Editing Joseph Dov Soloveitchik (Boston) (section)

== The Connection with the Rebbe ==

==== The Rebbe is Completely Hidden ====
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... ====
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 ====
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 ====
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 ====
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 ====
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.