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                                                                     EXHIBIT 5.1


                       KRAMER LEVIN NAFTALIS & FRANKEL LLP

                                919 THIRD AVENUE

                           NEW YORK, N.Y. 10022 - 3852

                                  May 25, 2001


                                                              47, Avenue Hoche
                                                                 75008 Paris
TEL (212) 715-9100                                                 France
FAX (212) 715-8000




Vishay Intertechnology, Inc.
63 Lincoln Highway
Malvern, PA  19355

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         We have acted as counsel to Vishay Intertechnology, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), in connection with the Registration Statement on
Form S-4 (the "Registration Statement") filed by the Company with the
Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(the "Act"), relating to the issuance by the Company of up to 8,784,438 shares
of common stock, par value $0.10 per share in connection with the offering
described in the Registration Statement (the "Shares"). The Company will offer,
through Vishay TEMIC Semiconductor Acquisition Holdings Corp., a wholly-owned
subsidiary of the Company, to exchange (the "Exchange Offer") the Shares for all
of the outstanding shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of
Siliconix incorporated that the Company and its subsidiaries do not own(the
"Siliconix Common Shares").

         We have examined the Registration Statement. We also have examined the
originals, or duplicates or certified or conformed copies, of such records,
agreements, instruments and other documents and have made such other and further
investigations as we have deemed relevant and necessary in connection with the
opinions expressed herein. As to questions of fact material to this opinion, we
have relied upon the certificates of public officials and of officers and
representatives of the Company.

         In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures,
the legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all documents
submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all
documents submitted to us as duplicates or certified or conformed copies, and
the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents.

         Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications and
limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion that (1) when the Board of
Directors of the Company has taken all necessary corporate action to authorize
and approve the issuance of the Shares and (2) upon delivery of the Siliconix
Common Shares in exchange for the Shares in accordance with the Exchange Offer,
the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

         We are members of the Bar of the State of New York, and we do not
express any opinion herein concerning any law other than the Delaware General
Corporation Law (including the statutory provisions, all applicable provisions
of the Delaware Constitution and reported judicial decisions interpreting the
foregoing) and the federal law of the United States.
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         We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as Exhibit 5.1
to the Registration Statement and to the use of our name under the caption
"Legal Matters" in the Prospectus included in the Registration Statement.

                                        Very truly yours,


                                        Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP