on this sentence: Man has three partners: the Holy One Blessed Be He, his father and his mother. This theme is taken up in the Talmud (Avot 3:1): Know from whence you came, and where you are going, and to Whom you will have to give account in the future. Only if we know from where we originate in terms of our family heritage will we be in a position to decide what path in life we should take in the future. The late Rabbi Shmuel Gorr, who dedicated his entire life to genealogical research, believed: Just as we perform many Mitzvot as an act of zeikher le'maaseh bereishit (commemoration of the act of the creation), so the study of our family history can be considered as another aspect of this Mitzvah. When we see ourselves obligated to preserve the continuity of our people's existence in the world, so will we fulfill our task as it was prescribed by the Holy One Blessed Be He from the time of the creation of Man. The study of genealogy, therefore, can be considered as an act of zeikher le'maaseh bereishit, as we seek to link ourselves, through the generations of our ancestors, with the first living man, Adam. Yet, from the outset, the Biblical commentators explained that illustrious lineage alone was not worthy of note. Commenting on the verses of Bereishit 6:9B10: These are the generations of Noakh; Noakh begat three sons. Rashi explains: The essence of the history of righteous men is their deeds. One of the most comprehensive collections of genealogical quotations based on Jewish religious sources appears in Rabbi Yosef Zekhariah Stern's Zekher Leyehosef (1898). The following are some examples: It is worthy of all who seek righteousness to look to the rock from which they were hewn (Yeshayahu, Isaiah 52) and should be Asons of sons are a crown to the elderly, and the glory of sons are their fathers. (Mishlei, Proverbs 17) Like a crown without a kingdom and a gold ring in the nose of one who embraces garbage, so is the value of ancestral Yikhus without personal Yikhus to abandon evil ways. (Yalkut Shimoni; Rashi) If you see a Tsaddik who is the son of righteous fathers, he will not hastily sin (Midrash Mishlei 14) But what of the person who is not descended from ancestry worthy of note? Stern answers: It is important to the Almighty that man should abandon the ways of his ancestors (if they were not worthy) and follow the ways of God about whom it is said, "Peace to the distant, who is the seed of distant ones, but came close."Stern stresses the duty to perpetuate the memory of former generations: How can we not stretch out in our hearts to our ancestors who may be forgotten within two or three generations as if they never existed? In our generation, after our ancestors left the countries where their families lived for many generations and emigrated to other countries, we should perpetuate their history. In particular we have a duty to immortalise the memories of the communities and families that perished for the sanctification of the Holy Name during the Holocaust or during anti-Semitic acts throughout the course of Jewish history: To do justice with the deceased and give them a memory upon the face of the earth. The Midrash (Midrash Rabba, Parasha 37) explains the origin of man's naming system: The early generations that knew their lineage well, gave names to commemorate an event. But we, who do not know well our lineage, give names after our ancestors. The Gaon of Vilna comments on the term used in reference to a deceased person, "May the righteous be remembered for a blessing, and may the name of the wicked decay" (Mishlei, Proverbs 10:7): Remembrance is recalling that which happened in the past, that is, after the death of a righteous person, he is not just a memory, but he is a blessing. But as for the wicked, even his name is contemptible. Throughout Jewish prayer the concept of recalling our ancestors is a recurrent theme. The central prayer of the three daily services, the Shmonah Esreh, begins with: God of Avraham, God of Yitskhak, God of Yaakov...remember the good deeds of our fathers and bring the redeemer to their sons' sons. Amongst the most important statutes given to the People of Israel, the Ten Commandments, is the commandment: Honour your father and your mother.... In the High Holy Day liturgy the relationship between God and man is couched in familial terms: If you regard us as sons, have pity upon us like a father. Our Father, our King.... The tracing of family history is a most effective way to appreciate Jewish history on a personal level. As we recite in the Hagaddah of the Pesakh (Passover) festival: In each generation man must regard himself as if he himself came out of Egypt, as it is said and you should relate it to your son on that day, saying... People make history by their reaction to the demands and opportunities of their environment. An awareness of personal family history establishes a link in the chain of Jewish existence. Jews left Babylon and Eretz Yisrael and spread out through the Diaspora. Many of their genealogical records were lost. Yet certain families painstakingly preserved their traditions of descent. The scholarly family of the Kalonymides left Babylon about the eighth century, settled in Italy, and then moved to the Rhineland and France in the ninth and tenth centuries. From this family emanated the great Biblical and Talmudic commentator Rashi (1040-1105). Rashi's family and disciples established centers of learning in many towns in Western Europe and later, in the fourteenth century, in Eastern Europe. Thus a vast interrelated dynasty of rabbinic families spread across Europe, establishing a framework for future genealogical research. Sources: Many of the sources quoted above were collected by the late Rabbi Shmuel Gorr as part of an article he wrote titled "Torah and Genealogy."

BIOGRAPHY OF RABBI ELIYAHU, THE GAON OF VILNA

BIOGRAPHY OF RABBI ELIYAHU, THE GAON OF VILNA

Rabbi Eliyahu, the Gaon of Vilna, had a profound influence on the religious and communal life of Eastern European, both during his lifetime in the late eighteenth century, and until this day. An acquaintance with and understanding of the biography of the Gaon of Vilna essential for an appreciation of the way of life of those who comprise his descendants over the past two centuries.

A number of books have been written, both in Hebrew and in English which portray in detail the life of the Gaon. These sources are referred to in the following chapter. It is not the purpose of this book to repeat the material covered in those books, but rather to present the reader with the highlights of the life of the Gaon.

Rabbi Eliyahu was born in 1720 in the town of Seltz (Selets), near Brisk (Brest Litovsk), Byelorussia . He was the son of Rabbi Shlomo Zalmen and Treina. The Gaon's father came from a prominent family of scholars in Vilna.

Recognized as a child prodigy, the young Eliyahu was sent by his father to study with the greatest scholars of the time in Lithuania. He then wandered through Western Europe to seek further enlightenment. In his early years, Eliyahu isolated himself in study as he delved into the Talmud to seek the basis for his all-encompassing commentaries which were to become universally accepted.

Few details are recorded Rabbi Eliyahu of Vilna's personal life. This was the result of his modesty and the desire to preserve his privacy in a life dedicated to constant study. At no time did the Gaon seek to spread a doctrine. For many years he resisted attempts of scholars to set up a study circle around him, but eventually he set up a private group, which functioned in a room belonging to the Gaon, known as the Kloiz of the Gaon. There a small number of privileged scholars were able to study with the Gaon and absorb his teachings.Through the teachings of these disciples and the Yeshivot (schools of religious study) that the disciples established, particularly that in Volozhin, the Gaon's influence molded the life of Lithuanian Jewry.

The personal piety of the Gaon pervaded his study circle, and his systematic approach to study epitomized the methods of the Yeshivot. Through the scholars who graduated from these Yeshivot and taught throughout the Lithuania and Eastern Europe, a link was forged between the Gaon and even the humblest villagers. He was a figure held in awe and yet beloved by the whole community. In many households in Lithuania and Russia the Gaon's portrait was hung in the living room. His rulings and amendments to the liturgy were practised in the home and in the synagogue. His moralistic teachings were on everyone's lips. It was no wonder that he was referred to as t‏he "Gaon",‏ the genius, for his equal had not been for many generations.

Yet, unlike his Khassidic opponents, the Gaon was not considered to hold mystical or divine powers. The Gaon's scholastic approach was simple. He stressed rationalism and a scientific approach to study. At a time when he felt that rabbinics had descended to a level of obscure casuistry

epitomized by the Pilpul method of exegis, the Gaon advocated interpretation according to the Peshat: the obvious, literal meaning of the text. In order to deduce the correct meaning, he felt it necessary to firstly establish the authenticity of texts. He spent many years researching early texts, particularly the Jerusalem Talmud, in order to reconcile inconsistencies in the Babylonian Talmud. This correction required great courage as the Gaon often placed himself in opposition to earlier recognized rabbinic authorities. It was the Gaon's personal scholastic integrity and vast knowledge which earned the acceptance of his interpretations by all scholars in his time and today.

Not only was the Gaon absorbed in Niglah (revealed sources), that is Torah, Talmud and commentaries, but he was an expert in Nistar (hidden sources), namely the mystic basis for learning and human existence as embodied in Kabbalah. The Gaon's two-faceted approach to scholastics is often ignored by modern historians who have stressed the rational side of the Gaon's study.

The Gaon was an insatiable scholar. He was not content to restrict his research to a narrow field of study, but sought to broaden his knowledge in all spheres of human endeavor. He studied mathematics, physics, chemistry, geography and philosophy. His introduction of secular study into the world of rabbinics, albeit as a means to an end and not as a goal in itself, set the scene for those religious Jews who were drawn to the Haskalah (Enlightenment) movement but were not prepared to accept the assimilationist tendencies of the movement's Western European exponents. The Gaon's form of secular study bestowed respectability on Lithuanian Haskalah.

The dispute between the new Khassidic movement which arose during the Gaon's life time and its conservative opponents, the Misnagdim (‏opponents) had been simmering for some years, until it burst out into the open with the proclamation of the first Kherem (excommunication) against the Khassidim of Vilna in 1772. Over the ensuing twenty-five years efforts were made by the Misnagdim to suppress the growing influence of the Khassidim, not only in those centres in Volhynia and Podolia where the movement had been born, but also in Byelorussia and even Lithuania, the stronghold of the Misnagdim. The Khassidim had infiltrated even these areas, but initially found limited support to set up their separate Stieblakh (prayer rooms).

Eventually some areas of Byelorussia became Khassidic. Initial efforts by Khassidic leaders to appease the Gaon failed. Yet, despite his opposition to Khassidism, the Gaon was nevertheless held in high respect by the Khassidic scholars. The Gaon refused to meet with two of the Khassidic leaders, the Maggid of Mezritch and Shneour Zalmen of Liadi, who set out for Vilna to discuss their beliefs with him. He saw these scholars as renegades, since they had attached themselves to the Khassidic movement and become its leaders.

The Gaon saw in Khassidism a threat to the stability of the
authority of Halakhah (Jewish Law). Khassidism initially grew out of a need seen by the Baal Shem Tov and his disciples to strengthen the spiritual substance of Judaism which, they perceived, had been weakened by the trauma of the Cossack massacres of the mid-seventeenth century and disillusionment with the false messianic movements, such as the Sabbatians and the Frankists. The masses of Easten European Jewry were depressed. They had tired of the eternal yearning for the messianic era that was expected to liberate them from their suffering. The vast majority lived in abject poverty, as few sources of livelihood were open to them, due to the harsh restrictions in trade and habitation imposed upon them by the Tsarist authorities. The ordinary people had little time to devote to Talmudic study due to the constant struggle required to eke out a megre living to support their families. The age-old devotion to Jewish learning was severely undermined, and many people saw themselves doomed to oblivion, as their intimate relationship with the Almighty had been so eroded.

The way of life advocated by the Baal Shem Tov was attractive to the masses. Khassidism marked a shift away from the stress placed on the Jew's duty to immerse himself in study. The Khassidic leaders offered an alternative. They told the ordinary Jew that he could equally find favor with the Almighty by simple faith. Such faith was given expression in the Khassidic prayer house by ecstatic prayer accompanied by song and dance. Thereby the Jew was encouraged to reach a spiritual level that enabled him to feel in contact with the Almighty, a state that in former generations had been attained by dedication to study and daily absorption in the fulfillment of the minutiae of the commandments.

The Khassidim went a step further in providing the Rebbe or Admor as an intermediary between the simple Jew and the Almighty. These Khassidic leaders were ascribed supernatural powers that were supposed to enable them to intercede on behalf of their subjects in order to cure disease and relieve suffering. Such powers were claimed to pass from father to son, and dynasties of Khassidic masters arose, centered around semi-regal courts to whom allegiance was paid by the communities which embrassed Khassidism.

The Misnagdim saw the phenomenon of the intermediary as alien to Jewish belief. The Misnagdim felt that the Khassidim had legitimsed the lack of devotion to study by the masses, as widespread negligence of study pervaded the bulk of the Khassidic population. The Misnagdim (the Talmudists) urged the masses to return to study as the means of spiritual rehabilitation that would earn them the grace of God and the
relief of suffering. These Misnagdim saw the separatist tendencies of Khassidic prayer houses, their special approach to Shekhita (kosher slaughter of meat), and seemingly blind allegiance to their Rebbe as threats undermining the framework of communal authority which had held the Jews together for centuries. Rabbinic authority over the Kahal (Jewish community council), largely based on the recognition of Talmudic scholarship held by the rabbis, was the basis of the power structure by which the Kahal controlled the community.

Supported by the rabbinic authorities, the Kahal functionaries were usually appointed from among certain families that were either related or closely allied with the rabbis . This practice was certainly the case in Vilna , where the balance of power in the Kahal lay in the hands of certain wealthy and influential families. In particular the relatives of the Gaon held considerable power in communal affairs, influence that stemmed from their longstanding involvement in Kahal leadership, and strengthened by personal wealth which they derived from trading and property ownership. The family of Rabbi Eliyahu Pesseles (died 1770, a first cousin of the Gaon's father) was at the centre of Kahal power. This family's role in community leadership dated back to its ancestors Rabbi Moshe Rivkas (died 1671) and Rabbi Moshe Kramer (died 1688) who had held the rabbinic reins in the mid-seventeenth century. The fortune amassed by Moshe Rivkas was administered by his great-great-grandson Eliyahu Pesseles. His sons and in particular his grandson Reb Leib Reb Ber's (1759-1830), held sway over Kahal appointments, finance and decision making.

The common people suffered not only from a feeling of spiritual deficiency due to their scholastic shortcomings, but also were becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the suppression of their representation on the Kahal. A complex episode in the community's history revolved around the appointment and functioning of Rabbi Shmuel ben Avigdor (died 1790), who became known as ‏the "Last Av Din" (Chief Rabbi)of Vilna.‏ A class struggle was simmering in addition to the doctrinal differences between the Khassidim and the Misnagdim. The Khassidim took advantage of the masses' feelings of repression and encouraged a revolt against the Kahal. This struggle was seen by the civil authorities as an opportunity to weaken the power of the Kahal and so they supported the claims of the masses against alleged corruption by Kahal leaders on the one hand, and libel by the Misnagdim against the Khassidim on the other.

Initially the Misnagdim succeeded in holding the revolt in check and the Khassidic leaders were accused of treason before the authorities. Several leaders were imprisoned, including Rabbi Shneour-Zalmen of Liadi whose followers were known as Lubavitcher Khassidim, or Khabad as the movement is known today. But counter-charges were brought by his supporters, and repeated litigation ensued. The Kahal was accused of fabricating election results and misappropriating funds. Kahal records were seized by the civil authorities, and elections were declared void. In the ensuing elections, pressure was brought by the masses such that pro-Khassidic factions infiltrated the Vilna Kahal and the power of the Misnagdim was neutralized.

The Misnagdim retaliated by promulgating the Kherem - excommunication. In many towns the messengers of the Gaon, who had taken up the leadership of Misnagdic opposition, spread the word concerning alleged degenerate practices of the Khassidim. All contact with Khassidim was forbidden. Committees 56 were set up to investigate
persons accused of sympathizing with the Khassidim, and, if found guilty, such persons were denied all community contact. The climax of the struggle came with the death of the Gaon in 1797 when the elated Khassidim were accused of dancing around his grave. Attempts were made by the Khassidim to explain this action by claiming that the dancing was nowhere near his grave, and was connected with the current festival of Simkhat Torah. The Kherem was revived, and attempts were made to involve the civil authorities.

The result of this tragic split in the community was the abolishment by the authorities of the Kahal in the early nineteenth century. Tired of communal strife, the government finally demolished the independent power base which had been granted as a privilege centuries before by the Polish kings.The dissolution of the Kahal followed the three successive partitions of Poland (of which Lithuania had been a
part), and the acquisition by the Russians of vast Polish territories. The Tzars saw the stripping of the last vestiges of the Polish system as essential to establishing centralized Russian control of the masses of newly acquired Jewish subjects. As a consequence, in the long term, both the Khassidim and the Misnagdim suffered, when the community as a whole was placed under direct government control.

The doctrinal disputes between the Khassidim and the Misnagdim continued into the middle of the nineteenth century when the more serious of them gradually waned, although certain elements of the dispute survive to this day. On one hand the later generations of Khassidic leaders returned to a large extent to Talmudic study, particularly the Lubavitcher Khassidim. On the other hand internal struggles for the succession to power among the various Khassidic dynasties replaced the external struggle with the Misnagdim. Lithuania remained a Misnagdic stronghold, whilst much of Poland and parts of Byelorussia, as well as large regions of Roumania and Hungary were largely under Khassidic influence.

The influence of the Gaon continues to hold its strength in the Lithuanian-style Yeshivot in Israel and the Diaspora. His rulings and interpretations still constitute the ultimate authority, and his methods contributed significantly to Jewish scholarship in general. Today the Gaon is regarded by scholars of both Misnagdic and Khassidic tradition as the highest rabbinic authority of the past several centuries, probably since the time of the Rambam.

This summary presents some aspects of the Gaon's biography. The reader is referred to various biographies of the Gaon, quoted as sources in the following chapter. An intimate appreciation of the Gaon by his descendants is best gained from a selection of comments made by the Gaon's sons Yehudah Leib and Avraham in their introductions to his writings :

"He who did not see his learning, his holiness, and his modesty never saw light throughout his life. Whenever he was unable to solve a difficult passage in his studies his face became darkened. He was even cruel to his sons and household, not recognizing them or his brothers. When, with the help of God, he solved the problem, his face lit up with internal light ,and he did not eat for several days due to his great joy. He barely tasted the pleasure of sleep for several days.

He researched, corrected texts and wrote compositions on Bible, Mishnah, Babylonian Gemarah, Yerushalmi Gemarah, Toseftah, Mekhilta, Safra, Sifri, Seder Olam, Pirkei Rabbi Eliezer, Zohar, Tikunei Zohar, Sefer Yetsirah, Shulkhan Arukh, Avot De Rabbi Natan. On Massoret and grammar he wrote more than one hundred principles. On algebra and trigonometry there are a number of manuscripts. His learning was engraved on his lips and in his heart, and he knew all the opinions of the rabbis and scholars.

He did not waste his time with idleness, as we saw that even when he talked with us, he was brief and to the point.

From the outset, at age nine, he set his heart to understand all parts of the Torah, both revealed and hidden. Who can estimate the depth of his heart and the might of his wisdom ? All of his writings are just a drop in the ocean of his knowledge, since he set down very little on paper. A drop revealed is as one thousandth of that yet unrevealed.

At the age of twelve he dedicated himself to study a commentary of the Rambam for six months. Great scholars have since used this study to solve their questions.

All sections of the Zohar he studied alone with no partner for six months. His commentaries on the Zohar shed new light on previously insoluble mysteries.

In two hours he was capable of learning fifty pages of the most difficult sections.

We must state that his explanations differed from his predecessors who, despite their fame and scholarship, did not take care to study diligently the exact composition of the written words. He studied every word and every letter and the relationship between them. He explained the occurrence of repetitive passages by analyzing the style and subtle nuances.

By the age of thirteen, his piety was recognized, and until the day of his death, he never looked outward to the world aside from his studies. Nobody reached even half way up to his ankle in scholarship.

He dedicated his soul, even at the expense of isolating himself from the fellowship of his family, his sons and daughters. Only in the pure awe of Heaven was he immersed. Throughout his days he never inquired about his sons' or daughters' livelihood. He never wrote them letters. If one of his sons came to visit him, although he was very happy to see them since he may not have seen them for a year or so, he asked nothing of their material welfare. If he rested, it was never for more than two hours at a time before he hastened to return to his studies.

Even though he was extremely fond of his eldest son Shlomo Zalmen and greatly valued his scholarship, when the son was ill for a long time during a period when the Gaon needed to study, he isolated himself in a hut in the woods in order to concentrate on his studies. He remained there for more than a month and forgot about his family. Only when he returned and was in the bathhouse, where holy thoughts were forbidden, did his mind suddenly return to material matters. Suddenly he remembered his dear son's illness and hastened home to inquire of his welfare.

Despite his love of the Holy Land and his efforts to encourage his students to settle there, he failed to accomplish his planned trip there. We asked him many times why he turned back and he usually refused to answer. Only in his old age did he hint as to the reason, by saying that he had been denied permission from Heaven.

When he was taken from us we realized how little we had utilized the opportunity of learning from him. Would that we had learned from him how unimportant physical gratification is, as he only tasted food when it was about to become unavailable and only slept when he had no alternative, even when his health was failing.

That which we have related about him is as nought to that which could be told. He who desires to know more should study his works".

Conclusion

A quotation which would be in the spirit of the Gaon appears in a book called Grandma , a biography of the late Rabbanit Devorah Sternbuch.

Whilst she was proud of her descent from the Gaon and constantly reminded her children and grandchildren of it, she saw it as an obligation rather than a priveledge. On the occasion of the marriage of a member of her family, the mechutanim (in-laws) were boasting of their own illustrious rabbinic descent. After listening for a while, Rabbanit Sternbuch suddenly declared:

"‏Yikhus alein iz nisht genug! Yikhus iz mekhayev!‏"

Pedigree by itself is not enough; pedigree obligates a person.

In the same spirit is a statement made in Russia about 1910 by the aunt of this author my grandparents, Dina Namakshtansky. When her daughter was refused permission to join the neighbouring youth of the village who were celebrating the harvest by dancing in the street, her mother, considering such behaviour unseemly and unbefitting a member of such a rabbinic family explained by saying in Yiddish:

"‏Du darft visen ver du binst‏ "

You need to know who you are.

Vilna Gaon

Thursday, 24 February 2011

THE GAON OF VILNA - VERIFYING ORAL TRADITIONS

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