Chazon Ish - Rav Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz (1)

Rav Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz (November 7, 1878 - October 24, 1953) is better know as the Chazon Ish. Rav Avraham Yeshaya was remarkable because he was able to learn for many hours at a time. He learned all of Torah. He also studied science and math and used all his knowledge to pasken halacha. During World War I, he never left the Beis Medrash even though there were battles going on close to where he was living. His wife ran a store, and he learned in the Beis Medrash. The non-Jews who shopped in the store would wait for him to come to the store to give them blessings.

He is called the Chazon Ish becuase he wanted so much to be private that when he was 13, he made a vow to learn Torah L’shma and not take money for it. Whenever he wrote Torah thoughts, he published his ideas anonymously and simply signed them "ish" ("man").

You may be interested in this picture of the Chazon Ish: