Rav Chaim Ilson

Biography

Rav Chaim Ilson shlit”a is renowned as one of the closest and foremost talmidim of Rav Yosef Dov Halevi Soloveitchik zt”l. He has edited several sefarim that Rav Soloveitchik and his father, Rav Moshe Halevi Soloveitchik zt”l, left in manuscript form, including the Chidushei Hagram Halevi, a collection of seminal Torah insights on Rambam’s Mishneh Torah; Chidushei Hagram ve-Hagrid, a collection of seminal Torah insights on Rambam’s Mishneh Torah relating to Seder Kodshim that Rav Soloveitchik and his father produced while learning together in Rav Soloveitchik’s younger years; and the Iggros Hagrid Halevi, a wide-ranging collection of Torah correspondence that Rav Soloveitchik maintained with his father, his grandfather, Rav Chaim Halevi Soloveitchik zt’l and other leading Torah scholars, such as Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzinski zt’l, Rav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel zt’l, and Rav Chanoch Henoch Eigis zt’l.

Rav Ilson studied under Rav Soloveitchik from 1971 to 1982. In addition to this, Rav Ilson studied under or was close to Rav Yerucham Gorelick zt’l, Rav Yechiel Michel Feinstein zt’l, Rav Avrohom Gershon Zaks zt’l, Rav Yosef Chaim Shneur Kotler zt’l, and Rav Nisson Alpert zt’l.

Rav Ilson founded Yeshivas Derech Hatalmud and was its Rosh Yeshiva. Rav Ilson’s shiurim emphasize methodological considerations in Talmud study and reflect rigorous analyses using the Brisker method. Many of Rav Ilson’s shiurim are available here. Rav Ilson is a prominent educator and lecturer based in Jerusalem. Rav Ilson is the author of Sefer Pri Chaim al Inyanei Shivi’is, a sample of which is available here. Rav Ilson is presently writing a sefer on Rambam’s Sefer Hamitzvoth, including the Shoroshim, based on decades of shiurim on the Sefer Hamitzvoth, many of which are available here.

For more information on Rav Ilson’s work on the Sefer Hamitzvoth, please see here. If you would like to contact Rav Ilson, please click here.