The Chazon Ish: Legacy, Teachings, and Influence of Rabbi Avraham Yeshayahu Karelitz

Rabbi Avraham Yeshayahu Karelitz, known by the title of his sefer Chazon Ish, was one of the greatest Lithuanian Torah leaders of his generation — a leading halachic authority and one of the key figures who shaped the path of the Haredi world in the Land of Israel. He passed away on the 15th of Cheshvan, 5714 (1953).

The Chazon Ish played a decisive role in shaping Jewish life in the generation following the Holocaust. His influence is expressed directly in the way the Haredi community functions to this day. He strengthened the concept of lifelong Torah study as an ideal and central mission. As the leading Torah authority during the post-war turning point, most of the yeshivot founded in Israel during that time were established with his guidance and blessing. For this reason, Haredi biographers refer to him as “the father of the yeshivot in Eretz Yisrael.”

The Chazon Ish was meticulous in observing halacha in all its details, and he viewed such precision as a safeguard for true fear of Heaven. A well-known example of his halachic stringency was his extensive effort to locate an etrog strain free of any concern of grafting. His approach became widely accepted in the Haredi public, and there remains high demand for etrogim descended from the same lineage as those the Chazon Ish used and blessed.

He placed great emphasis on raising awareness of mitzvot connected to the Land of Israel — especially the mitzvah of Shemittah. His works include the multi-volume Chazon Ish, containing halachic rulings, insights, and comments, as well as the foundational philosophical work Emunah U’Bitachon. Additional books were later compiled from his letters and writings, such as Kovetz Igrot Chazon Ish, Kovetz Michtavim, Teshuvot u’Ketavim mi’Maran HaChazon Ish, and Genzim u’She’elot U’Teshuvot Chazon Ish.

The title Chazon Ish hints at his name through its initials — Avraham Yeshayahu. Out of humility, he did not sign his own name on his books; instead, they were published under the names of others. His first volume was published under the name of his brother, Rabbi Moshe Karelitz, and his later works under the name of Rabbi Shmuel Greineman.

Ten Selected Teachings from His Writings

1. The greatness of one who learns Torah
   “A person who merits knowledge of Torah walks among men and appears outwardly like any other human being — but in truth he is an angel dwelling among mortals, living a life of spiritual nobility, elevated beyond all blessing and praise.” (Igrot Chazon Ish, vol. 1, letter 13)

2. The only true delight in the world
   “My only pleasure is this: to fulfill the will of my Creator.”
   (Igrot Chazon Ish, vol. 1, letter 153)

3. Living in peace and overlooking offenses
   “The way of the Torah is to maintain peace with every person and to overlook offenses… just as it is unfitting for a wise man to grow angry and take revenge out of emotional weakness, so too it is unfitting to harbor hatred out of spiritual imbalance…” (Chazon Ish, Orach Chaim, Shabbat, siman 56)

4. Drawing distant Jews close — with cords of love
   The Chazon Ish wrote profoundly about Jews who are not observant: “The principle of removing sinners applied only in times when Divine Providence was openly revealed… but in a time of concealment, when faith has been severed from the masses, such actions only deepen the breach… Our role is to draw them close with bonds of love, and to lift them into the light as much as our ability allows.” (Chazon Ish, Yoreh De’ah, siman 2, se’if katan 16)

5. The root of character refinement — turning from wrongdoing 
   “The root of rectifying one’s character traits is to turn away from evil… A person may find it easier to perform positive acts of kindness, yet finds it far more difficult to restrain himself from anger, harshness, or harm toward others… true wisdom lies in mastering one’s nature.”

6. What is bitachon (trust in God)?
   “Bitachon means the absolute belief that nothing in the world happens by chance — everything that occurs under the sun is decreed from Him, blessed be He.”
   (Emunah U’Bitachon, beginning of chapter 2)

7. The wondrous wisdom in the creation of the eye
   In Emunah U’Bitachon, he writes: “How much wisdom is contained in the eye! Generation after generation scholars continue to uncover the vast storehouses of knowledge hidden within its creation — and still they never reach its ultimate depth.”

8. The wonders of the human body
   “Before us stands a breathtaking vision — the human body receiving food, digesting it, separating its elements, sending each to its proper place… every organ fulfills its unique role with remarkable precision… and all the while a person is unaware of the countless forces laboring tirelessly on his behalf.”

9. Extraordinary sensitivity to others
   “There is a person whose deepest desire is to do good for others… he worries lest he may have spoken insensitively or failed to show kindness… his heart — filled with love — covers all faults, and he grants others full benefit of the doubt…”

10. Who experiences no sadness in the world?
    Although the Chazon Ish and his wife had no children and he suffered greatly throughout his life, he was known to say: “There is no sadness in the world — for one who has discovered the supreme light of truth.”