הקדמה לספר היובל לכבוד מו"ר הגריד"ס (1984)

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On Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik (1991)

During my visit today with Chief Rabbi Shapira, he told me the following story to which he was a personal witness. When Rabbi Soloveitchik came to visit Israel – the one and only time during his life – in the 1930s, it was the final year of the life of Rabbi Kook, the Elder. Rabbi Soloveitchik spoke in several places – at Mercaz Harav, at the Harry Fischel Institute, and at several other yeshivot. At every lecture that he gave, Rabbi Kook’s son, Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook, attended and listened attentively. When Rabbi Shapira asked the younger Rav Kook why he was doing so, he answered as follows: His father had received Rabbi Soloveitchik and they “talked in learning.” When Rabbi Soloveitchik left, the elder Rav Kook told his son that the experience of speaking with Rabbi Soloveitchik reminded him of his earliest years, when he was a student at the Yeshiva of Volozhin, during the time that Rabbi Soloveitchik’s grandfather, Rabbi Hayyim Soloveitchik, first began to give shiurim. I believe, the elder Rav Kook said, that the power of genius of the grandfather now resides with the grandson – and therefore, he said to his son, you should not miss a single shiur by Rabbi Soloveitchik.

The Rabbinate

על הברכה

על הברכה ישבתי ואת ידי חבקתי, ליל דממה שתיתי ואל סהר דברתי. ירח קר יקירי, מדוע לא תראני? ראה איך כואב לבי ודמעתך השקני. האם אתה אכזרי יגא כמו דודתי? את סודכם ספר לי ואהי' קר גם אני. ואם לא, אז, ירחי, גלה לי את פתרוני, אמור אמור אמור לי ואז אגמור את שירי.

Miscellaneous

Letter about Introductory Book Recommendations on Judaism (1967)

Dear [redacted]: Charles Bacall had spoken to me about you before and I was therefore pleased to receive your letter. I would recommend two books to you, with the added comment that these are both good introductions, but only introductions. After you have finished them, if you find you are still interested, it would be best to arrange for a personal interview. The two books are: 1. "Judaism" by Isidore Epstein (in paper back only) 2. "History of the Jews" by Cecil Roth (this, too, is in paper back). All good wishes on your spiritual adventure. Sincerely yours, Rabbi Norman Lamm

General Jewish History Jewish Education