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IN-DEPTH FEATURES
Introduction
By Moshe Musman
Twenty years after his petiroh, HaRav Hutner's Torah is
as eagerly sought as ever. The volumes of his Pachad
Yitzchok are treasured by those who possess and pore over
them, their message casting brilliant illumination onto the
fundamental obligations of the Jewish soul and the seasons of
the Jewish year. HaRav Hutner was one of the handful of
individuals who were destined by Hashgochoh to rebuild,
or more correctly, to bring new life to, Torah and
Yiddishkeit in the postwar world. He raised a generation
of rabbonim and mechanchim, whose work in Eretz Yisroel
and the United States bears the distinctive stamp of his
thought and approach.
His uniqueness lay not in his role as a public leader but in
the depth, the richness and the brilliance of his personality.
He defies classification. It is even hard to discuss him within
our usual terms of reference. Ideally, his own thought and
expressions should be employed for the task.
His chassidishe roots and background, and the formative
years that he subsequently spent in the great yeshivos of
Slobodke and Chevron, would make any analysis of his greatness
a daunting and precarious task. The crucial factor to bear in
mind when appraising him is his originality. Whether he was
delivering one of his famous ma'amorim, discoursing on
Jewish history, counselling talmidim, or formulating an
approach to one of the issues facing the klal, the depth
of his penetration, the breadth of his scope and perspective
and the beautiful way in which he expressed himself, always
resulted in new insights and new content and brought a new
light to bear upon the subject at hand.
A godol beYisroel he was, in every sense of the phrase -
- a giant in Torah knowledge, in character and in spirit, and a
leader of his people -- yet he essentially remained a private
person. In his case we are more keenly aware than usual of what
is probably true of all men of his stature. Though they may
live in the public eye, that part of them which remains hidden
far exceeds that which is revealed and is open to our
observation. We quickly realize that any picture that we may
try to build up, using as our materials the shafts of light
that flashed from his soul in the form of his deeds, speech or
writings, is woefully inadequate and falls far short of the
mark.
A related idea, which HaRav Hutner himself expressed at the end
of a hesped he delivered for HaRav Aharon Kotler
zt'l, is as follows: "There have been gedolim
whose stature as individuals was fully in proportion to the
dimensions of their mission to their generation. There have
been gedolim of towering stature, whose mission to their
generation nevertheless did not reflect their personal
greatness. On the other hand, there have been gedolim
whose mission to their generation was in excess of their
personal stature."
HaRav Hutner placed HaRav Kotler in the first category and he
himself belongs there too. Yet Reb Aharon's work was more in
the public eye and the gadlus which he showed was of a
type that the public could readily appreciate. While HaRav
Hutner was likewise called upon to utilize all of his great
gifts and qualities in serving the tzibbur, the nature
of what he revealed was such that there was clearly much more
that was concealed.
While the true dimension of his spiritual vision and the full
iridescence of his soul must remain hidden from us, we have to
share what we can with those who have not yet encountered his
thought or experienced the emotions inspired by his ideas -- by
his exposition of the soul of Yiddishkeit in past,
present and future, the throbbing pulse of Knesses
Yisroel and in its eternal yearning for its Creator. Our
final message to the reader echoes the sentiment of the
declaration made by the Cohen Godol after krias
haTorah on Yom Kippur (Yoma perek 7): Much more than
what is presented here still lies before you!
What is Machshovoh?
How do we classify machshovoh, Jewish thought? Is it
aimed only at the intellect or also at the heart? Does it
merely aim to present a systematic classification of the ideas
and thoughts that have inspired servants of Hashem throughout
the centuries?
If that is all, then it is almost certain to be a dry, lifeless
discipline. It may provide intellectual stimulation or even
satisfaction, but by itself, it is highly unlikely to inspire
its devotees with the same emotions that moved the great men
whose work it treats. Ultimately, like all knowledge that is
divorced from commitment, it may be more harmful than
constructive.
On the other hand, even the most sincere among us may today
remain unmoved by the raw emotion that used to characterize
certain botei medrash. We are not untouched by the cold
rationalism that so pervades the intellectual climate of the
modern world -- the manifestation of the evil power of Amolek
which we struggle to fight and to overcome. Our minds must be
reached together with our hearts.
Within the world of the yeshivos, the past hundred and thirty
years have seen the adoption of various approaches towards
bridging the gap. Most approaches sought ways to arouse the
emotions in order to make an impression on the intellect, while
some sought to discuss matters of the heart calmly and
analytically, so as to impose order and control on the unruly
spirit.
HaRav Hutner's machshovoh is something utterly unique.
He explains, clarifies, analyzes and defines ideas and
concepts, yet every single thought carries implications for the
heart. Every nuance and every shade of meaning plucks at
different strings, arousing emotions and the yearning to serve
Hashem. Using the language and the tools of the intellect, he
kindles a fire of love and fear of Hashem in the heart.
As he himself writes (at the conclusion of the general
introductory essay that is printed at the beginning of each of
the volumes of Pachad Yitzchok), "The stirring of the
awareness of the duties of the heart are concomitant with, they
immediately result from and they are connected to the
intellectual toil of attaining the divrei Torah [that
define them]."
When the Alter of Slobodke zt'l, passed away, HaRav
Hutner was standing next to HaRav Yechezkel Sarna zt'l,
who commented to him, "Two kinds of builders participate in the
erection of every spiritual edifice. One kind are creators
(yotzrim), the other kind are storers (otzrim).
The creators have now departed from us and we must assume the
mantle of storers."
In his role as a storer, HaRav Hutner rose ever higher,
ultimately attaining the role of creator, as the originator of
his own spiritual edifice that will continue to quench the
thirst of many in the years to come.
A Godol in Torah, in Chinuch and in Hashkofoh
By Avrohom Hacohen Ehrentreu
One of the volumes of Pachad Yitzchok contains a
selection of the letters which HaRav Hutner wrote to
talmidim over the years from which there is much to be
learned about his approach to chinuch. The following
article is based upon a selection of these letters.
Contact Through the Written Word
The America in which HaRav Hutner arrived some sixty years ago
was not an inspiring place from a spiritual point of view. The
prevailing atmosphere among the generation that was growing up
was highly materialistic.
Rav Hutner knew how to find a way to the heart of each of his
young American talmidim, and with devotion and toil he
brought them into the beis hamedrash and planted them
firmly within.
Even after his talmidim left Mesivta Rabbenu Chaim
Berlin, some of them becoming important Torah disseminators in
their own right, HaRav Hutner retained his connection with
them, keeping up correspondence in which he asked them to
inform him about their progress in both spiritual and material
spheres. He wanted them to consult him about any doubts that
they might experience and when they did so, he replied with the
necessary guidance, noting the recipients' comprehension of his
thoughts with particular satisfaction. He continued to
accompany them as they set up homes and went out into life.
The letters are all clearly personal ones. He was familiar with
each talmid's character and the workings of his soul and
his message to each one was regulated accordingly. Yet HaRav
Hutner's own personality shines through in each case. He always
stressed the feelings that were filling the heart of the
writer.
In one letter he mentions that he feels, "the turbulent spirit
of a Jewish soul, which looks out of itself and views the
twists and turns of the life of a yearning soul." He is quick
to respond to a predicament by stating, "In our times, it is
utterly impossible to base one's guidance and advice to a young
man upon comparisons and similarities [with others] and to
adduce support from one [young person's situation] to another.
The door [to further discussion] nevertheless remains open and
I give you permission to approach me without hesitation at any
time that you feel is suitable."
He knew how to pick the right topic to interest every
personality and every age. Every conversation with him was at
once a pleasure, as well as a golden opportunity to converse
with a great personality.
What a person chooses to say to his own disciples will not
always be exactly the same as what he commits to writing,
especially in the case of a master of the written word such as
Rav Hutner. He once explained that in writing a letter to a
talmid he injected vitality into the personal channels
that traversed the individual's soul. All those who were
fortunate to learn Torah from him knew the extent to which his
relations with and his influence upon each one of them were
personalized and precisely tailored to fit the individual's
needs. In this way, Rav Hutner cultivated an array of different
personalities among his talmidim, each of whom grew
upwards from his own distinct spiritual roots.
In the Beis Hamedrash
This basic rebbe-talmid interaction was one of the most
striking and fundamental features of the beis hamedrash.
The bonds were not dependent upon any external factor. They
were genuine and were rooted deep in the souls of teacher and
disciple. He taught that if a talmid forges a bond with
his rebbe for any particular reason, be it as sublime as
can be, for example because the rebbe possesses ruach
hakodesh, it is a shortcoming in his acceptance of his
rebbe as his mentor.
What then, forges the bond? It is not through any intellectual
attribute but because the talmid finds spiritual
pleasure in his rebbe's words, in his leadership and in
his conduct. This pleasure cannot be conveyed in words, for it
supersedes intellect. (See a broad treatment of this idea in
Pachad Yitzchok, Shavuos, ma'amar 18, perek 2.) The
deeper the bond, the more the talmid can receive.
Utilizing this bond, the talmidim grew ever higher in
stature, each becoming, "a personality, living his [own] life
of grandeur."
His love and devotion to each talmid were well known. He
once commented, "A rov's love for his talmidim is self
understood, for the very relationship between rebbe and
talmid is formed through Torah; the interaction with the
talmid is Torah interaction. How can the rebbe's
heart therefore not be filled with love for his talmid?
[For] this [love] is an offshoot of his own general love for
Torah. If one finds a rov who loves Torah but not his
talmidim, then his love of Torah is worth nothing."
Interestingly, the love and closeness were also reflected in
another way -- a way which is of the essence of being a
rebbe: rebuke. He once wrote to a talmid, "I want
to let you know that I do not forgive you." Inherent in this
snub was also a great compliment to the talmid to whom
it was directed. His rebbe considered him worthy of
being subjected to a precise accounting over some individual
matter.
Rav Hutner's practice was to conceal his love for his
talmidim beneath a mantle of rebuke. He once wrote in a
letter, "Every piece of writing endures to some degree as a
record -- `So that they should endure for a long time,'
(Yirmiyohu 32:14) -- however, certain things are harmed
if they endure for a long time."
With regard to serving a rebbe too, which is part of the
obligation to honor one's rebbe, he stressed [the
desirability of] a general mode of behavior that reflected
awareness and understanding of the nature of the obligation,
rather than mere outward actions that were empty of meaning. A
talmid is obligated to serve his teacher, when it is
done in the right manner. The talmid must be a
mentsch and must invest the full measure of his own
stature into his service to his rebbe.
Yet with all his love and devotion for them, he never actually
referred to anyone as a talmid. In none of the many
letters which he wrote to his disciples does he accord this
title to his correspondent. He noted that while the gaon
Rabbi Akiva Eiger also refrained from ever calling anyone his
talmid, the Chasam Sofer in his teshuvos uses the
term a great deal. He concluded that "both are words of the
living G-d," and that both receive reward in Olom Haboh
for their approach.
A large part of the fashioning of his disciples' spiritual
profiles was achieved in the course of private conversations,
during which he clarified ideas, revived depressed spirits and
offered different forms of encouragement, as well as through
the practical guidance which he gave, sometimes in immediate
response to an incident.
He would relate that in his youth, he had a conversation with
his teacher, HaRav Avrohom Grodzensky Hy'd, in the
course of which the latter made use of a parable about a lame
man. When it was time for Rav Hutner to go, after they had
spent a long time together pleasantly, HaRav Grodzensky asked
his talmid to wait just a little longer and he hinted to
him that one of the lessons of mussar was to consider
which moshol to select. (Rav Grodzensky had a defect in
his leg.)
Appreciating the Past
Rav Hutner wrote a penetrating essay about the significance of
Jewish history and the injunction to "understand the years of
each generation" (Devorim 32:7), in his letter of
approbation to the work Toldos Am Olom by Rav Shlomo
Rottenberg zt'l. In his letter HaRav Hutner wrote, "The
main campaign that we wage is against this point. Viewed
through the Torah's prism, every one of the experiences and
upheavals that Knesses Yisroel has undergone is nothing
less than Hashem's pathway and the way He leads His treasured
nation. Every added measure of understanding, every new attempt
to delve more deeply into historical events in general or into
Jewish history in particular in the context of a Torah
perspective, is no more than the appreciation of Hashem's
ways.
"It follows that there is no greater closeness to our Heavenly
Father than [attaining] this added depth. Whoever limits the
work of loving Hashem and fearing Him to talking about Gan
Eden and Gehennom, has no place in our beis
hamedrash."
He once delivered a lecture to a select group of teachers and
educators in which he dealt with teaching the Jewish history of
the past generation. In this lecture, HaRav Hutner took issue
with the use of the term sho'ah, Holocaust [with its
implication that the essential nature of what occurred is
unique in its horror and has no precedent in our history],
recommending instead the use of the term churban,
destruction [which places the events of sixty years ago in the
general context of our bitter experiences in golus, in
the course of which there have been other such cycles of
tranquility followed by terrible suffering].
In his letters he also toiled to elucidate the words of the
great teachers of our generation, from whose Torah we have had
the fortune to benefit. In one of his letters, he writes at
length in explanation of the Chazon Ish's ruling that milking
on Shabbos is forbidden under all circumstances, ". . . and
this is the custom in every place where Shabbos is valued
highly and it is the Torah's way to maintain peaceful relations
with everyone and to be forgoing" (Chazon Ish, Shabbos siman
56:7). HaRav Hunter explains that this debate took place
during the campaign waged by the heads of the Zionist labor
union, the Histadrut, to have Jewish employers only engage
other Jews for work (avodah Ivrit). They referred to
Arab labor as avodah zarah. This was why the Chazon Ish
added some extra conciliatory words: against their envy and
vengefulness. These words in favor of employing gentiles in the
economy were incorporated into the Chazon Ish's rulings on
Hilchos Shabbos.
In a letter to a talmid who was busy trying to establish
a home but who was experiencing tremendous difficulties in
finding a partner, he wrote bitingly, "I am well aware of all
the trials and tribulations that you have been through . . .
and when the day arrives to sing the song over your splitting
of the sea, you are busy with a parsha in Torah. I am
certain that with the help of Hashem yisborach, you will
ascend ever higher and also be successful."
To an author who sent him a copy of his work, he wrote thanking
him heartily, and since he was about to leave for Eretz Yisroel
he added, "This trip is very troublesome and distracting and
requires much preparation. To my chagrin, I was unable to find
the clarity of mind necessary in order to taste properly from
your gift and I was compelled to make do with only the pleasure
of its aroma."
His Bond With Eretz Yisroel
He experienced special spiritual elevation during the years
that he spent in Eretz Yisroel as a bochur when he
learned in Yeshivas Chevron. In a letter from 5689 (1929), he
wrote, "More than three years have passed since I ascended to
Eretz Yisroel . . . I have dwelt a lot in the tent of Torah and
many waves of Torah light have suffused me and illuminated me
during this time. Out of inner emotional constancy, I am bonded
with a life of elevation in Torah, in every area of this all-
encompassing ideal."
At times, when he was preparing to leave Eretz Yisroel for
chutz lo'oretz, he found the parting very difficult:
"Many, many of the fundamental ideas of Torah thought and of
understanding Judaism have become clear to me and have become
well-grounded within me thanks to its influence on me there. No
approach, no teacher and no educator, could have penetrated to
as deeply within my soul as has Eretz Yisroel, the true place
for a life of Torah. A covenant has been established between
the Land and the Torah."
Even after he returned to the United States in order to
disseminate Torah and to set Torah upon a firm footing there,
the bonds of love for Eretz Yisroel remained strong. He once
gave instructions that hakofos should be held in his
yeshiva following the meal on the night of Shemini Atzeres as a
sign of identity with the inhabitants of Eretz Yisroel who were
celebrating Simchas Torah and holding their hakofos that
night.
To a talmid who had settled in Bnei Brak he wrote
concerning the use of electricity on Shabbos, "Now, certainly,
as long as you are in Bnei Brak, choliloh that you
should avail yourselves of this service on Shabbos. It is
certainly unthinkable to go against the holy wish of that
elder, the author of Chazon Ish, zy'a."
One interesting letter that he wrote to a talmid recalls
memories of a shared experience at a simchas beis
hasho'eivoh. The place was, "a spacious succah, full
of people celebrating, on a high rooftop, separate and set
apart from the dwellings of lowliness below. Among the members
of the party, all of whom are of the same mind, divrei
Torah are delivered that uplift the soul and draw streams
of nobility upon the gathering, preparing them for expressing
the joy that is inspired by [the fulfillment of] mitzvos. The
space inside the succah is filled with song and the
music of inner melodies, which are principally directed towards
a G-dly point in the soul, that captivates the soul's pathways.
One of the melodies is a wonderful combination of a powerful
tune with the words, Achas sho'alti."
Rav Hutner followed that talmid and noted, "I saw with
clarity of vision that your tears then, at the simchas beis
hasho'eivoh, were drawn from the wellspring of your soul.
And lo, something wondrous: those tears transformed the
skin of your face (skin, or with an ayin),
to the light of your face (light, or with an
alef)."
While HaRav Hutner concentrated all his strength into training
his talmidim, his influence extended far beyond the
walls of his beis hamedrash to all the other American
yeshivos and the Beis Yaakov institutions.
He exhorted them to be a bulwark against the spiritually
hostile elements in the surrounding society. He demanded that
they aim beyond mere survival, making their target the
restoration of bnei hayeshivos and genuine talmidei
chachomim to their rightful status in the Jewish world. He
stressed that this should be the aim of the Beis Yaakov system
as well, repeating the Chazon Ish's message of encouragement,
"Just as the world cannot exist with men unless there are
women, there cannot be Torah in the yeshivos unless there is
Beis Yaakov."
The efforts which HaRav Hutner invested in his talmidim
yielded a bountiful harvest. In 5699 (1939), he wrote to
himself, "Talmidei chachomim, seekers of Hashem, often
feel two ambitions in the course of their avodoh, which
are opposed to one another in their practical realization. One
is the will to take shelter within Hashem's precinct, while the
other is the wish to live in the street and in the tradesmen's
marketplace and to sanctify Heaven's Name through worldly
pursuits and dealings with other people over mundane matters.
Attaining the correct balance between these two desires is one
of the more difficult tasks in the holy service of Hashem."
Yet this was the path which he took. In so doing, he
transmitted an entire heritage to his talmidim -- a
heritage that encompassed his outlook on chinuch, his
exposition of Torah and the path to follow in order to attain
it, and his world outlook.
The Jumbo hovered over Cairo airport in the night's darkness
before it touched down gently on the main airstrip. As it sped
along the tarmac to be swallowed up into the blackness, a fleet
of ambulances and fire fighting vehicles followed it in
silence. Suddenly, a gigantic explosion rocked the airport and
rounds of gunfire were heard. Only later did it transpire that
the passengers had been removed to safety before their airliner
had been destroyed.
The Torah world was in an uproar when it learned that HaRav
Hutner and his family, who had been returning to the United
States after a visit to Eretz Yisroel, were among the
passengers being held hostage. Massive public prayer gatherings
were held and intercessors worked frantically to end the
ordeal. The Steipler zt'l and ylct'a HaRav Shach
met with the Prime Minister and members of the government to
inform them of HaRav Hutner's standing in the Torah world.
Frightening rumors emanated from the Zarka Desert where the
captives were being held and Torah Jewry was bewildered.
In the darkness of captivity, amid the explosions and the
firing, HaRav Hutner was engaged in some soul searching of his
own. "My spirit throbs with Chazal's words, `Rabbon Shimon ben
Gamliel and Rabbi Yishmoel were on their way to their
execution. Rabbon Shimon said to Rabbi Yishmoel, "My teacher,
my heart has left me because I do not know what I am being
killed for."' "
Throughout days and nights, HaRav Hutner wrestled with the same
question: was he lacking any basic knowledge as to why his life
seemed about to end? In the ma'amorim which he delivered
during the aseres yemei teshuvoh that followed, he
elaborated on his silent thoughts.
This experience clarified for him a subject that had occupied
him greatly: the heritage of Yishmoel's descendants as opposed
to that of Eisov's. While the prisoners were being held, Arab
delegations would visit them daily to survey the spoils of
their triumph. Most of the visitors were uncouth Arabs.
However on one of the visits, one of the delegations' leaders,
a man with a princely visage, passed by HaRav Hutner. He
noticed HaRav Hutner, bowed to him politely and engaged him in
conversation.
When he left, HaRav Hutner remarked, "His face . . . Yishmoel's
nobility. You will find none like it among Eisov's descendants.
About Yishmoel the Torah makes no mention of alufim."
In the ma'amorim which he delivered during Succos 5731
(1970), he discussed the inheritances of Eisov and Yishmoel at
length. When the ma'amar was over and he had taken leave
of those who had come to the succah he remarked, "All
one could see on his face was honor -- honor with which there
was no mingling of power. He possesses honor but he does not
rule, whereas with Eisov, the honor comes accompanied by
power."
Following negotiations, the hostages were released on the
twenty-fifth of Elul and they returned to the United States. On
Rosh Hashonoh, before tekias shofar, HaRav Hutner
delivered a ma'amar so that the aftershock of suffering
he had undergone should not cause any loss of Torah study among
his followers. He also acknowledged his debt of gratitude to
Klal Yisroel, who had prayed and interceded on his
behalf and who had participated with him in all that he had
endured. It was only Klal Yisroel's merits and their
prayers that had brought about his release.
The hijacking episode had a sad aftermath. HaRav Hutner's
manuscripts, among which had been the volume of Pachad
Yitzchok on Shavuos, arranged and ready for printing,
remained behind in the hands of the hijackers. Every possible
pressure was brought to bear but all the efforts were in vain.
HaRav Hutner's talmidim toiled and labored together with
those who had listened to his talks for many years and they
arranged a new volume on Shavuos.
Part of the new volume's introduction reads, "The
posuk's words about those redeemed from captivity who
return home, `They will come weeping, and I will bring them in
supplication . . . ' have found their fulfillment in us. Only
joy that comes after suffering can evoke tears of happiness.
Salvation from the midst of the trouble is what brings forth
the tears of joy. `I will bring them in supplication' --
although the supplications belong to the call from the straits,
the soul remains under the impression of those supplications
and the publication of the sefer will serve as a symbol
for all types of suffering, which are the lot of the righteous,
whose `beginnings are fraught with suffering but whose ends are
tranquility.' "
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