Melech Schachter (April 7, 1913 - February 27, 2007) was a pulpit rabbi, coordinator of Jewish divorce, and instructor at Yeshiva University for over fifty years.
Schachter was born in Suceava, in the Duchy of Bukovina, several years before the city became part of Romania. He studied at the Viznitz Yeshiva, and arrived in America as a teenager, at the age of fifteen. After receiving his bachelor's degree from Yeshiva College and semikha from Rabbi Moshe Soloveitchik, he also received a Ph.D. from Dropsie College in Philadelphia. His doctoral dissertation discussed the variant versions of the Mishnah between the Babylonian Talmud and the Jerusalem Talmud and was eventually published by Mossad HaRav Kook.
Careeredit
Schachter served many rabbinic roles over his career, including the pulpit rabbi in various communities such as Scranton, Pennsylvania, and The Bronx, New York. He went on to serve as the coordinator of the Rabbinical Council of America's Beth Din for Gittin (Jewish Divorce) and Halitza. In addition to teaching in the RIETS Semikha program, he also taught at Stern College for Women and the Wurzweiler School of Social Work.[1] In 1997, Rabbi Norman Lamm granted him an honorary degree for his achievements as a Torah scholar and rabbi.[2] Schachter consulted with Rabbi Moshe Feinstein on a number of issues regarding Gittin and Geirut, such as the use of a polygraph by a husband who is fully paralyzed to commission the writing of a Get[3] and relying on a pregnancy test to allow a woman who converts to Judaism to marry immediately.[4] He was an expert on the spelling of names in a Get and was often consulted by younger rabbis on issues of Halacha[5] and gave generously of his time to train them.[6]
Deathedit
Schachter died at the age of 93 on February 27, 2007. His son is Rabbi Hershel Schachter[7]
Legacyedit
Schachter would often relate at family gatherings the following story as told by his grandson Rabbi Shay Schachter:
When he was raising his son (Hershel Schachter), my father, in the Bronx, he said he was a poor rabbi of a small shul he didn't have any money, so when it came to my father's Bar Mitzvah they made a small kiddush with pickles and herring after davening. That was the whole Bar Mitzvah. And he said there was a conservative rabbi who was the rabbi of the shul a few blocks away, and he saw a crowd of people standing outside. He asked them what's going on, and they said well Rav Melech Schachter is making a bar mitzvah for his son Hershel. So, he said "Oh, I'm friendly with Reb Melech!" So, he went in to wish Mazel Tov, and he gave my grandfather a bracha - which my grandfather used to repeat at every one of our family simchas - and he said that "I hope someday in the future Hershel won't be known as 'Rav Melech's son.' I hope you'll be known as 'Hershel's father.'"... My grandfather used to tell us, "You guys don't understand your father is a walking Sefer Torah. It's true, although I was a pretty famous person... it was not long before nobody remembered who I was and I became known as "Hershel's father' There was nothing that gave me more pride... I hope that will come a time when they'll forget me and they'll forget your father and they'll only think about the grandchildren and they'll refer to all of us as the grandparents and the parents of all of you..."[8]
Tziyun leNefesh Haya, a responsum regarding commissioning the writing of a Get via telephone, published in Kevod HaRav page 268 and Eretz HaTzvi page 271
PRACTICAL HALAKHAH IN THE SPACE AGE, Tradition: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought, Vol. 2, No. 1 (FALL 1959), pp. 155–163
"Various Aspects of Adoption," The Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society vol. 4, no. 2 (Fall 1982): 93:115
^Jachter, Chaim (2016). "An Irritating Name in a Get - Rav Melech Schachter's zt"l Resolution of a Tense Situation". Kol Torah. Halacha. Torah Academy of Bergen County. 26. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
^Goldberg, Efrem (27 May 2020). "Behind the Bima (Episode #9 5.27.20) Special Guest: R' Shay Schachter". YouTube. Boca Raton Synagogue. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
Further reading and linksedit
Hesped for Rabbi Melech Schachter
An Irritating Name in a Get - Rav Melech Schachter’s zt”l Resolution of a Tense Situation by Rabbi Chaim Jachter
Rabbi Melech Schachter
November 01, 2023
melech, schachter, april, 1913, february, 2007, pulpit, rabbi, coordinator, jewish, divorce, instructor, yeshiva, university, over, fifty, years, rabbipersonalbornmarcus, elimelech, schachter, 1913, april, 1913suceava, austria, hungarydiedfebruary, 2007, 2007,. Melech Schachter April 7 1913 February 27 2007 was a pulpit rabbi coordinator of Jewish divorce and instructor at Yeshiva University for over fifty years RabbiMelech SchachterPersonalBornMarcus Elimelech Schachter 1913 04 07 April 7 1913Suceava Austria HungaryDiedFebruary 27 2007 2007 02 27 aged 93 ReligionJudaismSpouseClaire Chaya SchachterChildrenHershel Schachter Sara SteinbergParent s Morris and Mary SchachterDenominationOrthodoxAlma materYeshiva UniversityPositionRosh yeshivaYeshivaRIETSSemikhahRIETS Contents 1 Life 1 1 Education 1 2 Career 1 3 Death 1 4 Legacy 2 Published works 3 References 4 Further reading and linksLife editEducation edit Schachter was born in Suceava in the Duchy of Bukovina several years before the city became part of Romania He studied at the Viznitz Yeshiva and arrived in America as a teenager at the age of fifteen After receiving his bachelor s degree from Yeshiva College and semikha from Rabbi Moshe Soloveitchik he also received a Ph D from Dropsie College in Philadelphia His doctoral dissertation discussed the variant versions of the Mishnah between the Babylonian Talmud and the Jerusalem Talmud and was eventually published by Mossad HaRav Kook Career edit Schachter served many rabbinic roles over his career including the pulpit rabbi in various communities such as Scranton Pennsylvania and The Bronx New York He went on to serve as the coordinator of the Rabbinical Council of America s Beth Din for Gittin Jewish Divorce and Halitza In addition to teaching in the RIETS Semikha program he also taught at Stern College for Women and the Wurzweiler School of Social Work 1 In 1997 Rabbi Norman Lamm granted him an honorary degree for his achievements as a Torah scholar and rabbi 2 Schachter consulted with Rabbi Moshe Feinstein on a number of issues regarding Gittin and Geirut such as the use of a polygraph by a husband who is fully paralyzed to commission the writing of a Get 3 and relying on a pregnancy test to allow a woman who converts to Judaism to marry immediately 4 He was an expert on the spelling of names in a Get and was often consulted by younger rabbis on issues of Halacha 5 and gave generously of his time to train them 6 Death edit Schachter died at the age of 93 on February 27 2007 His son is Rabbi Hershel Schachter 7 Legacy edit Schachter would often relate at family gatherings the following story as told by his grandson Rabbi Shay Schachter When he was raising his son Hershel Schachter my father in the Bronx he said he was a poor rabbi of a small shul he didn t have any money so when it came to my father s Bar Mitzvah they made a small kiddush with pickles and herring after davening That was the whole Bar Mitzvah And he said there was a conservative rabbi who was the rabbi of the shul a few blocks away and he saw a crowd of people standing outside He asked them what s going on and they said well Rav Melech Schachter is making a bar mitzvah for his son Hershel So he said Oh I m friendly with Reb Melech So he went in to wish Mazel Tov and he gave my grandfather a bracha which my grandfather used to repeat at every one of our family simchas and he said that I hope someday in the future Hershel won t be known as Rav Melech s son I hope you ll be known as Hershel s father My grandfather used to tell us You guys don t understand your father is a walking Sefer Torah It s true although I was a pretty famous person it was not long before nobody remembered who I was and I became known as Hershel s father There was nothing that gave me more pride I hope that will come a time when they ll forget me and they ll forget your father and they ll only think about the grandchildren and they ll refer to all of us as the grandparents and the parents of all of you 8 Published works editHaMishnah HaBavli vehaYerushalmi hashva at nuschaoteha Mossad HaRav Kook Jerusalem 1959 Tziyun leNefesh Haya a responsum regarding commissioning the writing of a Get via telephone published in Kevod HaRav page 268 and Eretz HaTzvi page 271 PRACTICAL HALAKHAH IN THE SPACE AGE Tradition A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought Vol 2 No 1 FALL 1959 pp 155 163 Various Aspects of Adoption The Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society vol 4 no 2 Fall 1982 93 115 Lectures and articles on YUTorah orgReferences edit HARAV HAGAON R MELECH SCHACHTER ZT L Hesped for Rabbi Melech Schachter Iggerot Moshe Even HaEzer vol 4 Siman 98 Highlights of Hilchos Meuberes amp Meinekes Chaveiro and Havchana Even HaEzer Siman 13 Hesped for Rabbi Melech Schachter Jachter Chaim 2016 An Irritating Name in a Get Rav Melech Schachter s zt l Resolution of a Tense Situation Kol Torah Halacha Torah Academy of Bergen County 26 Retrieved 23 December 2020 Paid Notice Deaths SCHACHTER RABBI MELECH Goldberg Efrem 27 May 2020 Behind the Bima Episode 9 5 27 20 Special Guest R Shay Schachter YouTube Boca Raton Synagogue Retrieved 22 December 2020 Further reading and links editHesped for Rabbi Melech Schachter An Irritating Name in a Get Rav Melech Schachter s zt l Resolution of a Tense Situation by Rabbi Chaim Jachter Rabbi Melech Schachter Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Melech Schachter amp oldid 1164948035, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
