Rav Chaim Kanievsky ztz”l: The Voice of Torah
| April 5, 2022Now we mourn, tearfully awaiting that time when Mashiach will arrive, and bring our beloved tzaddikim back
A Tzaddik Is Born
On 15 Teves in 5688, in Pinsk, Poland, a baby boy was born. He was named Shmaryahu Yosef Chaim, after both his grandfathers. The baby’s father was the Steipler Gaon, and his child was going to illuminate the world.
Young Chaim’l was an only child. When he was six years old, he and his parents left Poland to move to Eretz Yisrael. The family moved in with Rav Chaim’s uncle, the Chazon Ish, before eventually moving into their own home.
As a child, Rav Chaim attended Cheder Rebbe Akiva in Bnei Brak. He also learned with his father, the Steipler, and his uncle, the Chazon Ish.
When Rav Chaim was ten years old, he started learning in Yeshivas Tifferes Tzion, also in Bnei Brak. When he was 16, he finished Shas for the first time (that’s 36 separate masechtos, totaling over 2,700 dapim of Gemara). Eventually, he moved on to Yeshivas Lomza in Petach Tikvah, where he learned until after his marriage to Batsheva Esther Elyashiv. Rebbetzin Batsheva was the daughter of the gadol hador, Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv.
After a short stint in Petach Tikvah, the young Kanievskys relocated to Bnei Brak, where they first shared an apartment with three other young families (including Rav Nissim Karelitz, Rav Chaim’s first cousin). Eventually they moved into their own small, simple apartment, where they raised their eight children — five girls and three boys.
Only Torah
From a very young age, Rav Chaim was astoundingly devoted to his learning. He learned diligently and constantly, covering massive swaths of Torah. By the time he was a young avreich, he had a daunting learning schedule. Every single year, Rav Chaim completed Shas (Talmud Bavli and Yerushalmi, as well as the Tosefta), Shulchan Aruch (over 1,000 simanim), all 14 books of the Rambam, and Tanach (the 24 books of Chumash, Neviim, and Kesuvim).
His daily schedule started at midnight, with Tikkun Chatzos. He would then move on to the Zohar, Tehillim, Nach, Mishnah Berurah, Rambam, Shulchan Aruch, Talmud Bavli, Tosefta, and Talmud Yerushalmi. He would stop to daven Shacharis k’vasikin (which he missed only once in his lifetime). Every day, Rav Chaim went home for lunch, which he was makpid to eat only with the Rebbetzin; he would not start eating until she was ready to join him. On Fridays, he would learn shnayim mikra and the midrashim on the parshiyos. He regaled his children with stories from the Midrash, much to their enjoyment.
Rav Chaim authored tens of seforim, each of which was profoundly unique in its depth and breadth, with an astonishing grasp of every part of Torah and Chazal.
A Place to Turn
As the years went by, Rav Chaim also devoted himself every day to the thousands of people who came from across the country or across the ocean to see him. They asked him questions in learning, halachic sh’eilos; some people were searching for brachos, eitzos, and yeshuos, or simply yearning to be in his holy presence. He spent considerable amounts of time responding to every single letter that he received, providing an endless stream of chizuk, eitzos, answers, and support. Rav Chaim was a warm father and a loving zeide. But his heart extended far beyond his family to encompass all of Klal Yisrael. Every year, Ezer Mizion makes a Simchas Beis Hashoeivah for children with special needs. And every year, Rav Chaim gave brachos to every child. Once, when Rav Chollak, the founder of Ezer Mizion, presented Rav Chaim with a list of names for tefillah for refuah, he noticed Rav Chaim making a dismissive gesture by four of the names. Rav Chollak asked a family member about the motions and was advised to find out if those people were still alive. Rav Chollak looked into the matter and discovered that all four had already passed away.
Rav Chaim was steeped in Torah, and the holy Steipler himself attested that Rav Chaim’s word was daas Torah. His responses often bordered on ruach hakodesh, and miracle stories abound. Here is one story, heard from Rav Chollak, who witnessed it himself:
Three weeks before her wedding, a kallah was diagnosed with a cancerous growth. The doctors told her there was only a ten percent chance that she would survive. Devastated, the family turned to Rav Chaim in desperation. Rav Chaim responded, “The doctor is wrong.” Rav Chaim then lifted his eyes for several moments and said, “Hashem will help. It will be alright.” When questioned about what to tell the chassan, Rav Chaim replied, “Do not say anything.”
One day after the wedding, the hospital summoned the kallah for additional testing. To the doctor’s bewilderment, there were no signs of the growth at all. He checked the previous tests and turned to the kallah in confusion.
“What changed since you were here last?” he asked.
The kallah replied, “Have you ever heard of Rav Chaim Kanievsky?”
Before she could say anything else, the doctor banged on the table and cried, “This is the third time that he’s done this to me!”
A tzaddik decrees, and Hashem fulfills.
Unfathomable Loss
Rav Chaim always timed his yearly learning schedule to finish on Erev Pesach, when he would make a siyum (he was a bechor). This year, being a leap year, Rav Chaim completed his learning cycle on the day of Shushan Purim (one month early, due to the extra month of Adar). On that very day, Rav Chaim returned his soul to his Maker, after completing yet another cycle of learning with love and dveikus.
Now we are bereft; no longer is Rav Chaim here to answer our questions, lead us, or relay Hashem’s will to His nation. Now we mourn, tearfully awaiting that time when Mashiach will arrive, and bring our beloved tzaddikim back.
(Originally featured in Mishpacha Jr., Issue 906)
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