Rabbi Moshe-Zvi
Neria (Hebrew: משה צבי נריה; 29 January 1913 –
12 December 1995) was an Israeli educator, writer, and rosh yeshiva who served as a member of the Knesset for the National Religious Party between
1969 and 1974. Neria established and headed the Bnei Akiva yeshiva in Kfar Haroeh, and was one of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook's most
influential disciples.[1] Due to
his far-reaching influence on Religious Zionism, he is known as "the father of the knit
kippah generation."[2]
Biography
Born
Moshe-Zvi Menkin in Łódź in the Russian Empire (today in Poland), Neria was educated at yeshivas in Minsk and Shkloŭ. He made aliyah to Mandatory Palestine in
1930, and studied at the Mercaz HaRav yeshiva with Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook,
receiving certification as a rabbi. He also studied in the Mizrachi teachers seminary in Jerusalem. At one point he resided in the Knesset Yisrael neighborhood.[3]
He
helped establish the Bnei Akiva youth
movement, and edited its publication Zra'im. In 1940 he founded the
first Bnei Akiva yeshiva in Kfar Haroeh, serving as its headmaster and teaching Talmud and Jewish thought. He later established several
yeshiva high schools and Hesder yeshivas for IDF soldiers. In
addition, he founded the Hapoel HaMizrachi Rabbinical Association.[4]
In 1969 he
was elected to the Knesset on the National Religious Party list for one term.
He left the party in 1983 to establish the Religious Zionist Camp (also known
as Mazad).
Rabbi
Neria died on the 19th of Kislev, 5756 (1995), at the age of 82.[5] His
last words were: "Give me kedushah (holiness), it
is kedushah that I seek! The holiness of the Land of Israel,
the holiness of the love of Israel, the holiness of the Nation of Israel."[2]
Rabbi
Neria and his wife Rachel had eight children. His eldest is Rabbi Nachum Neriya, rosh yeshiva of Torah Betziyon in Efrat, Israel.
Rabbi
Neria's grandson is Rabbi Ariel Bareli.[6]
Writings
When
he saw that the public venerated Rav Kook but knew very little about his
special approach to Torah, Rabbi Neriah published several books combining
biographical material on Rav Kook together with excerpts from his writings,
dealing with topics such as redemption, the rebuilding of the land of Israel,
Torah and prayer.[2] These
include:
·
Orot
HaTefilah - on prayer
·
Moadei
HaRe'iyah on Shabbat and Jewish holidays
·
Chayei
HaRe'iyah on the period when Rav Kook was
chief rabbi of Jaffa
·
Likutei
HaRe'iyah
·
Sichot
HaRe'iyah
·
Bisdei
HaRe'iyah
·
Tal
HaRe'iyah
·
Mishnat
HaRav - ten chapters on the
foundations of Rav Kook's philosophy
Views
When
asked whether a rabbi should be involved in politics. He replied,
"Absolutely not. In politics, it is sometimes necessary to compromise on
principles in order to accomplish important goals, and that is not a proper
thing for a rabbi to do."[5]
Awards
and recognition
In
1978 he was awarded the Israel Prize for special contribution to society and the
state. The Israeli settlement Neria, established in
1991, is named after him, a neighborhood in Lod (Nof
Neria), and streets in Netanya, Petah Tikva, Rishon LeZion, Rehovot, Bet El, and Kfar Haroeh. Several schools were named after him, including
the Hesder yeshiva in Shadmot Mehola (Shadmot Neria), Ulpanat Neria
in Dimona, and Moreshet Neria in Giv'at Shmuel.
References
1. ^ Kimmerling, Baruch
(1989). The Israeli State and Society: Boundaries and Frontiers. SUNY
Press. p. 193. ISBN 978-0887068492.
2. ^ Jump up to:a b c Ronen, Gil (6 Dec
2009). "14th Yartzeit of Bnei Akiva Founder Rabbi Neriah".
Israel National News. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
3. ^ Shwartz, Eliyahu Yekutiel
(2005). "My Life's Story" (PDF). Eliyahu
Yekutiel Shwartz Memorial Committee. pp. 32–33.
4. ^ Moshe-Zvi Neriah: Public Activities Knesset website
5. ^ Jump up to:a b "Little Stories about a Great Man". moreshet.co.il.
Retrieved 29 July 2018.
6. ^ מקווה לחבר בין אנשי בית אל ושדרות (in
Hebrew). Arutz Sheva. 25 June 2020.
Retrieved 25 July 2021.