ר׳ ישראל מאיר הכהן קגן

ר׳ ישראל מאיר הכהן קגן (1838–1933), universally known as the Chofetz Chaim, was a Lithuanian rabbi, halakhic authority and ethicist. Born in Zhetel, he moved to Vilna after his father’s death and studied in its batei midrash. After marriage he settled in Radin, where he lived modestly, taught and helped establish the yeshiva later identified with his name. His first major book, Chofetz Chaim, systematized the laws of harmful speech; Shemirat HaLashon developed their ethical and spiritual dimensions. His six-part Mishnah Berurah became the most influential modern Ashkenazi commentary on Orach Chaim. He also promoted kindness, study of neglected priestly laws and practical preparation for Jewish communal life. During the First World War the yeshiva and its community were displaced eastward, returning to Radin after the war. Although he held no grand rabbinic office, his scholarship, personal reputation and involvement in Agudath Israel made him one of the most authoritative Orthodox figures of his generation.