Editing Chaim Soloveitchik (section)

== His Friendship with the Rebbe Rashab ==
He was a close friend of the Rebbe Rashab. The friendship reached such a level that when the Rashab established Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim and wanted the students to be completely immersed in Torah study with depth and analysis as was customary in Chabad, he wanted to appoint the Gaon Rabbi Chaim of Brisk as the head of the yeshiva and offered him the position, but the offer did not materialize for various reasons.

In special letters from 5668 (1908) from the holy handwriting of the Rebbe Rayatz, one can learn about the great appreciation and friendship that existed between the Rebbe Rashab and Rabbi Chaim of Brisk:

The Rebbe Rashab writes to Rabbi Chaim in these holy words:

"To the honor of the great Gaon, famous throughout the world, the glory of Israel, stronghold and fortress, the fear of G-d is his treasure, his honor, the name of his glory, our teacher Rabbi Chaim HaLevi, may he live for many good and long days, head of the court of Brisk of Lithuania, may his light shine and blaze forever, after inquiring about the peace of his honor..."

And Rabbi Soloveitchik writes about the Rebbe Rashab with the following titles:

"Much blessing to the honor of the Rabbi, the great luminary, Sinai and uprooter of mountains, famous for his Torah, fear of Heaven, righteousness, and his deeds proclaim, established to benefit the public, etc., our teacher Rabbi Shalom DovBer, may he live for many good and long days, and all good to his high honor, may he live for many good and long days."

During Rabbi Chaim's final illness, the Rebbe Rashab wrote a strong letter of awakening to the members of the Brisk community, questioning how they were not making proper efforts and not paying adequately for Rabbi Chaim's medical treatment, and the Rebbe wrote special words to explain his greatness, which the community members did not fully appreciate.

They participated together in various activities and gatherings to strengthen Judaism. The Rebbe Rayatz, Rabbi David of Karlin, and other great Jewish leaders also participated in these gatherings.

Rabbi Yaakov Landau related that when the Rebbe Rashab would mention the names of rabbis, he would mention them without a title beforehand, except for Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik, whom he would consistently mention with the title "Reb."

==== The Assembly in 5670 (1910) ====
In Shevat 5670, a committee of rabbis was formed to arrange the position of "government-appointed rabbi," in which all the great leaders of the generation participated. At that assembly, there were differences of opinion regarding whether the government-appointed rabbi should know the Russian language and minimal secular subjects. Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk, supported by Rabbi David Friedman of Karlin and Rabbi Shmarya Noach Schneersohn of Bobruisk, favored this, while Rabbi Chaim of Brisk, supported by the Rebbe Rashab and the Chofetz Chaim, strongly opposed learning any other subjects. The Gra"ch spoke at the assembly, and during the assembly, the Gra"ch called on the Chofetz Chaim to come and speak, despite his advanced age and weakness.

During the breaks at that assembly, he would tell stories of tzaddikim as was his custom. He related that the Kedusha recitation of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev during the High Holy Days had the power to help barren women who heard it conceive, and Rabbi Chaim even proved this according to halacha in the revealed Torah, which greatly impressed the Chassidic elders.

During the days of those assemblies, the great geniuses of the generation stayed in a special hotel for that purpose. Rabbi Chaim spent most of his time with his friend, the Rebbe Rashab. When asked by his friends why he did this, he replied: "Although the Torah was given on Mount Sinai, the Holy Temple was built specifically on Mount Moriah where our forefather Isaac was bound, because holiness comes specifically through self-sacrifice."

The Rebbe Rayatz related that during the assembly, a discussion arose among the Chassidim about the wording of the Alter Rebbe in Igeres HaKodesh between Rabbi Mendel Chen, Rabbi Avraham Hornstein, and others, and only Rabbi Chaim remembered the exact wording.

At one of the forced assemblies held by the government, the great Orthodox leaders and, to distinguish, the Maskilim (enlightened ones) participated. The Gra"ch delivered a fiery speech, and since the Maskilim had nothing to answer, they snickered and laughed during the Gra"ch's words. Seeing this, the Rebbe Rashab left the assembly, leaving a note with his trusted assistant, Rabbi Mendel Chen. After the assembly, Rabbi Mendel demanded that the assembly investigate the matter of the Rashab's departure from the assembly, and while speaking, he opened the note that the Rebbe Rashab had given him, which read: "I cannot participate in an assembly where they mock the great leaders of Israel." In solidarity with the Rebbe Rashab's words, all the great leaders of the generation left the assembly. On that occasion, the Gra"ch said: "I envy the Rashab for having such a wonderful person as Rabbi Mendel Chen among his associates."

==== The Journey to the Assembly and Back ====
After that assembly, in Iyar 5670, the Gra"ch and the Rebbe Rashab came to Petersburg and stayed there until the end of the month of Sivan to arrange necessary matters for the public. On the holiday of Shavuot, the Gra"ch was a guest of the Rebbe Rashab, who was living in the city at that time. The Rebbe Rashab delivered a discourse on the Midrash Rabbah: "Bless the Lord, O my soul; just as the Holy One, blessed be He, fills the entire world, so too does the soul fill the entire body," and explained it according to the approach of Rav Saadia Gaon, that just as a person recognizes his vitality by seeing the vitality of his soul with his eye, so too is the vitality of G-d that fills and enlivens the entire world recognized with the eye. The Gra"ch delivered a discourse on the verse "The law of the Lord is perfect," based on what is brought in Midrash Rabbah: "Rabbi Yirmiyah and another, Rabbi Yirmiyah said why is it perfect? Because it restores the soul, and the other said why does it restore the soul? Because it is perfect."

It is related that when the Gra"ch and the Rebbe Rashab traveled together on their way to the assembly, passing through various towns, the Chassidim came to welcome the Rebbe Rashab, but they did not come to welcome the Gra"ch. The Gra"ch said: "Now I understand the difference between Chassidim and Misnagdim (opponents). Chassidim honor their Rebbe during his lifetime, but when their Rebbe passes away, they bury him immediately without delays and eulogies. In contrast, Misnagdim honor their Rebbe specifically after his passing, and then they elaborate with long eulogies, but while he is alive, they are not interested in honoring him."

During one of their journeys, the Gra"ch and the Rashab stopped in a remote town and prayed in a synagogue of Cantonists (Jewish children who had been forcibly conscripted into the Russian army). They saw one of the Cantonists approach the prayer stand and say: "Master of the Universe, what do we have to pray to You for? Should we pray for long life? What taste do we have from such a life? Children? We are already too old, and this is not possible according to the natural way. Sustenance? We have enough money and food. So what should we pray for, Master of the Universe? That 'His great name be magnified and sanctified!'"