Joseph Dov Soloveitchik (Boston)

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Rabbi Joseph Dov Soloveitchik (son of Rabbi Moshe) and grandson of the Gaon Rabbi Chaim of Brisk, was the head of Yeshiva University in the United States, a rabbi, philosopher, and one of the spiritual leaders of Orthodox Judaism in America. He was known for his close connection and bitul (self-nullification) to the Rebbe.

Biography[edit | edit source]

Born in Pruzhan, Poland, on 12 Adar 5663. In his youth, he grew up in the town of Chaslavich, which had a large Chabad Chassidic community. There he studied with the melamed Rabbi Baruch Yaakov Rizberg-Pavzner, and as a result, he frequently studied the Tanya with Chabad Chassidim. At age 22, he began studying at the University of Berlin. According to his own testimony preserved in his personal file in Berlin, he had previously studied at the University of Warsaw. At Friedrich Wilhelm University in Berlin, he studied philosophy, mathematics, physics, and psychology (according to his brother-in-law Prof. Henry Lisman). However, he primarily studied philosophy, focusing on Neo-Kantianism, and in 1932 received his doctorate, which he wrote on the philosophy of the German-Jewish philosopher Hermann Cohen.

At the University of Berlin, he had the privilege of meeting the Rebbe, who studied with him at the same university. For one year, he also studied at the Rabbinical Seminary in Berlin, where he was introduced to the "Torah im Derech Eretz" (Torah with worldly conduct) approach of German Jewry.

The Gaon Rabbi Avraham Shapira, author of "Dvar Avraham," testified about Rabbi Soloveitchik that he "rules over the sea of Talmud to its deepest depths... and the halacha follows him in every place." Rabbi Soloveitchik's father, Rabbi Moshe, testified that "my master, father, and teacher... (Rabbi Chaim of Brisk) prophesied about him that he was destined for greatness, as during his lifetime he saw a booklet of his Torah insights, and his amazement then cannot be described, and he said that it is the Torah of truth... he knows the entire Torah from beginning to end with deep and clear knowledge..."

In 5691 (1931), he married Tonya Lewitt, and in 5692 (1932), he immigrated to the United States. After the passing of his father, Rabbi Moshe Soloveitchik, on 3 Shevat 5701 (1941), he inherited his position as the head of Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, despite opposition from some quarters, but with the support of the Previous Rebbe (Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn). Rabbi Soloveitchik delivered lectures for over forty years at this yeshiva and also served as a professor of Jewish thought. He became a spiritual leader for many Jews in the United States, and many of America's rabbis were his students.

Childhood Memories of Chabad Chassidim in Russia[edit | edit source]

Rabbi Soloveitchik wrote on Erev Rosh Hashanah 5715 to the Chassidic Gaon Rabbi Moshe Dovber Rivkin, a letter in which he describes his connections to Chabad Chassidut from his childhood: "I have a special fondness for the Chabad movement. When I speak of it, I remember it in the vision of my youth, filled with impressions of innocent childhood... Patriarchal figures, adorned with ancient glory, still hover before me. Here is the image of my teacher, Rabbi Yaakov Baruch Risberg, before me. I still see his facial expression, which radiated heart discernment and eye wisdom, as well as imagination and creativity. To this day, I hear his voice in the dim twilight, sad and full of longing and yearning, and his words break through from the distance, words full of enthusiasm and amazement about his stay in Lubavitch in his youth. I still carry in the depths of my soul the image of the Alter Rebbe [Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi] who looked at us, schoolchildren, from the whitewashed walls of the cheder - that image, with the broad forehead, the ruler of intellect, and the large eyes gazing into the infinite expanses of G-d, fixed on a vision of wonders. The beard that descended according to his measurements enchanted us, small children, with its splendor and secrecy.

"My eyes still see the image of the Tzemach Tzedek, dressed in white, which in our childish fantasy took the form of a High Priest coming out of the Holy of Holies. My ears still pick up strange but also heartwarming and heart-attracting sounds, fragmented expressions, scattered words that came from the mouths of the 'chozrim' [those who would memorize and repeat the Rebbe's discourses] on long winter evenings by dim candlelight, about surrounding lights and returning lights, concealment and revelation, inner love and the Jewish soul that was hewn from the Throne of Glory. And I still dream and see the elderly Chassidim dancing at a rapid pace on the night of Shemini Atzeret around my father, of blessed memory. Impressions like these will not be erased from my heart, and they are deeply rooted in the mysteries of my being."

In another place, he described: "I consider myself entitled to describe such a scene, since in my childhood memories, half-foggy and half-romantic, I still see now the strong swaying of the Chabad congregation on the first night of Rosh Hashanah, 'the night of coronation' (in the terminology of veteran Chassidim), when the lowly and downtrodden man, who is here today and tomorrow in the grave, presents the crown of kingship to the Ancient of Days, to the Infinite, to the Eternal One, and calls Him: the Holy King. I still hear the rustling of hundreds of spiritually inflamed Jews that would pass through the synagogue when the cantor finished the Kaddish, and the congregation began reciting the Amidah prayer. A hum of something sublime and elevated, burning and alive, which needed neither cantor nor choir nor theatrical decorations to reach the gates of heaven."

The Connection with the Rebbe[edit | edit source]

The Rebbe is Completely Hidden[edit | edit source]

Rabbi Shalom Dovber Kowalsky, who was close to Rabbi Soloveitchik, heard from him that while in Berlin, he used to meet with the Rebbe at the home of the Gaon Rabbi Chaim Heller. Rabbi Soloveitchik said to Rabbi Kowalsky: "What do you think? Why do I admire the Lubavitcher Rebbe so much, even though I'm not a Chassid? It's because I knew him from Berlin. What occupied his mind then in Berlin: BaHaB fasts [Monday-Thursday-Monday fasts after the festivals] and immersions in the mikvah. These things began to develop in me a sense of admiration for this great man." He also expressed: "I have never seen a person with such memory power and such wonderful knowledge of Torah. We from the house of Brisk do not hold by the pilpul [dialectical] method of Poland, but the Lubavitcher Rebbe has a gevaldike [tremendous] understanding of Torah."

When Rabbi Eliyahu Friedman from Safed visited Rabbi Soloveitchik to receive an approbation for his book "V'chiper Admaso Amo," Rabbi Soloveitchik told him that whenever he had a question in Berlin regarding Torah and halacha, or secular studies, he would go to the Rebbe's apartment to clarify matters with him. He made these visits frequently, sometimes several times a day, and always found the Rebbe engaged in Torah study, either revealed or mystical. He never saw the Rebbe studying secular subjects, yet the Rebbe was knowledgeable in academic topics. Rabbi Soloveitchik concluded: "I saw this as a sign of divine assistance for one whose actions are solely for the sake of Heaven, and whose entire life is in holiness and purity."

Eliyahu Reichman, a brother of the Reichman family from Toronto, related what he heard from Rabbi Soloveitchik about the period when he studied with the Rebbe at the university: "The Rebbe would always sit in class with a book of Mishnayot or Gemara and study it throughout the lecture. In one particularly difficult and heavy lecture, the professor noticed that the students were not listening and were distracted from the subject matter. To awaken them, the professor began asking them about the material he had covered, and none of them managed to answer. Then the professor said with poisonous courtesy: 'Perhaps Schneersohn can repeat the point we discussed?' The Rebbe, although busy at that moment studying Tractate Temurah, stood up and repeated the lecture before everyone with precision and depth.

"Since then," concluded Rabbi Soloveitchik, "the professor never disturbed the Rebbe in any lecture."

On one occasion, Rabbi Soloveitchik said: "After the Rebbe accepted the leadership to be the leader of Chassidim, and one sees his behavior in tangible and public ways, and hears the talks, discourses, and Torah words at gatherings, the Chassidim think that now his greatness and mighty powers have finally been revealed, and that he is like an ever-strengthening spring. But know the truth, that even now the Rebbe is at the level of being completely 'hidden.' The Rebbe was always completely hidden, and now only a glimpse and something of his qualities and essence has been revealed. But there is never any conception or comprehension at all of the depth of his greatness, and he is truly hidden within the vessels. That's how he always was, and so he is now."

The Previous Rebbe writes about Rabbi Soloveitchik: "Regarding Rabbi J.D. in his essential nature - I have known and recognized him for many years, since he was in Berlin. And my son-in-law, the true Gaon, the Chassidic Rabbi, man of many talents, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, told me much about his greatness in learning and energy..."

Judge for Yourselves Whether I Am a Chabad Chassid...[edit | edit source]

At a certain gathering, the Rabbi said:

"I am a descendant of the house of Volozhin, and as is known, Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin was a student of the Vilna Gaon who opposed Chassidut. But after my speech, you can judge for yourselves whether I am a Chabad Chassid...

In the house of Volozhin, the following story is told and accepted: When the dispute over Chassidut began, the Alter Rebbe and Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev traveled to Vilna to speak with the Vilna Gaon. They went to the 'Kloiz of the Chassid' - as the Vilna Gaon's synagogue in Vilna was called, where the Vilna Gaon would sit and study in the attic. The Alter Rebbe and Rabbi Levi Yitzchak began climbing the stairs to the Vilna Gaon's room, but as soon as he felt that someone wanted to enter, he closed the door and jumped out the window. The reason for this was that when the Vilna Gaon saw the Alter Rebbe's countenance, 'and how beautiful it was, and what a power of attraction it had,' he feared that if the Alter Rebbe would enter and speak with him, he would defeat him and make him a Chassid, until finally both would go to spread Chassidut, and therefore he escaped through the window.

Certainly the dispute spread mainly because of those who stirred up strife... I do not accept what they say that the Vilna Gaon saw the Tanya, because certainly if he had seen it, all his claims would have been nullified. The Alter Rebbe was a wonderful scholar in matters of faith. Since the destruction of the Temple, there was no one among the great scholars of Israel as learned as he was, except for Maimonides...

After all the disputes, the fact is that eventually the teachings of Chassidut triumphed and spread throughout all Jewish communities..."

Telling About the Closeness of the House of Brisk to Chabad[edit | edit source]

On the same occasion he said: "My grandfather, Rabbi Chaim of Brisk, was closer to Chassidut than people think. I remember he once said about one of the Chassidic Rebbes that when you hear him make a blessing, you must start crying from emotion.

And indeed, if you ask me what Chassidut wanted in general, and what Chabad Chassidut came to innovate in particular, the answer is that Chassidut wanted a Jew to know how to make a blessing. The Gemara says: 'One who wishes to be a chassid should fulfill the matters of blessings.' The Gemara does not only mean that one should know the laws of blessings, for even a child in cheder needs to know this. The intention is that a Jew should make a blessing like a Chassid...

In my opinion, this is the secret of Chabad, that even in simple, everyday matters, one can feel the holy spirit. I remember Friday night in the Chassidic synagogue in Chaslavich. Before Mincha on Friday evening, the Chassidim would come with the water from the mikvah still dripping from their beards, and would walk in the synagogue with enthusiasm saying: 'Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His kindness is everlasting.' I felt that this wasn't just a chapter of Tehillim but that their personal redemption had truly arrived now. They were extremely poor, earning their livelihood all week in the villages around Chaslavich, and now they had escaped from weekday worries and reached Shabbat and rest for eternal life. They were for me the example of 'Chassidim and men of deed' who drew from the holy spirit."

There Has Never Been Such a Leader[edit | edit source]

At a gathering with the Rebbe, he said about the Rebbe:

"In addition to the Rebbe's wondrous genius, from the days of the Tanya's author until today, there has never been a movement leader who had such a wide-ranging influence on the Jewish people... The Rebbe is not just a scholar, he is also a Nasi [leader]."

The Rebbe Is Truth Itself[edit | edit source]

In 5725 (1965), Rabbi Soloveitchik came to comfort the Rebbe on the passing of his mother, Rebbetzin Chana, and a halachic conversation about mourning developed between them that lasted a long time. Both were Sinai-type scholars (comprehensive knowledge) and mountain-uprooting scholars (sharp analysis), debating with each other, and the style of the conversation was the citing of source references in the air almost without mentioning the content itself.

Among other things, they discussed the opinion that aninut (the period of acute mourning before burial) ends at burial and not at the end of the day of death. During the conversation, the Rebbe mentioned that Maimonides also writes this. When Rabbi Soloveitchik heard this, he said with great astonishment: "Lubavitcher Rebbe, Lubavitcher Rebbe, I think there is no such Maimonides!" (I think this thing does not appear in Maimonides' book). The Rebbe answered: "Correct, it does not appear in Maimonides' 'Yad HaChazaka,' my intention was to Maimonides' commentary on the Mishnah."

At the end of the shiva, the Rebbe wrote a letter to Rabbi Soloveitchik, and in the margin noted that "following our discussion," the Maimonides reference is "in the commentary on the Mishnah to Demai 'I did not eat in my mourning' means before burial." However, the Rebbe noted that in the edition of the Mishnah commentary published by Rabbi Kafih, it states that Maimonides retracted this interpretation, and in his own handwriting erased the words "as long as he is not buried."

When Rabbi Soloveitchik received the letter, he exclaimed enthusiastically: "Er iz emes allein!" (He is truth itself!). He immediately explained that he was impressed by the fact that on one hand, the Rebbe was indeed correct, as it is explicitly stated in the printed commentary on the Mishnah, and on the other hand, he took the trouble to inform him that according to Rabbi Kafih's version, Rabbi Soloveitchik was right.

Coming to the Rebbe[edit | edit source]

Before the big gathering held on Yud Shevat 5740 (1980), marking thirty years of the Rebbe's leadership, heavy pressure was applied on Rabbi Soloveitchik to honor the event with his presence. Since pressure was also applied on him from the opposing side in the opposite direction, Rabbi Soloveitchik decided to come for a short visit to the gathering that would last only fifteen minutes.

In practice, when Rabbi Soloveitchik arrived at the gathering, the Rebbe stood up in his honor and did not sit down until Rabbi Soloveitchik found his place. The Rebbe began delivering a deep and wonderful "Hadran" (concluding discourse) on tractates from Tanach, and Rabbi Soloveitchik's stay at the gathering lasted more than two hours(!).

On the following Shabbat, the Rebbe continued to explain additional matters regarding the Hadran that was said during the gathering. On Sunday, Rabbi Avraham Shemtov was called to the secretariat's office and received instructions to go to Rabbi Soloveitchik and repeat the continuation of the Hadran to him. When Rabbi Shemtov finished repeating the Hadran, Rabbi Soloveitchik was extremely impressed and lavished wonderful praise on the Rebbe.

His Books and Philosophy[edit | edit source]

Some of his philosophical works:[edit | edit source]

  • Halakhic Man - Revealed and Hidden.
  • The Lonely Man of Faith - On the plight of the (especially Jewish) modern man and its solution.
  • On Repentance - Oral discourses: written and edited by Pinchas Peli.

Some of his works in revealed Torah:[edit | edit source]

  • Shiurim L'Zecher Aba Mori - Lectures given on the anniversary of his father's death, two volumes.
  • Harerei Kedem - From oral tradition, volumes 1 and 2 on Jewish festivals, volume 3 on Shabbat.
  • Kovetz Chiddushei Torah - Articles published by his father Rabbi Moshe and Rabbi Soloveitchik during their lifetimes.
  • Seder Avodat Yom HaKippurim - Lectures on the first seven chapters of Tractate Yoma.
  • Shiurei HaGrid - Published by Mosad HaRav Kook, edited by Rabbi Yair Kahn. Three volumes: an expanded edition of the booklet Seder Avodat Yom HaKippurim, matters concerning tefillin, STaM (scribal matters), and tzitzit, and on Tractate Keritot.

External Links[edit | edit source]

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