He later took on the name Even-Israel (“Stone of Israel”).
One of the rabbi’s most renowned and significant projects was the Steinsaltz-Talmud, a translation from the original Aramaic, alongside an annotated explanation to all 2,711 pages of the Babylonian Talmud.
Four years ago, the rabbi finished his commentary on the Torah (The Pentateuch), as well as on the writings of the Prophets Jeremiah, Isaiah and Ezekiel, and on the book of Psalms. In recent years, he went on to complete the full commentary of the Old Testament, in both English and Hebrew, while his commentary on the six books of the Mishnah are due to be published in the coming months.
His work earned him recognition and praise in Israel and around the world. Time magazine called him a “once-in-a-millennium scholar,” while the long list of awards and degrees he received included the Israel Prize for Jewish Studies in 1988, the President’s Medal in 2012, the Yakir Yerushalayim (“Beloved of Jerusalem”) Medal in 2017, and honorary doctorates from Bar-Ilan University, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Yeshiva University in New York.
The U.S. Library of Congress recently announced the acceptance into its catalogue of an English translation of an extensive work about the Steinsaltz Center and its work.
The Steinsaltz Center in Jerusalem has served as an umbrella organization, coordinating the rabbi’s various activities and initiatives, and it will continue to do so in his memory. The organization includes a publishing house, and works to establish educational institutions- and promote informal education projects. The center remains dedicated to promoting the rabbi’s vision of making Jewish learnings and Jewish culture accessible to all.
Steinsaltz is survived by his wife, Sarah; their three children; and many grandchildren.