Shlomo Yosef Zevin

Rabbi Shlomo Yosef Zevin
שלמה יוסף זווין
Rabbi Zevin next to Abba Eban
Personal
Born	1888 (1888) Kazimirov, near Minsk, Russian Empire
Died	28 February 1978(1978-02-28) (aged 89–90) Israel
Nationality	Israel
Parent	Aharon Mordechai (father)
Denomination	Orthodox Judaism
Known for	Founding and editing the Encyclopedia Talmudit
Occupation	Rabbi, editor
Senior posting
Awards	Israel Prize (1959) Yakir Yerushalayim (1967)

Shlomo Yosef Zevin (Hebrew: שלמה יוסף זווין) (born 1888; died 28 February 1978) was one of the most prominent Orthodox, Religious Zionist rabbis of the 20th century. He founded the Encyclopedia Talmudit, a Hebrew Halachic Encyclopedia, of which he was chief editor until his death.

Part of a series on
Chabad (Rebbes and Chasidim)
Rebbes of Chabad Shneur Zalman of Liadi (Alter Rebbe) Dovber Schneuri (Mitteler Rebbe) Menachem M. Schneersohn (Tzemach Tzedek) Shmuel Schneersohn (Rebbe Maharash) Sholom Dovber Schneersohn (Rebbe Rashab) Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn (Rebbe Rayatz) Menachem M. Schneerson (the Rebbe)
Schneersohn family Chaim S. Z. of Liadi (1814–1880) Yitzchak Dovber of Liadi (1833–1910) Chana Schneerson (1880–1964) Chaya M. Schneersohn (d. 1860) Chaya M. Schneerson (1901–1988) Levi Y. Schneerson (1878–1944) Moshe Schneersohn (ca. 1784–before 1853) Sheina Horenstein (d. 1942) Shlomo Zalman Schneersohn (1830–1900) Shmaryahu Noah Schneersohn (1842–1924) Yehuda Leib Schneersohn (1808–1866)
Rabbonim Avraham Osdoba Chaim Gutnick Avraham Chaim Naeh Meir Ashkenazi Mordechai Ashkenazi Mordechai Gutnick Moshe Gutnick Pinhas Hirschprung Shneur Z. Fradkin Yaakov Schwei Yehuda K. Marlow Abraham Hecht Yitzchak Hendel Yosef Heller Yosef Y. Braun Zalman Dworkin Zelig Sharfstein Shmuel L. Medalia Shmarya Y. L. Medalia Sholom Rivkin
Mashpiim and scholars Aaron of Staroselye Herman Branover Yehuda Chitrik Manis Friedman Mendel Futerfas Yitzchak Ginsburgh Menachem Z. Greenglass Moshe Gutnick Moshe Havlin Zalman M. HaYitzchaki Aizel Homiler Simon Jacobson Yisroel Jacobson Yosef Y. Jacobson Yoel Kahn Abraham Y. Khein Yehoshua Mondshine Avraham C. Naeh Nissan Neminov Hillel Paritcher Ezra Schochet Adin Steinsaltz Shais Taub Shlomo Y. Zevin
Mazkirus and other leaders Leib Groner Jacob J. Hecht Chaim M. A. Hodakov Yehuda Krinsky Nissan Mindel Dovid Raskin Abraham Shemtov
Shluchim Menachem Brod Azriel Chaikin Shlomo Cunin Pinchus Feldman Gershon Garelik Yitzchok D. Groner Hanoch Hecht Gavriel Holtzberg Berel Lazar Shimon Lazaroff Chezki Lifshitz David Masinter Zalman I. Posner Menachem S. D. Raichik Aaron Raskin Arie Z. Raskin Shlomo Sawilowsky Mordechai Scheiner Abraham Shemtov Levi Shemtov Yehudah Teichtal Simcha Weinstein Manis Friedman
Other notable figures Shmuley Boteach Avraham Fried Benny Friedman Aharon Gurevich Joseph Gutnick Moshe Hecht Shea Hecht Bernard Levy Hendel Lieberman Michoel Muchnik Mendy Pellin Zvi Yair
Controversies Chabad messianism Chabad offshoot groups Barry Gurary Public menorah The Rebbe, the Messiah, and the Scandal of Orthodox Indifference
Category  Media on Commons
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Shlomo Yosef Zevin was born in 1888 in Kazimirov (near Minsk), where his father, Aharon Mordechai, served as rabbi. The younger Zevin’s education was a combination of both “Litvishe” (Lithuanian) and Hasidic influences; he studied first in the Yeshiva of Mir under Rabbi Eliyahu Baruch Kamai (where he was the study partner of Rabbi Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg) and then in Bobruisk, under Rabbi Shemaryahu Noach Schneerson, then leader of the Kapust branch of the Chabad hasidic dynasty. Zevin was ordained by Rabbi Schneerson, Rabbi Yosef Rosen (the Rogatchover Gaon), and Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein (author of Aruch Hashulchan).^[1]

At a young age Rabbi Zevin was appointed rabbi of his birthplace, Kazimirov, and served as editor of the journal "Shaarei Torah." He later served as rabbi of Klimov (now Klimovo) and Novozybkov.^[2] He took an active role in the underground struggle to preserve Jewish observance in Soviet Russia after the Communist Revolution; this effort was headed by Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn. Beginning in 1921, he edited a Torah journal, Yagdil Torah, together with Rabbi Yehezkel Abramsky of Slutsk; for this crime he was imprisoned by the Communist authorities.^[3] He founded Orthodox Jewish journals that dealt with problems of the time.

At the age of 18, Rabbi Zevin began corresponding with leading sages, including the Rogatchover Gaon and Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn. He also began at a young age to serve Russian Jewry in various communal capacities. During the brief period of Ukrainian independence after World War I, Rabbi Zevin served as a member of the Ukrainian parliament. He also served as a member and officer of the parent body of Jewish communities in Ukraine.

In 1935, Rabbi Zevin settled in the Land of Israel and began teaching at the Mizrachi-affiliated Bet Midrash L’morim. He also served as a member of the Israeli Chief Rabbinate Council.

He held religious Zionist views and would eat a festive meal on Israeli Independence Day.

In 1947 the first volume of the Encyclopedia Talmudit was published under his editorial oversight. Zevin continued to serve as editor-in-chief until his death in 1978. This multi-volume work continues today.

Rabbi Zevin frequently corresponded with Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, whom he had met for the first time in Russia in the mid-1920s.^[4] Part of this correspondence is printed in the Igrot Kodesh series. He was also among the influential scholars to encourage Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson to accept the leadership over the Chabad movement after the passing of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn, in 1950.^[5] He used concepts in Chabad philosophy to clarify halachic principles.

• In 1959, Rabbi Zevin received the Israel Prize for Rabbinic literature.^[6]
• In 1967, he received the Yakir Yerushalayim (Worthy Citizen of Jerusalem) award, the year of the award's inauguration.^[7]

• Encyclopedia Talmudit - a Talmudic / Halachic encyclopedia; he founded the encyclopedia together with Rabbi Meir Bar-Ilan and edited the volumes that were released in his lifetime;

Additionally, Zevin authored nine other works, including;

• L’Ohr Ha’halachah – essays on both practical and abstract halachic topics, including a halachic analysis of the legal and moral questions presented in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice;
• Ha’moadim Be’halachah – halachic studies of the Jewish festivals;
• Ishim Ve’shitot – biographies of selected 19th and 20th century sages with analyses of their individual methods of study;
• La’Torah Ve’la’moadim – essays on the Torah and the festivals; and
• Sippurei Chassidim – Chassidic tales arranged by parsha and festival.
• Sofrim U'Sefarim – reviews of Torah literature

• List of Israel Prize recipients