Yisrael Meir (haCohen) Kagan (Dzyatlava, 1838 - Radun', 1933) known popularly as The Chofetz Chaim was an influential Eastern European rabbi, Halakhist, posek, and ethicist whose works continue to be widely influential in Jewish life.
Kagan was born in Zhetl, Hrodno Guberniya, today's Belarus on February 6, 1838, and died in Radun', Wilno Voivodship, Poland (pop. 250), today's Belarus on September 15, 1933. When Kagan was ten years old, his fathe...
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Yisrael Meir (haCohen) Kagan (Dzyatlava, 1838 - Radun', 1933) known popularly as The Chofetz Chaim was an influential Eastern European rabbi, Halakhist, posek, and ethicist whose works continue to be widely influential in Jewish life.
Kagan was born in Zhetl, Hrodno Guberniya, today's Belarus on February 6, 1838, and died in Radun', Wilno Voivodship, Poland (pop. 250), today's Belarus on September 15, 1933. When Kagan was ten years old, his father died. His mother moved the family to Vilnius in order to continue her son's education. While in Vilnius, Kagan became a student of Rabbi Jacob Barit. Kagan's mother later re-married (Poupko) and moved to Raduń. When he was 17, Kagan married the daughter of his stepfather, and settled in Raduń.
He served as the town rabbi of Raduń for a short period. He then resigned from this position to set up the yeshiva in Raduń, which eventually became world famous. By all accounts he was a modest and humble man. For a while he had a shop selling...
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