Prominent rabbonim are referred to in Eretz Yisrael with the title “HaGaon” and the like, but the title “Maran” is generally used in the Litvish media for gedolei hador, not just any rosh yeshiva, rosh kollel or dayan. The title was used by Yated Neeman for Maran HaGaon HaRav Yosef Sholom Elyashiv ZT”L exclusively when the gadol hador was alive. Today the title is used by Yated in reference to HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita, HaGaon HaRav Nissim Karelitz Shlita and HaGaon HaRav Aaron Yehuda Leib Shteinman Shlita.
Now, in following with instructions from Rav Chaim Shlita, Maran HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein Shlita is added to this category, as seen in the attached Yated article.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
now that Maran was added to Harav Gershon, There is 2 Maran Rosh Hayeshiva, Harav Shteinman & Harav Gershon, So i just wanted 2 remind the readers of what happened at a לב לאחים event when there where 2 Maran Rosh Hayeshiva, Check out the link http://youtu.be/W4bXmOn7vgA
it was a few hundred years ago, in the time of Reb Levi Yitzchak, who later became famous as the great Rav of Berditchev.
In the first year after his marriage, while still in the home of his father-in-law, Reb Levi Yitzchak was honored on the eve of Simchas Torah with reciting the Pesukim of“Atah Horeisa” before Hakafos would begin.
The mood was festive, and spirits were high, as Reb
Levi Yitzchak went up to the Bima to recite the Pesukim.
He picked up a tallis(a prayer shawl), and was about to
put it on, when abruptly he put it back down.
After a thoughtful moment he picked up the tallis
again, and then once again put it down. This happened
again several more times.
The worshippers began to get nervous. What was
going on with this young man?
Then finally, he put down the tallis one more time and
said, “All right! If you’re such a scholar and a Chossid, then
you can say Ata Horeisa, by yourself!”
Then Reb Levi Yitzchak went abruptly back to his
place. Everyone was shocked at this unusual behavior,
especially the father-in-law of the young Rav. But no one
said a word.
After Hakafos were over, however, Reb Levi Yitzchak’s
father-in-law demanded an explanation.
“I’m sorry, my dear father-in-law,” Reb Levi Yitzchak
said, “but what was I to do? I went up to the Bima to say
the Atah Horeisa, when the Yetzer Hara suddenly joined
me up there.
“ ‘What are you doing here?’ I said. ‘You don’t deserve
to be here!’ “
“ ’What am I doing here?’ the Yetzer Hara replied. ‘I
have the same question for you. What are you doing
here? What makes think you deserve this honor?’
“‘This is an honor for a Torah scholar,’ I replied.
“ ‘Well, I have also learned a lot of Torah,’ the Yetzer
Hara said. ‘No less than you. In fact, I was with you the
whole time!’
“ ‘All right,’ I challenged him. ‘So you learned Talmud
and Poskim and Jewish Law. But I learned Chassidus from
great Tzaddikim. They taught me how to daven and how
to serve Hashem.’
“But the Yetzer Hora did not give up. ‘Do you think I
wasn’t with you then too?’ he answered me. ‘I learned all
the same maamarim that you did.’
“When I saw that whatever I said, he had an answer
ready for me, and wouldn’t leave me alone, and insisted
on saying Atah Horeisa together with me, I told him, ‘You
know what? If you’re such a scholar and a Chossid, you can
say Atah Horeisa by yourself!’ And I went down.”
I don’t understand why my comment wasn’t posted. On a regular basis this site posts dozens of hateful, uninformed and often vicious statements from people who can’t even spell. But my innocuous comment that it’s overkill to call someone Maran HaRav HaGaon … Shlita is not acceptable?
I didn’t attack or criticize anyone. I didn’t denigrate any of the excellent men who get called Maran HaRav HaGaon … Shlita. If you want to keep calling them Maran HaRav HaGaon … Shlita, you can do so, but don’t censor out my comments.
iamfenster,
Apparently you feel capable and qualified to disagree with Maran HaRav Chaim Kanievsky shlita over such matters.
Ben Levi:
I did not disagree with anyone, including Rabbi Kanievsky, nor did I claim to know more than him. He’s brilliant, and he’s spent decades studying.
Respectfully, one of my problems with calling anyone Maran is EXACTLY what you’ve just done. When someone starts calling a rabbi (any rabbi) Maran, then other people feel the need to argue. “Who is rabbi X that we should call him Maran?” “Who are you to disagree with rabbi Y, who called him Maran?” (That was your line.)
If I call the rabbi Maran, I offend people. If I don’t call the rabbi Maran, I offend other people. It’s a minefield. My preference would be to avoid such fights. It does us no good. There’s too much arguing as it is.
I wish you well.