A PUBLICATION OF THE RABBINIC ALUMNI OF THE RABBI ISAAC ELCHANAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY • AN AFFILIATE OF YESHIVA UNIVERSITY CHAVRUSA volume 46 • number 1 אין התורה נקנית אלא בחבורה (ברכות סג:) march 2012 • adar 5772 משנכנס אדר מרבים בשמחה in this issue Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary Page 5 A Jubilee Presentation Richard M. Joel President, Yeshiva universitY Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm ChanCellor, Yeshiva universitY rosh haYeshiva, riets Rabbi Julius Berman Chairman of the Board of trustees, riets Page 10 Kupietsky Scholars Program Rabbi Yona Reiss max and marion Grill dean, riets Rabbi Kenneth Brander david mitzner dean, Center for the Jewish future Rabbi Zevulun Charlop dean emeritus, riets sPeCial advisor to the President on Yeshiva affairs Page 20 Special Feature A Plea for Divorce Ethics Rabbi Robert Hirt viCe President emeritus, riets By rabbi menachem rosenfeld Rabbi Chaim Bronstein administrator, riets Page 3 In Pictures Page 12 Divrei Chizuk CHAVRUSA Recent Events at Lilmod U-Le-Lamed a PuBliCation of riets raBBiniC alumni Yeshiva University By rabbi michael rosensweig Rabbi Ronald L. Schwarzberg Page 6 2011 RIETS Dinner direCtor, the morris and Gertrude Bienenfeld dePartment of Jewish Career develoPment Speech and PlaCement rabbi aharon lichtenstein Adapted for CHAVRUSA Rabbi Levi Mostofsky Magazine editor, CHAVRUSA Page 8 Interview Page 16 Book Reviews Ms. Keren Simon with Rabbi Dr. assistant editor, CHAVRUSA Aharon Lichtenstein Page 11 Day of Learning Page 21 Lifecycles Ms. Orli Haken assistant editor, CHAVRUSA Sponsorships at RIETS Rabbi Robert Shur GraPhiCs and laYout, CHAVRUSA CHAVRUSA is published three times a year by the rabbinic alumni of the editorial Policies rabbi isaac elchanan theological seminary, through the office of Yeshiva university’s Center for the Jewish future. • CHAVRUSA will consider articles and letters for publication. 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Please necesarily reflect official seminary and/or university policy. e-mail them to [email protected] 2 Chavrusa • adar 5772 in Pictures 6th annual fuld family medical ethics Conference in the Public eye: Jewish Perspectives on Public health november 6, 2011 the rebbetzin esther rosenblatt Yarchei Kallah for rebbetzins november 14-15, 2011 Program for Jewish Genetic health Conference Guiding Your Congregants through the lifecycle: halachic, scientifi c, Clinical, Pastoral, and Counseling approaches to Genetic issues december 5, 2011 3 Chavrusa • adar 5771 in Pictures executive rabbinic seminar legacy heritage distinguished rabbinic fellowship executive rabbinic seminar december 11-13, 2011 machon Puah Course at Yeshiva university Joint Certifi cate Program on medical and halachic issues associated with infertility december 18, 2011 rabbi Yaakov ariel visits Yeshiva university february 9-14, 2012 4 Chavrusa • adar 5771 news a Jubilee Presentation: reflecting on 50 Years riets honors rabbi aharon lichtenstein, Julius and dorothy Berman at nov. 13 annual dinner of tribute Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary Dorothy and Julius Berman (RIETS), an affiliate of Yeshiva University, Rabbi Julius Berman, and his wife, Dorothy, held its Annual Dinner of Tribute on Sunday, are long-standing board members and November 13, 2011 at The Grand Hyatt in supporters of Yeshiva University. Rabbi New York City. The dinner’s theme—“A Jubilee Berman currently serves as chairman of the Celebration Honoring 50 Years of Torah and Board of Trustees of RIETS and executive Community Leadership”—paid tribute to the committee of YU. He serves as the chairman guests of honor, Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein and of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Julius and Dorothy Berman, who celebrated against Germany, Inc. and as honorary a half century of affiliation with Yeshiva president of the Union of Orthodox Jewish University and Jewish communal service. Congregations of America. He has headed many national Jewish organizations, including Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein the Conference of Presidents of Major Rabbi Lichtenstein serves as the Rabbi Henoch American Jewish Organizations, the Jewish and Sarah D. Berman Professor of Talmud of Telegraphic Agency, and the American Zionist RIETS and Rosh Kollel and director of the Youth Foundation. RIETS Caroline and Joseph S. Gruss Institute As a confidant of Rabbi Soloveitchik, in Jerusalem. He embodies a lifetime of Rabbi Berman was, and is, instrumental in commitment to intensive and original Torah publishing the Rav’s works. A partner in the study that articulates a bold Jewish worldview, law firm of Kaye Scholer LLP, he received his embracing elements of modernity within bachelor’s degree from YU in 1956, semichah the framework of a Torah life, reflecting the from RIETS in 1959 and his JD from New tradition of his teacher and father-in-law, Rabbi York University. He received an honorary Joseph B. Soloveitchik, the Rav zt”l. doctorate from YU in 1995. Rabbi Lichtenstein studied in Yeshiva Dorothy Berman graduated magna Rabbi Chaim Berlin under Rabbi Yitzchok cum laude from Stern College for Women Hutner before earning a bachelor’s degree in 1959 and received her master’s degree in at Yeshiva College and semicha [rabbinic education from YU’s Ferkauf Graduate School ordination] at RIETS, followed by a PhD in of Psychology in 1960. She is president of English literature at Harvard University. After the Yeshivat Har Etzion Foundation and was serving as a rosh yeshiva at RIETS for several national vice president of AMIT Women, years, Rabbi Lichtenstein moved to Israel with among her many communal activities. She is his wife, Dr. Tovah (née Soloveitchik), in 1971 a vice chair of the Board of Overseers of Stern to lead Yeshivat Har Etzion. They have six College. The Bermans have three children and children and numerous grandchildren. nine grandchildren. n 5 Chavrusa • adar 5771 news adapted text of rabbi aharon lichtenstein’s speech at the 5772 riets dinner “President Joel, my esteemed colleagues, Roshei Yeshiva of our three brachot, with the assumption that one of them will hit the mark. Yeshiva. Members of the various boards of the yeshiva, and finally, However, there is an alternative explanation, one which I think for my wife, Tova, who has been such a tower of strength and relationship us is most enriching, most comprehensive and most moving. What of support, and our six wonderful children, mevakshei Hashem, ovdei we have here in effect threebrachot , each of which develops a certain Hashem. theme, and relates to one of the families of brachot. The first, which is First I want to give thanks, generally for the award which has formulated asher kideshanu be’mitzvotav vetzivanu, is in effect abracha been given to me, but beyond that, for some of the things said here which we recite over the duty- the normative obligation- to learn this evening, exaggerated as I am sure they are, but the sentiments- the Torah. hearts from which they emerged- are very close to me and a source of The focus there is the part of the obligation- the duty, the norm. great gratification. We worship the Rebono Shel Olam and serve Him as commanded and I have been asked to make some remarks in response to what we demanded of us, but we don’t serve Him and don’t want to serve Him have heard. I do so, accepting the award on behalf of my colleagues, exclusively in that capacity. There’s no question that the concept of and all the talmidim that have been at the center of all the success I mitzvah is more central- more crucial- to our religious existence than, have been able to achieve. I want to focus on several points relating to lehavdil, to other traditions. It is the critical term designating- defining- harbazat haTorah, points which should be familiar to those present, but the relationship between ourselves and the Boreh Olam. Alongside the never the less should be reiterated and intensified. In doing so, I refer reference to the normative element, we want to speak in terms of praise to the most familiar and primary of texts to a Jewish boy or a Jewish and thanksgiving, shevach ve’hoda’ah, expressions of gratitude- how girl: the siddur. Specifically that part of the siddur, depending on which wonderful it is- how much we are in debt to Him, how meaningful the siddur you have, that is at the very beginning or shortly thereafter: He has been in our lives, personally, communally and collectively. the brachot concerning talmud Torah, which we recite daily- men, This is the bracha ofasher bachar banu.