Telushkin, Rabbi Nissan — author of Taharas Mayim

טלושקין - ניסן

Rabbi Nissan Telushkin — author of Taharas Mayim

Rabbi Nissan Telushkin (1881 – 1970) was a respected rabbinic leader in Belarus who later served in the United States. He was connected to the Lubavitch community and also active in Mizrachi — an unusual combination; he worked on behalf of the Vaad HaRabbonim of New York and edited its Torah journal, HaMesilah. A central part of his life's work was improving the halachic standard of mikvaos in New York, and he oversaw the halachic supervision of the East New York mikveh. His classic work on the laws of mikvaos, Taharas Mayim, was widely praised; he also wrote HaTorah VeHaOlam, a three-volume commentary on the Torah, and a commentary on Tehillim published after his passing as Taharas Nissan. In 1947 he took part in a rabbinic gathering in Eretz Yisrael. He passed away in 1970 and is buried at Montefiore Cemetery in Queens.

Correspondence with the Rebbe

The Rebbe's letters to Rabbi Telushkin center on mikvaos and Torah scholarship. The Rebbe wrote about supporting a mikveh, purity and preparation for the redemption (IK 1777); the use of a rubber plug in a mikveh, in light of the Rebbe Maharash's ruling (IK 1988); and mikveh inspection (IK 8656). He encouraged the publication of Taharas Mayim and the spreading of mikvaos (IK 8656, 8741), and thanked him for a new book with scholarly notes (IK 3928). Other letters discuss Chassidus on divergent halachic opinions (IK 2785), changing the recital of Birchos HaShachar in Nusach Ari (IK 6774), the Chief Rabbinate in Eretz Yisrael and the timing of elections (IK 7474), and, in connection with a yeshiva, the students' progress, their exams, and the value of healthy competition among scholars (IK 6270, 6848). The Rebbe congratulated him on thirty years of service in his congregation (IK 3304), and wrote on serving Hashem with joy (IK 6159), spreading Chassidus (IK 6056), and the unique role of an individual who serves the whole community (IK 1505).

See also: Marriage – Family purity (taharas hamishpacha) and the mikveh; Deutsch, Rabbi Chananya Yom Tov Lipa — the Helmetzer Rebbe.

Shiurim in this topic

1505. Blessings for Pesach and the Unique Role of a General Individual ברכות לפסח ותפקידו הייחודי של איש כללי

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1777. Supporting a Mikveh, Purity, and Preparation for Redemption תמיכה במקוה, טהרה, והכנה לגאולה

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1988. Rubber Plug Use in Mikveh and the Maharash's Ruling שימוש בברזא של גומי במקוה והוראת המהרש

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2785. Chasidus on Divergent Halachic Opinions and Their Relevance חסידות על דעות הלכתיות שונות וחשיבותן

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3304. Blessings to Rabbi Nissan Telushkin on Thirty Years at Bnei Yitzchak Nusach HaAri ברכות להרב ניסן טלושקין על שלושים שנה בבני יצחק נוסח האר"י

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