Collecting over 55 essays by his students and those close to him, Mentor of Generations: Reflections on Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik offers readers anecdotes and insights about one of the most outstanding Jewish leaders of the twentieth century. Rabbi Soloveitchik, remembered fondly by those close to him as the Rav, inspired the growth of an Orthodox Jewish community in Boston, ordained thousands of rabbis at Yeshiva University s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary in New York and participated in many organizations aimed to further Orthodox Judaism in America and Israel. This volume pays tribute to his accomplishments while at the same time shares untold stories and perspectives critical to the yet unwritten definitive biography of the Rav. The many contributors within the pages of Mentor of Generations shed light onto over six decades (1930s through 1980s) of the panoramic life of the Rav. This volume probes the humanity of one of the most revered scholars and leaders of the past generation.

Mentor of Generations

Reflections on Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik

KTAV Publishing House, Inc.

Copyright © 2008 The Commentator of Yeshiva University
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-60280-011-3

Contents

Preface: "And There Arose A New Generation That Did Not Know Joseph" Zev Eleff...................................................................xiAcknowledgements..................................................................................................................................xvIntroduction Norman Lamm.........................................................................................................................xixThe '30s: A Bostonian with Sights on New YorkLearning with the Rav: The Early Years at Yeshiva Henoch (Henry) Cohen...........................................................................3Lifelong Personal Encounter with the Rav Bernard Lander..........................................................................................7From Boston to New York William Millen...........................................................................................................10Personal Glimpses into the Persona of the Rav Alvin I. Schiff....................................................................................16The '40s: The Emergence of Halakhic ManThe Rov: A Memoir Nathan Epstein.................................................................................................................29The Rav: Public Giant, Private Mentsch Norman Lamm...............................................................................................38The Unique Phenomenon that was the Rav Bernard Rosensweig........................................................................................44The Halakhic Mind of the Halakhic Man: A Perspective on the Rav Sol Roth.........................................................................51How the Rav Stayed With Me Fred Sommers..........................................................................................................54The '50s: In and Out of the ClassroomThe Approach of the Rav to P'sak and Public Policy Saul J. Berman................................................................................61The Rav at Revel - The Rav at RIETS Robert Blau..................................................................................................67The Impact of the Rav's Presence on Yeshiva Yosef Blau...........................................................................................70Memories of the Rav Zt"l Herbert Bomzer..........................................................................................................74My Memories of the Rav Abba Bronspigel...........................................................................................................77The Rav and Dr. Belkin Zevulun Charlop...........................................................................................................82Reflections on the Rav: Life at RIETS Some 50 years Ago Samuel Danishefsky.......................................................................91The Lonely Man William Herskowitz................................................................................................................99The Rav: His Impact on My Life Haskel Lookstein..................................................................................................103Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik: A Guide to Life David J. Radinsky..................................................................................107The Rav: In and Out of the Classroom Aaron Rakeffett-Rothkoff....................................................................................116Our Rebbe Israel Rivkin..........................................................................................................................120My Rebbe, Rabbi Soloveitchik? Fabian Schonfeld...................................................................................................125The '60s: Mentor of GenerationsThe Rav - How He Developed Psak and His Views of Da'at Torah Julius Berman.......................................................................133Rav Yosef Dov HaLevi Soloveitchik (The Rov) ZT"L: Role Model Par Excellence Heshie Billet........................................................142Memories of Kindness Rivkah Teitz Blau...........................................................................................................153Learning from the Rav: Preparing for Shiur Shmuel Boylan.........................................................................................157Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik ("the Rav") as Pedagogue Michael Chernick...........................................................................161My First Year in the Rav's Shiur Menachem Genack.................................................................................................169Ma'aseh Rav - V'dok Daniel Greer.................................................................................................................175The Ray and Rav Ahron David Luchins..............................................................................................................179The Rov as Rov in Boston Seth Mandel.............................................................................................................183Reflections on The Rav Menahem Meier.............................................................................................................188The Rav and the Jewish Holdays Throughout the Year Shlomo H. Pick................................................................................193The Rav: My Rebbe; An essay on the Derekh Halimud of Rabbi Joseph B. SoloveitchikHershel Reichman..................................................................................................................................204The Rav and Torah u-Madda David Shatz............................................................................................................210The Rav and the Chief Rabbinate of Israel Charles Weinberg.......................................................................................218The '70s: A Legacy of Many PerspectivesA Special Zechut: Serving as the Rav's Shamosh Yosef Adler.......................................................................................225The Rav as a Melamed Azarya Berzon...............................................................................................................228How the Rav Changed My Spiritual Life Aharon Bina................................................................................................234Understanding the Rav's "Philosophy" Eugene B. Borowitz..........................................................................................238Teacher Not A Spokesman Shalom Carmy.............................................................................................................243The Rov zt"l: The Nigleh and the Nistar Mordecai E. Feuerstein...................................................................................250Personal Glimpses and Lessons Derived Rabbi Zev Friedman.........................................................................................268Hineni He-Ani Mi-maas Itzhak D. Goldberg.........................................................................................................272Initial Encounters Shmuel Goldin.................................................................................................................281Reflections of Two Generations of Shamashim Dovid...