Rabbi Yosef Yeshaya Braun

Rabbi Yosef Yeshaya Braun (born 1971) is a Mara D'asra and member of the Beis Din Tzedek in Crown Heights. He previously served as rabbi of the Tzemach Tzedek community in Sydney, Australia and as a mashpia in the Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva there.

Early Life

Rabbi Braun was born on 4 Nissan 1971 to Rabbi Chaim Elazar Yisroel Braun, a rav in Flatbush and son of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Braun, author of the "Shearim Hametzuyanim B'Halacha" series. In his youth, he studied at Chasam Sofer Yeshiva and Kochav M'Yaakov Tshebين.

His family is descended from rabbonim who were talmidim of the Chasam Sofer.

He was known as an iluy (prodigy) and at age 14 was tested on the entire Tur Shulchan Aruch and other seforim.

After becoming involved with Chabad, he learned in the yeshivos: Tomchei Tmimim Ohalei Torah Crown Heights, Tomchei Tmimim Kiryat Gat and Tomchei Tmimim Central-770. During his time learning in 770, he was among the chozrim and manichim for the Rebbe in winter 1991. Between 1992-1994 he was among the talmidim shluchim to Yeshiva Gedolah Sydney and worked with the Israeli community there.

In Tammuz 1994, he was involved in publishing the sefer "V'Hu Yigaleinu", which strengthens the chassidim's emunah in the Rebbe's eternal life as Melech HaMoshiach and the certain belief that he will redeem the Jewish people immediately. In Elul of that year, he published his English translation of the sefer.

In 1995 he married the daughter of Rabbi Chaim Shalom DovBer Lipsker.

He assisted Rabbi Yehuda Kalman Marlow and other members of the Beis Din in preparing piskei din, along with his work on his grandfather's "Shearim Hametzuyanim B'Halacha" series.

His Journey to Chabad

At age 16, he became close to Chabad chassidus and particularly to the Rebbe. He would frequently visit 770 and was very drawn to the Rebbe.

His family (who were generally friendly to Chabad) were very concerned about him joining Chabad and sent him to learn in Eretz Yisroel at the non-chassidic Tshebין Yeshiva. However, during his studies at Tshebין he became increasingly close to Chabad chassidus, and for a period learned Chabad chassidus b'chavrusa with a Chabad chossid, particularly the Rebbe's sichos.

After six months he transferred to Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva in Kiryat Gat, where he became close to the mashpia Rabbi Meshulam Zushe Alperowitz.

When he went to learn at Tomchei Tmimim in Kiryat Gat, this caused much opposition from his family, and his grandfather Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Braun was concerned that learning in a Chabad yeshiva, where they are also involved in mivtzoim, would take his grandson away from learning.

The grandfather came specially to see the Rebbe for dollars on Sunday 14 Mar Cheshvan and said to the Rebbe[1]: "My grandson who learned in Eretz Yisroel (in Tshebין) and now learns..."

The Rebbe: "Do" [Here! Although Rabbi Braun was learning in Kiryat Gat at the time, the Rebbe said he learns here!]

Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Braun: He is a great lamdan, and requested a bracha that he should remain in learning.

The Rebbe answered: "S'iz doch do a klal az 'kedusha eina zaza mikmkoma', ubifrat kedushas haTorah. Zol zein besuros tovos" [There is a principle that holiness does not move from its place, and especially the holiness of Torah. There should be good news].

The Rebbe gave him an additional dollar saying: "Opgebn kflaim l'toshia" [give double for wisdom], and the Rebbe gave him another dollar for his grandson.

Rabbanus in Sydney, Australia

In 1995, he moved to Sydney, Australia and after a short time was appointed as Menahel of the Mesivta and Rav of the Tzemach Tzedek kehilla. For a certain period, he served as Vice Chairman of the Sydney Rabbinic Council. During his time in Sydney, he maintained a close connection with Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Groner. In 2008, he worked successfully to unite his kehilla with the 'Yeshiva Center' community led by Rabbi Pinchas Feldman[2].

Rabbi Braun's expertise in chinuch matters led the Department of Education in New South Wales (one of Australia's six states) to appoint him as a government inspector overseeing kodesh studies curriculum for matriculation in all schools in the state. Rabbi Braun was also appointed to a select committee of three people who write the curriculum, and headed the board of examiners.

Rabbi Braun writes Torah and chinuch articles, which are published in the Ohalei Torah Kovetz Ha'aros, in The Tamim publication, and on Chabad.org.

Election to the Crown Heights Beis Din

In Elul 2010, he was announced as a candidate for the Crown Heights Beis Din by Rabbi Aharon Yaakov Schwei. On 26 Elul 2010, he was elected by majority vote as the neighborhood's rav with over one thousand residents voting for him[5].

On 12 Shevat 2011, Rabbi Braun was installed as the third rav in the Crown Heights Beis Din, alongside the serving rabbonim Rabbi Osdoba and Rabbi Schwei.

With Rabbi Braun's relocation from Sydney to Crown Heights, and his active service as one of the neighborhood's rabbonim, a significant positive change was felt in all the activities of the Crown Heights Beis Din. The main emphasis was on strengthening the connection between the Beis Din and the kehilla, expressed through halachic guidance sheets before yomim tovim, frequent visits to the many shuls scattered throughout the neighborhood, a seasonal newsletter reporting on the rabbonim's activities in the Beis Din and office hours, and more.

Activities in Crown Heights

• Between 2015-2016, the Rav launched a daily series called "Halacha To Go" which is a one-minute video where he covers a relevant halachic topic. To date, approximately 700 videos have been released.
• Since being elected as rav, he began publishing practical halacha kuntreisim before the yomim tovim, in Hebrew and English. These kuntreisim combine halacha and minhag and 'hilchasa l'Meshicha'.

Matters of Moshiach and Geulah

Rabbi Braun has a great koch in fulfilling the Rebbe's hora'ah to learn and live matters of geulah and Moshiach. This is expressed in several ways:

• In the kuntreisim he publishes before yomim tovim, the Rav includes halachos that will be practiced in the times of Moshiach.
• In the Kovetz He'aros U'Biurim of Parshas Emor 1991, the Rav (as a talmid in Tomchei Tmimim Central-770) prepared an index with several of the Rebbe's chakiros regarding how Torah and mitzvos will be fulfilled in the times of Moshiach (partial index).

His Psakim

In 2018, he launched the website "AskTheRav.com", where he supervises a team of talmidei chachamim who respond to thousands of halachic questions each month. Every response is reviewed by Rabbi Braun. The site's archive currently contains thousands of responses, most with detailed explanations including extensive notes and sources with deep and comprehensive pilpulim in his well-known style.

Among his well-known psakim:

• Rules like Rabbi Marlow regarding the prohibition of saying korbanos before zman mincha gedolah, differing from Rabbi Osdoba on this.
• Rules that when putting only tefillin shel rosh on a Jew (during mivtzoim etc.), one should make the bracha on mitzvas tefillin. (Disagreeing with Rabbi Yekusiel Farkash on this).
• Prohibited the establishment of an eruv in Crown Heights using string to make tzuras hapesach, explaining this was the Rebbe's ratzon. (He didn't want to write halachic reasons, writing that it's unnecessary when the Rebbe is the baal habayis, and the rabbonim are baalei batim, and they decide on this).
• Prohibits wheeling a Jew in a wheelchair on Shabbos even by a non-Jew.
• Instructs to filter water for drinking and cooking in Brooklyn, at least due to safek.
• Ruled that the true zmanim can only be followed lechumra but not lekula, differing from several Chabad rabbonim who instruct to follow them and whose words were published on Chabad.org[citation needed.

His Family

• His brother, Rabbi Moshe Shmuel Braun - Rav and Dayan in Monsey.
• His brother, Rabbi Avraham Yaakov Braun - Spiritual leader in the Nitra community.
• His daughter, Chaya Mushka - Wife of R' Shalom DovBer Liberow.
• His son, R' Shlomo Zalman Braun - Shliach in Lubavitch, Texas.
• His son, R' Menachem Mendel Braun - Buffalo NY.
• His son, R' Yaakov Yehuda - Crown Heights.
• His son, R' Levi Yitzchak - Crown Heights.