Yitzchak (
Isaac
Isaac; grc, Ἰσαάκ, Isaák; ar, إسحٰق/إسحاق, Isḥāq; am, ይስሐቅ is one of the three patriarchs of the Israelites and an important figure in the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He was ...
) Hutner ( he, יצחק הוטנר; 1906–1980) was an American
Orthodox rabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as '' semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form o ...
and
rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva ( he, ראש ישיבה, pl. he, ראשי ישיבה, '; Anglicized pl. ''rosh yeshivas'') is the title given to the dean of a yeshiva, a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primar ...
(dean).
Originally from
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...
, Hutner first
studied the Torah in
Slabodka. He then traveled to
Mandatory Palestine
Mandatory Palestine ( ar, فلسطين الانتدابية '; he, פָּלֶשְׂתִּינָה (א״י) ', where "E.Y." indicates ''’Eretz Yiśrā’ēl'', the Land of Israel) was a geopolitical entity established between 1920 and 1948 ...
where he became a student of the in the Hebron Yeshiva, and narrowly escaped the
1929 Hebron massacre
The Hebron massacre refers to the killing of sixty-seven or sixty-nine Jews on 24 August 1929 in Hebron, then part of Mandatory Palestine, by Arabs incited to violence by rumors that Jews were planning to seize control of the Temple Mount i ...
. After this, Hutner returned to Europe, where he befriended
Joseph B. Soloveitchik
Joseph Ber Soloveitchik ( he, יוסף דב הלוי סולובייצ׳יק ''Yosef Dov ha-Levi Soloveychik''; February 27, 1903 – April 9, 1993) was a major American Orthodox rabbi, Talmudist, and modern Jewish philosopher. He was a scion ...
and
Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Menachem Mendel Schneerson (Modern Hebrew: מנחם מענדל שניאורסון; old-fashioned spelling: מנחם מענדל שניאורסאהן; April 5, 1902 OS – June 12, 1994; AM 11 Nissan 5662 – 3 Tammuz 5754), known to man ...
, maintaining friendships with both long after they had all established their own institutions in the United States.
Hutner was the long-time dean of
Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, New York, an older institution that grew under his leadership. Hutner's pedagogic style was a blend of the
Hasidic
Hasidism, sometimes spelled Chassidism, and also known as Hasidic Judaism ( Ashkenazi Hebrew: חסידות ''Ḥăsīdus'', ; originally, "piety"), is a Jewish religious group that arose as a spiritual revival movement in the territory of conte ...
and
Misnagdic elements of his own family's origins. His discourses, called ''ma'amarim'', contained elements of a
Talmud
The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ('' halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the ce ...
ic discourse, a
Hasidic Tish and a philosophic lecture. Although his title was rosh yeshiva, Hutner's leadership style more closely resembled that of a
rebbe
A Rebbe ( yi, רבי, translit=rebe) or Admor ( he, אדמו״ר) is the spiritual leader in the Hasidic movement, and the personalities of its dynasties.Heilman, Samuel"The Rebbe and the Resurgence of Orthodox Judaism."''Religion and Spiritu ...
who expected fealty from his followers.
In his later years, Hutner established
Yeshiva Pachad Yitzchok in
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
, which is named after his own magnum opus. On one of his trips there, Hutner's plane was seized by
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine ( ar, الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين, translit=al-Jabhah al-Sha`biyyah li-Taḥrīr Filasṭīn, PFLP) is a secular Palestinian Marxist–Leninist and revolutionary so ...
terrorists in the
Dawson's Field hijackings, which he survived.
Early life
Hutner was born in
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...
,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
, to a family with both
Ger Hasidic
Hasidism, sometimes spelled Chassidism, and also known as Hasidic Judaism ( Ashkenazi Hebrew: חסידות ''Ḥăsīdus'', ; originally, "piety"), is a Jewish religious group that arose as a spiritual revival movement in the territory of conte ...
and non-Hasidic
Lithuanian Jewish
Lithuanian Jews or Litvaks () are Jews with roots in the territory of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania (covering present-day Lithuania, Belarus, Latvia, the northeastern Suwałki and Białystok regions of Poland, as well as adjacent ...
roots. As a child he received private instruction in
Torah
The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the ...
and
Talmud
The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ('' halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the ce ...
. As a teenager he was enrolled in the
Slabodka yeshiva in Lithuania, headed by
Nosson Tzvi Finkel, where he was known as the "Warsaw Illui" (Genius of Warsaw).
[Gerber, Alan Jay (August 5, 2015]
"Ravs Kook and Hutner, zichronum livracha"
''The Jewish Star''. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
In 1925, having obtained a solid grounding in Talmud, Hutner joined a group from the Slabodka yeshiva that established the
Hebron Yeshiva in
Mandatory Palestine
Mandatory Palestine ( ar, فلسطين الانتدابية '; he, פָּלֶשְׂתִּינָה (א״י) ', where "E.Y." indicates ''’Eretz Yiśrā’ēl'', the Land of Israel) was a geopolitical entity established between 1920 and 1948 ...
. He studied there until 1929,
narrowly escaping the
1929 Hebron massacre
The Hebron massacre refers to the killing of sixty-seven or sixty-nine Jews on 24 August 1929 in Hebron, then part of Mandatory Palestine, by Arabs incited to violence by rumors that Jews were planning to seize control of the Temple Mount i ...
because he was away for the weekend. Hutner then returned to Warsaw to visit his parents.
He then moved to Germany, to study philosophy at the
University of Berlin
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (german: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a German public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiative ...
, where he befriended
Joseph B. Soloveitchik
Joseph Ber Soloveitchik ( he, יוסף דב הלוי סולובייצ׳יק ''Yosef Dov ha-Levi Soloveychik''; February 27, 1903 – April 9, 1993) was a major American Orthodox rabbi, Talmudist, and modern Jewish philosopher. He was a scion ...
["Joseph Soloveitchik (1903-1993)"](_blank)
''Jewish Virtual Library''. Retrieved October 22, 2020. and
Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Menachem Mendel Schneerson (Modern Hebrew: מנחם מענדל שניאורסון; old-fashioned spelling: מנחם מענדל שניאורסאהן; April 5, 1902 OS – June 12, 1994; AM 11 Nissan 5662 – 3 Tammuz 5754), known to man ...
,
two future rabbinical leaders then studying in Berlin. In 1932, he authored a book called ''Torat HaNazir''.
In 1933, Hutner married Masha Lipshitz in
Kobryn
Kobryn ( be, Кобрын; russian: Кобрин; pl, Kobryń; lt, Kobrynas; uk, Кобринь, Kobryn'; yi, קאָברין) is a city in the Brest Region of Belarus and the center of the Kobryn District. The city is located in the southwest ...
. She was born in
Slutsk
Slutsk ( officially transliterated as Sluck, be, Слуцк; russian: Слуцк; pl, Słuck, lt, Sluckas, Yiddish/Hebrew: סלוצק ''Slutsk'') is a city in Belarus, located on the Sluch River south of Minsk. As of 2022, its population i ...
and raised in the United States. That same year, the couple traveled to Mandatory Palestine, where they remained for about a year, and completed his research and writing of his ''Kovetz Ha'aros'' on
Hillel ben Eliakim Hillel ben Eliakim, known in Hebrew to Talmud scholars as ''Rabbeinu Hillel'', ("Our Rabbi Hillel"), was a Greek rabbi and Talmud scholar. He lived during the 11th century and 12th century.
In his writings he mentions the name of his city, סלוו ...
's commentary on ''
midrash
''Midrash'' (;["midrash"]
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. he, מִדְרָשׁ; ...
sifra
Sifra ( Aramaic: סִפְרָא) is the Halakhic midrash to the Book of Leviticus. It is frequently quoted in the Talmud, and the study of it followed that of the Mishnah. Like Leviticus itself, the midrash is occasionally called "Torat Kohanim" ...
.''
Rabbinic and teaching career
In March 1934 Hutner moved to the United States (his wife having preceded him by six months) and settled in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, where Hutner joined the faculty of the
Rabbi Jacob Joseph School
The Rabbi Jacob Joseph School is an Orthodox Jewish day school located in Staten Island, New York that serves students from nursery through twelfth grade, with another branch in Edison, New Jersey. The school was founded in 1903 by Rabbi Shmuel ...
. Sometime between 1935 and 1936 he was appointed office manager of the newly established high school division of the
Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin known as
Mesivta Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin.
In 1940, after receiving permission from the rosh yeshiva, Yaakov Moshe Shurkin, he began to give a class to the 4th year of the post high school program. Founded in 1904, it was the oldest elementary yeshiva in Brooklyn. Over the years he built up the yeshiva's post-high school
beth midrash
A ''beth midrash'' ( he, בית מדרש, or ''beis medrash'', ''beit midrash'', pl. ''batei midrash'' "House of Learning") is a hall dedicated for Torah study, often translated as a "study hall." It is distinct from a synagogue (''beth knes ...
division and became Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin's senior
rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva ( he, ראש ישיבה, pl. he, ראשי ישיבה, '; Anglicized pl. ''rosh yeshivas'') is the title given to the dean of a yeshiva, a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primar ...
(dean). In this effort he also received the help of
Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz
Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz (1886 – 7 September 1948) was a leader of American Orthodoxy and founder of key institutions such as Torah U'Mesorah, an outreach and educational organization. He is also known for having taken the reins in 1921 and b ...
who headed Brooklyn's
Yeshiva Torah Vodaas
Yeshiva Torah Vodaas (or Yeshiva and Mesivta Torah Vodaath or Yeshiva Torah Vodaath or Torah Vodaath Rabbinical Seminary ) is a ''yeshiva'' in the Kensington neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.
History
The yeshiva was conceived in 1917 and for ...
. Hutner was able to construct an environment that produced young Talmudic scholars in the model of their compatriots in Eastern Europe. By 1940 he had established a post-high-school beth midrash with hundreds of students.
Nevertheless, at Chaim Berlin, students were allowed to combine their yeshiva study with afternoon and evening classes at college, mainly
Brooklyn College
, mottoeng = Nothing without great effort
, established =
, parent = CUNY
, type = Public university
, endowment = $98.0 million (2019)
, budget = $123.96 m ...
and later
Touro College
Touro University is a private Jewish university system headquartered in New York City, with branches throughout the United States as well as one each in Germany, Israel and Russia. It was founded by Bernard Lander in 1971 and named for Isaac ...
. Hutner took great pride in the secular accomplishments of his students insofar as they fit into his vision of a material world governed by the principles of a spiritual Torah way of life. Thus, many alumni of Hutner's yeshiva have attained success as attorneys, accountants, doctors, and in information technology. One of his closest disciples,
Israel Kirzner
Israel Meir Kirzner (also Yisroel Mayer Kirzner ; born February 13, 1930) is a British-born American economist closely identified with the Austrian School.
Early life and education
The son of a well-known rabbi and Talmudist, Kirzner was born i ...
, is an
economist
An economist is a professional and practitioner in the social sciences, social science discipline of economics.
The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this ...
who edited Hutner's written works, ''Pachad Yitzchok''. Many of Hutner's disciples earned
doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...
s, often with his blessing and guidance. This includes his daughter and only child,
Bruria David, who obtained her
PhD PHD or PhD may refer to:
* Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification
Entertainment
* '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series
* '' Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic
* Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group
** Ph.D. (Ph.D. al ...
at
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
's department of
philosophy
Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. ...
as a student of
Salo Baron
Salo Wittmayer Baron (May 26, 1895 – November 25, 1989) was a Polish-born American historian, described as "the greatest Jewish historian of the 20th century". Baron taught at Columbia University from 1930 until his retirement in 1963.
Life
...
. She subsequently founded and became the dean of
Beth Jacob Jerusalem, a prominent Jewish women's seminary that caters to young women from
Haredi
Haredi Judaism ( he, ', ; also spelled ''Charedi'' in English; plural ''Haredim'' or ''Charedim'') consists of groups within Orthodox Judaism that are characterized by their strict adherence to ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions, in oppos ...
families in the United States. Her dissertation discussed the dual role
Zvi Hirsch Chajes
Zvi Hirsch Chajes ( he, צבי הירש חיות - November 20, 1805 - October 12, 1855; also Chayes or Hayot or Chiyos) was one of the foremost Galician talmudic scholars. He is best known for his work ''Mevo Hatalmud'' (Introduction to the Tal ...
as both a traditionalist and ''
maskil
The ''Haskalah'', often termed Jewish Enlightenment ( he, השכלה; literally, "wisdom", "erudition" or "education"), was an intellectual movement among the Jews of Central and Eastern Europe, with a certain influence on those in Western Euro ...
'' (follower of the
enlightenment). The list also includes
Ahron Soloveichik
Ahron (Aaron) Soloveichik ( he, אהרן סולובייצ'יק; May 1, 1917 – October 4, 2001) was a renowned Orthodox ''rosh yeshiva'', and scholar of Talmud and ''halakha''.
Biography
The youngest of five children, Rabbi Ahron Soloveichik wa ...
(law) rosh yeshiva,
Aharon Lichtenstein (literature) rosh yeshiva,
Yitzhak Aharon Korff (law, international law and diplomacy), and
Yehuda (Leo) Levi
Yehuda (Leo) Levi (January 15, 1926 – June 17, 2019) was a German-born American-Israeli Haredi rabbi, physicist, writer and educator. He was Rector and Professor of Electro-optics at the Jerusalem College of Technology. Levi was best known as t ...
(physics) professor and rector.
In the 1950s, Hutner established a ''
kollel
A kollel ( he, כולל, , , a "gathering" or "collection" f scholars is an institute for full-time, advanced study of the Talmud and rabbinic literature. Like a yeshiva, a kollel features shiurim (lectures) and learning ''sedarim'' (sessions); ...
'' (post graduate division for married scholars) to continue their in-depth Talmudical studies. This school,
Kollel Gur Aryeh
Kollel Gur Aryeh ( he, כולל גור אריה) is a kollel for young married Orthodox men located in Brooklyn, New York. It was established in 1956 by Rabbi Yitzchok Hutner as the post-graduate division of the Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin. A numbe ...
, was one of the first of its kind in America. Many of his students became prominent educational, outreach, and pulpit rabbis. He stayed in touch with them and was involved in major communal policy decision-making as he worked through his network of students in positions of leadership.
Hutner established
Yeshiva Pachad Yitzchok in
Har Nof
Har Nof ( he, הר נוף, lit. ''scenic mountain'') is a neighborhood on a hillside on the western boundary of Jerusalem with a population of 20,000 residents, primarily Orthodox Jews.
History
In Talmudic times, Har Nof was an agricultural settl ...
, Jerusalem, which he named for his book of the same name. He died in 1980, and was buried in the
Mount of Olives Jewish Cemetery
The Jewish Cemetery on the Mount of Olives is the oldest and most important Jewish cemetery in Jerusalem. It is approximately five centuries old, having been first leased from the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf in the sixteenth century.[< ...]
in
East Jerusalem
East Jerusalem (, ; , ) is the sector of Jerusalem that was held by Jordan during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, as opposed to the western sector of the city, West Jerusalem, which was held by Israel.
Jerusalem was envisaged as a separ ...
.
Methodology
Hutner's methodology and style was complex, controversial, and difficult to pigeonhole. While placing great emphasis on intellectually penetrating Talmudic study and analysis, emotionally he veered towards the Hasidic-style, and more-so than his Lithuanian-style colleagues reared as
Misnagdim
''Misnagdim'' (, "Opponents"; Sephardi pronunciation: ''Mitnagdim''; singular ''misnaged''/''mitnaged'') was a religious movement among the Jews of Eastern Europe which resisted the rise of Hasidism in the 18th and 19th centuries. The ''Misna ...
could tolerate. Ultimately though, he saw himself more as a traditional
Litvish rosh yeshiva.
[Gordon, Yochanan (March 19, 2019]
"Rabbi Hutner And The Rebbe"
''Five Towns Jewish Times''. Accessed July 31, 2022.
The core of Hutner's synthesis of different schools of Jewish thought was rooted in his studies of the teachings of
Judah Loew ben Bezalel
Judah Loew ben Bezalel (; between 1512 and 1526 – 17 September 1609), also known as Rabbi Loew ( Löw, Loewe, Löwe or Levai), the Maharal of Prague (), or simply the Maharal (the Hebrew acronym of "''Moreinu ha-Rav Loew''", 'Our Teacher, Rabbi ...
(1525–1609) a scholar and mystic known as the ''Maharal of
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
''. Various pillars of Hutner's thought system were likely the works of the
Vilna Gaon
Elijah ben Solomon Zalman, ( he , ר' אליהו בן שלמה זלמן ''Rabbi Eliyahu ben Shlomo Zalman'') known as the Vilna Gaon (Yiddish: דער װילנער גאון ''Der Vilner Gaon'', pl, Gaon z Wilna, lt, Vilniaus Gaonas) or Elijah of ...
and
Moshe Chaim Luzzatto
Moshe Chaim Luzzatto ( he, משה חיים לוצאטו, also ''Moses Chaim'', ''Moses Hayyim'', also ''Luzzato'') (1707 – 16 May 1746 (26 ''Iyar'' 5506)), also known by the Hebrew acronym RaMCHaL (or RaMHaL, ), was a prominent Itali ...
. He would only allude in the most general ways to other great ''mekubalim'' (mystics) such as the
Baal Shem Tov
Israel ben Eliezer (1698 – 22 May 1760), known as the Baal Shem Tov ( he, בעל שם טוב, ) or as the Besht, was a Jewish mystic and healer who is regarded as the founder of Hasidic Judaism. "Besht" is the acronym for Baal Shem Tov, which ...
, the ''
Ari'',
Shneur Zalman of Liadi
Shneur Zalman of Liadi ( he, שניאור זלמן מליאדי, September 4, 1745 – December 15, 1812 O.S. / 18 Elul 5505 – 24 Tevet 5573) was an influential Lithuanian Jewish rabbi and the founder and first Rebbe of Chabad, a branch of ...
,
Mordechai Yosef Leiner of Izbitz and many other great Hasidic masters, as he did with the works of
Kabbalah
Kabbalah ( he, קַבָּלָה ''Qabbālā'', literally "reception, tradition") is an esoteric method, discipline and Jewish theology, school of thought in Jewish mysticism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal ( ''Məqūbbāl'' "rece ...
such as the
Zohar
The ''Zohar'' ( he, , ''Zōhar'', lit. "Splendor" or "Radiance") is a foundational work in the literature of Jewish mystical thought known as Kabbalah. It is a group of books including commentary on the mystical aspects of the Torah (the five ...
.
Hutner initiated a number of changes in Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin that differed greatly from the ''
mussar'' (ethics) yeshiva practice in Slabodka. He abolished the half-hour learning session in ''mussar'' and replaced it with one of ten or fifteen minutes.
Hutner viewed secular studies as essential for attending college, learning a profession and becoming self-supporting. He obtained, together with Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz, a charter from the
New York State Board of Regents The Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York is responsible for the general supervision of all educational activities within New York State, presiding over University of the State of New York and the New York State Education Depa ...
to set up a combined yeshiva and college. However, this plan was dropped at the insistence of
Aharon Kotler
Aharon Kotler (1892–1962) was an Orthodox Jewish rabbi and a prominent leader of Orthodox Judaism in Lithuania and the United States; the latter being where he founded Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood Township, New Jersey.
Early life
Kotler w ...
.
Hutner developed a style of celebrating
Shabbat
Shabbat (, , or ; he, שַׁבָּת, Šabbāṯ, , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the week—i.e., Saturday. On this day, religious Jews remember the biblical stori ...
and the
Jewish holiday
Jewish holidays, also known as Jewish festivals or ''Yamim Tovim'' ( he, ימים טובים, , Good Days, or singular , in transliterated Hebrew []), are holidays observed in Judaism and by JewsThis article focuses on practices of mainst ...
s by delivering a type of discourse known as a ''ma'amar''. It was a combination of Talmudic discourse,
Hasidic
Hasidism, sometimes spelled Chassidism, and also known as Hasidic Judaism ( Ashkenazi Hebrew: חסידות ''Ḥăsīdus'', ; originally, "piety"), is a Jewish religious group that arose as a spiritual revival movement in the territory of conte ...
celebration (''
tish''), philosophic lecture, group singing, and when possible, like on
Purim
Purim (; , ; see Name below) is a Jewish holiday which commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from Haman, an official of the Achaemenid Empire who was planning to have all of Persia's Jewish subjects killed, as recounted in the Book ...
, a ten-piece band was brought in as accompaniment. Many times there was singing and dancing all night. All of this, together with the respect to his authority that he demanded, induced in his students an obedience and something of a "heightened consciousness" that passed into their lives transforming them into literal Hasidim of their rosh yeshiva, who in turn encouraged this by eventually personally donning Hasidic garb (''levush'') and behaving like something of a synthesis between a rosh yeshiva and a
rebbe
A Rebbe ( yi, רבי, translit=rebe) or Admor ( he, אדמו״ר) is the spiritual leader in the Hasidic movement, and the personalities of its dynasties.Heilman, Samuel"The Rebbe and the Resurgence of Orthodox Judaism."''Religion and Spiritu ...
. He also instructed some of his students to do likewise.
Relationships with other rabbis
During his stay in Palestine, Hutner visited
Abraham Isaac Kook
Abraham Isaac Kook (; 7 September 1865 – 1 September 1935), known as Rav Kook, and also known by the acronym HaRaAYaH (), was an Orthodox rabbi, and the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of British Mandatory Palestine. He is considered to be one o ...
, the first
chief rabbi
Chief Rabbi ( he, רב ראשי ''Rav Rashi'') is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities. Since 1911, through a ...
of Palestine, to whom he was distantly related.
Hutner eventually became a member of the non-Zionist
Haredi
Haredi Judaism ( he, ', ; also spelled ''Charedi'' in English; plural ''Haredim'' or ''Charedim'') consists of groups within Orthodox Judaism that are characterized by their strict adherence to ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions, in oppos ...
Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah (Council of Torah Sages) of
Agudath Israel of America
Agudath Israel of America ( he, אגודת ישראל באמריקה) (also called Agudah) is an American organization that represents Haredi Orthodox Jews. It is loosely affiliated with the international World Agudath Israel. Agudah seeks to ...
following his immigration to the United States.
Hutner's work ''Pachad Yitzchok'' contains no overt reference to Kook. A few of Hutner's early students recall Hutner's lengthy comments regarding Kook.
Eliezer Waldman
Eliezer Waldman ( he, אליעזר ולדמן, 11 February 1937 – 18 December 2021) was an Israeli Orthodox rabbi and politician, who served as a member of the Knesset for Tehiya between 1984 and 1990. Rabbi Waldman was the co-founder and P ...
said that Hutner told them that "Rav Kook was 20 times as great as those who opposed him". Similarly, Moshe Zvi Neria heard Hutner say that "if I would not have met Rav Kook, I would be lacking 50% of myself".
While staying in Berlin, Hutner developed a friendship with
Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Menachem Mendel Schneerson (Modern Hebrew: מנחם מענדל שניאורסון; old-fashioned spelling: מנחם מענדל שניאורסאהן; April 5, 1902 OS – June 12, 1994; AM 11 Nissan 5662 – 3 Tammuz 5754), known to man ...
and
Joseph B. Soloveitchik
Joseph Ber Soloveitchik ( he, יוסף דב הלוי סולובייצ׳יק ''Yosef Dov ha-Levi Soloveychik''; February 27, 1903 – April 9, 1993) was a major American Orthodox rabbi, Talmudist, and modern Jewish philosopher. He was a scion ...
.
Hutner referred to Soloveitchik as a ''
gadol'' (foremost Torah scholar of the time) and to Schneerson as ''
tzadik
Tzadik ( he, צַדִּיק , "righteous ne, also ''zadik'', ''ṣaddîq'' or ''sadiq''; pl. ''tzadikim'' ''ṣadiqim'') is a title in Judaism given to people considered righteous, such as biblical figures and later spiritual masters. Th ...
hador'' (righteous one of the generation), while at other times saying some negative things about the latter.
Nevertheless, the three maintained close personal relations throughout their lives, though each differed markedly in Torah ''
hashkafa
''Hashkafa'' ( he, השקפה, lit., "outlook"; plural ''hashkafot'', ''hashkafos'', ''hashkafas'') is the Hebrew term for worldview and guiding philosophy, used almost exclusively within Orthodox Judaism. A ''hashkafa'' is a perspective that Or ...
'' (
weltanschauung), developing a unique bridge and synthesis between the
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, whi ...
an world-view and a
Western European way of thinking. This enabled them to serve successfully as spiritual leaders after each of them immigrated to the United States of America.
Citing an anonymous source, Hillel Goldberg reports that Hutner became a fierce critic of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic group and the "personality cult built up around" Schneerson.
[Goldberg, Hillel. ''Between Berlin and Slobodka: Jewish transition figures from Eastern Europe'', Ktav Publishing House, 1989, , p. 79: "Rabbi Hutner relentlessly sustained a biting critique of the Lubavitcher movement on a number of grounds…", p. 187 footnote 41: "Rabbi Hutner was opposed to the personality cult built up around the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and to the public projection of both the Rebbe and the Lubavitch movement, by the movement, through public media-print and broadcast journalism, books, film, and the like."] Hutner purposefully moved up his
Hanukkah
or English translation: 'Establishing' or 'Dedication' (of the Temple in Jerusalem)
, nickname =
, observedby = Jews
, begins = 25 Kislev
, ends = 2 Tevet or 3 Tevet
, celebrations = Lighting candles each nig ...
''ma'amar'' in order to preempt his students from attending Schneerson's
Yud Tes Kislev farbrengen.
Still, Hutner corresponded regularly with Schneerson throughout his lifetime on a variety of ''
halakhic
''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical comman ...
'' (Jewish law), Hasidic and kabbalistic subjects, and occasionally sought his blessing. Hutner also had several lengthy private meetings with Schneerson.
Hutner appointed Soloveitchik's younger brother, whom he had tutored in
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...
,
Ahron Soloveichik
Ahron (Aaron) Soloveichik ( he, אהרן סולובייצ'יק; May 1, 1917 – October 4, 2001) was a renowned Orthodox ''rosh yeshiva'', and scholar of Talmud and ''halakha''.
Biography
The youngest of five children, Rabbi Ahron Soloveichik wa ...
(later to head his own yeshiva in
Skokie near
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
), as head of his own Yeshivas Rabbi Chaim Berlin. Ahron Soloveichik completed a
Doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...
in
law
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...
at
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, th ...
at the same time that he lectured in Hutner's Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin.
In the early 1940s, Hutner asked a friend from Slabodka,
Saul Lieberman, to become a dean-Talmudical lecturer in Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin. Lieberman instead accepted an offer from the
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) is a Conservative Jewish education organization in New York City, New York. It is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studie ...
(JTSA), the seminary of
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism, known as Masorti Judaism outside North America, is a Jewish religious movement which regards the authority of ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions as coming primarily from its people and community through the generati ...
.
Hutner had a number of disagreements with some of the religious scholars who taught in his yeshiva. These disputes were usually not over ideology, but about positions in the school. He eased out many of the older rabbis who were his contemporaries in favor of his disciples. Rabbis Prusskin (a first cousin to his wife), Goldstone, Shurkin, Snow,
Avrohom Asher Zimmerman and others are among them. Though Hutner was, by all accounts, quite steadfast in his opinions, he was not above begging forgiveness from those he had slighted, even when they had initiated attacks on him, and adopting a conciliatory tone.
Hutner appointed
Slabodka yeshiva educated
Avigdor Miller as the ''
mashgiach ruchani
A mashgiach ruchani ( he, משגיח רוחני; pl., ''mashgichim ruchani'im'') or mashgicha ruchani – sometimes mashgiach/mashgicha for short – is a spiritual supervisor or guide. He or she is usually a rabbi who has an official position wit ...
'' (spiritual mentor and supervisor) of the yeshiva. After the yeshiva relocated to Far Rockaway, New York in the 1960s, Miller resigned from his position due to the difficulties a daily commute from Brooklyn entailed.
TWA hijacking
In the late 1960s he began to visit Israel again, planning to build a new yeshiva there. On 6 September 1970, he and his wife, daughter, and son-in-law
Yonasan David
Yonasan Dovid David (also known as Jonathan Dovid David) is a Haredi rabbi and rosh yeshiva (dean) of Yeshiva Pachad Yitzchok and Kollel Ohr Eliyahu in the Har Nof neighborhood of Jerusalem. He also serves as the co-rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Rabbi ...
were returning to New York on
TWA Flight 741 when their flight was
hijacked by the
PFLP
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine ( ar, الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين, translit=al-Jabhah al-Sha`biyyah li-Taḥrīr Filasṭīn, PFLP) is a secular Palestinian Marxist–Leninist and revolutionary so ...
Palestinian terrorist organization. The terrorists freed the non-Jewish passengers and held the Jewish passengers hostage on the plane for one week, after which the women and children were released and sent to
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ...
. The hijacked airplanes were subsequently detonated. The remaining 40-plus Jewish men – including Hutner, David, and two students accompanying Hutner, Meir Fund and Yaakov Drillman – and male flight crew continued to be held hostage in and around
Amman
Amman (; ar, عَمَّان, ' ; Ammonite: 𐤓𐤁𐤕 𐤏𐤌𐤍 ''Rabat ʻAmān'') is the capital and largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of 4,061,150 as of 2021, Amman is ...
,
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
; Hutner was held alone in an isolated location while Jews around the world prayed for his safe release. The terrorists tried to cut off his beard, but were stopped by their commanders. Hutner was reunited with the rest of the hostages on 18 September, and was finally released on 26 September and flown together with his family members to
Nicosia
Nicosia ( ; el, Λευκωσία, Lefkosía ; tr, Lefkoşa ; hy, Նիկոսիա, romanized: ''Nikosia''; Cypriot Arabic: Nikusiya) is the largest city, capital, and seat of government of Cyprus. It is located near the centre of the Mesaori ...
, Cyprus. Israeli
Knesset
The Knesset ( he, הַכְּנֶסֶת ; "gathering" or "assembly") is the unicameral legislature of Israel. As the supreme state body, the Knesset is sovereign and thus has complete control of the entirety of the Israeli government (wit ...
Member
Menachem Porush
Menachem Porush ( he, מנחם פרוש, 2 April 1916 – 22 February 2010) was an Israelis, Israel politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Agudat Yisrael and its alliances between 1959 and 1975, and again from 1977 until 1994.
...
chartered a private plane to meet the Hutners in Nicosia, and Willie Frommer, a former student, gave him his own shirt and ''
tallit katan'', since Hutner's ''tallit'', ''
tefillin
Tefillin (; Modern Hebrew language, Israeli Hebrew: / ; Ashkenazim, Ashkenazic pronunciation: ), or phylacteries, are a set of small black leather boxes with leather straps containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah. Te ...
'', shirt, jacket and hat had been confiscated during his three-week ordeal. On 28 September Hutner and his group were flown back to New York via Europe, and were home just in time for the first night of
Rosh Hashana.
Published work
In 1938 Hutner published a short booklet of ''halakhic'' decisions sourced in the Sifra but not cited in the
Babylonian Talmud
The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cent ...
. Many years later, he published what is considered to be his ''magnum opus'', which he named ''
Pachad Yitzchok'' ("Fear
fIsaac", meaning the God whom
Isaac
Isaac; grc, Ἰσαάκ, Isaák; ar, إسحٰق/إسحاق, Isḥāq; am, ይስሐቅ is one of the three patriarchs of the Israelites and an important figure in the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He was ...
adfeared). He called his outlook ''Hilchot Deot Vechovot Halevavot'' ("Laws
f'Ideas' and 'Duties
f the
F, or f, is the sixth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ef'' (pronounced ), and the plural is ''efs''.
His ...
Heart'") and wrote in a poetic modern-style
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
reminiscent of his original mentor Abraham Isaac Kook's style, even though almost all of Hutner's original lectures were delivered in
Yiddish
Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ve ...
.
Notable students
Among Hutner's notable students are
Yisroel Eliyah Weintraub, and Feivel Cohen, a noted Posek. Another was the author,
Shlomo Carlebach, who was appointed as the ''mashgiach ruchani'' at the Yeshiva Chaim Berlin, but who split with Hutner on policy matters in the 1970s. They were both
Holocaust
The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...
survivors whom Hutner took upon himself to raise as his own "sons" together with others in similar circumstances. Hutner also gave
semikhah
Semikhah ( he, סמיכה) is the traditional Jewish name for rabbinic ordination.
The original ''semikhah'' was the formal "transmission of authority" from Moses through the generations. This form of ''semikhah'' ceased between 360 and 425 ...
to
Shlomo Carlebach, the musician, during the days that the latter was still with Lubavitch.
Other students included
Yonasan David
Yonasan Dovid David (also known as Jonathan Dovid David) is a Haredi rabbi and rosh yeshiva (dean) of Yeshiva Pachad Yitzchok and Kollel Ohr Eliyahu in the Har Nof neighborhood of Jerusalem. He also serves as the co-rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Rabbi ...
(his son-in-law) and
Aharon Schechter, his successors as rosh yeshivas of Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin;
Aharon Lichtenstein, son-in-law of Joseph B. Soloveitchik and rosh yeshiva of
Yeshivat Har Etzion
Yeshivat Har Etzion (YHE; ), commonly known in English as "Gush" and in Hebrew as "Yeshivat HaGush", is a hesder yeshiva located in Alon Shvut, an Israeli settlement in Gush Etzion. It is considered one of the leading institutions of advanced Tor ...
in Israel;
Pinchas Stolper of the
Orthodox Union
The Orthodox Union (abbreviated OU) is one of the largest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States. Founded in 1898, the OU supports a network of synagogues, youth programs, Jewish and Religious Zionist advocacy programs, programs fo ...
and founder of
NCSY
NCSY (formerly known as the National Conference of Synagogue Youth) is a Jewish youth group under the auspices of the Orthodox Union. Its operations include Jewish-inspired after-school programs; summer programs in Israel, Europe, and the United S ...
who followed Hutner's guidelines in setting up this youth outreach movement;
Yaakov Feitman, prominent rabbi, past President of the Young Israel Council of Rabbis and disseminator of Hutner's views;
Shlomo Freifeld Rabbi Shlomo Freifeld (1925–1990) was an influential figure in the world of Orthodox Judaism who established a Yeshiva and Jewish community in the New York City area. He influenced tens of thousands of students and was a key figure in the US- ...
who set up one of the first full-time yeshivas for
baal teshuva
In Judaism, a ''ba'al teshuvah'' ( he, בעל תשובה; for a woman, , or ; plural, , , 'master of return God_in_Judaism.html"_;"title="o_God_in_Judaism">God)_is_a_Jew_who_adopts_some_form_of_traditional_religious_observance_after_having_previ ...
students in the world; Joshua Fishman, leader and executive Vice President of
Torah Umesorah
The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the s ...
the National Society for Hebrew Day Schools;
Yaakov Perlow
Yaakov Perlow ( yi, יעקבֿ פּערלאָוו he, יעקב פרלוב; November 16, 1930 – April 7, 2020) was an American Hasidic rabbi and rosh yeshiva, and Rebbe of the Novominsk Hasidic dynasty. From 1998 until his death in 2020, h ...
, the Novominsker
Rebbe
A Rebbe ( yi, רבי, translit=rebe) or Admor ( he, אדמו״ר) is the spiritual leader in the Hasidic movement, and the personalities of its dynasties.Heilman, Samuel"The Rebbe and the Resurgence of Orthodox Judaism."''Religion and Spiritu ...
of
Boro Park
Borough Park (also spelled Boro Park) is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of the borough of Brooklyn, in New York City. The neighborhood is bordered by Bensonhurst to the south, Dyker Heights to the southwest, Sunset Park to the west, ...
; and
Noah Weinberg founder and head of
Aish Hatorah
Aish HaTorah ( he, אש התורה, lit. "Fire of the Torah") is an Orthodox Jewish educational organization and yeshiva.
History
Aish HaTorah was established in Jerusalem in 1974 by Rabbi Noah Weinberg, after he left the Ohr Somayach yeshiva ...
as well as his brother
Yaakov Weinberg
Shmuel Yaakov Weinberg, known as Yaakov Weinberg (also Jacob S. Weinberg) (1923 – July 1, 1999) was an Orthodox Jewish rabbi, Talmudist, and rosh yeshiva (dean) of Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Baltimore, Maryland, one of the major America ...
of
Ner Israel Yeshiva in Baltimore.
Works
Works about Hutner
* ''Rabbi Hutner And Rebbe'', by Rabbi Chaim Dalfin (Jewish Enrichment Press, 2019, ISBN 0997909935)
* ''Between Berlin and Slobodka: Jewish Transitional Figures from Eastern Europe'', by Rabbi Dr. Hillel Goldberg (KTAV Publishing House, 2010, ISBN 1602801355)
Works based upon Hutner's writings
* ''Chanukah in a New Light: Grandeur, Heroism and Depth As Revealed Through The Writings of Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner ZTZK"L'' by Pinchas Stolper (Israel Bookshop, 2005, ISBN 1931681767)
* ''Purim In A New Light: Mystery, Grandeur, And Depth As Revealed Through The Writings of Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner'' by Pinchas Stolper (David Dov Publications, 2003, ISBN 1931681309)
* ''Shabbos in a New Light: Majesty, Mystery, Meaning: Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner Sefer Pachad Yitzchak'' by Pinchas Stolper (David Dov Foundation, 2009, ISBN 1600910661)
* ''Living Beyond Time: The Mystery And Meaning Of The Jewish Festivals: Includes 20 Essays Based On The Teachings of Hagaon Harav Yitzchok Hutner ZTZ"L'' By Pinchas Stolper (Shaar Press, 2003, ISBN 1578197449)
See also
*
Haredi Judaism
Haredi Judaism ( he, ', ; also spelled ''Charedi'' in English; plural ''Haredim'' or ''Charedim'') consists of groups within Orthodox Judaism that are characterized by their strict adherence to '' halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions, in oppo ...
References
External links
*Articles based on Hutner's life and writings
*Biographical
Rabbi Isaac Hutner: A Synoptic Interpretive Biography by Hillel Goldberg. Tradition magazine, 1987.
*
Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner: The Vision Before His Eyes by Matis Greenblatt. Jewish Action, 2001.
Rabbi Yitzchok Hutner Tzadikim. dailyzohar.com, 2021.
*
Ravs Kook and Hutner, zichronum livracha by Alan Jay Gerber and Yaakov Feitman. The Jewish Star, 2015.
A Life of Majesty and Mystery: An Appreciation of Rav Yitzchok Hutner by Yaakov Feitman. Mishpacha magazine, 2010.
My Childhood Memories of Rav Yitzchok Hutner on His 40th Yahrzeit by Yaakov Dovid Homnick. The Jewish Press, 2020.
8 Thoughts and Sayings of Rav Hutner zt”l by Yair Hoffman. vinnews.com, 2020.
The Voice grows Stronger by Yisroel Besser. Mishpacha magazine, 2020.
R. Hutner’s Life and Works and his Theory of Education by Yitzchak Blau. Yeshivat Har Etzion.
Rabbi Hutner And The Rebbe book review by Yochanan Gordon. ''The 5 Towns Jewish Times'', 2019.
*
The 'Pachad Yitzchak', Rabbi Freifeld and the 'Friedman Brothers' by Eli Friedman. academia.edu (PDF).
*
by B. Re'em. Dei'ah veDibur, 2006.
**
ttps://www.ruchamafeuerman.com/blog/posts/22448 My Father-in-law and Rav Hutner by Ruchama King Feuerman. 2017.
Terror in Black September: An Eyewitness Account by David Raab, Middle East Forum, 2007.
Taxi Ride to Eternity? by Linda Feinberg, Jewish World Review, 2007.
*Disciples, relationships with rabbis, legacy
The Changing of an Era: Rav Hutner's Disciples (6-part series)by Yitschak Rudomin, Israel National News, 2022.
*
Torah
The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the ...
*
Joseph: The Fourth 'Patriarch' by Yehonasan Gefen. Aish HaTorah.
Rav Hutner: Multiple Activities in a Unified Vision of Life by Yitzchak Blau. Yeshivat Har Etzion, 2019.
*
Hanukkah
or English translation: 'Establishing' or 'Dedication' (of the Temple in Jerusalem)
, nickname =
, observedby = Jews
, begins = 25 Kislev
, ends = 2 Tevet or 3 Tevet
, celebrations = Lighting candles each nig ...
Rabbi Hutner on Chanukah and the Talmudic Creative Mind by Daniel J. Epstein. Jewish Action magazine, Orthodox Union, 1989/1990.
Rav Yitzchok Hutner and the Meaning of Hanukkah by Yaakov Elman. Tablet magazine, 2015.
Chanukah Incandescence from the Pachad Yitzchok by Yaakov Feitman. Yated Ne'eman, 2016.
Translation from Hebrew into English by Aaron Ross. Chabura-Net, 2008.
by Yitzchak Hutner, ''Pachad Yitzchak''. Translation from Hebrew into English by Aaron Ross, Chabura-Net, 2008.
*
Purim
Purim (; , ; see Name below) is a Jewish holiday which commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from Haman, an official of the Achaemenid Empire who was planning to have all of Persia's Jewish subjects killed, as recounted in the Book ...
Purim is Forever: A Purim Insight by Rabbi Yitzhak Hutner by Pinchas Stolper. Orthodox Union, 2014.
Rav Hutner as Master of Parables by Yitzchak Blau. Torat Har Etzion, 2019.
Purim, the Invention of Anti-Semitism, and the Celebration of Jewish Creativity by Yaakov Elman. Tablet magazine, 2016.
*
Rosh Hashanah
Rosh HaShanah ( he, רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה, , literally "head of the year") is the Jewish New Year. The biblical name for this holiday is Yom Teruah (, , lit. "day of shouting/blasting") It is the first of the Jewish High Holy Days (, , ...
Primary Sources in Open-source Judaism: Rabbi Yitzchok Hutner’s Paḥad Yitzḥok, Rosh Hashana Ma’amar Bet by Ally Ehrman. The Open Siddur Project, 2015.
*
The Holocaust
The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europ ...
"Holocaust": A Study of the Term, And the Epoch It Is Meant to Describe by Yitzchok Hutner. Translated by Chaim Feuerman and Yaakov Feitman, The Jewish Observer magazine, 1977 (PDF).
A Righteous Judgment on a Righteous People: Rav Yitzchak Hutner's Implicit Theology of the Holocaust by Lawrence J. Kaplan (PDF).
Rabbi Isaac Hutner's "Daat Torah Perspective" on the Holocaust: A Critical Analysis RCA, Tradition magazine, 1980.
*Music
A Song Born In the Beis Medrash: Rav Yitzchok Hutner — Remember the Era by Riki Goldstein. Mishpacha magazine, 2021.
*Philosophy
Being-towards-Eternity: R. Isaac Hutner's Adaptation of a Heideggerian Notion by Daniel Herskowitz and Alon Shalev. The Journal of Jewish Thought and Philosophy, 2018.
Rav Hutner and Emmanuel Levinas, Panim el-Panim by Gavriel Brown. Kol Hamevaser, Yeshiva University, 2012.
Rav Isaac Hutner's Pahad Yitzhak: A Torah Map of the Human Mind and Psyche in Changing Times by Yaakov Elman, Stuart Halpern, ed. Books of the People: Revisiting Classic Works of Jewish Thought, Maggid Books, 2017.
Original Sin in the Thought of R. Yitzchak Hutner: An Attempt to Pull at The Threads of the Hutnerian System by Akiva Y. Weisinger. academia.edu
Self-censorship and the Limits of Lithuanian-Orthodoxy, in Light of R. Isaac Hutner's Published and Concealed Works(in Hebrew) by Alon Shalev. academia.edu, 2017.
Major Themes in the Biography and Theology of Rabbi Isaac Hutner by Alon Shalev. MA abstract, academia.edu, 2013.
*
Yitzchok Hutner – A " ro'š ha-šanâ " Giuseppe uscì di prigione(in Italian) by David Micheletti. academia.edu, 2014.
*
The Battle of The Good Inclination and the Will to Power: Nietzschean Elements in the Life and Works of R' Yitzchak Hutner by Akiva Y. Weisinger. academia.edu
*Letters
Letters of Love and Rebuke From Rav Yitzchok Hutner by Dovid Bashevkin. (NCSY) Tablet magazine, 2016.
(in Hebrew). Alamy Stock Photo.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hutner, Yitzchok
1906 births
1980 deaths
American Haredi rabbis
Burials at the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives
Haredi rabbis in Israel
Haredi rosh yeshivas
Hijacking survivors
Lithuanian Haredi rabbis
Orthodox rabbis from New York City
Polish Haredi rabbis
People from Warsaw Governorate
Philosophers of Judaism
Slabodka yeshiva alumni
Survivors of aviation accidents or incidents
Writers from Brooklyn
Writers from Warsaw