Refael Shapiro

Rabbi Refael Shapiro (1837–1921) was the famed Rosh Yeshiva of the Volozhin yeshiva and a son-in-law of Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin (the "Netziv"). After the Volozhin yeshiva was closed down in 1892 by order of the Russian government, he reopened it, albeit on a smaller scale in 1899. He was the father-in-law of Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik of Brisk and is known as the "Toras Refael" after his primary work.

Rabbi Shapiro ordained Rabbi Isser Yehuda Unterman (who would eventually become one of Israel's chief rabbis) who studied in the Kollel of the Volozhin yeshiva before opening his own yeshiva in the neighboring town of Vishova. Additionally, Rabbi Shapiro gave Semicha (rabbinical ordination) to Rabbi Moshe Shatzkes, known as the Łomża Rov, and Rabbi Meir Joshua Rosenberg.

Rabbi Shapiro died on the 23rd of the Jewish month of Adar in 1921. As a younger resident of Volozhin wrote many years later he was "Our Rov, our Genius, the first among firsts... His virtuous eyes radiated kindness... None could be compared to our Reb Refoel."

The man added, "When you looked at Reb Refoel it seemed that you are not facing a man from this world, but a man who was truly created in God's Image... Everyone who saw Reb Refoel remained enchanted by his personality for the rest of his life."

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