Wednesday, December 16, 2009

The Making of a Rabbi

I have had no time to string together coherent thoughts over the past several days. Thank Gd, I’ve been very busy running Chanukah programs as well as setting up progarms for the rest of winter, but my writing has suffered.

So, instead, I’ll post a list I’ve been contemplating for many months. It’s a list of rabbis who made a profound impact on me, shaping my own way in the rabbinate.

The list first emerged in response to a certain line of questions I’ve often been asked: “Which rabbis shaped your thinking?” “Which rabbis are your role models?” “To whom do you address your own questions?” This was my attempt to answer those questions.

I’m not including rabbis whose seforim I’ve used; this list is limited to rabbis I knew personally.

I’m also not including my friends who are rabbis, although they have taught me a great deal; this list is limited to rabbis I’ve seen in more of a teacher/mentor role.

And, of course, I’ve learned from many who are not rabbis, as well as my own students, but that’s for other lists…

Some of the rabbis on this list taught me to learn, others taught me to teach, others taught me (or tried to teach me) menschlichkeit, others taught me communal involvement and still others taught me counseling.

Some of them taught overtly, others by example.

Some of them taught me just one lesson of pivotal importance, others were my rebbeim for many years.

Rabbi Yosef Blau
Rabbi Benjamin Blech
Rabbi J. David Bleich
Rabbi Michael Broyde
Rabbi Yitzchok Cohen
Rabbi Hillel Davis
Rabbi Armin Hyman Friedman
Rabbi Moshe Fruchthandler, zt”l
Rabbi Shmuel Goldin
Rabbi Chaim Yaakov Goldvicht, zt”l
Rabbi Zvi Koff zt"l
Rabbi Daniel Korobkin
Rabbi Maurice Lamm
Rabbi Haskel Lookstein
Rabbi Pesach Oratz, zt”l
Rabbi Jonathan Rosenblatt
Rabbi Yonasan Sacks
Rabbi Herschel Schachter
Rabbi Boruch Simon
Rabbi Aharon Soloveitchik, zt"l
Rabbi Moshe Tendler
Rabbi Mayer Twersky
Rabbi Noach Weinberg, zt”l
Rabbi Avi Weiss
Rabbi Yosef Weiss
Rabbi Mordechai Willig

One more thought: I publish this list here not only because I find it interesting, but also because I think creating a list of mentors is a good idea; perhaps this will motivate others to create their own.

7 comments:

  1. Wow. You must have an extremely diverse and open minded way of thinking.
    I mean if you are a follower of these Rabbis:
    Rabbi Yosef Blau
    Rabbi Shmuel Goldin
    Rabbi Haskel Lookstein
    Rabbi Avi Weiss

    And these Rabbis:
    Rabbi J. David Bleich
    Rabbi Chaim Yaakov Goldvicht, zt”l
    Rabbi Aharon Soloveitchik, zt"l
    Rabbi Moshe Tendler
    Rabbi Mayer Twersky
    Rabbi Noach Weinberg, zt”l
    Rabbi Mordechai Willig

    Then either you must have a very mixed-up haskafah or your post isn't THAT accurate as to who molded you.

    I most cases if you have one Rebbe that says "black is black" and another Reebe that says "black is white." Well, if you listen and follow both of them then you really end up with nothing.

    Just a thought..perhaps you can clarify?

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  2. Anonymous-
    The difference between diverse and mixed-up is in the eye of the beholder, I think...
    But the answer here is that each of them has taught me something critical for my rabbinic life. Some more, some less, but each has made an essential mark.

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  3. Very cool post. My wife and I have a similar list, but it's of people that have influenced us as parents.
    I hope you're enjoying the Yom Tov (my avodah this Chanuka is to attempt to remember that it's really a Yom Tov, not just a holiday).

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  4. I think that you have had a tremendous zechus to be able to learn from so many different rabbis and role models. (And, as you suggest, I may compile my own list when I have some spare time). As R. Kook said, take the best of every shitah. It's not always between true and false - something may be appropriate for one situation but inappropriate in another. The trick is to figure it out.

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  5. When my shul was looking for a new rabbi, they asked the tryout rabbis to speak about who their rabbinic role models and mentors are, and who they would consult with on serious issues.

    One of them had a very similar (but shorter) list to yours, also including the cousin pair of R' Avi Weiss and R' Mordechai Willig, and mentioned how each rabbi he listed he considered a mentor in a particular aspect of rabbinic life, or an expert in a particular aspect of halakha or community guidance.

    It was sad how some people in the community heard one or a few names from one "end" of the spectrum he listed and seized on that particular person to dismiss this rabbi, completely ignoring the fact that he also respected (to the extent of psak-consultation) rabbis who those people considered more "appropriate".

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  6. A diverse list to be sure. For me personally such a list would include those who have taught me through words or examples what I should do and would also include those who have taught me what I shouldn't do by words or examples.

    I had a professor in grad school whom I didn't really like too much. I felt his teaching style was very self-centered and didn't take his students into consideration at all. And yes, I learned a valuable lesson from him. I learned what I didn't want to do when I started to teach. When I measure myself as a teacher I have his image in front of me as what I don't want to be. That's a valuable tool.

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  7. Neil-
    A parenting list... fascinating.

    Joseph-
    Agreed; definitely a huge zchus.

    Steg-
    Indeed. Perhaps your friend is better off elsewhere, though.

    ProfK-
    Yes, there definitely are negative role models out there in my field... I couldn't very well publish such a list, though.

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