Inception

Ten years ago, Rabbi Albert Betesh recognized the need to preserve and record the teachings of our late Chief Rabbi, Hacham Baruch Ben-Haim zt”l. With this in mind, he established the “Hacham Baruch Memorial Foundation,” thus embarking on the almost impossible project of collecting and compiling the Rabbi’s teachings from a span of nearly 20 years.

This undertaking not only serves as an immeasurable service for the community, but also as a fulfillment of the Rabbi’s dream. Throughout his life, the Rabbi expressed his earnest desire to write and publish his many hiddushim and halachic teachings. The Rabbi possessed a rare combination of breadth and depth in halacha and aggadah which was paralleled by his substantial knowledge of our unique customs. However, his immense dedication to the community’s concerns eclipsed his passion for this project and sadly never came to fruition.

                                          Torat Hacham Baruch

Armed with hundreds of recordings and tens of manuscripts, Rabbi Betesh set out to have the Rabbi’s lectures transcribed so all the information can be sifted through and easily located. The Rabbi’s lectures cover a span of halachot ranging from the first chapter of Shulhan Aruch Orah Haim through the laws of berachot and beyond.

Given the nature of the material and the form in which it was transmitted, this project requires the work and skill of scholars and gifted writers to sift, compile, study, record, annotate, and ultimately publish the Rabbi’s teachings. Thousands of hours are poured into this project yearly to create a product that is both instrumental and conducive for the scholar and layman alike.

To date, the foundation published two volumes of “Torat Hacham Baruch,” covering the first 94 chapters of Shulchan Aruch. Each chapter and subchapter came to life after thoroughly studying the subject from its source in the Gemara, Rishonim, Acharonim and halachic authorities. This work is crucial to accurately understand and record the Rabbi’s halachic decisions on many complex issues. After collecting the Rabbi’s rulings on each subject, they are clearly and expertly written as a commentary on the Shulchan Aruch.

The halachic world is vast and complex, naturally producing various opinions. Publishing a halachic work requires a multitude of citations, sources, and in-depth analysis to give the discerning reader a complete understanding of the ruling presented. Thus the “miluim” section was introduced. Adding this section proved to shed new light on the Rabbi’s teachings giving them substance and understanding like never before.

                                             Other projects

In addition to our multivolume series, Hacham Baruch Memorial Foundation also publishes various English language booklets and guides for the community based on the teachings of Hacham Baruch zt”l. To date, Hacham Baruch Memorial Foundation published halachic guides and Torah essays on Rosh Hashana, Pesah, Shabuot, and more.