Yechiel Fishel Eisenbach (1925 – 4 September 2008) was a

Haredi Haredi Judaism ( he, ', ; also spelled ''Charedi'' in English; plural ''Haredim'' or ''Charedim'') consists of groups within Orthodox Judaism that are characterized by their strict adherence to ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions, in oppos ...

rabbi and long-time rosh yeshiva of

Shaar Hashamayim Yeshiva Shaar Hashamayim Yeshiva ( he, ישיבת שער השמים, lit., "Gate of Heaven") is an Ashkenazi yeshiva in Jerusalem dedicated to the study of the kabbalistic teachings of the Arizal (Rabbi Isaac Luria). It is famous for its student body of ...

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

. He was widely regarded as one of the greatest

kabbalists Kabbalah ( he, קַבָּלָה ''Qabbālā'', literally "reception, tradition") is an esoteric method, discipline and school of thought in Jewish mysticism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal ( ''Məqūbbāl'' "receiver"). The def ...

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

, and was an expert in the writings of the Arizal and the ''

siddur A siddur ( he, סִדּוּר ; plural siddurim ) is a Jewish prayer book containing a set order of daily prayers. The word comes from the Hebrew root , meaning 'order.' Other terms for prayer books are ''tefillot'' () among Sephardi Jews, '' ...

'' of the Rashash."HaRav Yechiel Fishel Eisenbach". ''

Hamodia ''Hamodia'' ( he, המודיע – "''the Informer''") is a Hebrew-language daily newspaper published in Jerusalem. A daily English-language edition is also published in the United States, and weekly English-language editions in England and Israe ...

'', Israel News, September 11, 2008, p. A23.

Early life

He was born in Jerusalem to Rabbi Yosef Eisenbach, a ''

sofer A sofer, sopher, sofer SeTaM, or sofer ST"M ( he, סופר סת״ם, "scribe"; plural of is , ; female: ) is a Jewish scribe who can transcribe Sifrei Kodesh (holy scrolls), tefillin (phylacteries), mezuzot (ST"M, , is an abbreviation of the ...

'' (scribe), and studied in the

Talmud Torah Talmud Torah ( he, תלמוד תורה, lit. 'Study of the Torah') schools were created in the Jewish world, both Ashkenazic and Sephardic, as a form of religious school for boys of modest backgrounds, where they were given an elementary educ ...

and

yeshiva A yeshiva (; he, ישיבה, , sitting; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are st ...

of Shomrei HaChomot. He was also one of the first students of Yeshivat Beit Avraham-Slonim, which was then led by Rabbi

Sholom Noach Berezovsky Rabbi Sholom Noach Berezovsky ( he, שלום נח ברזובסקי; August 18, 1911 – August 8, 2000) served as Slonimer Rebbe from 1981 until his death. A prolific writer, He is widely known for his teachings which are published as a ...

, the Rebbe of Slonim. After his marriage in 1944 to the daughter of Rabbi Asher Zelig Margolios, a noted kabbalist, Rabbi Eisenbach studied at the Pressburg Yeshiva under Rabbi Akiva Sofer (the Daas Sofer); the Toras Emes (

Chabad Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (), is an Orthodox Jewish Hasidic dynasty. Chabad is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, particularly for its outreach activities. It is one of the largest Hasidic grou ...

) yeshiva; and Kollel Shomrei HaChomot. He was well known for his 18-hour day of learning, as well as his humility. Occasionally he gave

shiurim Shiur (, , lit. ''amount'', pl. shiurim ) is a lecture on any Torah topic, such as Gemara, Mishnah, Halakha (Jewish law), Tanakh (Bible), etc. History The Hebrew term שיעור ("designated amount") came to refer to a portion of Ju ...

(lectures) on Torah and fear of God to unmarried students. At different times, he served as

mashgiach ruchani A mashgiach ruchani ( he, משגיח רוחני; pl., ''mashgichim ruchani'im'') or mashgicha ruchani – sometimes mashgiach/mashgicha for short – is a spiritual supervisor or guide. He or she is usually a rabbi who has an official position wit ...

for the Slonim Yeshiva, and as '' maggid shiur'' (lecturer) for an elite group of students at Toras Emes.

Rosh yeshiva

In 1973, Rabbi Refoel Dovid Auerbach of Shaar Hashamayim Yeshiva asked Rabbi Eisenbach to assume the mantle of rosh yeshiva after the passing of Rabbi Aharon Slotkin. Rabbi Eisenbach's proficiency in kabbalah was well known. He knew all the writings of the Arizal and the siddur of the Rashash by heart, and was an expert in davening with the ''kavannot'' (mystical intentions) of these kabbalistic masters. Over the next 35 years, he taught thousands of students of kabbalah at the yeshiva, as well as began a new study of the ''kavannot'' of the Rashash.

Illness and death

His health progressively worsened in the two years before his death at the age of 83. ''Hespedim'' (eulogies) were delivered at his yeshiva by Rabbi

Gamliel Rabinowitz Gamliel HaKohen Rabinowitz (Rappaport) is a rosh yeshiva of Shaar Hashamayim Yeshiva in Jerusalem, Israel. He is a recognized expert in Jewish Law and Kabbalah. Family Rabinowitz is the son of Rabbi Levi HaKohen Rabinowitz (1920-2015), author o ...

, a fellow rosh yeshiva of Shaar Hashamayim Yeshiva; Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, yeshiva president; Rabbi Reuven Gross; Rabbi Yaakov Hillel; and Rabbi Eisenbach's son-in-law, Rabbi Moshe Uri Eisenstein, a rabbi from the

Givat Shaul Givat Shaul ( he, גבעת שאול, lit. (''Saul's Hill''); ar, غفعات شاؤول) is a neighborhood in West Jerusalem. The neighborhood is located at the western entrance to the city, east of the neighborhood of Har Nof and north of Kirya ...

neighborhood of Jerusalem. He was buried on the

Mount of Olives The Mount of Olives or Mount Olivet ( he, הַר הַזֵּיתִים, Har ha-Zeitim; ar, جبل الزيتون, Jabal az-Zaytūn; both lit. 'Mount of Olives'; in Arabic also , , 'the Mountain') is a mountain ridge east of and adjacent to Jeru ...

. Rabbi Eisenbach is survived by two sons, Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Eisenbach and Rabbi Yechezkel Eisenbach, and three sons-in-law: Rabbi Moshe Uri Eisenstein (Rav of the

neighborhood of Jerusalem, Rabbi Tovia Miller, and Rabbi Chanina Karpman, along with grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eisenbach, Yechiel Fishel Israeli Rosh yeshivas Kabbalists 20th-century rabbis in Jerusalem 21st-century rabbis in Jerusalem Haredi rabbis in Israel 1925 births 2008 deaths