By COLlive reporter
Rabbi Yosef Sholom Halevi Weinfeld, a noted Torah publisher and author whose work helped make classic Jewish texts more accessible to a broad audience, passed away on Thursday night at the age of 82.
Weinfeld was widely known as the author of the “Yesod Malchus” commentary and as a leading figure behind the long-established “Eshkol” publishing house, which has played a significant role in disseminating seforim for nearly a century.
He was born on the 15th of Iyar, 5704 (1944), to his father, the renowned gaon Rabbi Yaakov Shaul Weinfeld, author of “Mishnas Yaakov” and founder of the Eshkol publishing house, and his mother, Mrs. Rachel Goldberg, daughter of Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Goldberg.
In his youth, he studied under the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, the “Yeshuos Moshe,” from whom he also received approbations for his later works.
Following his father’s passing in 1989 (תשמ”ט), the publishing rights were divided between the brothers. His brother, Rabbi Shmuel Yehuda Halevi Weinfeld, established the “Shai L’Mora” publishing house, while Rabbi Yosef Sholom continued to lead and significantly expand the Eshkol publishing enterprise.
Under his direction, the publishing house released a wide range of seforim, many featuring clear, structured commentary aimed at aiding comprehension during learning and tefillah.
His most prominent contribution, the “Yesod Malchus” commentary, was designed as a word-by-word explanatory system printed directly alongside the original text. This format provided readers with immediate access to meaning without needing to consult multiple sources, offering both linguistic clarity and visual accessibility.
Over the years, his commentary was published across numerous foundational texts, including Tehillim, siddurim, machzorim, Chumash, Nach, and Shabbos zemiros. The approach was considered innovative for its graphic presentation and user-friendly structure.
Among the widely distributed titles produced by Eshkol are the siddur “Tefillat Kol Peh,” the machzor series “Machzor Rabba,” and vocalized editions of the Six Orders of Mishnah, all of which reached communities throughout the Jewish world.
Weinfeld is survived by his brother, Rabbi Shmuel Yehuda Halevi Weinfeld, a senior member of the Chabad community in Jerusalem and founder of “Shai L’Mora,” as well as extended family members in Israel and the United States.
The levaya was held on Friday in Jerusalem, and he was be laid to rest in Har HaZeisim.
Baruch Dayan Haemes.
