The 16th of Nisan is the yahrzeit of Rav Simcha Zisel Brodie (1912-2000). Born in Yerushalaim, on his father’s side he was a great-nephew of Rav Simcha Zisel Ziv, the Alter of Kelm, and on his mother’s side a great-nephew of Rav Yitzchok Elchonon Spector. He learned in Yeshiva Etz Chaim where he drew close to Rav Mordechai Dovid Levin, author of Darkei Dovid, as well as to Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer. Subsequently he attended Chevron Yeshiva and viewed Rav Reuven Trop as his primary rebbe. Miraculously, he was home in Yerushalaim during the Chevron massacre.
In 1934 Rav Lezier Yudel Finkel was visiting Eretz Yisroel and he brought Rav Simcha Zisel back with him to Europe to learn in Slabodka. Rav Simcha Zisel also spent time in Kelm. He visited the Rogotchover Gaon who was amazed when Rav Simcha Zisel was able to answer a question that perplexed him on a mishna in Meseches Keilim. In 1941 he married Golda Miriam Finkel – her father’s side she was a granddaughter of the Alter of Slabodka, on her mother’s side she was a grand-daughter of Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein.
Shortly after his marriage he started to say a shiur in Chevron and after the passing of Rav Moshe Chevroni and Rav Chatzkel Sarna he was named one of the roshei yeshiva. In addition to his shiurim on Gemara, he was famous for his shiurim on the Ramban’s commentary on Chumash, which were published under the name V’Sum Derech. He was known for his powerful and passionate delivery during his shiurim. In 1971 he published the Chiddushie HaMeiri on Eruvin in three volumes (in places where the manuscript of the chiddushim was lost, he replaced it with the Bais HaBechira of the Meiri) along with his own voluminous commentary.
He was once approached by some bachurim who suggested a change in how the yeshiva operated. They began to explain their suggestion by saying, “As you know, there are some bad students in the yeshiva.” Rav Simcha Zisel cut them off and said, “There are no bad students. There are good and there are better.”
Rav Simcha Zisel was one of the rabbinic leaders of Agudath Israel and later of Degel haTorah. 100,000 people attended his funeral on Chol Hamoed Pesach. Despite the fact that eulogies are normally not delivered during Chol Hamoed, Rav Eliyashiv ruled that for a Torah leader of his stature, they were permitted.
* * *
The 19th of Nisan is the yahrzeit of Rav Yehoshua HaKohen Falk (1555-1614), author of the Sm”a. Born in Cracow he was a student of the Maharshal and the Rema, both of whom he quotes extensively in his commentaries. In addition to his halachic writings, he wrote on Kabbalah, philosophy and astronomy, although those works have been lost. He was the head of a large yeshiva built for him by his wealthy father-in-law, and many of his students were rabbinic leaders of the next generation. Among them was Rav Yehoshua Heschel of Cracow, author of the Maginei Shlomo and grandfather of the Pnei Yehoshua, as well as Rav Yissocher Ber Eilenberg, author of B’er Sheva.
Rav Falk authored Drisha U’Prisha on the Tur. Prisha is focused on a simple explanation of the words of the Tur, whereas Drisha goes more in depth. He also included comments on the Darkei Moshe, the commentary on the Tur authored by the Rema. He also authored Sefer Me’Iras Ainayim, known as the Sm”a, on Choshen Mishpat, the section of Shulchan Aruch that deals with financial halacha. It is one of the two primary commentaries in standard editions of the Shulchan Aruch.
He wrote chiddushim on fourteen tractates of the Talmud, a super-commentary on Rashi’s Chumash commentary, and responsa, all of which were lost in a fire.
Rav Falk was involved in a machlokes that riled up the entire Europe. There was a young couple in Lvov named Yitzchok and Bat Sheva Wolfish, and Yitzchok became deathly ill. As his wife’s family was concerned that were he to die Bat Sheva would require chalitza, they asked him to divorce her with the understanding that if he survived the illness they would immediately remarry. The condition was spoken and understood but was not written in the get. Rav Falk and Rav Manoach Hendel of Vienna, author of Chochmas Manoach, were involved in the writing of the get.
As things turned out, Yitzchok recovered from his illness, but a disagreement with his wife’s family led them to decide that they did not want her to remarry him. Yitzchok remained alone and destitute as he had given everything he owned to Bat Sheva when he gave her the get. Yitzchok turned to the Maharam Lublin who said that the get was not valid as the condition was understood by all and that Bat Sheva was still married to Yitzchok. His ruling was supported by Rav Mordechai Jaffe, the Levush. Rav Manoach had passed away shortly after the writing of the get, so Rav Falk turned to the other leading rabbonim in Europe, the Maharsha, the Bach, the Bais Shmuel, the Kli Yakar and the Massas Binyomin, who all ruled that the get was valid.
The Vaad Arba Aratzos (Council of the Four Lands) gathered to issue a ruling and ruled that the get was valid as that was the opinion of the majority of the poskim. The Levush was too ill to attend and the Maharam Lublin was a lone voice arguing that the get was invalid. Despite the ruling the Maharam continued to publicly protest, and many believe it led to him losing his position then in Lvov.
