BDE: Hagaon Rav Nissim Karelitz, A”H

By Hershel Rosenbluh for Anash.org

Rav Nissim Karelitz, one of this generation’s great Litvishe rabbonim and poskim, and a nephew of the Chazon Ish, passed away in Bnei Brak on Monday night, Motzoei Yomtov in Eretz Yisroel.

He was 93 years old.

Born in Kosova, Belarus, Reb Nissim – whose mother was a sister of the Chazon Ish – came to Eretz Yisroel as a boy of some ten years old in 5696/1936. He studied in Yeshivas Tiferes Tzion as well as at the Ponovizher Yeshiva in Bnei Brak. As a bochur he was already known as a great boki in all of Shas and poskim.

Over the years he was a rosh kollel at the Kollel Chazon Ish in Bnei Brak, as well as taught in the Vizhnitzer Yeshiva.

In 5728/1968 at the behest of his uncle the Steipler, he founded the Beis Din Tzedek of Bnei Brak, which later grew to a beis din staffed with tens of dayanim and rabbonim and dealt with complex cases from all over the world.

He authored the seforim Chut Shoni on many halachos, which until today has seen 13 volumes published.

In recent years he had fallen ill and handed over his duties as Rosh Beis Din to his son in law Rav Sariel Rosenberg. His wife, Rebbetzin Leah Karelitz, a great-granddaughter of Rav Chaim Sonnenfeld, rov of Yerushalayim, passed away in 5775/2015.

He is survived by sons and daughters and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, many of them rabbonim and public figures in Eretz Yisroel.

At the levaya on Tuesday – attended by many tens of thousands – the Rabbonim of Bnei Brak announced and asked that all work comes to a halt – bittul melachah – during the time of the levaya.