Yosef Dov Soloveitchik

Yosef Dov Soloveitchik (born 1820 in Nesvizh, Minsk Governorate, Russian Empire; died 1 May 1892 in Brest-Litovsk, Grodno Governorate, Russian Empire) was the author of Beis Halevi, by which name he is better known among Talmudic scholars. He was the great-grandson of Chaim Volozhin.

Early years Yosef Dov Soloveitchik was born to Rivka, a granddaughter of Chaim Volozhin. His father was Yitschok Ze'ev.

Rosh yeshiva Soloveitchik was reputed to have one of the great minds of his time. In 1854, he was considered a candidate for rosh yeshiva of Volozhin yeshiva, over Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin (the Netziv). Ultimately, Berlin would be selected for the position, with Soloveitchik becoming his assistant. Together, they led the yeshiva until 1865.

He was a fierce opponent of the Maskilim, as a result of which he left Slutsk in 1874. He then moved to Warsaw where he lived in poverty. When the rabbi of Brisk, Yehoshua Leib Diskin left for the Land of Israel in 1877, Soloveitchik was offered the rabbinate of Brisk. He is buried in Brest, Belarus.

Works Soloveitchik composed works on Jewish law (responsa) called Shu"t Beis Halevi, as well as a commentary on the first book and part of the second book of the Bible (Beis Halevi al Hatorah).

Family tree

Soloveitchik was the great-grandfather of the eponymous Joseph B. Soloveitchik and another descendant, Berel Soloveitchik who moved to Israel, both of whom are also known as "Yosef Dov Soloveitchik."