By Rabbi Eliyahu Wolf

Harav Levi Yitzchak married Rebbetzin Chana on 13 Sivan 5660 (1900) in the city of Nikolayev. The shidduch between Harav Levi Yitzchak and Rebbetzin Chana was suggested by the Rebbe Rashab.

Following their marriage, Harav Levi Yitzchak lived in Nikolayev, supported by his father-in-law, for nearly ten years. In 5669 (1909), with the Rebbe Rashab’s blessing and encouragement, he was appointed Rav of Yekaterinoslav, later known as Dnepropetrovsk.

About two years after their marriage, on Friday, 11 Nissan 5662 (1902), their firstborn son, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, was born.

This is not the place to recount the Rebbe’s childhood, which has been documented extensively elsewhere. In this article, we will focus only on the unique relationship between the Rebbe and his illustrious father.

On one occasion, Rebbetzin Chana recalled:

“My husband instructed me to wash the baby’s hands every time he awoke from sleep and wanted to eat, beginning from the day he was born. This was not done with our other sons. I believe,” she added, “that this instruction came from the Rebbe Rashab.”

On that very Friday, 11 Nissan 5662, the Rebbe Rashab sent six (!) telegrams from Lubavitch to Nikolayev, conveying blessings and congratulations on the birth of the child, along with questions and detailed guidance regarding the newborn and his upbringing.

The Bar Mitzvah Celebration

In her recently published memoirs, Rebbetzin Chana recounts the Rebbe’s bar mitzvah celebration:

“At his bar mitzvah celebration… he delivered two discourses, one in Nigleh and one in Chassidus. A very large crowd attended the celebration. The bar mitzvah took place on Shabbos, and the farbrengen continued until after Havdalah.

“I myself was not in the room where the discourses were delivered, but everyone went about filled with amazement at their content, an amazement that defies description. I remember that the engineer Paley, who was exceptionally gifted and a sharp scholar, came over to me and said, ‘This is the first time in my life that I have heard such things from a boy of this age.’

“Afterward, the bar mitzvah boy’s father asked him to promise him something. I was not present at the time, and he did not agree easily. Men and women, those who were frum and those who were not, young and old alike, emerged from the room with tears in their eyes. An atmosphere prevailed that words cannot describe. This continued for many hours, until, in the end, the bar mitzvah boy gave his affirmative answer.

“Afterward, everyone went out together dancing, their faces still wet with tears, yet filled with joy, as though they had all entered another world.”

Father and Teacher

On more than one occasion, when Harav Levi Yitzchak would consult with the Rebbetzin on a certain matter, she would remark: “We should hear Mendel’s opinion. He has sound judgment.” She once expressed this thought even more clearly, saying: “My husband, the Rav, did not love him merely with the love of a father for his son. Rather, he respected him and took his opinion into account on various matters, even during his childhood years.”

The Rebbe’s melamed, Reb Zalman Vilenkin, related that on one Shabbos, when Harav Levi Yitzchak was speaking about matters of kabbalah, one of the attendees dared to ask him: “For who are you saying all of this? There is no one here who understands your words.”

Harav Levi Yitzchak responded: “There, in the corner, there is one young man who understands everything I am saying.” As he said this, he pointed toward his eldest son, the Rebbe.

During that period, Harav Levi Yitzchak would often give his young son letters that he received from great talmidei chachomim, asking him to compose responses. On one occasion, Harav Levi Yitzchak revealed to one of his correspondents that the answer to a difficult question he had recently sent was actually written by his young son.

Reb Shmuel Grossman related that one of Anash once spent Shabbos with Harav Levi Yitzchak in Yekaterinoslav. During the Shabbos meals, Harav Levi Yitzchak discussed Torah, moving from one area of Torah to another. From time to time, however, he would pause and wait for his son to provide the sources for the ideas he had quoted.

At one point, the guest turned to Harav Levi Yitzchak and asked why he did not simply state the sources himself.

Harav Levi Yitzchak replied: “My son’s knowledge encompasses the entire Torah. When he gives the sources, I hear new references that I myself had not consciously intended when I shared the ideas. For me, the saying is truly realized: ‘I have learned more from my student, referring to my son, than from anyone else.’

By this time, the Rebbe had already become exceptionally knowledgeable in Gemara, halachic seforim, and Kabbalah. However, because of the need to deal with the authorities on behalf of the Jewish community, it was decided that he should also acquire a general education.

The permission for this was based on the two possibilities mentioned in Perek 8 of Tanya: either using secular knowledge “as an axe with which to chop,” meaning as a practical tool, or “knowing how to use them for the service of Hashem or for His Torah.”

In this situation and at that time, both purposes were necessary.

Mr. Yisrael Idelson (who later became known as Yisrael Bar-Yehuda), who at the time served as the director of the municipal gymnasium in Yekaterinoslav, later related the following story to a friend:

“One day the Rebbe approached me and told me that his father, the Rav, had called him and said: ‘My son, it would be worthwhile for you to also study secular subjects and prepare for the matriculation examinations. I am certain that you will gain much from this.’

“However, his father placed one condition before him: From the sixteen hours a day devoted to learning Torah, chas v’shalom that you should reduce your learning by even a single minute because of secular studies. You may only do this during the remaining six hours, which are allocated for eating, sleeping, and resting.

“I asked him whether he truly intended to take the matriculation examinations, which young men his age usually spent about six years preparing for. He replied that he hoped to pass them, but requested that I assist him by providing general guidance.

“Harav Levi Yitzchak added another condition: The general studies must take place at home and not in any official institution. I assisted him and directed him to suitable teachers who could guide him. Less than six months later, he successfully passed the matriculation examinations with outstanding results.”

Between Leningrad and Yekaterinoslav

Beginning in 5683 (1923), when the Rebbe first met the Frierdiker Rebbe, the Rebbe divided his time between his father and the man who would eventually become his father-in-law and mentor. During this period, the Frierdiker Rebbe brought the Rebbe into the inner circle of his holy work, and the Rebbe became actively involved in all that was taking place under his future father-in-law’s leadership. 

These were the days when the Communists were rising to power. The Frierdiker Rebbe, who at the time lived in Leningrad (today St. Petersburg), fought their efforts with unwavering determination in defense of Torah. At the same time, Harav Levi Yitzchak, in his city, was waging the battle for Jewish life against the authorities. The Rebbe was present in both places, both with the Frierdiker Rebbe and with his father. He absorbed Torah from both of them, while simultaneously taking part in the battle for yiddishkeit alongside both his father and the Frierdiker Rebbe.

As the danger of imprisonment surrounding the Frierdiker Rebbe grew ever greater, the Rebbe was asked to reduce his trips to his father in Yekaterinoslav to an absolute minimum. He needed to remain close to the Rebbe, close to the unfolding events, prepared for whatever difficulties might arise.

The Rebbe spent the beginning of the year 5687 (1927), the year of the Frierdiker Rebbe’s arrest, in his father’s home. Afterwards, he returned to Leningrad, the center of the activities. Following the arrest and liberation on Yud Beis Tammuz, when it was decided that the Frierdiker Rebbe would leave Russia, the Rebbe’s name appeared on the list of close family members and associates whom the Frierdiker Rebbe intended to take with him. Before leaving, the Rebbe traveled for one final meeting with his father.

The Frierdiker Rebbe left Russia at the end of Tishrei 5688 (1927), and the Rebbe traveled to spend the Yomim Tovim of Tishrei with his parents. One can imagine that Harav Levi Yitzchak and Rebbetzin Chana experienced mixed emotions. On one hand, there was joy and nachas at the brilliant future awaiting their firstborn son; on the other, there was the pain and sorrow of parting from their beloved son.

That Simchas Torah of 5688 in Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s shul was a remarkable and unforgettable one. The Rebbe, the eldest son, beloved by his father and by the entire community, infused all those present with tremendous joy, a true Simchas Torah joy, as if filling them with a reservoir of inspiration that would serve as spiritual provisions for the long journey of many years ahead.

Harav Levi Yitzchak danced with great enthusiasm, holding the Sefer Torah in his hands. Opposite him, the Rebbe danced and rejoiced with all his strength, continuing his dancing in honor of the Torah, in honor of the Jewish people, and in honor of Hashem, the Giver of the Torah and the One who chose the Yidden as His nation, even after his father had stopped dancing due to exhaustion.

For almost the entire day and night, the Rebbe continued dancing. He drew the participation of the entire city, young and old alike, and the joy even swept up those who were not part of the community.

Years later, Rebbetzin Chana recalled these memories to R’ Nissan Gordon:

“No one besides my husband and myself knew that our son was about to set out on a distant journey… On that Simchas Torah, many people farbrenged and danced without limit, seemingly in order to conceal our true emotions. We exerted ourselves with all our strength to appear happier and more refreshed than ever before… I looked into our son’s eyes and saw both how painful it was for him that he would have to leave us… Yet they also seemed to say, as if: ‘Mother, do not worry…’”

These were profound days for the Rebbe and his father, as if their hearts sensed that they would never again see one another face to face. The son sought to absorb as much as possible from his father, his teacher and guide from the day of his birth until then, while the father endeavored to transmit to his son more and more of the heritage of his ancestors that he carried within him.

On the Thursday following Simchas Torah, the Rebbe left his parents’ home and boarded a train to Leningrad, from where he would leave the country’s borders. From that point on, their connection would continue through written words: through letters and packages that the Rebbe sent to his parents, and through letters that Harav Levi Yitzchak and Rebbetzin Chana sent back to their son.

A Wedding Without the Chosson

The first letter we have from Harav Levi Yitzchak to his son, the Rebbe, is from Erev Pesach after chatzos in the year 5688 (1928).

This letter, like the dozens of letters Harav Levi Yitzchak wrote to the Rebbe over the years, opens with greetings appropriate to the occasion. Sometimes they are brachos for an upcoming Yom Tov, such as Rosh Hashanah, Pesach, Shavuos, and the like, and sometimes they mark a personal milestone in the Rebbe’s life, such as his birthday or wedding anniversary. Each letter begins with a few lines addressing the specific occasion, and then Harav Levi Yitzchak immediately explains its deeper meaning according to the teachings of Kabbalah, weaving together the revealed and hidden dimensions of Torah into a single, unified whole.

The structure of most of these letters follows a similar pattern. The letter begins with the personal topic at hand, and after a line or two, when Harav Levi Yitzchak begins explaining the matter according to Kabbalah, he opens a parenthesis, as if to say: Here we leave the simple, surface-level meaning of the subject and descend into its inner depths. He then expands and elaborates on the topic, and when the explanation concludes, sometimes after ten pages or more, he closes the parenthesis and returns to the original personal matter with which he began.

On 14 Kislev 5689 (1928), the Rebbe married the Frierdiker Rebbe’s daughter, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka. The wedding took place in Warsaw, while Harav Levi Yitzchak and Rebbetzin Chana remained on the other side of the Iron Curtain, in Dnipropetrovsk.

About a week before the wedding, on Friday, 6 Kislev, Harav Levi Yitzchak sent his son two letters on the same day. These letters were filled both with “letters of Kabbalah,” explaining the spiritual significance of the wedding day, and with an abundance of heartfelt brachos flowing from a father’s longing heart. One of these letters concludes with the words: “Your father, whose soul is bound with your soul…”

The following day, 7 Kislev, Harav Levi Yitzchak sent another letter to the Rebbe, writing:

“My son, the chosson, purchase with the amount I wrote to you a fine and beautiful gift for your kallah, a gift that is suitable and pleasing in your eyes. Tell the kallah, in our name, that she should enjoy this gift in life and peace, with joy and happiness. May she use it in good health and happiness, together with you, with abundance, wealth, and prosperity, physically and spiritually, as desired by your ancestors, who love you and await only goodness and kindness from you all your days.”

During those days, Harav Levi Yitzchak sent him another letter containing a series of personal instructions regarding the preparations for the wedding: what he should study, what he should say during the Mi Shebeirach when called to the Torah, the intentions to have during toveling in the mikvah on his wedding day, the order of davening for the day of the wedding, what to wear under the chuppah, what thoughts to have during the chuppah, and more.

He concludes this letter with the words:

“Please, my beloved and cherished soul, do this, and it will be good for you all your days, as desired by one who loves you with an eternal and limitless love, who desires your happiness and success always, all your days.”

On the day of the wedding itself, 14 Kislev, Harav Levi Yitzchak sent a telegram to his son beginning with the words:

“From the depths of the hidden chambers of my heart, I bentch you, my beloved and cherished son, on the day of your wedding with your destined kallah, Chaya Mushka, for a mazal tov. May Hashem, the G-d of our holy ancestors, through whose merit we live, spread His shelter of peace over you, and may your home be everlasting… Your father, who is with you and beside you in truth.”

The Rebbe’s uncle, Reb Shmuel Schneersohn, wrote to the Rebbe about this telegram:

“Know, my dear one, that when he wrote the great telegram beginning ‘From the depths of the hidden chambers of my heart…’ on your wedding day, which I later transcribed in Latin letters and sent, it was written with his very heart’s blood and with flowing tears. He poured his entire heart into these words, and may it indeed be fulfilled as it was truly spoken. I am telling you this so that you will remember it and not consider it like any other telegram, if you have preserved it. For I too will never forget those moments, and they will remain with me forever. All the love of a father, and of this great man, and the deepest feelings from the innermost point of the soul were poured into this telegram…”

Harav Levi Yitzchak himself also returned to this telegram in a letter to the Rebbe several days after the wedding, writing:

“I very much desire that my telegram, which contains 101 words, be preserved by you, because it was written from the depths of my heart and the innermost depths of my soul (I am enclosing here a copy, as we wrote it in Lashon Hakodesh), and may you preserve it for many good and pleasant years.”

In another letter, Harav Levi Yitzchak asked the Rebbe to write to him in detail about all the words and talks delivered by the Frierdiker Rebbe at the wedding, “especially those that pertain to you.”

Particularly fascinating is the “wedding celebration” that took place in the home of the Rebbe’s parents, without the chosson and kallah present. The details of this celebration are described at length in Yemei Melech, Toldos Levi Yitzchak, and other sources.

The following is an authentic description written to the Rebbe two days after the wedding by his uncle, Rabbi Shmuel Schneersohn, in the aforementioned letter:

“On Shabbos after davening there was, of course, a big kiddush and a large meal. Although the number of guests was small, those who came were many in spirit. In honor of the day and in honor of the new couple, speeches were delivered, and above all, your father spoke, with tears of joy and happiness, from the depths of his heart. It truly appeared before our eyes as though the chosson and kallah were sitting here with us, and there was no distance at all between us. You were with us, present among us. Representatives of the shuls spoke and expressed the deep feelings of their hearts and their great joy. I, too, spoke some words…”

“The meal continued until the eighth hour of the evening, and almost all those who came remained until after the meal. During the meal, as our hearts were filled with joy, we danced and celebrated as befits the occasion, and even beyond what befits the occasion. The dancing was not only below but also above, for even the table became a place of dancing. It was not only an expression of the soul’s excitement but also of the body, meaning that the outer garments were removed until the tallis katan. In short, the Shabbos of the Torah reading before the wedding was filled with true joy and happiness, with great honor and splendor, and I, too, somewhat lost myself in the joy, and those who understand will understand.”

“After that day, we began preparations for the wedding, and throughout the time from Shabbos until Tuesday we were occupied with it. There was a real wedding here in our home. Although the chosson and kallah were not present, and perhaps this did affect things to some degree, nonetheless, the preparations and the joy made it seem as though you were here with us in reality, not only in spirit but in body as well…”

“The celebration began at 7:00 in the evening. The opening was made by your father, who, with tears of joy, informed those gathered of his day of happiness and asked them to join in his celebration. Although the place was somewhat crowded and there was certainly room to sweat, as his friends and admirers, they were more than willing to sweat alongside him on that evening (and that is indeed what they did).”

“The speeches continued until 11:00 at night. In the meantime, musicians were brought in (no one knows by whom), and the meal began. The dancing and celebration truly seemed endless, continuing without pause until 7:00 the next morning. The dancing was also an outpouring of the soul and body, continuing until the tallis katan [became visible after the outer garments had been removed], and among those who did not wear a tallis katan, until the shirt. The dancing took place specifically on the tables and by the windows, and the city of Dnipropetrovsk was filled with joy and celebration.”

“There were dances with everyone together, as well as private dances: some among ourselves, some among the guests alone, and some with everyone together. In short, whoever did not witness such joy never witnessed joy in his life.”

“You fast every day until the time of Mincha?”

Alongside his letters of Torah and brachos, the father also guided his son from afar.

In a letter from that winter, Harav Levi Yitzchak writes to the Rebbe:

“…that you fast every single day until the time of Mincha… I do not understand you at all. What is this approach? From where did you take this, and who taught you such things? It seems to me that for now you are far from the strength of Shimshon, so why do you do such things? This is not the way of Torah, nor is it the way of teshuvah in any way whatsoever. One must guard one’s health with all strength and determination. I hereby command you emphatically that you should not do this under any circumstances… Make every effort to protect your health…”

Similarly, years later, in 5695 (1935), his father wrote to him (Likkutei Levi Yitzchak, Igros Kodesh, p. 321):

“See to it and make every effort to maintain your health, that you should be strong and completely healthy, for this too, and even more so, is a great mitzvah. If strengthening one’s health is for the sake of studying Hashem’s Torah and serving Him, there is no greater virtue than this… Therefore, on the contrary, do not be stringent with stringencies and safeguards in this matter. Strengthen your abilities and your health with the general intention that it should all be l’shem Shamayim…”

His Torah

From this point onward, for approximately ten years, until Harav Levi Yitzchak’s arrest at the beginning of Nissan 5699 (1939), a wide-ranging correspondence took place between the Rebbe and his father. Their exchanges encompassed both nigleh and Chassidus, interwoven and unified into one complete whole.

In the sefer Likkutei Levi Yitzchak – Igros Kodesh, hundreds of densely printed pages contain Harav Levi Yitzchak’s letters to his eldest son.

In recent years, as the Rebbe’s Reshimos were published, it became evident that the Rebbe would send copies of these writings to his father, and Harav Levi Yitzchak would respond with his comments.

Generally, Harav Levi Yitzchak would praise them. At times he would add his own insights, and at times he would explain that, in his opinion, the interpretation differed slightly.

For example, he wrote to the Rebbe:

“Regarding your comments on my letters, I enjoyed them very much. If my son is wise, then my heart rejoices as well…” (p. 258)

And in another letter:

“What you said is good. See Shabbos… May Hashem grant you strength, vigor, and success, that you should be mechadesh according to the truth of Torah… It was a delight for me that you attended the gathering with joy and said words that were good and correct.” (p. 300)

On the other hand, regarding the Reshima dealing with the Mishkan and its keilim (Reshimos, booklets 105–109), which the Rebbe sent to his father and which discusses the inauguration of the Mishkan and its vessels, Harav Levi Yitzchak responded (p. 388) in a ten-page letter. He begins:

“Regarding what you wrote, that the curtains of the Mishkan courtyard, made of linen, allude to faith in Hashem as One, and that this is what separates the courtyard of the Mishkan within each person from the public domain of this world, etc., in my opinion the allusion does not fit well, because…”

It is interesting to note a letter from Harav Levi Yitzchak to the Rebbe (pp. 307–308), in which he writes:

“Now regarding your letter containing the chidushim that Hashem has granted you… However, concerning what you wrote and your request that I tell you my opinion without any embellishment: You should know that the essay as a whole is very good. It contains sharpness and breadth of knowledge in both nigleh and chassidus, as well as a clear and profound understanding of Torah in both its revealed and hidden dimensions. We thank Hashem for granting you understanding, knowledge, and wisdom to comprehend and illuminate His Torah. The maamar is truly exceptional. Strengthen yourself and continue with ever greater strengh, and Hashem will assist you, for you will succeed in attaining the truth of Torah and ascend higher and higher.” 

“However, my dear son, my sincere advice to you is that in matters of this nature, you should see to it that you add more ‘spices and salt’; meaning, that you ensure the ideas are increasingly founded upon the wisdom of truth, upon Kabbalah, which is the true essence of Torah, the dew and light of Torah. Then the ideas will become clearer and more radiant, and all the concepts will come together perfectly, like a beautiful, complete structure, rounded and refined from every side and angle. Then it will be clearly seen and recognized that the idea is truly authentic…”

“…that you have begun putting on Shimusha Rabba tefillin…”

Alongside the exchange of chidushei Torah between father and son, the difficult economic conditions in Russia during those years meant that the Rebbe also sent his parents basic necessities for their livelihood. It is interesting to quote a letter from Harav Levi Yitzchak written in 5697 (1937) (p. 387), in which he writes to the Rebbe:

“Thank you for the shoes, which arrived during Pesach.”

At this point, Harav Levi Yitzchak opens a parenthesis and, as mentioned earlier, finds a Kabbalistic connection between shoes and Pesach: “For it is written, ‘and your shoes on your feet,’ and likewise regarding the future Geulah, ‘and He will guide you with shoes.'” He then continues for several more lines, explaining the connection between shoes and Pesach according to Kabbalah.

After completing his Kabbalistic explanation, he closes the parenthesis and adds what might seem like a minor detail:

“They [that is, the shoes] are good.”

Only after expounding on the spiritual significance of shoes in relation to Pesach does he remember to tell the Rebbe that the shoes themselves are good.

A study of Harav Levi Yitzchak’s letters to the Rebbe also sheds light on aspects of the Rebbe’s life during those years. In a letter from 5698 (1938) (p. 420), apparently responding to the Rebbe’s description of a new apartment they had moved into, Harav Levi Yitzchak writes:

“Since the apartment has two rooms, like your present one, consisting of an entry hall and a main room, or a small room and a main room…”

He then proceeds to explain the Kabbalistic significance of this arrangement.

Similarly, in another letter (p. 422), replying to one of the Rebbe’s letters, he writes:

“You write that you have begun putting on Shimusha Rabba tefillin… May Hashem help you to experience and perceive mochin associated with these tefillin as well.”

The Years of Separation

In Nissan 5699 (1939), the Communist authorities arrested Harav Levi Yitzchak, severing all contact between him and the Rebbe.

Years of silence followed until communication was finally restored through extraordinary means, while Harav Levi Yitzchak was living in exile in the remote village of Chiili, on the steppes of Kazakhstan.

In her memoirs (Memoirs of Rebbetzin Chana, Booklet 16), the Rebbetzin describes the desperate conditions under which they lived there, along with a ray of light that pierced the darkness of those difficult years:

“One day we received a telegram from Tashkent stating that a telegram from our eldest son had arrived at the offices of the Jewish community there, asking where his parents and his father’s brother were.

“As soon as we received the telegram, we sent our address back by wire. A few weeks later another telegram arrived, and the moment we saw the signatures at the bottom, ‘Mendel’ and ‘Mussya,’ our faces lit up.

“However, those signatures were the only words we could understand. The rest of the telegram was written in English, and we did not know the language…

“The search for someone who could read the telegram for us lasted an entire week. I had to walk four kilometers each way until we found a schoolteacher who, with great difficulty, managed to read it to me.

“At last, the voices of our home, the voices of our loved ones whom we had missed so deeply, reached our ears.

“Some time later we received two food packages, and our situation became somewhat easier.”

During those same years, Harav Levi Yitzchak managed to send the Rebbe a postcard describing their desperate circumstances. Every piece of correspondence in the Soviet Union was carefully scrutinized, so such a message had to be written in the least accusatory language possible.

The postcard was sent by both registered and express mail. It was a matter of genuine pikuach nefesh, yet according to the postal markings, it took more than two months to reach its destination.

In it, Reb Levi Yitzchak wrote:

“…I have been living here for almost four years, and Mother arrived two years ago before Pesach… All of our belongings, our blankets and everything else, remained at home, and we were left with nothing, without any means of support. Baruch Hashem, we are alive, but our health is poor, very weak, and we are often ill. How we long to spend our old age near our children. Here we are among strangers, with no acquaintances. I ask that as soon as you receive this letter, you write to us about your health and how you are living, and send us a package containing warm clothing and underwear, fabric so that a garment can be made for me, shoes in size 43, and for Mother size 38. Please also send food, oil and similar necessities. We await your letter with great impatience…”

Throughout those years, both the Rebbe and his father-in-law, the Frierdiker Rebbe, made persistent efforts and engaged in extensive intercession to help Harav Levi Yitzchak and secure his release from exile. Sadly, despite every effort, their attempts were unsuccessful.

“I Remain Faithful to the Education I Received”

In a farbrengen on 20 Menachem Av 5739 (1979), while addressing the criticism he had received for his position regarding the danger of relinquishing parts of Eretz Yisroel, the Rebbe reflected on the education he had received in his parents’ home:

“Hashem helped me, not through my own choice or desire, by having me born as the firstborn to my father, who was appointed Chief Rabbi of Yekaterinoslav (today Dnipro).

“In those days, in that country, it was often necessary to engage in debates, answer questions, and endure reprimands and the like. For this, one had to know Russian. Since I was the Chief Rabbi’s eldest son and was fluent in the language, this responsibility often fell to me.

“So I have been accustomed to this ever since those days, some 60 or 65 years ago. I do not wait for honors or recognition, and I certainly do not intend to sit silently when matters of pikuach nefesh are at stake. I am not permitted to do so. That is not how I was educated or raised.

“I remain faithful to the education I received. Whenever a matter involves pikuach nefesh, one cannot remain silent, regardless of how ‘so-and-so, the son of so-and-so,’ may respond.”

The article was adapted from Maynotecha.