Yitzchak Blau ( Hebrew: יצחק בלאו) is an American–Israeli Modern Orthodox rabbi and Rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Orayta in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. ^{[1] [2]} He is an author and associate editor of Tradition. ^{[3] [4]} He also teaches at Midreshet Lindenbaum in Jerusalem. ^{[5] [6]} Blau is the son of Rabbi Yosef Blau, senior mashgiach ruchani at Yeshiva University, and grandson of Rabbi Mordechai Pinchas Teitz. ^[7]

Biography

Blau was born in 1968 to Yosef Blau ^[7] and Rivkah Teitz Blau, daughter of Mordechai Pinchas Teitz, himself a descendant of Mordechai Yoffe, the Levush. He grew up in Washington Heights. ^[8]

After high school, Blau studied at Yeshivat Har Etzion in Alon Shevut under Aharon Lichtenstein and Yehuda Amital. ^[9] He then attended Yeshiva University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in English literature. ^{[2] [8]} He has a Master's in Medieval Jewish History from the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies and Semikha from Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. ^{[1] [10]}

Blau taught at the Yeshiva of Flatbush High School for four years prior to making Aliyah. ^{[8] [10]} After moving to Israel, he taught at Yeshivat HaMivtar for eleven years. ^{[2] [8]} He also served as the Rosh Kollel at Yeshivat Shvilei Hatorah. ^{[8] [11]}

Blau serves as Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshivat Orayta, which was established in 2008. ^{[1] [12]} He also teaches at Midreshet Lindenbaum. ^{[4] [5]}

On January 1, 2009, Blau published a book titled, Fresh Fruit & Vintage Wine: Ethics and Wisdom of the Aggada through KTAV Publishing House. ^[13] The book focuses on aggadic portions of the Talmud, attempting to present a perspective which integrates the halachic and aggadic portions in order to arrive at novel insights.

Blau has published over thirty articles in various areas of Jewish studies. ^[4] He has also written over 200 Torah articles published on the Virtual Beit Midrash of Yeshivat Har Etzion. ^[14] Blau is associate editor for Tradition, ^[3] and has published articles in The Commentator. ^{[15] [16] [17]}

Personal

Blau is married to Noa Jeselsohn. ^[8] The Blau's reside in Alon Shevut and have four children. ^[2]

References