Shlomo Miller Explained

Honorific-Prefix:Rabbi
Shlomo Eliyahu Miller
Occupation:Member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, Rosh Kollel, Posek
Office1:Head of the Beis Din, Va'ad Harabonim of Lakewood
Office2:Co-founder of the Kollel Avreichim Institute for Advanced Talmud Study, Toronto
Known For:Shoshanas Yisroel on Hilchos Purim
Shabbos Shlomo on Hilchos Shabbos
Alma Mater:Talmudical Academy of Baltimore

Shlomo Eliyahu Miller is a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah (Council of Torah Sages).[1] [2] He is a Rosh Kollel (dean) and co-founder of the Kollel Avreichim Institute for Advanced Talmud Study,[3] a haredi post-yeshiva educational institution in Toronto and head of its Beis Din (Rabbinical court). He is a Litvish Haredi Posek (decisor of Rabbinic law) in Toronto.

Miller is the head of the Beis Din of the Va'ad Harabonim of Lakewood (Association of Rabbis) of Lakewood, NJ and heads a Kollel there as well.[4] He is a close friend of Rabbi Avraham Bromberg. Rabbi Miller is a strong opponent of any weakening of the rule of Halacha (Rabbinic law).

Personal life

Rabbinic history

Miller learned in the Talmudical Academy of Baltimore and was a close talmid (student) of Rav Aaron Kotler.[5] He began deciding Halachic disputes after Rav Moshe Feinstein began referring halakhic disputes to him. He founded Kollel Toronto along with Rav Yaakov Hirschman in 1970.[6]

Works

Shoshanas Yisroel on Hilchos Purim.[7]

Shabbos Shlomo on Hilchos Shabbos.[8]

Some major rulings and statements

Shabbos mode ovens

Miller was a signatory to the ruling forbidding changing the temperature of Shabbos Mode ovens on Yom Tov.[9]

Slifkin controversy

Miller wrote a letter voicing his support of the controversial ban of Natan Slifkin's books by a number of prominent rabbis.[10] His defense of the rabbis and the ban was itself controversial, as evidenced by the responses it generated.[11] Miller and Slifkin met in Toronto in December 2007. Slifkin reported that, despite their "strong disagreements", they had "a very pleasant conversation" in "a nice, polite atmosphere." Slifkin noted, however, that nothing was resolved.[12]

Techeiles debate

Miller investigated the claim that the sea snail Murex trunculus was the source of the biblical techeiles. In a letter on the subject, he wrote that he believes that there are several Talmudic proofs that the Murex is not the creature from which techeiles is produced, and that the evidence in support of the claim is insufficient to overcome these points.[13] R' Yisroel Barkin authored a comprehensive disputation of Miller's letter.[14]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Six Gedolim Added To Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah Of Agudas Yisroel . TheYeshivaWorld.com . 14 September 2020 . 9 November 2020.
  2. News: By: The “Hamodia Staff” . Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah Call on Community to Achieve Improvements; New Chavrei HaMoetzes Welcomed . 9 November 2020 . . September 14, 2020.
  3. Web site: Founders.
  4. http://lakewoodhockers.blogspot.com/2008/06/rav-shlomo-miller-to-spend-shabbos-in.html Rav Shlomo Miller to spend Shabbos in Lakewood
  5. Web site: Founders.
  6. Web site: History.
  7. Web site: Sefer Shoshanas Yisrael - Purim.
  8. Web site: שבת שלמה - הלכות שבת - לר' שלמה מילר.
  9. News: UPDATE: Preventing Transgression: Gedolei HaPoskim Asur Pressing Buttons on 'Shabbos Mode Ovens' on Yom Tov. 2008-06-05. Yeshiva World News. 2018-02-28. en-US.
  10. http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/archives5766/vayigash/ormillervyg66.htm A letter of admonishment regarding N. Slifkin's opinions
  11. http://zootorah.com/controversy/controversy.html See
  12. Web site: The Canadian Jewish News.
  13. Web site: מכתב הרב שלמה מילר. Letter of Rabbi Shlomo Miller. Miller, Shlomo. www.techeiles.org.
  14. Web site: תגובה להרב שלמה מילר מהרב ישראל בארקין. Response to Rabbi Miller. Barkin, Yisroel. www.techeiles.org.