A Book Came Out of Hiding

Rav Eliezer Yehudah Waldenberg, known by his magnum opus of almost 20 volumes of Rabbinic responsa entitled "Tzitz Eliezer", recently died.

As the above referenced Wiki notes, "Rabbi Waldenberg also wrote a multivolume set on the practical issues of government called Hilkhot Medinah. In this work he takes issue with many positions of former chief rabbis Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog, Shlomo Goren, and Isser Yehuda Unterman".

These three volumes almost did him in.

He was practically on the fringes of the Hareidi world which dominated Jerusalem Rabbinate politics in the 60s-70s-80s and it was only his connection with Shaarei Zedek together with his enormous intellectual range and specialization in the medical field that saved him.

Needless to say, it was impossible to purchase those books. Libraries had them but he never gave permission to reprint them out of fear. It suffered an act of "self-banning".

Well, I did write "was".

On the occasion of his shloshim, 30 days after his passing, the three books appeared in one volume. First the price was low, then it soared and now, I found a store where it is average.

His sons were in a fit. But several Rabbis were asked by book stores and sure enough, there are a few still around to be purchased. One store, deep in Geula-Zichron territory does so under-the-table in a black bag. Reminds me of Yeshiva high school days and certain magazines.

Any way, here's the frontpiece as proof:-



By the way, the book has almost 800 pages.