The Steipler Gaon: The Extraordinary Life and Spiritual Courage of Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky

On the 23rd of Av, we mark the 39th anniversary of the passing of Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky. Following are several facts about this great leader.

1. Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky, known as the Steipler (9 Tammuz 5659 – 23 Av 5745), was one of the leading figures of the Haredi community in Israel. The Steipler authored many works including Kehillos Yaakov, Shaarei Tevunah, Shiurin Shel Torah, Birchas Peretz, Chayei Olam, and Karna D’Igarta. He passed away on 23 Av 5745 (1985).

2. The Steipler was the father of the renowned Torah giant Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky. It is told that one year, a man approached the Steipler and asked until what age a parent should pray for their children. The Steipler replied: “To this day, in every prayer, I still pray for my Chaimke — that he should be a Torah scholar.” 

This took place when Rabbi Chaim was already famous as a righteous man and a great scholar.

3.The Steipler’s nickname comes from the town where he was born: Hornosteipel, near Chernobyl. In his youth he studied in the Novardok Yeshiva during World War I, and later in Bialystok.

4. During World War I, he was drafted into the Russian army, where he kept the mitzvot with extraordinary courage and self-sacrifice. The book Toldos Yaakov recounts the following story: One freezing Shabbat night in Russia, he was required to guard the camp. The system was that each guard wore a thick fur coat during his shift, and when the shift ended, the coat was passed to the next guard. The guard whom the Steipler replaced was a non-Jew, and after finishing his shift, he hung the coat on a nearby tree.

When the Steipler arrived, he saw the coat. The cold was severe — dangerously so — but using a tree on Shabbat is forbidden. For him, even a rabbinic prohibition was considered pikuach nefesh spiritually.

He thought to himself and decided to wait: “I can manage without a coat for five minutes,” he told himself.

After five minutes, he said again: “I'll go take the coat… but maybe I can push myself another five minutes.”

And so he continued. In this way, he managed to uphold the sanctity of Shabbat and left us a powerful message about how a person can win spiritual battles — one small step at a time.

When his shift ended, the Steipler returned to his barracks full of joy that he had avoided even a rabbinic prohibition.

5. When he moved to Israel, the Steipler was appointed Rosh Yeshiva of Beit Yosef. He guided yeshiva students in methods of learning, emphasizing practical habits such as maintaining adequate sleep (even though he personally slept very little).
His guidance for learning the Talmud was to review each page four times before moving ahead, and to review each chapter four times before continuing further. This method would ensure retention, broad knowledge, and deep understanding.

One of his students once approached him broken-hearted and said:
“Rebbe, I am completely discouraged. The yetzer hara traps me again and again. I am worthless and cut off from Torah forever.”

The Steipler asked him: “Have you ever defeated the yetzer hara even once?”
The young man replied: “Rebbe, I told you — my situation is terrible.”

The Steipler continued asking until the student admitted that on rare occasions he had indeed managed to overcome his inclination.

The Steipler then told him: “If so — do not look back at your failures at all. Only at those victories.”

He added that although many works describe harsh forms of repentance to repair sins, the greatest correction is when a person says to himself: “Until now.” How easy, how simple, how close this path truly is.

6. After the passing of the Chazon Ish (the Steipler’s brother-in-law) in 5714 (1954), the Steipler was recognized as one of the leaders of the Haredi world. Together with Rabbi Elazar Menachem Shach, Rosh Yeshiva of Ponovezh, he helped steer the “ship” of faithful Judaism through turbulent and challenging times.

7. The Steipler fought the battles of Hashem with strength and determination, protecting the integrity of Torah life. His views on these matters can be found in his series Krayna D’Igarta, which contains many of his essays and letters.

8. On Shabbat night, 23 Av, close to 11:00 PM, “the heavenly angels defeated the mighty ones,” and the holy Ark was taken: the Steipler returned his soul to its Maker.

On Sunday, the streets of Bnei Brak turned black with the multitudes who poured in to accompany the Steipler on his final journey. Tens of thousands walked in mourning, feeling like orphans. The Steipler was buried in the Bnei Brak cemetery, near his brother-in-law, the Chazon Ish.

May his merit protect us.