Nachman Kahane

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Standard cover of Mei Menuchot published by The Institute for the Elucidation of Talmudic Commentaries.

Rabbi Nachman Kahane (Hebrew: רב נחמן בן רב יחזקאל שרגא כהנא‎) was born in 1937 ^[1] and raised in Brooklyn, New York where he attended a branch of the illustrious Novardok Yeshiva, which awarded him rabbinic ordination. His father was a well esteemed Talmudic scholar named Rabbi Yechezkel (Charles) Shraga Kahane, and his brother was Rabbi Meir Kahane, the founder of the Jewish Defense League^[2]. For a period of time he toiled as a civil servant of Israel’s Ministry of Religious Affairs^[3] and has also led the Birkat Kohanim Institute^[4], which has attempted to establish a database of reliable Kohanim in Israel. He is currently the spiritual leader of Hazon Yichezkeil a member synagogue of Young Israel (Yisrael Hatzair) in the Old City of Jerusalem^[5]. Additionally he has founded the Institute for Talmudic Commentaries (המכון להסברת מפרשי התלמוד) through which he has published “Mei Menuchot” (מי מנוחות - Restful Waters) a Hebrew elucidation of the Tosafot commentary on several tractates of the Talmud^[6]. He has also been cited as collaborating on the recent and controversial attempts to resurrect the ancient Sanhedrin in the capacity of Av Beit Din^[7] (אב בית דין - Father of the Court House), which is the second in command to the Rosh HaYeshiva / Nasi ( נשיא/ראש הישיבה - Head of the Yeshiva/Prince)^[8].