There was something unique about the relationship between Rav Moshe Feinstein and Rav Nota Greenblatt. The mutual love they had for each other can only be described as that of father and son. This, in fact, is the precise description that Rav Moshe himself used on multiple occasions. In the countless letters that Rav Moshe sent to Rav Nota over the years, the opening line would be a greeting and a blessing, often referring to him as “yakar v’chaviv li k’bni (as precious and dear to me as my son).”
“We took daily walks, along the East River or the Hudson River,” Rav Nota recalled. “Rav Moshe told me things that he never told anyone. He told me about the first time he finished Shas! He said it was in his early teens — he couldn’t recall his age exactly, but he said that the date was the fourth of Adar.”
Rav Nota spent several years in Mesivta Tiferes Yerushalayim, studying under Rav Moshe from 1942 until 1945. During this time, the two grew incredibly close and Rav Nota spent much time in the Feinstein home, where the phone rang incessantly with a plethora of halachic questions.
It was his responsibility to answer the phone and present the questions to Rav Moshe. But at some point, Rav Moshe appointed Rav Nota to take on a role that was more than clerical.
“If you know the answer to the question,” said Rav Moshe, “answer it yourself. If you can’t answer it yourself, come to me.”
An interesting dialogue once resulted from that arrangement. The phone rang and Rav Nota picked up. The caller — who spoke with a rich Polish accent but did not mention his name — asked to speak with Rav Moshe.
“Rav Moshe is not available,” said Nota. “What’s your question?”
The caller demurred, explaining that he really wanted to speak with Rav Moshe.
“Try me out,” said Nota. “If I don’t have the answer, I’ll ask Rav Moshe.”
The man wasn’t giving in easily. “What’s your name?” he wanted to know.
“Greenblatt.”
“How old are you?”
“Nineteen.”
“Are you married?”
“No.”
“Okay, I’ll ask you the question.” The fellow went on to describe his question and nineteen-year-old Rav Nota rattled out a rapid response.
“Ze’ir gut, very good,” said the caller, and then, “Zug Rav Moshe az Hutner hut gerufen — Tell Rav Moshe that Hutner called.”
It was none other than Rav Yitzchak Hutner, the legendary rosh yeshivah of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin. The following day, the phone in Rav Moshe’s home rang again. It was the same familiar voice. This time, however, he did not request to speak with Rav Moshe. “Iz Greenblatt duh? Is Greenblatt there?” Rav Hutner wanted to know.
Rav Nota took the phone and the two discussed various topics in halachah. The same thing repeated itself for the next several days and Rav Nota developed somewhat of a relationship with Rav Hutner.
Reprinted from the Parshas Vayechi 5784 edition of At the ArtScroll Shabbos Table. Excerpted from the ArtScroll book – “Rav Nota – The Story of Rav Nota Greenblatt.”
