Ravs Kook and Hutner, zichronum livracha

This week’s tribute to Rav Kook — the second of three parts on the occasion of Rav Kook’s 80th yahrtzeit — features an essay by Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Feitman of Cedarhurst dedicated to the little-known relationship between Rav Kook and Rabbi Feitman’s spiritual mentor, Rav Yitzchok Hutner, zt”l, which points to the importance of ahavat Yisrael between all Jews regardless of ideological differences.

By Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Feitman

There is a fascinating vignette which occurred during a visit by my Rebbe, Rav Yitzchok Hutner, zt”l to his Rebbe, Rav Kook, the Chief Rav of Eretz Yisrael.

Rav Hutner arrived in Chevron in the summer of 5685/1925 as a 19-year-old yeshiva bachur. Rav Nosson Finkel, the Alter of Slabodka, had just opened a branch of the famed Slabodka Yeshiva in Eretz Yisrael and my Rebbe was among his first talmidim. Later, in the late spring month of Iyar of that year, he visited Chief Rabbi Rav Kook for the first time, since there was a family connection through Rav Kook’s daughter-in-law, Chava Leah.

The older Rav and the young genius from Warsaw took many long walks and had multiple all-night learning sessions which ranged throughout the entire gamut of Torah study. The experience established a unique bond between these two rabbinical greats.

When my Rebbe left Eretz Yisrael in 1929 to visit his parents in Warsaw, upon his return to Eretz Yisrael in 1933, Rav Kook made a bracha of Shehechiyanu with ‘’shem umalchus’’ when my Rebbe entered the room.

This episode continues with the Rosh Yeshiva returning to Chevron after his visit to Rav Kook. The Alter asked Rav Hutner what he had seen at the home of Rav Kook. Rav Hutner replied that it was just a regular visit, they ‘’spoke in learning’’ and nothing noteworthy occurred. The Alter was not pleased with this rather tepid reply and demanded from his young student for more telling details of the visit. 

One of the details my Rebbe recalled to the Alter was the following:

“It was 11 am and a glass of milk the Rebbetzin had brought for the Rav was still untouched. In the waiting room sat a high British official who had an appointment. Sitting with Rav Kook was an elderly talmid chochom who was hard of hearing and had a number of questions for the Rav. 

Rav Kook patiently answered the nearly deaf visitor who, nevertheless, found it difficult to understand, so the Rav had to slowly repeat each answer loudly and carefully. Periodically, Rav Kook’s shamash would enter the room and whisper something in the Rav’s ear, to which the Rav kept murmuring “yes, yes, but kavod Hatorah, kavod Hatorah!”

Hearing this, the Alter of Slabodka gave my Rebbe some unforgettable Mussar: “If you did not see this, then what is considered “seeing?”

Clearly, the Alter, one of the great Mussar masters, was extremely impressed with Rav Kook’s sterling midos and conduct.

Yehi zichro baruch.