William Altshul

Rabbi Altshul is Headmaster of the Melvin J. Berman

Hebrew Academy of Rockville, MD

BOOK REVIEW
MEMORIES OF A GIANT:
EULOGIES IN MEMORY OF
RABBI DR. JOSEPH B. SOLOVEITCHIK
Edited by Michael A. Bierman
Jerusalem: Urim Publications 2003; 368 pages
How will our children gain an appreciation for the Rav, arguably the
most influential personality in the Modern Orthodox world in the
second half of the 20th century? The goal of this handsome volume, the
first publication of the Rabbi Soloveitchik Institute, is, in the words of
its Dean, Rabbi Jacob J. Schacter, “to portray the Rav to the average
thoughtful layperson from the very human and personal perspectives of
members of his family as well as devoted disciples.”
The editor, Mr. Michael Bierman, a student of the Rav’s teachings
though not a disciple, composed this anthology of 42 eulogies, 13 of
which are published here for the first time, to introduce the Rav to the
majority of people who have no exposure to him or his writings. The
hespeidim are arranged in two parts. The first part is entitled: The Family
Remembers, and contains the never before published hespeid of Rav
Ahron Soloveichik, z”l, and those of Rabbis Aharon Lichtenstein and
his son, Rabbi Moshe Lichtenstein, both previously published in Tradi-
tion.
The second part is entitled: Talmidim and Community Leaders Re-
member the Rav. For organization’s sake, these eulogies are organized in
alphabetical order, but there is quite a difference in the level of familiar-
ity and connection that each writer had with the Rav. In certain cases,
the writer’s unique relationship with him is not made clear in the
eulogy. Some editorial comment would have been helpful to acquaint

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the reader with the authors of the hespeidim, thus putting them into
perspective. There would also have been value in separating the Rav’s
students’ eulogies from those written by non-students. The essays of
Rabbis Emanuel Feldman, Simcha Krauss, and Jonathan Sacks, for
instance, have a special power to them because they were not students
of the Rav. This point should have been underscored
While the biographical introduction by Mr. Bierman highlights
several important aspects of the Rav’s life, it neglects others. The Rav’s
transformation from a member of the Agudas Israel’s Council of Torah
Sages to the Honorary President of Mizrachi, as well as the Berlin
period, are highlighted. On the other hand, the Rav’s candidacy for the
Presidency of Yeshiva University is passed over in silence.
In justifying his choice of hespeidim, Mr. Bierman correctly notes
the concern of the late Rabbi Dr. Yitzchak Twersky z”l, that those who
lacked the vocabulary to describe the Rav would distort his image. Rav
Twersky might have seen some of the recollections in this anthology as
distortions; Bierman, however, sees them as different perceptions of the
Rav’s complex personality, and thereby justifies inclusion of some of the
eulogies. This matter is a serious one. In halakhah, not everyone is
entitled to report a normative ma’aseh rav. By extension, the matter of
how one accurately portrays his impressions of a great figure like the
Rav is a serious concern for all those who value his legacy.
This collection is worth reading if only for some of the special
moments it records. For instance, Rabbi Yosef Blau recalls accompany-
ing the Rav on a visit to the beit aveil of Rav Shneuer Kotler (p. 124),
which, itself, is an inspiring devar Torah. Rabbi Abba Bronspiegel tells of
his visit to the Rav in the last years of his illness and reveals a moving
picture of the Rav, previously seen by very few (p.136). Rabbi Shlomo
Riskin’s description of the Rav’s shiur will be immediately recognized by
all former talmidim. It is a classic, and one of the best I have ever read
(p.265ff.). The reflections on the early days in Boston by Rabbi Yisroel
Miller (p. 253) illustrate the profound effect the Rav had on Jewry as a
whole. The one hespeid that I would have liked to be included is that of
the Rav’s son, Professor Haym Soloveitchik, which was delivered at the
sheloshim convocation at Yeshiva University (available in audio and
video formats). Professor Soloveitchik’s unique reflections on the vari-
ous stages of his father’s career, his derekh ha-limmud, and some very

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personal observations, as well, constitute a sine qua non for anyone who
truly wants to understand the Rav’s complex personality.
For those of us fortunate enough to be talmidim of the Rav, this
anthology, as well as Mr. Bierman’s introduction, constitute a priceless
collection of authentic memories by many who knew the Rav well. This
volume can serve as a natural entry point through which educators can
introduce students to the Rav, and, used judiciously, it can serve a
source for genuine accounts of the Rav’s contribution to the world of
Jewish life and learning.

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