Zelig Reuven Bengis - Rav in Lithuania

Rav in Lithuania

After having spent 19 years as Rav of Boćki (Bodki), in 1911 he became the Rav of Kalvarija, Lithuania. During his time as Rav of Kalvarija, World War I broke out. During the war, the Russian government forced Jews to move further eastward. Rabbi Bengis settled in Smolensk, a Russian town where many non-religious Jews lived. In Smolensk, Rabbi Bengis involved himself in teaching these non-religious Jews about Judaism. In this, he received strong encouragement from the Chofetz Chaim.

After the war, Bengis returned to Kalvarija. His reputation grew, and he was known as an expert in all areas of Judaism - he knew countless Jewish works, including the entire Tanach, both the Yerushalmi and Bavli, the Rambam, Shulchan Aruch, backward and forward. He received halachic questions from all over the world. Some of his halachic rulings were published in the periodical HaTevunah, but they were never published in bookform.