Yehuda Leib Ginsburg

Yehuda Leib Ginsburg (1888–1946) was a posek and Talmudic scholar in Yaroslavl, Russia, and later in Denver, CO, in the early 20th century. He is most well known for his commentary on the Mishna which he entitled Musar HaMishna, as well as his commentary on the early prophets, titled Musar Hanevim. He also wrote a commentary on the Torah called Yalkut Yehuda and a smaller volume about the essence of Shabbat called Keter HaShabbat. Throughout his works he consistently mines the ethical values found within what seems to be dry legal code. Despite his brilliance Rabbi Ginsburg was known in Denver as being easily approachable and for the warmth he showed to all whom he encountered. He served as the president of the Denver Council of Orthodox Rabbis and was an executive board member for the National Mizrachi and the Union of Orthodox Rabbis. He was also an active member of the Vaad Hatzala Board of Directors.

Biography Yehuda Leib Ginsburg was born in Daugavpils, Latvia (formerly Dvinsk) in 1888. In his youth he studied under Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk and Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski as well as Rabbi Aryeh Leib Rubin of Wilkomirer. He went on to be a Rosh Yeshiva in Eishykok, Lithuania and Rezhitsa, Latvia, and he later became a community rabbi in Yaroslavl, Russia. He and his wife Eta had two children. Moishe (Morris) was born in 1920 and Yudis (Judith) was born in 1925. Throughout the Russian Revolution many attempts were made to move Rabbi Ginsburg and his family to the US, but they all proved to be unsuccessful. Rabbi Ginsburg was admitted to the JCRS three times in his last year of life. He died on October 22, 1946. According to Libby Rosen (one of the attendees at Rabbi Ginsburg's funeral) the funeral procession went on for "blocks and blocks." In 1959 a new synagogue was built for congregation Zera Israel in his honor.

Rabbi Ginsburg's books (with links to hebrewbooks.org): Yalkut Yehuda - Sefer Bereshit Original version. Essays in this volume differ from those in the other volume. Published in 1931. Yalkut Yehuda - Sefer Bereshit 2 Published in 1936. Yalkut Yehuda - Sefer Shmot Published in 1933. Yalkut Yehuda - Sefer Vayikra Published in 1934. Yalkut Yehuda - Sefer Bamidbar Published in 1934. Yalkut Yehuda - Sefer Devarim Published 1935. Musar HaMishna - Seder Zeraim Published in 1939. Musar HaMishna - Seder Moed Published in 1939. Musar HaMishna - Seder Nezikin Published in 1943. Musar HaMishna - Seder Nashim Published in 1943. Keter HaShabbat Published in 1940. Musar HaNevim - First Prophets vol 1 Published in 1945. Musar HaNevim - First Prophets vol 2 Published in 1945. Rabbi Ginsburg's works, particularly Yalkut Yehuda, are frequently cited in the "Surf a Little Torah" feature of Yeshivat Har Etzion's Virtual Beit Midrash.