Tzadikim

Rabbi Shmaryahu Yosef Chaim Kanievsky (Hebrew: שמריהו יוסף חיים קַניֶבסקִי; January 8, 1928 – March 18, 2022) was an Israeli Haredi rabbi and posek. He was a leading authority in Haredi Jewish society on legal and ethical practice. Known as the "Prince of Torah", much of his prominence came through Torah education and advice about Jewish laws.
Though he held no formal community-wide post, Rabbi Kanievsky was the de facto head of the Lithuanian branch of ultra-Orthodox Judaism, revered as a consummate scholar of Jewish law and tradition, with unimpeachable rulings.

Biography
 
Chaim Kanievsky was born in Pinsk, Poland (now in Belarus), to Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky, known as the "Steipler Gaon", and Rebbetzin Miriam Karelitz (Pesha Miriam: Pesha was added), sister of Rabbi Avraham Yeshayahu Karelitz, known as the "Chazon Ish".
When Kanievsky was six years old, the family moved to Mandatory Palestine. After his immigration, he never left the country, even briefly. He worked hard learning Torah in his youth and was able to elucidate complicated rabbinic teachings as a young adult. During the 1947–1949 Palestine war, Rav Chaim, then a student at the Lomza Yeshiva, served in the Israel Defense Forces, guarding at an outpost overlooking Jaffa.
Kanievsky was married to a daughter of Rabbi Yosef Sholom Eliashiv, Batsheva Elyashiv. They had eight children. She died in 2011.
Rav Kanievsky was the official rabbi and spiritual guide for the non-profit organization Belev Echad, which was founded in Israel in 2011 and was dedicated to assisting sick and disabled children and adults. He received thousands of visits every year from Jews seeking religious and Halachic advice.
Kanievsky died at his home in Bnei Brak on March 18, 2022, at the age of 94. Around 750,000 mourners attended his funeral on March 20, 2022, making it one of the largest funerals in Israeli history, second only to Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's funeral which had more than 850,000 in October 2013.
Rabbinic career
Kanievsky became a major authority on all matters of Jewish law, authoring several books about Jewish legal writings.
From the death of Rav Rabbi Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman in December 2017 until his own death, Rav Kanievsky and Ponevezh Yeshiva head Rabbi Gershon Edelstein, were considered to be the leaders of the Israeli Haredi community.
Rabbi Kanievsky was known to study Torah 17 hours each day. Eli Paley, the chairman of the Haredi Institute for Public Affairs, a Jerusalem-based research group, told The New York Times in January 2021 that Israel's Haredi Orthodox community saw "their existence as relying on Rabbi Chaim and his Torah learning". He was regarded as the preeminent leader of the non-Hasidic portion of Israel's Haredi Orthodox community as well.
Halakhic rulings
In 2012, Kanievsky ruled that it is forbidden to possess or use a smartphone without individual permission from a halakhic authority, and that owners are not allowed to sell their phones, but should instead burn them. In 2015, he instructed United Hatzalah paramedics that in the event of a terrorist attack, they should not treat the terrorists before the victims, even if the terrorist is more seriously injured, and they may even leave the terrorist to die.
In 2016, Kanievsky declared that medicinal cannabis was kosher for Passover as long as the possession of the cannabis is not in violation of the law of the land.
In 2017, Kanievsky ruled that reporting instances of sexual child abuse to the police is consistent with Jewish law.
In 2011, he interpreted Arab Spring uprisings as evidence that the Messiah might be near. In 2015, following the 2014 Jerusalem synagogue attack, he repeatedly referred to the imminent arrival of the Messiah, and urged diaspora Jews to make aliyah (immigrate to Israel), reportedly resulting in the arrival of a substantial number of French Jews. In February 2020, shortly before the Israeli legislative elections, it was reported by one rabbi that Kanievsky had stated that the coming of the Messiah was possibly imminent.
Covid-19

 Kanievsky in December 2021

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Rav Kanievsky told his followers that the best ways to defeat the virus were to avoid lashon hara (gossiping about one's peers), to strengthen humility, and to place the needs of others before their own. As a result of the discussion, he was visited, on March 15, by senior police officials who, with great respect, wanted to ask him of the importance of following the orders of medical professionals with regard to the outbreak.
On March 29, after the ultra-Orthodox community was hit hard by the virus, with Bnei Brak having a high percentage of coronavirus cases in Israel, relative to its population, Rav Kanievsky ruled that one who does not follow the Israeli Health Ministry's guidelines on COVID-19 is in the position of a rodef, i. e., one who pursues another with intent to kill, a murderer. He also ruled that telephones may be answered on Shabbat to get COVID-19 test results, and that minyanim must not meet at all during the pandemic – a stricter requirement than the Health Ministry's rules, which at the time allowed congregations to meet outdoors as long as participants are at least two meters (6 feet) distant from each other.
On October 2, 2020, Rabbi Kanievsky was diagnosed with COVID-19. On October 28, 2020, his physician said Kanievsky had recovered from the virus.
Rav Kanievsky endorsed vaccination for all, and wished experts success in the national campaign of vaccination.

Published works
Derech Emunoh on agricultural laws of Eretz Yisroel. Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, Hashlama
Derech Chochmoh on the laws of the Beis Hamikdash.
Sha'arei Emunoh HebrewBooks.org Sefer Detail: שערי אמונה – חלק א – קניבסקי, שמריהו יוסף חיים, 1928–, Zeraim Vol. 1, Zeraim Vol. 2
Shoneh Halachos a systematic presentation of the popular work Mishnah Berurah. Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3
Shekel Hakodesh on the laws of Kidush Hachodesh. HebrewBooks.org Sefer Detail: שקל הקדש – קניבסקי, שמריהו יוסף חיים
Orchos Yosher HebrewBooks.org Sefer Detail: ארחות יושר – קניבסקי, שמריהו יוסף חיים בן ישראל יעקב
Siach Hasadeh Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol.3
Nachal Eisan on the laws of Eglah Arufah. HebrewBooks.org Sefer Detail: נחל איתן – קניבסקי, שמריהו יוסף חיים, 1978–
Ta'ama D'kra HebrewBooks.org Sefer Detail: טעמא דקרא – קניבסקי,שמריהו יוסף חיים בן יעקב ישראל
B'sha'ar Hamelech HebrewBooks.org Sefer Detail: בשער המלך – קניבסקי, שמריהו יוסף חיים, 1928–
L'mechase Atik HebrewBooks.org Sef

May the merit of the tzadik Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky protect us all. Amen