The Maharil (brother of the Alter Rebbe)

Rabbi Yehuda Leib Minovitz
The Maharil
Born	1749/1750
Passing	1826
Occupation	Rav of Yanovitch
Works	She'eris Yehuda

Rabbi Yehuda Leib Minovitz, known as The Maharil (1749/1750 - early 1826) was the brother of the Alter Rebbe. He was one of the heads of the "chadarim" established by the Alter Rebbe, and one of the writers of "hanachos" from his maamarim. He served as the Rav of Yanovitch. He corresponded with many Torah giants of his generation and wrote many halachic responsa, which were published in his sefer "She'eris Yehuda."

Early Years

The Maharil was born in the town of Liozna around 1749 or 1750 to Rav Yisroel Boruch Pozner and Rebbetzin Rivka.

Not many details are known about the Maharil's childhood. One of the known stories that occurred with him and his brother the Alter Rebbe is the story of "The White Spring," named after a spring that the Alter Rebbe and his brother Rabbi Yehuda Leib found under a white stone. The story appears in the Rebbe's Igros Kodesh Volume 20.

With the Alter Rebbe

The Maharil served as Rav in Yanovitch, but even before that he sat and learned in this town.

The Maharil was the one who advised the Alter Rebbe to travel to the Maggid of Mezritch, but while on the way, his brother ordered him to return home after it became clear that he had left without informing his wife.

After the Alter Rebbe's appointment as Rebbe, the Maharil served, in addition to his rabbinical position in Yanovitch, as responsible for the Alter Rebbe's second cheder. The Maharil also served as examiner and admissions officer for the Alter Rebbe's chadarim, and his admission requirements were particularly strict and included "comprehensive knowledge in Chassidus and Gemara, in Zohar, Midrash and Shulchan Aruch, in Kuzari, Ikarim and Moreh Nevuchim." It was very difficult to stay in this cheder due to the Maharil's tremendous genius.

The Maharil also served as an intermediary between the chassidim and the Alter Rebbe. He was also the chief gabbai, and all matters of the Alter Rebbe's house were decided by him.

The Maharil was also responsible for editing the Shulchan Aruch HaRav and its sources, as well as the halachic questions that came to the Alter Rebbe.

The Maharil would write ('maniach') the Chassidic discourses that the Alter Rebbe said, and sometimes the Alter Rebbe would edit his notes, as the Tzemach Tzedek writes in his responsa (Choshen Mishpat chapter 70): "The Admor N"E - his sermons were written by his brother the Maharil and he would pay him to distribute them in Israel to all listeners." From these notes, the Tzemach Tzedek edited the seforim Torah Ohr and Likkutei Torah.

With the Middle Rebbe

During the dispute between Rabbi Aharon of Strashelye and the Middle Rebbe regarding the continuation of Chabad Chassidus leadership after the Alter Rebbe's passing, the Maharil wrote a sharp letter to Rabbi Aharon stating "I know very well how much my brother wanted his son Mohara"d should continue his path."

The Maharil once commented about the Middle Rebbe regarding his Chassidic discourses: "Not every mind can handle this."

His Passing

The Maharil lived until early 1826. The exact date of his passing is not known. He is buried in Yanovitch.

His Torah

His writings in nigleh were collected and published for the first time in Vilna in 1841, in a sefer called "She'eris Yehuda," by his grandson Rav Zev Wolf, son of Rav Yeshaya, the Maharil's son.

In 1957, the Rebbe edited and published a second edition in two parts. The first part was a photocopy of the first edition, and the second part contained new responsa from manuscripts, main points from his life history, notes and references (mainly to the subject discussed in the Tzemach Tzedek's responsa).

A new edition was edited by Rabbi Shalom Ber Levin and Rabbi Yitzchak Wilhelm and published in 2009. In the new edition, the sefer was reorganized, new sections that were printed in various places and from manuscripts were added, and source references and citations were added in the margins. Indexes were added at the end of the sefer.

The sefer includes halachic responsa in all four sections of the Shulchan Aruch. Some of the questions he was asked were to explain his brother the Alter Rebbe's opinion in the Shulchan Aruch, his enactments, and his reasoning in the siddur's text. In his responsa, the Maharil transmits traditions he heard from the Alter Rebbe. Several responses were written in multiple editions and all were printed. In addition to the responsa, the sefer also includes:

• Laws of salting meat. The main text is the Shulchan Aruch of Maran the Beis Yosef with the glosses of the Rama and Be'er HaGolah. Below them comes the Maharil's work in the form of notes including commentary, reasons for the laws, and a summary of laws from the Shulchan Aruch's commentators.
• Laws of tzitzis from Shulchan Aruch chapter 8 and below them "Summary of Words of Rishonim and Acharonim" from the Maharil.
• Novellae on Gemara (7 chapters).
• Notes on several chapters in the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch.
• Shaar HaShmua - (10 chapters) traditions and practical rulings - most from the Tzemach Tzedek.

His Family

• His son, Rabbi Yeshaya
• His son, Rabbi Menachem Mendel
• His grandson, Rabbi Zev Wolf, who published the "She'eris Yehuda" responsa