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Brooklyn Torah Gazette

The Misnagid Torah Scholar and the Kotzker Rebbe

  • Ha'azinu
  • 5786
  • English
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A G-d of faith without iniquity (32:4) The daughter of a certain Rabbi who was a great Torah scholar — belonging to the Misnagdim [opponents of the Chassidic movement] — passed away. As a result, he suffered much anguish, and fell into a depression. He decided to travel to a Chasidic Rebbe, and set out for Kotzk. When he arrived, he entered into the Rebbe’s chamber and they struck up a discussion revolving around Torah topics.

The Rebbe posed a difficulty from a certain Gemoro, and the Rabbi resolved it based on a Tosfos in another location. Then the Rebbe asked a difficult question on that Tosfos. The Rabbi strained himself and found an answer to that one as well. At that point, the Rebbe told him: “You see that in the Torah, everything is fine; everything is resolved. Certainly, in terms of controlling the world, everything is being taken care of in a fine manner as well, as it is stated:

’A G-d of faith without iniquity.’“ The Torah scholar was greatly impressed by the words of the Rebbe, and his soul was calmed down. From then on, he became a Kotzker Chosid. (Chiyuchah Shel Torah)

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