A PUBLICATION OF THE RABBINIC ALUMNI OF THE RABBI ISAAC ELCHANAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY • AN AFFILIATE OF YESHIVA UNIVERSITY CHAVRUSA Volume 47 • Number 3 אין התורה נקנית אלא בחבורה (ברכות סג:) May 2013 • Sivan 5773 Remembering Spotlight on: Denver Rav Soloveitchik Page 26 Page 5 In This Issue Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary Page 5 Remembering Rav Soloveitchik Richard M. Joel PRESIDENT, YESHIVA UNIVERSITY Yeshiva University marks the Rav’s 20th Yahrtzeit with a full day of lectures and presentations Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm CHANCELLOR, YESHIVA UNIVERSITY ROSH HAYESHIVA, RIETS Joel M. Schrieber CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, RIETS Page 11 Personal Reflections on the Rav Essays from Rabbi Kenneth Brander, Rabbi Dr. Norman Rabbi Yona Reiss Lamm, and Rabbi Dr. David Shatz MAX AND MARION GRILL DEAN, RIETS Rabbi Kenneth Brander DAVID MITZNER DEAN, CENTER FOR THE JEWISH FUTURE Rabbi Menachem Penner ASSOCIATE DEAN OF OPERATIONS, RIETS Page 26 Special Feature Rabbi Zevulun Charlop The Centennial State’s Communal Rabbi DEAN EMERITUS, RIETS An interview with Rabbi Daniel Alter SPECIAL ADVISOR TO THE PRESIDENT ON YESHIVA AFFAIRS Rabbi Robert Hirt VICE PRESIDENT EMERITUS, RIETS Rabbi Chaim Bronstein In Pictures Book Review ADMINISTRATOR, RIETS Page 3 Page 33 Chanukas HaTorah: Mystical Page 5 In the News Rabbi Adam Berner • Rabbi Binyamin Blau Insights of Rav Avraham Yehoshua Page 10 Divrei Chizuk Heschel on Chumash Rabbi Kenneth Hain • Rabbi Elazar Muskin Standing at Sinai by Rabbi Cary Friedman Rabbi Moshe Neiss • Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Rybak By Rabbi Eli Baruch Shulman Reviewed by Rabbi Avraham Gordimer Rabbi Shmuel Silber • Rabbi Perry Tirschwell Page 31 In Tribute Rabbi Elchanan Weinbach • Rabbi Howard Zack Rabbi Herbert W. Bomzer z”l Page 35 Life-Cycle Events Rabbi Eliezer Zwickler By Binni Lewis, Aryeh Sklar YESHIVA UNIVERSITY RABBINIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE and Faygie Hellman CHAVRUSA A PUBLICATION OF RIETS RABBINIC ALUMNI Rabbi Levi Mostofsky Editorial Policies EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, CHAVRUSA • CHAVRUSA will consider articles and letters for publication. Noson Waintman • Books authored by musmakhim that are reviewed by musmakhim will be considered for EDITOR, CHAVRUSA publication as well. • Obituaries about and authored by musmakhim will be considered for publication. Ms. Keren Simon • CHAVRUSA aims to maintain the Hebrew pronunciation style of the author of the article. ASSISTANT EDITOR, CHAVRUSA Transliterations follow the author’s preference i.e. academic, Ashkenazic, modern Hebrew or the like. While we will remain consistent within articles, each author will be afforded to Rabbi Robert Shur transliterate within his comfort level. 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Please e-mail them to Services which, for over 60 years, has served as one of the premier service [email protected]. organizations for the Jewish community. 500 West 185th St. Suite 413 • New York, NY 10033 212-960-5400 ext. 6014 [email protected] •www.yu.edu/cjf CHAVRUSA is back in print! Dues-paying Rabbinic Alumni will now Editorial contributions and submissions to CHAVRUSA are welcome. be receiving a printed copy of CHAVRUSA This publication accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. All submissions are subject to editing and are used at the editor’s discretion. Opinions expressed in this publication do not reflect official Seminary and/or University policy. 2 CHAVRUSA • SIVAN 5773 In Pictures Yom Ha’atzmaut Kinus and Se’udat Hodaah 5773 Purim 5773 in Yeshiva Yeshiva Student’s Siyum Hashas On March 10, Moshe Abrams, a first year RIETS student, made a siyum on the entire Talmud Bavli 3 CHAVRUSA • SIVAN 5773 In Pictures Program for CJF Yarchei Kallah Alumni 2013 in Baltimore, MD Rabbinic Marriage Course Yom Iyun on Divorce A recently completed six-month Continuing Rabbinic Education opportunity offered by Yeshiva University’s Center for the Jewish Future brought together 41 rabbis both online and in person to learn about the rabbi’s role in the counseling of couples throughout all stages of relationship—from dating and marriage to crisis, death and divorce. Using the models of common rabbinical situations and experiences “in the field,” the participants learned what the “rabbi’s role” is in each situation and how to effectively engage and partner with couples, families and mental health professionals in formulating and implementing a counseling plan. Throughout the course, participants benefitted hearing from Roshei Yeshiva of RIETS and leading mental health professionals in the field, in addition to the course coordinator, Rabbi Dr. Jonathan Schwartz Psy.D. (’99R) 4 CHAVRUSA • SIVAN 5773 News Yeshiva University Commemorates the Life and Legacy of Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik zt”l RIETS and Yeshiva University’s Center for the Jewish Future (CJF) commemorated the 20th yahrzeit of “the Rav,” Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik zt”l, Torah luminary and YU Rosh Yeshiva, with a full-day learning program that took place in the Lamport Auditorium on YU’s Wilf Campus. Thousands attended in-person or followed the event online to gain insight into the Rav’s life and legacy through lectures, discussions and presentations given by his family and closest students. “I experience a sense of déjà vu standing in this room today, for in this Rabbi Mayer Twersky delivers the keynote lecture. very room we waited with baited breath for the Rav to enter and deliver his famous shiurim on his father’s yahrtzeit Herschel Schachter (’67R), RIETS Rosh Dr. Twersky noted, “Many people— each year,” said Joel Schreiber (’60R), Yeshiva; Rabbi Dr. David Shatz (’73R), including my father himself—would later chairman of the RIETS Board of Trustees, YU professor of philosophy; and Rabbi refer to the Rav as a melamed. While I in his opening remarks to the participants. Kenneth Brander (’86R), David Mitzner would call him this too, if I had to find “In this room thousands of men and Dean of the CJF, to examine the many one word or phrase to describe him, it women had their hearts, minds and souls and varied roles played by the Rav during would be baal emunah—my father was a lifted to unimaginable heights by the Rav.” his lifetime. man of faith, and his faith inspired his role The program kicked off with Speaking about her father’s early as a teacher.” “Multiple Faces of the Rav,” a panel that career, after he arrived as a young man While Rabbi Schachter and Rabbi brought together Rabbi Soloveitchik’s in Boston with limited English skills, no Dr. Shatz explored the depth and reach daughter, Dr. Atarah Twersky, and several rabbinic experience and no knowledge of the Rav’s philosophy, Rabbi Brander, students of the Rav, including Rabbi of the American Jewish community, who served as his shamesh, touched on a more uncommon theme: the ideals of chessed Rabbi Soloveitchik inherited from his grandfather, Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik of Brisk. “When people think of Rav Soloveitchik, they describe his brilliance,” Rabbi Brander said. “The Rav not only inherited Reb Chaim’s intellect, he had internalized Reb Chaim’s ideals of chessed. He truly felt the pain of others and was happiest when he could solve their dilemmas, pained when he could not, sleepless and steadfast when he had the opportunity to marshal his 5 CHAVRUSA • SIVAN 5773 News intellectual arsenal to help another human being.” Rabbi Brander added: “There is no Jewish community in the world that has not been touched by the Rav, his students, or his writings.” Rabbi Mayer Twersky (’85R), RIETS Rosh Yeshiva and grandson of the Rav, delivered the day’s keynote lecture, “Mesorah & Modernity: The Role of the Rav.” Discussing the interaction of Western ideals and the Rav’s hashkafa, Rabbi Twersky argued that his self-identification as a teacher of Torah provided Rabbi Soloveitchik with the means to reconcile any conflict (L-R) Rabbi Fabian Schonfeld (’52R), Rabbi Julius Berman (’59R) arising between the two—without compromising on his religious beliefs. “Torah is not always in sync with enabled audience members to join in the the importance of the Rav’s teaching in the tempo of the times,” Rabbi Twersky conversation. Sessions in the first time modern society. said. “The force of the Rav’s majestic, slot included a discussion of the Rav’s In the second time slot, Rabbi Shalom charismatic personality, his brilliant unique derech halimud led by Rabbi Carmy (’84R), YU assistant professor of shiurim and his projection of the vitality Schachter and RIETS Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Jewish philosophy and Bible, and Rabbi and multidimensionality of halakha, the Menachem Genack (’73R); exploration Michael Taubes (’83R), head of school at confidence which he represented and of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s thoughts and Yeshiva University High School for Boys, radiated in our mesorah, all distilled the rulings on interfaith relations led by delved into the Rav’s philosophy on prayer, message of this melamed par excellence Rabbi Dr. Shatz and Dr. David Berger while Rabbi Fabian Schonfeld (’52R), into a simple phrase well known to all (’68R), dean and Ruth and I. Lewis rabbi emeritus at Young Israel of Kew of us and a message that his and our Gordon Professor of Jewish History at Garden Hills, and Rabbi Julius Berman generation very much needs to hear: the Bernard Revel Graduate School of (’59R), RIETS Board of Trustees chairman ‘Moshe emes v’soraso emes—Moses is Jewish Studies; and the reflections of emeritus, took an in-depth look at the true and his Torah is the truth.’” Rabbi Dr.