Isser Zalman Meltzer

Early years Meltzer was born in the city of Mir in the Russian Empire, to Baruch Peretz and Mirel, who were from the Hutner family. He was the youngest child of nine children who died in infancy and one surviving sister. At age ten, Slobodka and Slutsk Yeshivas Following his marriage, Rabbi Meltzer was influenced by the Musar movement, to which his father-in-law and brother-in-law were close, and to its leader Rabbi Israel Salanter. He was a student of Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel, the Alter of Slobodka, and was appointed as rosh yeshiva in Slobodka from 1894 to 1897, already at age 24. In 1897, the rabbi of Slutsk, Yaakov Dovid Willows (the Ridbaz), established a local yeshiva that served as a 'branch' of Slabodka Yeshiva, and Rabbi Meltzer was appointed to lead it. After the Ridbaz moved to Chicago in the United States (and later to Safed in Land of Israel), Rabbi Meltzer was appointed as rabbi of Slutsk in 1903, and served in this position for twenty years. After the rise of the Soviet regime in the Soviet Union, Rabbi Meltzer suffered persecution and was arrested several times. Because of this, he fled in 1923 to Kletzk in Poland, where he served as head of the exiled Slutsk Yeshiva - "Etz Chaim," together with his son-in-law, Rabbi Aharon Kotler, and his close student and sister's son-in-law, Rabbi Elazar Menachem Man Shach. During the Slutsk period, he initiated the printing of the rabbinical journal "Yagdil Torah", and also served as its editor. Immigration to the land of Israel and final years In 1925, he was appointed as head of Etz Chaim Yeshiva in Jerusalem, and served in this position until his death. He lived in the Ohel Moshe neighborhood in what is now known as Nachlaot in a building built and dedicated by the philanthropist Shraga Feivel Jacobson on a street that is now named after him (the adjacent building now houses the 'Lev Ha'ir' community center). According to Rabbi Berlin's will, his library was to be left to the next resident if he would be an outstanding Torah scholar, and indeed the library was left to Rabbi Meltzer. After his passing, the library was transferred to Etz Chaim Yeshiva. Meltzer was a friend and admirer of Abraham Isaac Kook, the chief rabbi of Israel and a self-avowed supporter of Zionism. He was buried on Har HaMenuchot. Streets were named after him in Bnei Brak, Jerusalem ('''Even Ha'Ezel Street''', after his book and his residential street - Ha'Ari) and in Rehovot (HaRa"z Street, an acronym for Rabbi Aiser Zalman), where his son Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Meltzer served as Chief Rabbi. The Even Ha'Ezel Yeshiva for young students was established in his name next to Yeshivat HaNegev in Netivot, and in 2015 the yeshiva moved to Modi'in Illit. ==Public activity==

He joined Agudat Yisrael from its founding day. He participated in all three of its world congresses, and in his final years served as chairman of the "Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah" until his death. He held a positive stance regarding the future State of Israel, and encouraged Agudah members to take concrete actions to settle the Land of Israel. In his last year, he met with Prime Minister Ben-Gurion to express his protest against the intention to implement mandatory conscription and National Service for women, which he ruled as forbidden with the severity of "yehareg ve'al ya'avor" (die rather than transgress). He was among the founders of the "Vaad HaYeshivos" in Vilna, together with the "Chofetz Chaim" and Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski, and served as president of the Vaad HaYeshivos in the Land of Israel. ==His works==

His Torah works that made him famous in the yeshiva world were his commentary ''Even Ha'Ezel (in seven volumes) on the Mishneh Torah and Notes and Explanations on Ramban's Novellae'' on the Babylonian Talmud. In the introduction to his book, he thanks his wife Bila-Hinda for her help in transcribing his manuscript and preparing it for print, and even working on its distribution. He twice won the Rabbi Kook Prize for Torah literature, about which he remarked that he accepted it to elevate the prize's importance so that young scholars would strive harder to win it. The first volume of Even Ha'Ezel was published in 1935 and the final volume of ''Even Ha'Ezel'' on the Rambam's orders of Nashim and Kedushah, was published after his death, with an introduction by Rabbi Elazar Menachem Shach, his student and nephew-in-law, at the beginning of the book. ==Family==

• His daughter Chana Pearl married Rabbi Aharon Kotler, head of Kletzk Yeshiva in Lithuania and founder of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, New Jersey, United States. • Her son Rabbi Shneur Kotler served as head of Lakewood Yeshiva, and after him his son Rabbi Aryeh Malkiel Kotler serves as head of the yeshiva • His son, Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Meltzer, rabbi of Rehovot and founder of "Yeshivat HaDarom". • His son-in-law Rabbi Yehuda Amital, head of Yeshivat Har Etzion. • His son, educator and Bible commentator Feivel Meltzer, principal of "Ruchama" school, lecturer of the daily Bible lesson on "Kol Yerushalayim," member and co-founder of Da'at Mikra editorial board, and author of the commentary on Book of Ruth within it. • His son-in-law, Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Ben Menachem (Pachiner), head of rabbinical court of Petah Tikva, and judge in the Great Rabbinical Court. • Rabbi Ben Menachem's son-in-law, Rabbi Aviezer Piltz, serves as head of Yeshivat Tushia Tifrach, and his son Rabbi Menachem Ben Menachem is a teacher in the yeshiva. • Rabbi Elazar Menachem Man Shach, head of Ponevezh Yeshiva and leader of the Haredi-Litvak public, was married to Gutel, daughter of his sister Fruma Rivka. ==Students==

At Slutsk Yeshiva • Rabbi Yosef Eliyahu Henkin, posek and head of "Ezras Torah" organization in the United States • Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, posek, head of Mesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem in New York, author of "Igrot Moshe" responsa • Rabbi Elazar Menachem Man Shach, head of Ponevezh Yeshiva and leader of the Haredi-Lithuanian public (was married to his niece) • Rabbi Professor Simcha Assaf, rabbi, researcher, historian, and jurist. Rector of Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Justice of the Supreme Court of Israel • Rabbi Yechiel Michel Feinstein, head of RIETS and Yeshivat Beit Yehuda in Tel Aviv • Rabbi Reuven Katz, rabbi of Petah Tikva, author of "Degel Reuven" responsa At Etz Chaim Yeshiva • Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, posek, head of Kol Torah Yeshiva • Rabbi Avraham Yaakov Zelaznik, head of Etz Chaim Yeshiva • Rabbi Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz, head of Ponevezh Yeshiva for Young Students • Rabbi Avraham Shapira, Chief Rabbi of Israel, head of Mercaz HaRav and prominent spiritual leader of Religious Zionism • Rabbi Shlomo Goren, IDF Chief Rabbi and Chief Rabbi of Israel • Rabbi Yitzchak Kolitz, rabbi of Jerusalem • Rabbi Yaakov Nissan Rosenthal, head of rabbinical court in Haifa • Rabbi Yisrael Yaakov Fisher, Chief Justice of the Edah HaChareidis • Rabbi Chaim Yaakov Goldvicht, head of Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh • Rabbi Yehuda Amital, founder and head of Yeshivat Har Etzion • Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, head of Maalot HaTorah Yeshiva ==Further reading==