Dov Berish Weidenfeld

Who was Dov Berish Weidenfeld?

Rabbi Dov Berish Weidenfeld was the Chief Rabbi of Tshebin, Poland, and after World War II spent his final years in Jerusalem. His principal work of Jewish law is titled "Dovev Meisharim".

Dov Berish was born in Hrimlov, Galicia on 5 January 1881 to his father Jacob 'Yekele' Weidenfeld, rabbi of the town and author of the responsa Kochav miYaakov.

With Reb Yekele's death shortly before Beirish's Bar Mitzvah, the delicate task of raising a new prodigy fell to his widow - herself renowned for her genius and wit and to her two older sons: Reb Yitzchak, who replaced his late father as Rav of Rimlov, and Reb Nachum, Rav of Dombrovo and author of the Chazon Nachum, and later celebrated as a great posek in his own right.

By age 19 Reb Beirish entered by marriage into the illustrious family of Rav Yisroel Yoseif HaCharif of Tshebin. Since he did not want any rabbinic post, his wife administered a modest coal business, while he continued his single-minded pursuit of Torah study, amassing knowledge of phenomenal breadth and scope. Nonetheless, the avalanche of requests from varied kehillos that he lead them as their Rav continued, and his friend, Reb Meir Arik, prayed that his business fail so that Klal Yisrael not be deprived of his leadership. For twenty years, this Tshebiner ba'al habayis - already renowned as the "Gaon of Tshebin" - was consulted by leading rabbanim with whom he maintained a vigorous correspondence; still he remained deaf to all rabbinical offers. However, due to his love of learning and teaching, he would commute daily to and from [Cracow] to say shiurim to the local bachurim after business hours.