Moses Feinstein

Rabbi Moshe Feinstein
Rabbi Moshe Feinstein at his desk in the bais medrash of Mesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem.
Born	(1895-03-03)March 3, 1895 Uzda, Minsk Governorate, Russian Empire (now Belarus)
Died	March 23, 1986(1986-03-23) (aged 91) New York City, United States
Resting place	Har HaMenuchot, Israel 31°48′00″N 35°11′00″E / 31.8°N 35.183333°E / 31.8; 35.183333
Other names	Rav Moshe, Reb Moshe
Occupation	Rabbi, Posek
Employer	Mesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem
Known for	Igros Moshe, Various Rulings in Jewish Law
Spouse(s)	Shima Kustanovitch
Children	Pesach Chaim Feinstein Dovid Feinstein Reuven Feinstein Shifra Tendler Faye Shisgal

Rav Moses Feinstein (Hebrew: משה פיינשטײַן‎‎ Moshe Faynshteyn; March 3, 1895 – March 23, 1986) was a Lithuanian Orthodox rabbi, scholar, and posek (an authoritative adjudicator of questions related to Jewish law), who was world-renowned for his expertise in Halakha, extreme gentleness and compassion, and was regarded by many as the de facto supreme halakhic authority for Orthodox Jewry of North America. In the Orthodox world, he is widely referred to simply as "Reb Moshe", and his halakhic rulings are often referenced in contemporary rabbinic literature.

Moshe Feinstein was born, according to the Hebrew calendar, on the 7th day of Adar, 5655 (traditionally the date of birth and death of the Biblical Moshe) in Uzda, near Minsk, Belarus, then part of the Russian Empire. His father David Feinstein was the rabbi of Uzdan. His mother was a descendant of talmudist Yom Tov Lipman, the Shlah HaKadosh, and Rashi. His father was a great-grandson of the Vilna Gaon's brother.

He studied with his father and also in yeshivas located in Slutsk and Shklov. He also had a close relationship with his uncle, Rabbi Yaakov Kantrowitz, rabbi of Timkovitch, whom he greatly revered and considered his mentor. He was appointed rabbi of Lubań, where he served for sixteen years. He married Shima Kustanovich in 1920 and had 4 children (Pesach Chaim, Fay Gittel, Shifra, and David) before leaving Europe. His son, Pesach Chaim, died in Europe and his son, Reuven, was born in the US. Under increasing pressure from the Soviet regime, he moved with his family to New York City in 1936, where he lived for the rest of his life.