[Eulogy by
Ha-Rav Shlomo Aviner in Yeshivat Ateret Yerushalayim]
Le-Ilui
Nishmat Ha-Rav Ha-Gaon R' Ephraim Greenblatt ztz"l, one of the great
Poskim. He was not so well-known in
Israel, since he was hidden away in America, and there were only small signs on
the walls of Meah Shearim announcing his passing, but anyone who is involved
with Pesak Halachah knows him well. He
wrote more than 1000 Teshuvot which are brought in many works of the
Poskim. He was a major Posek, who
touched every subject, corresponded with all Rabbis and wrote briefly and to
the point.
His
grandfather, Rebbe Yitzchak, who was from Brisk, was both a Torah scholar and a
businessman. Rebbe Yitzchak made Aliyah
and brought his young son, Ha-Rav Avraham Baruch, to learn in Yeshivat Mercaz
Ha-Rav. Maran Ha-Rav Kook said that the
Yeshiva was not a proper place for him because he was too young. He said he should go learn in a Cheider. Rebbe Yitzchak then gave Rav Kook a letter of
recommendation for his son from the Brisker Rav, Ha-Rav Yitzchak Zev
Soloveitchik. Rav Kook went to the next
room, put on his Kapote and Shtreimel, and said: In order to read a letter from
the Brisker Rav, one must wear Shabbat clothing. Since the Brisker Rav recommended him, Rav
Kook said: You are accepted. This was
Rav Greeblatt's father.
Rav
Greenblatt himself was born in 5692 in Yerushalayim and lived in the
neighborhood of Makor Baruch. He was the
oldest of 11 children. He learned in
Yeshivat Kletzk in Rechovot under Ha-Rav Eleazar Menachem Man Shach. His grandfather supported his children and
grandchildren, but when his financial situation deteriorated he told his
grandson, Ha-Rav Ephraim Greenblatt: You are the eldest, travel to America,
work in the Rabbinate and send money back to support the family. He was in doubt as to what to do and asked
the Chazon Ish, Ha-Rav Shach and Ha-Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer. All of them answered that he should go to
America. Ha-Rav Meltzer blessed him:
Travel there. You will succeed, you will do great things for the Jews in
America and you will merit returning to Israel.
He was 18 years old. Ha-Rav
Aharon Kotler visited Israel at that time, and Rav Greenblatt spoke to him. Rav Kotler said that he should come and learn
in Lakewood and then enter the Rabbinate.
At that time, Ha-Rav Moshe Feinstein – the greatest Posek in America –
sent two volumes of his commentary on the Gemara "Dibrot Moshe" to
Rav Greenblatt's father. His father said
that the explanations were too long. He
told his son, Ha-Rav Ephraim, to give one volume to Ha-Rav Yechezkel Sarna,
Rosh Yeshiva of Chevron, and the other to Ha-Rav Chaim Shmulevitz, Rosh Yeshiva
of Mir. After a few weeks, Ha-Rav
Shmulevitz said to him: It is too long. I understand the questions but not the
answers. He added: Tell Reb Moshe that
he should not write at such length. When
Ha-Rav Greenblatt arrived in America, he went to Rav Feinstein's Shiur at
Metivta Tiferet Yerushalayim. Reb Moshe
said to him: You can learn here in the Yeshiva.
From that time forward for the rest of his life he was a student of Rav
Feinstein, a great student. Some say
that he was the greatest of his students, and he is also one of the last of his
students. At the age of 20, Reb Moshe
said to him: Go to Memphis, Tennessee to be a Rabbi. Rav Greenblatt was in doubt about going to
such a desolate place of Torah, but his Rabbi told him: You need to be there in
order to strengthen Judaism. Rav
Feinstein sent 40 of his students throughout America to strengthen Torah
observance. Rav Greenblatt went to
Memphis and served as a Rabbi there for 60 years until the age of 80. He was a Rabbi, Av Beit Din, Shochet and
teacher. He also answered questions from
all around America and corresponded with the great Torah scholars throughout
the world. As the leading student of Rav
Feinstein, he brings rulings of the Rav which are not found elsewhere, and
resolves difficulties which others raised about Teshuvot in Shut Igrot
Moshe. There are also over 100 Teshuvot
in Shut Igrot Moshe addressed to him. It
happened that someone wrote a book Maaneh Le-Igrot which disagrees with Shut
Igrot Moshe. The book Maadnei Ha-Melech
(at the end in Adanei Ha-Melech, pp. 81-82 note #27) states that Ha-Rav
Yitzchak Yosef (the Current Chief Rabbi of Israel) said that the students of
Rav Feinstein bought all of the copies of Maaneh Le-Igrot and destroyed
them. Ha-Rav Ephraim Greenblatt, the
leading student of Rav Feinstein and author of Shut Revivot Ephraim, said that
after this book came out, he sat down to write a Responsa to each claim, to
refute them one by one. He asked for Rav
Feinstein's permission to publish the Responsa.
Rav Feinstein took the pages, thanked him for his concern for his honor,
but requested that he not publish them.
He explained that if they do not respond to that author, his memory will
be forgotten on its own in a year or two, and no one will remember him. But if they answer, his name will
spread. And this is indeed what
happened. The author did not succeed in
selling more than 50 of the 1000 books he printed (which suggets that the
student did not buy them and destroy them).
And Ha-Rav Ovadiah Yosef said that this book should not be put in the
library of Yeshivat Chazon Ovadiah since it does not follow the proper manner
of disagreeing (Brought in Shulchan Ha-Maarechet of Ha-Rav Yitzchak Yosef, Vol.
2 pp. 436-437). In his time, the author
of this work sent it to the Steipler, and then visited him. The Steipler harshly rebuked him, yelled at
him for insulting Ha-Rav Feinstein, and threw him out of his house. The Steipler then told his son, Ha-Rav Chaim
Kanievski, that Rav Feinstein is a great Posek and Tzadik (Orchot Rabbenu Vol.
5, p. 169). Further, Ha-Rav Aharon
Felder relates that Rav Feinstein once told him that he actually had met the
author once and the author asked him for a favor, which he granted. Reb Moshe added: "I didn't know that the
kindness I did for him was so great that he paid me back with such wickedness"
(Reshumei Aharon Vol. 2, p. 4). We also
heard that Ha-Rav Baruch Solnica had a Shul in New York close to the Shtiebel
of the author of Maaneh Le-Igrot.
Sometimes it was difficult for the Shtiebel to get a Minyan and they
would come to Rav Solnica's Shul to find people to join them. Rav Solnica refused since he had besmirched
Reb Moshe. Rav Solnica asked Reb Moshe
how he should act and he said: You don’t have to give him people to Daven there
on a regular basis, but you should certainly give him people to help make a
Minyan. This was Reb Moshe, and Ha-Rav
Ephraim Greenblatt was his leading student.
He
wrote 9 volumes of Teshuvot, Shut Revivot Ephraim (and we have heard that a 10th
volume is being prepared for publication), as well as Divrei Torah on the
Torah. As was the practice of his Rabbi,
he would write each Teshuvah twice: One to send to the questioner and one to
keep and check over. Rav Greenblatt
corresponded with everyone: Zionists, Charedim, great Torah scholars, regular
Torah scholars. He even brought things
which I wrote 30 years ago in Iturei Cohanim when I was very young. He did not care if one was Charedi or not, it
is all Torah. He also brings in his
Teshuvot his correspondence with Ha-Rav David Cohain, Ra"m in our
Yeshiva. He brings from everyone, and
everyone brings him, although there are some Charedi Yeshivot who do not have
his books since he brings Zionist Rabbis.
He
would also write a Haskamah for any Sefer, to perform a kindness. He would not do so quickly but would really
look into the Sefer. Ha-Rav Greenblatt wrote a Haskamah for the book
"Chizim Be-Yad Giborim" of Ha-Rav Avi Ronzki, who was a Ra"M in
our Yeshiva and then the Chief Rabbi of Tzahal. He also wrote a long Haskamah for the book
"Kum Hithalech Ba-Aretz" of Ha-Rav Mordechai Tzion, Ra"m in our
Yeshiva. He writes that he really
examined the book and found practical halachic conclusions, that the author
toiled writing the book for 7 years and that he found important discussions
there. He also writes that he wanted to
write comments on the book but had just returned from the hospital, after a
month's stay, and it was difficult for him to write, he apologizes.
He
also performed kindnesses for me. I have
his Sefarim in my home which he sent me for free without my even having to
ask.
And
he signed his Teshuvot: From Yerushalayim, currently in Memphis. This is the same as the Semag who would
write: Moshe of Coucy, exiled from Yerushalayim.
Following
his grandfather's instruction, Rav Greenblatt not only served as a Rabbi but also
invested his money, made great profits and helped his family financially. He would give $50,000 to each grandchild who
got married. He had a huge library of
26,000 books. Unfortunately, he invested
his money with the man who perpetuated the Ponzi scheme, who is now sitting in
prison. Rav Greenblatt lost all of his
money and was left with nothing. He saw
this as a sign that he needed to return to Israel. He came to Israel at the age of 80 without
money to buy an apartment and without his Sefarim. He said: My children are in Israel, my wife
was killed in a car accident (in 5762) and I don't have any money. I am returning to Israel.
When
he arrived in Israel, Rav Mordechai Tzion invited him to visit our
Yeshiva. He said in his humility:
Certainly. It would be my honor, but I
can't right now because I am not feeling well.
He was invited again and - to our great sorrow - was unable to
come. Toward the end of his life when he
was living in Har Nof, he would Daven Mincha/Maariv in a Zionist Yeshiva. One of the neighborhood people, with a
Knit-Kippah and without a beard, would give a class between Minchah and
Maariv. This gaint Torah scholar would
sit and listen without any feeling that it was beneath his honor. His humility was amazing.
With
his return to Israel, Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer's blessing was indeed fulfilled:
"Travel there. You will succeed, you will do great things for the Jews in
America and you will merit returning to Israel".
May
his soul be bound up with the bonds of the living with all of the righteous.
