Rabbi Joseph Baer Soloveitchik S.Z.L (1903-1993) My Rebbe, Teacher and Revered Mentor: Rabbi Joseph Baer Soloveitchik S.Z.L
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Rabbi Joseph Baer Soloveitchik s.z.l (1903-1993) My Rebbe, teacher and revered mentor: Rabbi Joseph Baer Soloveitchik s.z.l. 1 1. Introduction and biography Rav Joseph Baer Soloveitchik s.z.l. (1903-1993 C.E.) was one of the most respected American Orthodox Rabbis, both a learned Talmudist and a modern Jewish philosopher. With accomplishments in both Halachah and secular studies at the highest level, he was a unique personality among all the Torah Sages in the world. He was a descendent of the Lithuanian-Polish Jewish Soloveitchik Rabbinic dynasty and was born in Poland, into a family for whom the study of Torah was central. Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik (1853-1918 C.E.), who was a teacher at the world famous Yeshiva (Talmud Academy) of Volozhin was his grandfather and Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik (1820-1892 C.E.), the author of the Rabbinic and Talmudic work Beith HaLevi, was his great-grandfather and namesake. His great-great-grandfather was Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin (1816-1893 C.E.), also known as the “Netziv”. The connection between the Soloveitchik and Berlin families came about through the marriage of a granddaughter of the “Netziv” (Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin) to Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik. The Soloveitchiks were Rabbis in the city of Brisk, a famous Jewish Kehillah (community) on the border of Russia and Belarus. Rav Joseph Baer Soloveitchik´s father, Rabbi Moshe Soloveichik (1879-1941 C.E.), preceded him as Rosh Yeshiva, head and dean of the Rabbinic Seminary or RIETS, the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Rabbinic Theological Seminary, at Yeshiva University in New York, U.S.A. At the RIETS also I finished my Rabbinic Studies and received my, Semichah (Rabbinic ordination), personally signed by my Rebbe (Yiddish for Rabbi) and teacher, Rav Joseph Baer Soloveitchik s.z.l. I had the privilege to be present when he signed my Semichah certificate, with a hand already trembling with age in his home in Boston. I was along the last ones for whom he signed the Semichah before the illness struck from which he unfortunately did not recover. His father and grandfather introduced a thorough analysis of the Talmud according to the rules of logic to the Yeshiva world. “By creating a systematic approach to Talmudic analysis and a thematic method for categorizing Torah ideas and concepts, R´ Chaim (Soloveitchik of Brisk) served as one of the ba´alei mesorah” according to R´Mordechai Programansky, one of the giants of the pre-Shoah world of Torah and Mussar, (The Pirkei Avos Treasury, Art Scroll Mesorah Series, 2009, p. 9) Rav Joseph Baer Soloveitchik adopted their method of learning and taught Talmud to his students in the same manner. He received a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Berlin. After that, around 1930, he settled in Boston, U.S.A. There he became Chief Rabbi and in New York he taught Shiurim (Talmud and Torah lessons) every week to senior students, besides giving classes in philosophy to graduating students. 2 Rav J.B. Soloveitchik was accepted as the pre-eminent leader of the politically aware, Zionist Modern-Orthodox Judaism. Out of respect many asked his advice and blessing on certain issues (for example Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion asked his advise on the question of “who is a Jew”). He was offered the position of Chief Rabbi of Israel, but he calmly and consistently refused this offer. Despite his open and ardent support for the modern State of Israel, he only visited Israel once, in 1935, before the establishment of the State. According to his disciples the reason was that if he were to have visited again, he would not have had the heart to return to the U.S.A. from Israel. He led, counselled and ordained about 2000 Rabbis during more than half a century, during which time also I had the privilege of being his student and Talmid (student of the Talmud). Boston remained his place of residence until his passing. Pictures of the Soloveitchik Rabbinic dynasty (Brisker dynasty) Left: Rabbi Yosef Dov HaLevi (1820-1892 C.E.), founder of the Brisker-dynasty Middle: Rabbi Chaim of Brisk (1853-1918 C.E.), the most well known Rabbi in the Yeshiva world Right: Rabbi Yitzchok Zev Soloveitchik (1886-1959 C.E.), the last Rav of Brisk and survivor of the Shoah Synagogue of Brisk, destroyed during the Shoah 3 Left: Rabbi Moshe Soloveitchik (1879-1941 C.E.), son of Rabbi Chaim Brisker, father of Rabbi Dr. J.B. Soloveitchik, teacher and Rosh Yeshiva at the RIETS Middle: Rabbi Dr. J.B. Soloveitchik (1903-1993 C.E.), Rosh Yeshiva and lecturer at the RIETS of Yeshiva University, New York, U.S.A. Right: Rabbi Ahron Soloveitchik (1917-2001 C.E.), successor to his brother as Rosh Yeshiva and lecturer at the RIETS of Yeshiva University, New York, U.S.A. Left: Prof. Dr. Rabbi Isidor Twersky (1930-1997 C.E.), son-in-law of Rabbi J.B. Soloveitchik. He was Professor of Jewish Studies at Harvard University near Boston, U.S.A. Middle: Prof. Dr. Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein (1933 C.E.), son-in-law of Rabbi J.B. Soloveitchik s.z.l. He is Rosh Yeshiva of Har Etzion, Gush Etzion, Israel Right: Prof. Dr. Chaim Soloveitchik (1937 C.E.), son of Rabbi J.B. Soloveitchik and lecturer in Jewish Studies at Yeshiva University, New York, U.S.A., and Hebrew University, Yerushalayim/Jerusalem, Israel Left: Main building of the RIETS in New York, U.S.A., built in 1926 and historically protected Right: Rabbi Hershel Schachter (1941 C.E.) (on the right) a successor to Rabbi J.B. Soloveitchik, with on the right Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv s.z.l. (1910-2012 C.E.) 4 Pictures connected to the Yeshiva of Volozhin, Lithuania/Belarus Yeshiva of Volozhin, Lithuania/Belarus, model for and mother of all Yeshivoth (plural of Yeshiva) in Europe and in the world Left: “Gaon of Vilna” (1720-1797 C.E.), initiator of the Yeshiva in Volozhin Right: Grave of Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, founder of the Yeshiva in Volozhin, most faithful follower of the “Gaon of Vilna” Memorial stone for the Volozhin Jewish Community in the Tel Aviv Cemetery 5 Left: Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin (1816-1893 C.E.), known as the “Netziv” (acronym of the first letters of his name). Last Rosh Yeshiva of Volozhin, till its forced closure by Tsarist Russia in 1892 C.E. He was the great-great grandfather of Rav Joseph Baer Soloveitchik s.z.l. Middle: Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik of Brisk (1853-1918 C.E.), the most well known Rabbi in the Yeshiva world, was a lecturer at the Yeshiva of Volozhin Right: Rabbi Chaim Berlin (1832-1912 C.E.), eldest son of the “Netziv”, Chief Rabbi of Moscow and during his last years Chief Rabbi of Yerushalayim Left: Rabbi Meir Berlin (1880-1949 C.E.), leader of Mizrachi, the national-religious movement in Israel. He Hebrewized his name to Bar-Ilan. The Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan, Israel, was named after him. It is the only national religious university in Eretz Israel Right: Rabbi Yitzchok Hutner (1906-1980 C.E.), trusted friend of Rabbi Dr. J.B. Soloveitchik, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Chaim Berlin in Brooklyn, U.S.A. and author of Pachad Yitzchok about the teachings of the “Maharal of Prague” Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin in Brooklyn, U.S.A. is the richest Yeshiva in the world 6 2. Early years, upbringing and education. Rav J.B. Soloveitchik grew up in a traditional Talmud Torah (Cheider) manner. He studied at an important Yeshiva and respected private tutors taught him. In 1922 he finished his Gymnasium. He graduated in political sciences at the University of Warsaw, Poland, in 1924, leaving for Berlin, Germany in 1926. In Berlin he enrolled at the Friedrich Wilhelm University. He continued his studies of philosophical, economical and Hebrew subjects, combining them with a thorough study of the Talmud. Parallel to this he also attended the famous Orthodox Rabbinic Seminary “Hildesheimer” in Berlin. In 1932 he obtained a doctorate in philosophy at Berlin University. Besides English, Hebrew and Yiddish, Rabbi Dr. J.B. Soloveitchik knew Latin, Greek, Polish and German. Left: Rabbi Ezriel Hildesheimer (1820-1899 C.E.) who founded the Neo-Orthodoxe Rabbiner Seminar “Hildesheimer” in Berlin, Germany Right: Rabbi Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg (1884-1966 C.E.), the last Rosh Yeshiva/dean of the “Hildesheimer” Seminary in Berlin, Germany In 1931 he married Tonya Lewitt (1904-1967 C.E.), who was also educated at a university. The fact that she did not wear a Sheitel (head covering, wig) in public was considered a provocation by many Ultra-Orthodox Rabbis. During his Berlin years Rav Soloveitchik was a faithful disciple of Rabbi Hayim Heller (1880-1960 C.E.), who had established an institute in Berlin for Modern Jewish Studies from an Orthodox perspective. He also developed a friendship with Rabbi Yitzchok Hutner (1906-1980 C.E.), later head of the Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin in Brooklyn, U.S.A. Rabbi Yitzchok Hutner was known for his Talmudic knowledge and the teachings of the “Maharal of Prague” (1520-1609 C.E.), characterised by deep Kabbalistic roots. Our family used to have a small hotel and Rabbi Yitzchok Hutner stayed at our hotel. I used to bring him ice cubes and many times he used to test me on my knowledge. He would praise me in front of my father Shmuel Yosef Daum s.z.l. (1924-2003 7 C.E.) to please him. This is a method I also adopted during my years of teaching at schools and it proved very successful.