Rabbi Soloveitchik Returns to Yeshiva (Vol. 25, Issue 10)

Rabbi Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik was welcomed back to Yeshiva at a reception held recently in Klein Hall.

Dr. Samuel Belkin, president of Yeshiva University, depicted Rabbi Soloveitchik. as a “Ben Gelui,” and added that the Rov and Yeshiva were as two sons born at the same hour, being very dear to each other. 

Rabbi Soloveitchik asserted that just as politics were shed from his thoughts while he was in the hospital, so now, too, he would not be a candidate in the election of a Chief Rabbi of Israel.

His main thoughts were devoted to the difference between the physical and spiritual ailments which an individual receives from G-d. “Physical ailments are forgotten, and must be forgotten; spiritual ailments must remain with the individual throughout his life. Physical ailments, however, do serve a specific moral purpose, for they are not inflicted by G-d upon man for the sake of mere punishment alone. Rather it is a means of communication between G-d and man, in an effort to encourage man to make amends for his wrong doings. It is in this light that we may come to appreciate physical ailments as a form of paternal kindness on the part of the Almighty.” 

Rabbi Soloveitchik ended by saying that no friendship could have been shown to him during his hour of need as much as that which was provided by Dr. Belkin and the Yeshiva students.