From: Turkel Eli Subject: biography of Rabbi J.B. Soloveitchik What I write is based on various stories that I have heard and I cannot vouch for all of them. Rav Soloveitchik was born on Febuary 27, 1903 (30th shevat) in Pruzhan, Poland. His father was R. Moshe Soloveitchik the eldest son of Rav Chaim Soloveitchik who was famous for introducing a new method into the learning of Gemara. Other ancestors were R. Yosef Dov Soloveitchik (Beis - Halevi, after whom he was named) and R. Berlin (Netziv) both of whom headed the yeshiva of Voloshin at various times. Though they eventually split up, R. Chaim Soloveitchik married the grandaughter of the Netziv. R. Yosef Dov Soloveitchik was also a descendent of R. Chaim Volozhin. On his maternal side R. Soloveitchik's grandfather was R. Elijah Feinstein and hence he was cousins with both R. Moshe Feinstein and R. Michal Feinstein of Bnei Brak. The Rav has two brothers, Shmuel (Zz"l) and Aaron (head of yeshivat Brisk in Chicago and rosh Yeshiva in YU) and two sisters Mrs. Ann Gerber and Mrs. Shulamith Meiselman. The Rav has three children Rav Hayyim Soloveitchik, Mrs. Atarah Twersky and Mrs. Tova Lichtenstein. The Lichtensteins live in Israel while his daughter Atarah took care of the Rav for the last (approximately) 10 years of his life. In his youth R. Soloveitchik studied mainly with his father. There is a story that as a young child he had a tutor who was a chabadnik. R. Moshe Soloveitchik complained to his father that the young boy didn't know any Gemara and didn't seem to have a head for studies. On a visit, R. Chaim Soloveitchik tested his grandson and saw that indeed he understood nothing in the Gemara. He then tested him on Tanya (the sefer of the first Lubavitcher rebbe) and the grandson knew pages by heart. He then advised that the father be his tutor. In any case R. Soloveitchik flourished and for his bar Mitzva speech was giving original pieces of Torah. In addition to learning Talmud with his father he had private tutors for secular studies and received the equivalent of a gymnasium (high school) education. During this time his mother introduced him to the writings of Ibsen, Pushin, and Bialik in addition to other secular writers. At the age of 22, already a known scholar, he moved to Berlin and attended the university there first majoring in math and physics eventually changing to philosophy and received his Ph.D. in philosophy 6 years later. Rumor has it, that he chose as his Ph.D. topic the Morah Nevukhim of Maimonides but he knew more than all the professors and no one could judge itand so instead he wrote a thesis about the epistemology and metaphysics of the neo-Kantian Jewish philosopher Hermann Cohen under the direction of Heinrich Maier. He also met together with other religious students in Berlin at the time. His mentor was R. Chaim Heller and his comrades were R. Hutner (later Rosh Yeshiva of Chaim Berlin) and R. Sheneerson (late Lubavitcher Rebbe). The Rav went to visit the Lubavitcher rebbe several times in Crown Heights, when the rebbe was sitting shiva for his mother, on the 30th anniversary of the rebbe's becoming the "rebbe" and on the rebbe's eightieth birthday. On all occasions the two treated each other with mutual respect. There is also a story that he was introduced to Nechama Lebowitz but could not find her in the library because she was hidden behind a stack of books that she was studying. He received his Ph.D. in 1931. In 1932 Rabbi and Mrs. soloveitchik were invited to Boston by the Va'ad Ha'ir and Chevra Shas headed by Rabbi Frank. Shortly after arriving he founded a yeshiva which was several houses away from another Yeshiva headed by Rabbi Jacobson. Maimonides School was started by the Rav in 1937 with six students of the Young Israel of Roxbury. There was much opposition to the school by Jews who considered it a return to the Ghetto. About the same time his father moved to the U.S. and became the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva University. In 1940 his father passed away and a while later his son took over as Rosh Yeshiva. The board of trustees of Yeshiva University first refused to appoint the Rav as his father's successor because he belonged to Agudat Israel but relented under great pressure. The Rav remained as Rosh Yeshiva for over 40 years. He ordained about 2,000 students. In 1935 he came to Israel (his only visit) to apply for the position of chief rabbi of Tel Aviv but lost the contest to R. Amiel with R. Herzog coming in second and the Rav third. During this visit he met with Rav Kook and Rav Kook passed away within the year. It has never been clear why he never returned to Israel even though a daughter and her family live in Israel and his son studied in Israel and has spent many years in Israel. The major reasons that I have heard was either that he felt that one should not visit Israel and then leave or that he felt he would have to visit Heichal Shlomo to see the chief rabbis but on the other hand his uncle (the Brisker Rav) had pronounced a Herem against entering Heichal Shlomo. After R. Herzog passed away R. Soloveitchik was requested to become chief rabbi of Israel but refused and R. Unterman was then chosen. Again some of the reasons offered for his refusal to accept the position of chief rabbi are either because he didn't wish to mix religion and politics and because he felt that the chief rabbinate was a political position rather than a rabbinical position or else because of opposition from the Israeli branch of the Soloveitchik family. In spite of differences of opinions the Rav was a very family oriented individual. He also was not happy with his daughter moving to Israel feeling that R. Lichtenstein had much to contribute to the American Jewish community. R. Soloveitchik met with both David Ben Gurion and Menachem Begin on their visits to the U.S. but I do not think he met with Golda Meyer. Though his father was active in Mizrachi (and ostracized by the rest of the family) R. Soloveitchik joined Agudah when he came to the U.S. He was a member of the Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah of America. I have seen a picture of him delivering the main speech at the first annual dinner for the Lakewood Yeshiva. They claim that R. Aharon Kotler was crying and trying to stop R. Soloveitchik because of R. Soloveitchik's praises of R. Kotler. The Rav later joined Mizrachi after the urgings of his great-great-uncle R. Meir Berlin (Bar-Ilan). After the holocaust he felt that the Jews made one mistake in not protesting the American policies in World War II and should not now miss the opportunity to back the establishment of a state of Israel. In the book "chamesh derashot" are five lectures he gave (in yiddish) to the Mizrachi on how he struggled with the decision to back Israel knowing full well his family's position. The book has since been translated to English. His article Kol Dodi Dofek gives his viewpoints on the state of Israel. Though he was very positive he disagreed with R. Kook's viewpoint which was based on the coming redemption. The Rav stressed that he never used the word messainism. He was offered the position of world presidency of Mizrachi but turned it down, partially on the advice of R. Hayyim Heller (Bernard Bergmann then became president). The Rav threatened to leave Mizrachi if the party did not vote for an investigation of the massacres in sabra and shattila. In the 50's he also became head of the Halacha committee for the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA). One of his controversial opinions in that capacity was his approval of working with conservative and reform groups on condition that no issues of faith or Halakhah were discussed. He felt that the unity of the Jews when faced with a hostile world overruled other objections. Many other gedolim did not allow any cooperation on any level with conservative and reform Jews. On the other hand R. Soloveitchik ruled that it is preferable to pray at home on Rosh haShana rather than hear shofar in a conservative or reform synagogue with mixed seating. He continued to live in Boston and flew every week to NY for 2-3 days to give shiurim. When I went to YU (mid 1960s) he gave 2 shiurim a day one to the semicha students and one the the college students each one lasting 2-3 hours. The college shiur had about 70 students packed in the room. By the end of the 60's he gave up the semicha shiur and only taught the college shiur. During his stay in NY he also gave a weekly shiur in Moriah on masekhet Berakhot which went for many years and had a steady audience. During the summers he was in Cape Cod where he continued giving shiurim to those students who came out special to be with him. He also gave a yahrzeit shiur (in yiddish) in honor of his father and there were about 2,000 people attending (For those familar with YU, the entire main auditorium with an overflow crowd and speakers in the Bet Medrash - - in those days no remote TV just sound). These shiurim lasted for several hours and combined Halakha and aggadata. The Halakha portion of many of these shiurim have been published in two volumes "Shiurim Le-Zecher Abba Mori". In addition to his other great talents R. Soloveitchik was a great lecturer which is rather unusual .He also gave an annual shiur on Teshuva between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur for the RCA also with several hundred attendees. His public derashot were usually in Yiddish but his Gemara shiurim were in English. He explained that he was more comfortable in yiddish but that the highest priority was that the students completely undertand the Gemara and not miss out on some thought because they didn't understand the yiddish. The Rav was known as a rebbi that did not tolerate "silly" questions. He felt that this demonstrated laziness on the part of the questioner. Later in life he mellowed. All this was in his shiur in YU however in his shiurim for baale-batim in Boston he was always much more open and accepting. He met his wife, Tonya Lewit, while he was in Berlin. She had a doctorate in eductaion from Jena University. There are stories of the love letters that the Rav wrote to his fiancee. Rumor has it that when someone called the house asking for Dr. Soloveitchik she would answer "which one?" (can't verify the story). Before their marriage Tonya promised the Rav's father that she would guarantee the Rav's time to learn. From that time on she carefully guarded the Rav's privacy so that he would have time to learn each day without interuptions from the many people and organizations that wanted his time. His wife passed away in 1967 and thereafter R. Soloveitchik gave a yahrzeit shiur in her honor, in English. Many women attended these shiurim. A little later his mother passed away and was included in this special shiur. In the early 1980's R. Soloveitchik became ill and stopped giving public shiurim and his place as Rosh Yeshiva at YU was taken by his brother R. Aaron Soloveitchik. He is survived by a son Chaim Soloveitchik who has a Ph.D. from Hebrew University in Jewish history. At times he has given shiurim and lectures in both YU and Hebrew University. He is a faculty member (and past dean) of Revel Graduate Scool at YU. The Rav's oldest daughter is married to Prof. Twersky in the department of Jewish History at Harvard and the younger daughter is married to R. Ahron Lichtenstein Rosh Yeshiva of Har Etzion in Alon Shvut (who also has a Ph.D. in English literature from Harvard). His daughter, Tova, was also one of the founders of the political party, Meimad. R. Soloveitchik wrote only a few extended articles. Some of his more famous ones are Ish ha-Halakhah (Halakhic Man) - 1943, Lonely Man of Faith (English), 1965, Kol Dodi Dofek, U-bekashtem me-sham (Hebrew). In 1986 there also appeared a book "Halakhic Mind" which he wrote in the 1940's but never published. However, many of his lectures and shiurim have been published by students. Many of the works are available in both English and Hebrew. Rav Soloveitchik was unusual in that he was a giant in both Talmudic learning and in Jewish Philosophy. His shiurim and his Yahrzeit shiurim in particular were classics in terms of "Brisker Torah". On the other hand he was one of a handful of gedolim who was comfortable in western culture in general and in philosophy in particular. His article "Lonely Man of Faith" was dedicated to his wife (interestingly, the Hebrew translation left out this dedication). This article in particular addresses the conflicts of being both a scientist and a religious Jew and I would highly recommend it to readers of this mailing list. I am also constantly amazed at the quality of the English that the Rav uses in spite of the fact that he learned English relatively late in life. As distinct from Maimonides in Moreh Nevukhim , R. Soloveitchik bases his philosophy on Halakhah, see for example the last chapter of Halakhic Mind. In addition to his talents in Halakhah and philosophy the Rav was also masterful in giving lectures to all types of audiences. The yahrzeit shiurim were attended by thousands. He also gave several lectures on college campuses (Columbia, Rutgers, University of Pennsylvania, MIT that I know of - some of them published) and captivated thousands of non-orthodox college youth. In many ways R. Soloveitchik was the greatest person to combine all these diverse fields since Maimonides. However, with all his talents the Rav always characterized himself as a me-lamed (teacher). The essense was learning and teaching Torah and everything else is secondary. I consider myself as very fortunate in being able to have attended his shiurim for several years. I know he made a tremendous impact on the lives of those who attended his shiurim. Eli Turkel turkel@taurus.bitnet - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following article about the Rav, ZT"L, shows not only his philosphy, but that YU as an Institution is dedicated to 'Torah U'Mada' as well. In the latest issue of YU's _Alumni Review_, there is an article listed as "In the Shadow of the Lonely Man of Faith" - "As the Orthodox Union honors 50 years of intellectual and spiritual contributions of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Alumni review marks the occasion with an essay tribute on his remarkable life." I have retyped the article for anyone interested in reading it. - -Steven Edell, (YC '73, WSSW '76) (There is a little side comment in the issue that, "Material contained in this issue is as of February 19, 1993." I am not certain, however, if this essay was written before, or after ZT"L. There is no mention of the phrase ZT"L in the article - however, most remarks about him are in past tense. -SE) PREFACE - Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik alone among his generation bears the title of, simply, the Rav, an appellation that brings respectful nods of admiration from every circle of Jewish and academic scholarship. He always shunned the spotlight, preferring the classroom to the pulpit; he rarely gave interviews and, with a few notable exceptions, avoided committing his works to publication. But his ideas, opinions, and analyses are avidly sought out by the high and mighty of all spheres - academic, political, social. He was the only rabbi who could enthrall an audience with equal power, whether discoursing on Talmud, science, or philosophy. The Rav's best-known work is THE LONELY MAN OF FAITH, an exploration that blends raw emotionalism with searing analysis in exploring the dual nature of religious man. (Here appears a quote -SE): "What can a man of faith like myself", wrote the Rav, "say to a functional, utilitarian society which is _saeculum_-oriented and whose practical reasons of the mind have long ago supplanted the sensitive reasons of the heart?" A Boston Globe critic commented about the book, "You can listen with rapture and it tears you apart." (Now the article starts-SE): INFLUENCE OF RAV'S LIFE AND THOUGHT - ----------------------------------- At YU, the loneliness of faith is heightened sometimes by another loneliness now that the Rav no longer makes the weekly Boston-YU commutes which he maintained virtually throughout his lifetime of teaching. During that time, the Rav was actively the spiritual, intellectual, and ideological center of YU; symbolically, he still remains so. In the process, he has exerted an incalculable influence upon a community that has sought to maintain religious integrity while contributing to the progress of contemporary society here in the United States and to the strength of the State of Israel. The Rav was, of course, the preeminent talmudist at the University's affiliated Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary; the occupant of the Leib Merkin Chair in Talmud and Jewish Philosophy, he ordained some 2,000 students, perhaps more than any other sage in Jewish history. These students themselves now pass the mantle to another generation, which will hold prestigious pulpits on all continents and will champion the causes of education, communal service, and Jewish scholarship. But the numbers are like hollow tubes, barely capable of containing the rich legacy they are meant to hold. For Rabbi Soloveitchik's presence was felt beyond the crowded classroom on the fourth floor of Furst Hall where his dazzling _shiurim_ (lectures) would, according to those who were present, mesmerize listeners with references from sources as diverse as _tanakh_, Maimonides, and the neo-Kantians, on whom he wrote his dissertation at the University of Berlin. To get a sense of what he is, one had, at the very least, to attend one of his _yahrzeit_ lectures - which he delivered in honor of the memory of his father, Rabbi Moshe Soloveitchik; for his wife, Tonya, who died in 1967, and other family members. These drew the entire YU community as well as thousands of others for whom the opportunity to hear the Rav speak in person was an exceedingly rare and treasured event. Young _Semikhah_ students respectfully occupied the first rows; some of them had in tow their younger siblings, their parents, fiancees, and friends. On the occasions of these lectures, the Nathan Lamport Auditorium filled to capacity sending the overflow crowds into the adjacent Beit Midrash and lobby space of Tanenbaum Hall. "An Evening of Study," reads one ticket stub from 1975; along with date and time, the card carries the verse, "Let my heart be undivided in thy statutes in order that I may not be put to shame." EARLY YEARS - ----------- Rabbi Joseph Baer Soloveitchik, was born in Poland in 1903, the scion of an unusually vibrant and enduring rabbinic dynasty. His grandfather, the Brisker Rav, Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik, was credited with developing a keenly intellectual, some even said scientifically analytical, approach to the study of Talmud. It was this method, learned by the Rav from his own father, the Talmudic master Rabbi Moshe Soloveitchik, that led him to pursue a doctorate in philosophy at the University of Berlin in the late 1920s. The purpose of the Halakhic method and analysis, he wrote in _The Halakhic Mind_, "is not to eliminate non-Jewish elements. Far from it...by tracing the Jewish trends and comparing them to the non-Jewish, we shall enrich our outlook and knowledge. Out of the sources of Halakhah, a new world view awaits formulation." The Rav was appointed _Rosh Yeshiva_ at YU in 1941, upon the death of his father who had held the post since being recruited by Dr. Revel in 1929 The son of Reb Moshe proved himself a dazzling and insightful lecturer from the start, and it soon became evident that "he would exceed the expectations of even his strongest early supporters and make his initial detractors look most unnecessarily troubled," as Dr. Jeffrey Gurock wryly noted in his book, _The Men and Women of Yeshiva_. He was, in fact, later asked to be the Chief Rabbi of Israel. He declined; by then, his role as the light of Modern Jewish Orthodoxy had become clear, and he willingly and tirelessly shouldered the immense responsibility. Soon, he developed his thesis of duality, a variation of which is the credo that is nestled in the YU shield: Torah U-Madda. In _The Lonely Man of Faith_, which was first published as a series of articles in _Tradition_ magazine, the Rav mined the story of Genesis and emerged with a powerful theory about the essence of religious man's struggle. There were two Adams in _Bereishit_, he observed. Adam the first, Majestic Adam, was a dynamic persona, "aggressive, bold-minded," whose creativity is an attempt to emulate his Maker; he responds to the Commandments, "Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth and subdue it." the second Adam withdraws from this outward existence; he inhabits the Garden of Eden, "confronted and defeated by [the] Higher and truer being" with whom he seeks a relationship. There was nothing facile about the Lonely Man of Faith's struggle to straddle his dual nature; in his quest there was no dilution of spirituality in favor of materialism, but rather an effort to balance the two. That balance influenced the Rav's practical thinking as well; when a _Ma'ariv_ reporter suggested to him that even some of his own students saw him as too ideologically flexible, the Rav sharply responded, "You must understand that moderation isn't compromise." He remained influential in all circles because he was able to combine icy intellect with effusive charisma. The Rav was active in other areas of Jewish life as well. He served as chairman of the Halakha Commission of the Rabbinical Council of American as was honorary president of Mizrachi, the Religious Zionists of America. Last December, his 50 years of teaching and leadership were honored by the Orthodox Union at its national convention held in Philadelphia. Featured at the event were President Lamm, a prize student of the Rav's, and the Rav's sons-in-law, Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein, who is educational directory of YU's Gruss Institute in Jerusalem and Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshivat Har Etzion in Israel, and Dr. Isadore Twersky, who is Nathan Littauer Professor of Hebrew Literature and Philosophy, Harvard University. Though it has been many years since he has made that once familiar commute from his home in Boston, it is the Rav's words, his smile, and the lessons from his heart which permeate the _Batei Midrash_, classrooms, and even laboratories of YU, fueling the aspirations of Yeshiva University students. "To find fulfillment," the Rav wrote in _The Halakhic Mind_, "one must partake of the human endeavor." With unstinting devotion to Halakha, his life is a study in endeavor and fulfillment. [Two quotes then appear (SE)]: "[The religious mind] views God from the aspect of His creation; and the first response to such an idea is a purified desire to penetrate the mystery of phenomenal reality. The cognition of this world is of the innermost essence of the religious experience." - Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik A PRESIDENT REFLECTS - -------------------- "The words of the Rav, one of the spiritual and intellectual giants of Yeshiva University, and indeed of our generation, voice a principled ideal for the unity of all human knowledge. There is sacred learning and there is learning which is sacred, and at Yeshiva University, while we recognize the distinction between the two, we also affirm their affinities, and mutual enrichment. The University commits itself to the principle that every advance of knowledge is an advance for humanity and service to life. We have the conviction, as the Rav said, that every enterprise of true learning has its part in religious experience and deserves honor and respect." -President [of YU -SE] Norman Lamm Steven Edell, Computer Manager Internet: edell@brachot.jct.ac.il United Israel Appeal, Inc (United Israel Office) Voice: 972-2-255513 Jerusalem, Israel Fax : 972-2-247261