Hafetz Haim

Rabbi Israel Meir Hacohen Of Radin
The "Hafetz Haim" (1838-1933)
Official Medal 2010/5770
4th Medal in the "Jewish Sages" Series

Rabbi Meir HaCohen (Kagan – the Russian version of Cohen) is known as the “Hafetz Haim”, which is also the title of his famous treatise on the morality of one’s speech (1873), taken from the verse in the Book of Psalms,34: “…The man who desires life (“hafetz haim”), guard his tongue from evil…”.
Born in Radin, near Vilna (Vilnius), Poland, he established a “yeshiva” there and wrote 21 literary works, from which he earned his living, as well as from running a small shop. He was acknowledged among the pre-Holocaust great rabbis of Europe as an exemplary image of morality, humility and Torah and “halachic” scholarship and remains as such until today. He was among the founders of the ultra orthodox political movement “Agudat Yisrael” and the “Bet Yaacov” girls’ schools, the first such religious institutions. His great influence is still felt today and Kibbutz Hafetz Haim in Israel and his namesake yeshiva in New York attest to this fact.

Obverse: On the medal face, the likeness of Rabbi Meir HaCohen, known as the “Hafetz Haim”.

Reverse: The design on the common reverse represents the wisdom and holiness that emanate from the works of our Jewish Sages over the generations.

Edge:
Bronze medal: Milled.
Silver and Gold medals: Smooth.

Designer: Aharon Shevo.

Engraving: Romania.

Mint:
Bronze and Silver medals: Romania.
Gold medal: ICMC Mint.