Page 40 - HaMizrachi Pesach 5782 USA

One on One

with Rabbi Prof.

Avraham Steinberg

One of the world’s greatest experts in Jewish medical ethics, Rabbi Prof. Avraham Steinberg is the
author of the seven volume Encyclopedia of Jewish Medical Ethics, for which he was awarded the
Israel Prize. A senior pediatric neurologist and medical ethicist at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in
Jerusalem, he is also the Director of Yad HaRav Herzog and the head of the editorial board of the
Talmudic Encyclopedia, a monumental project begun in 1942 which aims to summarize the halachic
topics of the Talmud in alphabetical order. The encyclopedia is due to be completed in 2024.

Rabbi Aron White recently spoke with Rabbi Steinberg about the significance of the Talmudic Encyclopedia.

he Jewish people are known as the organize that material; Maimonides’ was born. The goal of the encyclopedia
“People of the Book”; throughout Mishneh Torah and Rabbi Yosef Karo’s was incredibly ambitious, aiming to
the generations, our people have Shulchan Aruch are prime examples of summarize all halachic literature, from
Twritten many libraries of books sefarim that consolidate and organize the Chumash through the Talmud,
on the Talmud and Jewish law. Why did halachic literature. Rabbis Kook and Rishonim and Acharonim, in a clear
Rabbis Meir Bar-Ilan and Shlomo Yosef Herzog, the first two Chief Rabbis in system, organized by topic.
Zevin believe that it was necessary to Eretz Yisrael, both believed that after The second major impetus for the
write the Talmudic Encyclopedia? many generations in which rabbis wrote project was the tragic destruction
There were two primary motivations books, commentaries and teshuvot, of Torah during World War II. When
behind the creation of the Talmudic their generation needed to gather that Rabbi Meir Bar-Ilan, one of the leading
Encyclopedia. Throughout history, material together. No one can possibly Mizrachi figures in the 20th century,
periods of creative halachic output have learn all that has been written, and so heard what was happening in Europe,
been followed by the need to gather and the idea of the Talmudic Encyclopedia he realized that it was not only the

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