Mordechai Gifter

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Rabbi
Mordechai Gifter
Telz Yeshiva
Began1964
EndedJanuary 18, 2001

Mordechai Gifter (October 15, 1915 - January 18, 2001) was an American

Telz Yeshiva in Cleveland
.

Gifter studied in

yeshivas in Lithuania
, and held several rabbinical positions in the United States.

Early life and education

Gifter was born in

Baltimore, Maryland, where his father owned a grocery.[2]
He attended the Baltimore City Public Schools, at the time being known as Max, and received his religious education in after-school programs. He had a younger brother and sister, and both predeceased him.

As a young man, Gifter studied in the

Rabbi Isaac Elchonon Theological Seminary in New York City, under the tutelage of Moshe Aharon Poleyeff and Moshe Soloveichik. His uncle, Samuel Saar (Yehudah Leib),[4] was the dean of the seminary.[3] At the time, Avigdor Miller, also a Baltimore native, was learning in RIETS. On Saar's advice, Gifter traveled in 1932 to Lithuania on the same boat as Miller to study in the Telshe Yeshiva. Gifter was immediately accepted for admission and placed in advanced classes. He developed a strong bond with Zalman Bloch, the mashgiach ruchani
(spiritual supervisor) at the yeshiva. He eventually became engaged to Bloch's daughter. In 1939, prior to his wedding, Gifter returned home to the United States to visit his parents in Baltimore. He planned on returning to Lithuania for his wedding and to resume his studies.

When it became obvious that he would be unable to return due to the political climate of the late 1930s, Gifter arranged for his bride's family to join him in the United States. Only his bride came; the family chose not to abandon their community in its time of greatest need.

Touro College.[5]

Career

Shortly thereafter, Gifter was appointed to the pulpit of the

Ner Israel Rabbinical College headed by Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman
. He was the first native Baltimorean to lead a congregation in the city.

In 1941, Gifter moved to

Boruch Sorotzkin
.

In 1977, Gifter brought 20 students from Cleveland to Israel and opened a branch of the college in the town of

sefer (book) called Pitei Mincha. When Sorotzkin died in 1979, Gifter was sent back to the United States to lead the Cleveland campus and the Israeli branch closed. From that point on, Gifter moved into small quarters in the students' dormitory, eschewing his on-campus residence. He purportedly did this due to his distress out of feeling compelled to live in golus (the Jewish diaspora).[6]

For many years, Gifter led the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah (presidium and leadership council) of Agudath Israel of America. He maintained a relationship with his first faculty position at Ner Israel Rabbinical College, returning to Baltimore annually to visit his daughter and son-in-law and friends.

Gifter died in 2001, having suffered numerous ailments for many years prior to his death. He was eulogized by Dovid Barkin, among others.

Family

Gifter was survived by his wife, three sons and three daughters.

Controversy

As a leading Haredi scholar, Gifter frequently addressed controversial topics. In one lecture, he sharply berated Haskel Lookstein for his condemnation of Elazar Shach's criticism of Adin Steinsaltz.[7]

Works

Writings

Gifter was a prolific writer. As a young man he authored articles on some of the most complicated issues in Jewish Law, which were published in the Talmudic law Journal of Tzvi Pesach Frank.

He published numerous books

Western Reserve University Law Review.[9][10]

Among his books are:

Hebrew:

  • Pirkei Torah - Commentary on the Bible.
  • Hirhurei Teshuva - Commentary on Maimonides' Laws of Repentance.
  • Pitei Mincha - Commentary on the Minchas Chinuch.
  • Pirkei Iyun - Commentary on the Talmudic Tractate Makkos.
  • Pirkei Moed - Commentary on the Festivals.

English:

  • Torah Perspectives - Essay on a variety of topics.
  • Pirkei Torah - Commentary on the Bible.

References

  1. ^ "The Fire of Telshe: Rav Mordechai Gifter ZT"L".
  2. ^ a b "Shiurim By Rabbi Mordechai Gifter - Torah Downloads". TorahDownload.com.
  3. ^ a b c d Rabbi Avrohom Birnbaum (December 22, 2010). "Rav Mordechai Gifter zt"l, On his Tenth Yahrtzeit, 23 Teves". yated.com.
  4. ^ Dr. L. (Yitzchok) Levine. "Two Letters from Rav Mordechai Gifter" (PDF).
  5. ^ The Lander Legacy : The Life Story of Rabbi Dr. Bernard Lander, Page 42
  6. ^ Rose, Binyamin. "The Prince of America's Torah Renaissance: An appreciation of Rav Mordechai Gifter, ztz"l, on his tenth yahrtzeit". Mishpacha, 29 December 2010, pp. 33–34.
  7. ^ "Diversity in Orthodoxy & the Greatness of Maran Rav Shach, two part lecture". torahdownloads.com. Retrieved 2018-02-27. Specifically part 2, from 19:50 on. At 24:01, Gifter reveals that he is talking about Lookstein.
  8. ^ "Titles by Rabbi Mordechai Gifter". artscroll.com.
  9. ^ Gifter, Mordechai (1958). "Talmudic Jurisprudence". Law in a Troubled World.
  10. OL 5776036M
    .

External links
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