Rabbi Shmuel HaLevi Wosner (September 4, 1913 – April 3, 2015) was a highly prominent Haredi Ashkenazi rabbi and posek (decisor of Jewish law) who lived in Bnei Brak, Israel. He was widely revered as one of the preeminent halakhic authorities of his generation, often referred to as the Posek Hador.

Here is an overview of his life, leadership, and enduring impact:

Early Life and Education

• Birth and Roots: Rabbi Wosner was born in Vienna, Austria-Hungary.

  
  

• European Torah Study: In his youth, he studied in Poland at the famous Yeshivas Chachmei Lublinunder the guidance of Rabbi Meir Shapiro, as well as under Rabbi Shimon of Zelicov.

  
  

• Immigration: He married and managed to immigrate to Mandatory Palestine in 1938 before the onset of the Holocaust. He initially settled in Jerusalem, studying at the Dushinsky yeshiva and becoming a member of the Edah HaChareidis religious communal organization despite his young age.

  
  

Leadership in Bnei Brak

Upon the encouragement of major rabbinic leaders of the era—including the Chazon Ish, Rabbi Dov Berish Widenfeld, Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer, and Rabbi Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog—Rabbi Wosner relocated to Bnei Brak.

• Founding Institutions: In Bnei Brak, he established the Zichron Meir neighborhood and founded Yeshiva Chachmei Lublin, naming it after his revered European alma mater.

  
  

• He served as a monumental spiritual guide, teaching thousands of students and mentoring generations of rabbis and communal leaders.

  
  

The Shevet HaLevi

Rabbi Wosner is best known for his magnum opus, Shevet HaLevi ("The Tribe of Levi").

• This comprehensive, multi-volume series of halakhic rulings and responsa covers a massive array of practical Jewish legal topics.

  
  

• His halakhic opinions are universally respected and widely quoted across both Hebrew and English Torah literature.

  
  

Later Years and Legacy

• Communal Guidance: Rabbi Wosner remained an influential voice on contemporary issues late into his life. Notably, in May 2012, he addressed a massive gathering of roughly 60,000 attendees at Citi Field in Queens via live hookup from Israel, where he ruled on the communal guidelines for using filtered internet strictly for business purposes.

  
  

• Passing: Rabbi Wosner passed away in Bnei Brak in 2015 at the age of 101. Reflecting his immense status within the community, his funeral was attended by an estimated 100,000 mourners.

  
  

• Family: His legacy was carried on by his children, including the late Rabbi Chaim Wosner (who served as a communal judge in London before returning to Bnei Brak to assist with the yeshiva) and Rabbi Bentzion Wosner, who serves as a rabbinical judge (av bet din) in Monsey, New York.