Yeshiva University - Masmid Yearbook (New York, NY)

Page 10 text:

Roshei Yeshiva are rarely philosophers. Jewish philosophers are usually not the most eloquent of speakers. The Rav dominates our world in both these areas and more. A rigorous thinker and yet a poet, he combines the precision of Brisk with an unusual sensitivity to feelings and emotions. The Rav ' s description of his grandfather Rav Chaim Soloveitchik as more importantly the man of Chesed, loving kindness, rather than the great creative halachik thinker applies equally to himself. Greatness in Jewish life must be reflected in character as well as in intellect; the Rav personifies both. His very presence each week, often at great inconvenience and pain, is an act of loyalty and devotion to the Yeshiva and his students.

Page 9 text:

Recognizing the inadequacy of the gesture, wc are dedicating the 1982 MASMID to Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik Shiita, the Rav. While it is beyond the scope of this dedication to even begin 10 describe the impact of the Rav on the Jewish history of our time, we can reflect on what his presence here at Yeshiva has meant to us. Only a small fraction of undergraduates study in the Rav ' s shiur and some of us have never heard him speak. Yet the quality of life at Yeshiva is enhanced for all of us because we at- tend the school with which his name is associated. For over forty years the Rav has flown in each week from Boston, a pace that would exhaust a younger man. Watching him walk between his apartment in Morgenstern Residence Hall and his shiur room in Furst Hall surrounded by his disciples is awe- inspiring. Any act of association with the Rav gives us stature. Yeshiva University as an ideal, not merely as an educational in- stitution, gains credibility and legitimacy because of the Rav. Over the years Yeshiva has been criticized from the left and the right, from without and even within, but primarily because of the Rav we must be taken seriously .

Page 11 text:

The inllucncc of the Rav extends to the practical realm of world affairs as well, particularly in his inspiring leadership in behalf of the Mizrachi religious Zionist Movement. The Rav regards the State of Israel as part of the historical religious destiny of our people, not merely as a secular political entity. He has, therefore, devoted his energies and his considerable ability to further the cause of religious Zionism in Israel and support the rebuilding of the Slate. Above all, in a world of narrow specialization, the Rav is a singular reminder of how broad a Torah scholar can be. His incredible erudition in many secular disciplines fits harmoniously into his Torah-true outlook. His concept of Torah knowledge is constantly expanding, incorporating a multiplicity of perspectives and skills. Unafraid of complexities and apparent contradictions the Rav simultaneously penetrates to the core of the idea while showing the validity of dif- fering approaches. We could never hope to duplicate the results of the Rav ' s genius but we can share in the realization that a religious Jew can think in large terms and need not fear confronting new ideas.