ר׳ משה רוזן

ר׳ משה בן יהודה אריה רוזן (1870–12 October 1957), known as בעל נזר הקודש, was a Polish-Lithuanian and American Talmudist specializing in Seder Kodashim. Born in Brańsk, he studied locally, in Bielsk with ר׳ אריה ליב ילין, in Ruzhin with ר׳ מרדכי גימפל יפה and independently. At the Kovno kollel he received ordination from ר׳ יצחק אלחנן ספקטור and ר׳ משה דנישבסקי. In 1897 he became rabbi of Kvėdarna, Lithuania, serving there for roughly three decades and forming a close scholarly friendship with ר׳ אברהם ישעיהו קרליץ, who reviewed part of his work on Zevahim. His נזר הקודש provided sustained commentary on the difficult sacrificial tractates and eventually appeared in numerous volumes. He immigrated to the United States in 1928, taught during the early development of Mesivta Torah Vodaath, and then served a Brownsville congregation in Brooklyn while continuing to publish. His writings also include שאלות משה and דברי סופרים. Contemporary and later testimony remembers both his learning and his place among the Lithuanian scholars who helped establish advanced Torah study in New York. He died during Sukkot 1957 and was buried at Mount Judah Cemetery in Queens. This canonical record deliberately excludes the Romanian chief-rabbi biography previously attached to his name.