Kosava – Belarus
On Wednesday night, the 11th of Cheshvan 5639 (1878), the second son of Rabbi Shmaryahu Yosef and Rabbanit Rasha Leah, Avraham Yeshaya – later known as the Chazon Ish ztz”l, was born in the shtetl of Kosava. This was a momentous occasion in the history of the Jewish nation, which, when it happened, none of those who rejoiced in his birth in Kosava, could have imagined the great light which had begun to shine. No one could have predicted that the little child would light up and warm the entire world like the sun. In Cheshvan 5652 (1891), he reached the age of bar mitzvah. Although he had already dedicated all his toil and essence to Torah for years previously, on entering the yoke of Torah and mitzvos he accepted upon himself that from now onwards, for the rest of his life, he would study Torah lishmah (for its own sake).
Volozhin Yeshivah
The aspirations of the young Avraham Yeshaya to grow in Torah knew no bounds. He heard about the Volozhin Yeshivah which had been founded by Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, which was the most important yeshivah where the best spiritual forces of the Jewish nation had gathered. And thus he set out on his journey – a long trip lasting for many days until, finally, his feet stood at the entrance to the Eitz Chaim Yeshivah in Volozhin. At this time, the rosh yeshivah was Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik, who was considered one of the Torah giants of his generation. Despite his very great aspiration to learn from Rabbi Chaim, he stayed only four days in Volozhin, since he discovered that it was impossible to obtain yashan bread, and due to his meticulous care with kashrus, he decided that he had no choice but to return to his home in Kosava.
Vilna
After long years of toil in Torah in the old beis midrash in Kosava, he burned with a desire to get to know and live alongside Torah giants, become acquainted with their behavior, and learn from them how to learn and build himself spiritually. He heard about a special kibbutz of bnei aliyah in Vilna, headed by Maran, Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski zy”a. The Chazon Ish left Kosava, his birthplace, and the beis midrash saturated with his Torah around the clock, and set out for Vilna. During this time, he began to publish his chiddushim (Torah novellae) for the first time, in the weekly kovetz Torani which had been founded by Rabbi Yitzchak Blazer ztz”l, and from then onwards the Chazon Ish was involved in writing more Torah kvatzim in which he published his chiddushim and added his comments.
Marriage
On reaching marriageable age, his father began to receive distinguished suggestions. Some were daughters of respected rabbis or rich men who wished to bring blessing into their home and merit the wondrous talmid chacham as a son-in-law. He strongly desired to continue studying Torah quietly and modestly without any financial burden. In Cheshvan 5666 (1905) he became engaged to Batya, the daughter of Reb Mordechai Bay, one of the respected members of the Kvėdarna (Kaidan) community, who took upon himself the yoke of supporting him forever, so that he could continue learning Torah as he wished. Around three months later, on Tuesday, 11th Shvat, the Chazon Ish married, in the presence of his family and members of the Kaidan community who came to rejoice at the establishment of a new Jewish home, a home which would eventually become the home of the Torah from which Torah law would emerge to the entire Jewish nation.
Kvėdarna
After his marriage, the Chazon Ish moved to Kvėdarna. This was a small shtetl of around 120 families, the vast majority of whom were religious Jews. The small, quiet place, detached from the bustle of the large cities, was well liked by the Chazon Ish, who saw it as a place where he could continue toiling in Torah, disconnected from the world and separate from all physical matters – able to only serve G-d, while the shtetl community was unaware of his greatness and saw him as a simple Jew.
Exile to Stoibtz
The First World War broke out in the late summer of 5774 (1914). The world was in upheaval, Russia was fighting Germany, and Kvėdarna, close to the border with Germany, became a battleground and was one of the first places to be harmed by the war. Most of the residents fled for their lives out of terror of the German occupier, into Russia. Those who fled included the Chazon Ish and his family. When they reached Stoibtz they found a temporary home where they could live. And despite the great turmoil around them, the fear and terror of what was to come, the Chazon Ish only asked to continue to inhabit his uplifting world in the beis midrash. During that period, the rabbi of the community asked him to fill his place. He managed the community affairs to a high standard and did everything required from him as a rav. However, when the rav returned, the Chazon Ish retreated to his four amos as before, hiding his practices and ways, and working hard so that no one would recognize his exalted and elevated figure.
Minsk
The next chapter in the wanderings of the Chazon Ish and his wife, was Minsk. Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin ztz”l rented them one of the rooms in his apartment, in which he placed the few items they owned, with the Chazon Ish hurrying to find a place where he could continue learning Torah as he had until then. During this period, his relatives testified, he did not stop learning for even a moment, and continued to toil in Torah, staying in his room disconnected from all the disturbances of the world around him. During the First World War, Minsk became a destination for many refugees, who came there seeking a place which was quiet, far away from the center of the war, and tens of thousands of Jewish refugees arrived in the city, including many gedolei Yisrael, as well as yeshivos which were forced to flee from the perils of the war – such as the yeshivos of Slobodka, Mir, and Radin.
Sunrise in Vilna
After the war had ended and many difficulties and wanderings, they managed to reach Kvėdarna, but were shocked to discover that the entire shtetl had been destroyed during the war, and not even one Jewish resident remained. They decided to move to Vilna, the big city where some of his family lived, the city inhabited by yeshivos and gedolei Torah, headed by Maran Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski zy”a. There, a new and wondrous chapter in the history of the people of the Torah began. In Vilna, the capital city of the Torah world in Europe, the sun of his leadership began to shine and illuminate. Maran Rabbi Chaim Ozer recognized his greatness, and despite his young age, he viewed him as one of the great scholars of the generation, and would share and consult with him regarding complex decisions. However, he continued to hide himself from everyone, and only a few individuals out of Vilna’s Jewish residents knew about the giant in their midst.
Moving to Eretz Yisrael
On Isru Chag Pesach 5693 (1933), the Chazon Ish began the process of obtaining the certificates to move to Eretz Yisrael. The request was sent to Yerushalayim by Maran Rabbi Chaim Ozer, who was very happy that his light would shine in the Land of Israel. Around two weeks later, the answer came from Yerushalayim that it was possible to immediately obtain the certificates, conditional on the Chazon Ish agreeing to accept the position of av beis din of the Edah Chareidis in Yerushalayim. The Chazon Ish was totally opposed, even though he understood that the certificates could be delayed for a long period of time. After 16 days, the certificates arrived. He immediately began to enthusiastically prepare for the move, and even though it was already the end of Sivan, he wanted to reach Eretz Yisrael before the Three Weeks. On Motzai Shabbos, 7 Tammuz 5693, he left Vilna, with Maran Rabbi Chaim Ozer, Maran Rabbi Chanoch Eiges, author of Marcheses, and his close family, accompanying him to the railway station and bidding him farewell. As the train pulled out the station, Rabbi Chaim Ozer’s sigh over the departure of the Chazon Ish was audible.
In Eretz Yisrael
On Monday, 16 Tammuz 5693, Maran the Chazon Ish arrived in Eretz Yisrael. This was the realization of his dream and aspirations from many years before, to merit stepping on the earth of the holy land. The Chazon Ish’s worries on reaching Eretz Yisrael were regarding halachic and spiritual questions, and immediately on his arrival, he felt a sense of responsibility to deal with the needs of the public and strengthen Judaism. He intended to move to Petah Tikva, but after people urged him to come to Bnei Brak he went to get a feel of the moshavah which was then just starting out, and he decided to live there. The Chazon Ish’s move to Bnei Brak served as the beginning of an extremely significant and magnificent chapter in the history of the Jewish nation in general and of the chareidi community in particular. Little by little, the Jewish community got to know his greatness, and recognized him as the captain leading the public who were faithful to Torah, during its harshest times.
- Periods of His Life
- The First Period
- The Second Period
- The Third Period
- The Fourth Period
- The Fifth Period
- The Sixth Period
- The Seventh Period
- The Eighth Period
- The Ninth Period
- The Tenth Period
Kosava – Belarus
On Wednesday night, the 11th of Cheshvan 5639 (1878), the second son of Rabbi Shmaryahu Yosef and Rabbanit Rasha Leah, Avraham Yeshaya – later known as the Chazon Ish ztz”l, was born in the shtetl of Kosava. This was a momentous occasion in the history of the Jewish nation, which, when it happened, none of those who rejoiced in his birth in Kosava, could have imagined the great light which had begun to shine. No one could have predicted that the little child would light up and warm the entire world like the sun. In Cheshvan 5652 (1891), he reached the age of bar mitzvah. Although he had already dedicated all his toil and essence to Torah for years previously, on entering the yoke of Torah and mitzvos he accepted upon himself that from now onwards, for the rest of his life, he would study Torah lishmah (for its own sake).
Volozhin Yeshivah
The aspirations of the young Avraham Yeshaya to grow in Torah knew no bounds. He heard about the Volozhin Yeshivah which had been founded by Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, which was the most important yeshivah where the best spiritual forces of the Jewish nation had gathered. And thus he set out on his journey – a long trip lasting for many days until, finally, his feet stood at the entrance to the Eitz Chaim Yeshivah in Volozhin. At this time, the rosh yeshivah was Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik, who was considered one of the Torah giants of his generation. Despite his very great aspiration to learn from Rabbi Chaim, he stayed only four days in Volozhin, since he discovered that it was impossible to obtain yashan bread, and due to his meticulous care with kashrus, he decided that he had no choice but to return to his home in Kosava.
Vilna
After long years of toil in Torah in the old beis midrash in Kosava, he burned with a desire to get to know and live alongside Torah giants, become acquainted with their behavior, and learn from them how to learn and build himself spiritually. He heard about a special kibbutz of bnei aliyah in Vilna, headed by Maran, Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski zy”a. The Chazon Ish left Kosava, his birthplace, and the beis midrash saturated with his Torah around the clock, and set out for Vilna. During this time, he began to publish his chiddushim (Torah novellae) for the first time, in the weekly kovetz Torani which had been founded by Rabbi Yitzchak Blazer ztz”l, and from then onwards the Chazon Ish was involved in writing more Torah kvatzim in which he published his chiddushim and added his comments.
Marriage
On reaching marriageable age, his father began to receive distinguished suggestions. Some were daughters of respected rabbis or rich men who wished to bring blessing into their home and merit the wondrous talmid chacham as a son-in-law. He strongly desired to continue studying Torah quietly and modestly without any financial burden. In Cheshvan 5666 (1905) he became engaged to Batya, the daughter of Reb Mordechai Bay, one of the respected members of the Kvėdarna (Kaidan) community, who took upon himself the yoke of supporting him forever, so that he could continue learning Torah as he wished. Around three months later, on Tuesday, 11th Shvat, the Chazon Ish married, in the presence of his family and members of the Kaidan community who came to rejoice at the establishment of a new Jewish home, a home which would eventually become the home of the Torah from which Torah law would emerge to the entire Jewish nation.
Kvėdarna
After his marriage, the Chazon Ish moved to Kvėdarna. This was a small shtetl of around 120 families, the vast majority of whom were religious Jews. The small, quiet place, detached from the bustle of the large cities, was well liked by the Chazon Ish, who saw it as a place where he could continue toiling in Torah, disconnected from the world and separate from all physical matters – able to only serve G-d, while the shtetl community was unaware of his greatness and saw him as a simple Jew.
Exile to Stoibtz
The First World War broke out in the late summer of 5774 (1914). The world was in upheaval, Russia was fighting Germany, and Kvėdarna, close to the border with Germany, became a battleground and was one of the first places to be harmed by the war. Most of the residents fled for their lives out of terror of the German occupier, into Russia. Those who fled included the Chazon Ish and his family. When they reached Stoibtz they found a temporary home where they could live. And despite the great turmoil around them, the fear and terror of what was to come, the Chazon Ish only asked to continue to inhabit his uplifting world in the beis midrash. During that period, the rabbi of the community asked him to fill his place. He managed the community affairs to a high standard and did everything required from him as a rav. However, when the rav returned, the Chazon Ish retreated to his four amos as before, hiding his practices and ways, and working hard so that no one would recognize his exalted and elevated figure.
Minsk
The next chapter in the wanderings of the Chazon Ish and his wife, was Minsk. Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin ztz”l rented them one of the rooms in his apartment, in which he placed the few items they owned, with the Chazon Ish hurrying to find a place where he could continue learning Torah as he had until then. During this period, his relatives testified, he did not stop learning for even a moment, and continued to toil in Torah, staying in his room disconnected from all the disturbances of the world around him. During the First World War, Minsk became a destination for many refugees, who came there seeking a place which was quiet, far away from the center of the war, and tens of thousands of Jewish refugees arrived in the city, including many gedolei Yisrael, as well as yeshivos which were forced to flee from the perils of the war – such as the yeshivos of Slobodka, Mir, and Radin.
Sunrise in Vilna
After the war had ended and many difficulties and wanderings, they managed to reach Kvėdarna, but were shocked to discover that the entire shtetl had been destroyed during the war, and not even one Jewish resident remained. They decided to move to Vilna, the big city where some of his family lived, the city inhabited by yeshivos and gedolei Torah, headed by Maran Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski zy”a. There, a new and wondrous chapter in the history of the people of the Torah began. In Vilna, the capital city of the Torah world in Europe, the sun of his leadership began to shine and illuminate. Maran Rabbi Chaim Ozer recognized his greatness, and despite his young age, he viewed him as one of the great scholars of the generation, and would share and consult with him regarding complex decisions. However, he continued to hide himself from everyone, and only a few individuals out of Vilna’s Jewish residents knew about the giant in their midst.
Moving to Eretz Yisrael
On Isru Chag Pesach 5693 (1933), the Chazon Ish began the process of obtaining the certificates to move to Eretz Yisrael. The request was sent to Yerushalayim by Maran Rabbi Chaim Ozer, who was very happy that his light would shine in the Land of Israel. Around two weeks later, the answer came from Yerushalayim that it was possible to immediately obtain the certificates, conditional on the Chazon Ish agreeing to accept the position of av beis din of the Edah Chareidis in Yerushalayim. The Chazon Ish was totally opposed, even though he understood that the certificates could be delayed for a long period of time. After 16 days, the certificates arrived. He immediately began to enthusiastically prepare for the move, and even though it was already the end of Sivan, he wanted to reach Eretz Yisrael before the Three Weeks. On Motzai Shabbos, 7 Tammuz 5693, he left Vilna, with Maran Rabbi Chaim Ozer, Maran Rabbi Chanoch Eiges, author of Marcheses, and his close family, accompanying him to the railway station and bidding him farewell. As the train pulled out the station, Rabbi Chaim Ozer’s sigh over the departure of the Chazon Ish was audible.
In Eretz Yisrael
On Monday, 16 Tammuz 5693, Maran the Chazon Ish arrived in Eretz Yisrael. This was the realization of his dream and aspirations from many years before, to merit stepping on the earth of the holy land. The Chazon Ish’s worries on reaching Eretz Yisrael were regarding halachic and spiritual questions, and immediately on his arrival, he felt a sense of responsibility to deal with the needs of the public and strengthen Judaism. He intended to move to Petah Tikva, but after people urged him to come to Bnei Brak he went to get a feel of the moshavah which was then just starting out, and he decided to live there. The Chazon Ish’s move to Bnei Brak served as the beginning of an extremely significant and magnificent chapter in the history of the Jewish nation in general and of the chareidi community in particular. Little by little, the Jewish community got to know his greatness, and recognized him as the captain leading the public who were faithful to Torah, during its harshest times.