Moshe Feinstein: Difference between revisions

Rabbi Moshe Feinstein was the president of the Agudath Harabbonim of the United States and Canada, chairman of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah in the United States, Rosh Yeshiva of Mesivta Tiferes Yerushalayim in New York, and one of the greatest poskim of his generation. He maintained a connection with the Rebbe in his battles for Torah integrity and engaged in Torah discussions with him.

In 1969, the Rebbe spoke against abandoning Jewish neighborhoods and selling houses to non-Jews. Rabbi Feinstein issued a letter announcing his support of the Rebbe's words.

On the evening following Rosh Chodesh Nissan 1974, Rav Feinstein came to visit the Rebbe and had a yechidus that lasted over an hour, together with Rav Simcha Elberg and Rav Tzvi Hirsch Gansburg. Due to the lengthy yechidus, the Rebbe's Maariv minyan was delayed until 10:30. After the conversation ended, the Rebbe accompanied Rav Feinstein on his way out. Upon leaving, Rav Feinstein told his close associates about his amazement at the Rebbe's Torah depth and shared that they discussed, among other things, the halacha that "a chasan is exempt from reciting Shema." Rav Elberg, who was present at the yechidus, also spoke about Rav Feinstein's good relations and connections with Chabad and his great friendship with the Rebbe.

In 1974, the Rebbe was heavily involved in the matter of correcting the Who is a Jew law. Consequently, Rav Feinstein issued a letter demanding that the National Religious Party leadership not agree to compromises and various amendments that were inconsistent with halacha. In 1975, the Rebbe sent him a delegation of Chabad chassidic scholars who had emigrated from Russia. The Rebbe asked the delegation to describe to him the severe assimilation situation in Russia and therefore requested that the Agudas Harabbonim, which he headed at that time, act on the matter of amending the law. The rabbis in the Agudah accepted the matter, and Rav Feinstein said, on behalf of the Agudah, that his opinion on the matter aligned with the Rebbe's and promised that Agudas Harabbonim would do everything in its power to amend the law. The meeting and impressions from it were reported extensively in the Pardes journal from that period. Shortly after, Rav Feinstein initiated a large gathering in Boro Park, where the rabbis expressed their protest against the law and demanded to fix it "according to halacha." Later, Rav Feinstein wrote two letters - in one he sharply criticized those opposing the law's amendment, and in the second, he demanded to correct the law's text and add the word "kehalacha" (according to halacha).

In personal matters as well, Rav Feinstein received from the Rebbe. On Purim 1976, the Rebbe spoke about every boy from bar mitzvah age beginning to put on Rabbeinu Tam tefillin. Rav Tzvi Hirsch Spritzer, who had a prior connection with Rav Feinstein, decided to approach him and discuss the matter. Rav Feinstein showed interest in the Rebbe's words and told him that indeed until age eighteen he had put on Rabbeinu Tam tefillin and stopped for various reasons. Now, after hearing the Rebbe's words, he was interested in starting to put them on again, provided that the Rebbe would choose the sofer who would write the tefillin and that it would be in the "Beis Yosef" script. When the Rebbe heard about this, he requested through his secretary, Rav Chaim Mordechai Aizik Hodakov, that the sofer Rav Eliezer Zirkind go the next day to Rav Feinstein's home to see exactly which tefillin he wanted. Rav Zirkind went to Rav Feinstein's home, who instructed him regarding the parshiyos and requested to see them before they were inserted into the batim. On Erev Shabbos Parshas Shekalim 1980, he began putting on the tefillin.

In Iyar 1980, during a period when the Rebbe strengthened the matter of Lag B'Omer parades, Rav Feinstein published a letter in which he called to assist the parades.

In 1982, when the Rebbe announced the writing of communal Torah scrolls for Jewish unity, Rav Feinstein purchased approximately fifty letters for himself and his family members through Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Levin, secretary of the Rabbinical Alliance. He requested that the money and lists be delivered through his friend Rabbi Nachum Trebnik, who was the Rosh Yeshiva and Rav of Kfar Chabad, since he had encouraged him about this. During that conversation, Rav Feinstein and Rav Levin discussed negative comments made by someone about the Rebbe's activities. Rav Feinstein defended him saying, "He doesn't mean anything against the Rebbe personally, he's simply not accustomed to the Rebbe's global activities. He's used to the way of the Torah giants of the previous generation who were active within their own four cubits, and he doesn't understand that today is a different time where we must also act externally."

In 1984, when the Rebbe announced the takana of studying Rambam, Rav Feinstein announced that he would join in fulfilling the Rebbe's directive. Regarding those who opposed the takana, he said that "they don't understand at all the Rebbe's approach, that his words are founded in holy mountains." Each year, before the Yarchei Kallah in New York, he would send a Torah pilpul on the Rambam. At the completion of the first cycle of Rambam, when opposition to the Rambam takana increased, he wrote: "My blessing of the Torah is sent to all participants in the completion of the first cycle of studying the Mishneh Torah of the Rambam... Yasher koach to the Lubavitcher Rebbe shlita, who merited and brought merit to the rabbis with the mitzvah of Torah study lishma, which is equivalent to all. May it be Hashem's will to lengthen his days and years, that his wellsprings should spread outward to spread Torah and yiras Hashem to the masses, until the coming of Moshiach speedily in our days, amen."

Rav Feinstein viewed the Tomchei Tmimim yeshiva network, founded by the Rebbe Rashab, as centers of holiness and purity influencing thousands of Jewish communities worldwide. In a letter of blessing to the yeshiva, he blessed its success in surviving the Holocaust in Europe and its flourishing in America under the Frierdiker Rebbe, with the Rebbe's leadership. He also sent letters of blessing and encouragement for the establishment of Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim in Caracas, Venezuela's capital, and to Yeshivas Ohr Elchanan in Los Angeles.

On one occasion, his son-in-law, Rav Tendler, also expressed his admiration for the Rebbe's worldwide activities: "In my role, I travel extensively worldwide and frequently meet Chabad chassidim. I can say from my experience that Chabad is present in every location in this world, to awaken Jews not to forget the Torah. Recently, I visited Las Vegas. During the visit, I stayed with the local shliach Rabbi Harlig, and saw up close the greatness of his work... to prevent the forgetting of Torah."

== Rabbi Feinstein's Dedications and Letters to the Rebbe ==

On the sefer "Dibros Moshe" on Masechta Bava Basra he wrote: "To His Honor the Rebbe of Lubavitch shlita, a gift from the author, and with blessing that Hashem should lengthen his leadership until the coming of Moshiach. Moshe Feinstein 15 Marcheshvan 1969." On the "Dibros Moshe" of Masechta Shabbos he wrote: "With Hashem's help. To His Honor my friend the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi M.M. shlita Rebbe of Lubavitch, may Hashem raise his horn until the coming of the righteous redeemer. The author Moshe Feinstein. 2 Rosh Chodesh Adar 1972." On the "Dibros Moshe" on Masechta Yevamos, he wrote: "With Hashem's help, with blessing to His Honor the Gaon Maharamash the Rebbe of Lubavitch shlita, may his throne be elevated until the coming of Melech HaMoshiach soon. The author Moshe Feinstein. 13 Tammuz 1980."

* Sholom Dovber Wolpo, '''Shemen Sasson Meichaveirecha''', Volume 4 pages 31-48.

* Newspaper describing the yechidus in 1974.

[[ Category: Rabbonim]]