By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Times

Since this Shabbos is the 53rd yartzeit of Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l, the Five Towns Jewish Times is running this biographical sketch of him.

SLUTZK

Rav Aharon left for Slutz in 5672 at the end of 1911. Slutzk was known as a city of diehard Misnagdim, and was one of the few cities in Tsarist Russia that did not develop a Chassidishe contingency. In 1897, the Ridbaz, Rabbi Yaakov Dovid Vilovsky had approached the Alter of Slabodka to open a branch of the Yeshiva in Slutsk. The Yeshiva opened and attracted remarkably gifted students. Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer was placed in charge. When the Alter opened his own Yeshiva, Rav Isser Zalman returned to assist him, but returned to Slutz again after that. In its early years, Slutzk had its share of difficulties. Some of the students wanted to introduce Haskalah into the Yeshiva’s curriculum. In 1901, when Rav Isser Zalman was away, a rebellion of sorts broke out among the student body to that effect. Some of the better students left upon this development. Among those who left were Rav Aryeh Levine, Rav Elyashiv’s future father-in-law.
Upon Rav Isser Zalman’s return, however, the Yeshiva returned.

The Alter sent 14 top students to Slutzk. Among them were: 1] Rav Laizer Yudel Finkel, the Alter’s son who eventually became the Rosh yeshiva of the Mir Yeshiva 2] Rav Rafael Alter Shmuelevitz, father of Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz 3] Rav Yoseph Kanovitz, eventually the son-in-law of the Ridbaz 4] Rav Shlomo Pletchinsky, a future son-in-law of the Alter of Slabodka 5] Rav Moshe Yom Tov Wachtfogel father of Rav Nosson Wachtfogel 6] Rav Pesach Prusskin, Rebbe of Rav Moshe Feinstein 7] Rav Reuvain Katz Chief Rabbi of Petach Tikvah

Some three hundred students studied at Slutzk at one particular time – many of them future luminaries. Rav Yoseph Eliyahu Henkin, Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky, Rav Eliezer Shach, Rav Moshe Feinstein were among its students. In the early years, the Alter of Slabodka and Rav Yitzeleh Blazer would spend weeks at a time there as well.

In 1911, shortly before Rav Aharon’s arrival, the Yeshiva obtained its own building – each member of the town came and contributed to it. The entire city came out for the inauguration of the new building.

In 1912, Rav Aharon’s uncle in Minsk, Rav Yitzchok passed away.

Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer wanted Rav Aharon for his daughter, Rivka Chana Perel. He was concerned that a wealthy gvir might take the initiative in taking this outstanding iluy as a son-in-law. When he heard that others had discovered the young Rav Aharon, he quickly returned to Slabodka to arrange the Shidduch. Rav Isser Zalman’s daughter was significantly taller than her Chosson, who was only 5”4, but this did not matter to either of them. Of note is that Rav Isser Zalman also sought a suitable young man for his niece, who was an orphan and whom he had raised as his own daughter. He married this niece to another young iluy, – a certain Reb Eliezer Menachem Mann Schach, later to be known as the famed Rav Schach of Yeshivas Ponozvezh.

Rav Aharon married in the winter of 1914 in Slutzk and settled in Slutzk as well. At his Sheva Brachos he delivered a very deep and sharp discourse. Rav Avrohom Elya Kaplan, one of the sharpest bochurim in Slabodka was present at the the wedding and then and there produced a remarkable pilpul in song.

One year later, Rav Isser Zalman asked his son-in-law to give a shiur in the Yeshiva. Rav Aharon was twenty-two years old. Rav Isser Zalman said the shiur on Mondays and Thursdays, while Rav Aharon said the shiur on Tuesdays.

Although Slutzk was a fairly large Jewish community, the economic situation was weak, primarily because of poor transportation lines. The Tsarist government in an effort to catch up to the west continued its program of industrialization, and in 1914, Slutzk did get its own railway station, which eased the economic situation.

Tsarist Russia was undergoing change, however. Bread riots in Petrograd caused the absolutely unexpected to happen. On March 15th, 1917 the Tsar abdicated the throne. It was soon replaced with a provisional government which was to create the basis for a new, democratic Russia. Five days later on March 20th, the Provisional Government abolished all of the anti-Jewish legislation of the Tsarist government. The Jews, of course, were elated. But the future was to bring matters of a decidedly anti-Jewish nature to the fore. The Bolsheviks revolted, a civil war emerged between them and the anti-Bolshevik forces known as the “White Russians.” The Bolsheviks soon took over the Provisional Government and succeeded in expelling the anti-Bolsheviks from Southern and Western Russia.

The Jews were carefully monitoring the developing situation. But life continued. Rav Aharon was 26 when his only son Chaim Shneur was born in 1918, in Slutsk, Russia. Only Rav Shneur and his sister, Sarah, survived infancy. Rav Aharon Kotler named his son after his first Rebbe – his father, Rav Shneur Zalman Pines. However, as his father in law was named Isser Zalman, he left off the Zalman, naming him Shneur and adding the name Chaim, as his father had died when he was young. A few years later, the young Chaim Shneur became deathly ill and they added the name Yoseph, for a full name of Yoseph Chaim Shneur. Boruch Hashem, he fully recovered from his illness.

WORLD WAR ONE

The world war affected the Torah world significantly. The Slabodka Yeshiva was in a state of disarray with the Yeshiva students disbursing everywhere. About forty of Slabodka’s students gathered in Minsk to learn under Rav Aharon’s friend, Rav Reuvain Grozofsky. Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein wrote to Rav Reuvain and Rav Reuvain arranged for a partial re-establishment of the Yeshiva in Minsk. The rest of the Yeshiva went deeper into Russia with the Alter and eventually studied in the city of Kremenchug in the Ukraine. Knesses Bais Yitzchok, the other Yeshiva in Slabodka also settled there in the aftermath of the first world war. Later, the Alter;s Yeshiva was re-established in Slabodka under German rule with the assistance of Dr. Leo Deutschlander and Rav Yoseph Tzvi Carlebach, leaders of the Bais Yaakov movement.
At the dawn of the First World War in 1913, most of the students of the Yeshiva in Slutzk wished to avoid the Russian draft and left the Yeshiva. The financial situation also caused wide panic. Rav Isser Zalman was to later say, “The World War destroyed the Yeshiva and also destroyed me.”

As town by town was being taken over by the Bolsheviks in their rise against the new Provisional Government of Russia and the anti-Bolsheviks, students from these towns desperately wished to return and visit their parents to assist and help. The Yeshiva offered them any assistance they could render.

The Bolsheviks confiscated the beautiful and historic shuls and buildings of Slutzk. They attempted to deport the leaders of the community to Siberia. Yet the Yeshiva tried to remain in the city and outlast the communists. One police chief of the city who was particularly cruel was the recipient of a cherem of a number of the Slutzk Torah leaders (among them Rav Shach). He was bucked off his horse and trampled to death.

Notwithstanding the vicissitudes of the war and of the challenges that the Bolsheviks placed in front of them, Rav Aharon’s shiurim were masterpieces of depth and analysis. He became his father-in-law’s right arm in leading the Yeshiva. After the Russian Revolution broke out, Rav Aharon saw that Slutz would not be free of Bolshevik hands and looked for alternatives and indeed the new Soviet regime banned Torah study and began to persecute those teaching Torah. Rav Aharon and Rav Isser Zalman were both arrested a number of times, beaten and threatened with death. These threats were no laughing matter, those years saw the onset of the murder of tens of millions of Russians by the Bolsheviks and first and foremost on the enemies list were the Torah scholars and teachers who refused to bend to the prohibition on the practice and teachings of Judaism.

Among some of their persecutors were Jews who were formerly Orthodox and who had left Torah for the new alternatives that were then raging throughout Europe. Rav Aharon personally knew some of these persecutors; they had met him in Minsk and other cities through the years and knew well who he was. Due to Rav Isser Zalman’s prominence as the Rav of the city it was difficult for him to escape the Soviets, and as such he made the decision that Rav Aharon should leave first. Rav Isser Zalman would follow later on. He told his son-in-law that they would read the Megillah together on Purim. Each of them was to make a daring and perilous escape across the border.

KLETZK

On November 5, 1916, the Central Powers proclaimed a new independent Polish state. It was a state with as yet undefined borders. Everyone was watching carefully. There were discussions and debates about who would be eligible to be citizens. Large numbers of Jews had fled their previous residences in what would become Poland and wished to return. Poland eventually emerged as a state with its own defined borders, including a city called Kletzk.

Rav Isser Zalman and Rav Aharon moved the Yeshiva to Kletzk, fifteen miles west of Slutsk in the newly independent Poland.
Kletzk had a vibrant Jewish life that dated back hundreds of years. Its total population was about 8000, and 6000 of the residents were Jewish. Rav Isser Zalman later went to establish Etz Chaim in Jerusalem, while Rav Aharon stayed on in Kletzk.

The situation in Slutzk deteriorated rapidly and those who remained in Slutzk had to leave. Rav Aharon strongly pushed his father-in-law to make the move as soon as it was feasible. Rav Isser Zalman finally arrived in Kletzk on Thursday, March 1st 1923 – it was Taanis Esther, Erev Purim in 5683.

Poland, once an independent country, was occupied by Russia, Prussia and Austria for 123 years. But after World War I, all three of these occupiers were in trouble. Germany had lost the war. Russia was facing a revolution and the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy was rapidly falling apart. Polish nationalism was on the rise and took over. In 1918 Poland once again gained independence and was known as the Second Republic of Poland. Rav Aharon took notice of this and after five years of Polish independence, the Yeshiva would move to Poland.
Although newly reformulated, Poland was home to Europe’s largest Jewish community. Russia, which for centuries housed Jews, had become completely communist. Many thought the future for the Jewish people would lie in newly independent and free Poland.

This is not to say that Poland was ideal. Poland had a highly anti-Semitic party dating back to the 1890’s, called the Endecja, which advocated the slogan “Poland for the Poles.” This group was the Polish National Democratic Party and they called for the exclusion of Jews from Polish political and economic life. Followers of this party were called “Endeks.”
Very shortly, however, the Slutzk Yeshiva was transferred to the city of Kletzk in Poland and it soon became a fortress of Torah for the Polish Jewish community. Rav Isser Zalman initially delivered shiurim in the Yeshiva and in his home. At home he taught Shulchan Aruch Choshain Mishpat.

AGUDATH ISRAEL

After Germany had conquered sections of Poland from Russia, the German government asked some of its German Jewish citizens for advice and assistance in now to administer such sections as Warsaw, now under German control. One such expert was Ludwig Haas, a Reform Jew and member of the German Reichstag who had succeeded in doing away with traditional Jewish education and implementing far-reaching reforms in education in his hometown of Baden Germany.

The Polish Rabbis were very concerned and reached out to the Orthodox Jews of Germany for advice and help. Somehow, the German government appointed to Orthodox Jewish experts to assist them, Rabbi Dr. Pinchas Cohn and Rabbi Emanuel Carlebach. These two individuals reached out to Polish Jewry and helped them organize.

Thus Agudath Israel in Poland, started by orthodox Jews in Germany and backed by the Gerrer Rebbe and others, was born. Soon it morphed into a political party in the newly formed Second Republic of Poland. It began to take an active role in ensuring that the secularization processes that existed in Russia and in Germany did not develop in Poland too. Rav Aharon’s experiences in Russia cemented his appreciation of the need for such an organization and he soon became an active participant.

In the winter of 1924, Rav Isser Zalman emigrated to Eretz Yisroel and Rav Aharon was left to direct the Yeshiva in Kletzk by himself. In a very short amount of time, under the direction of Rav Aharon, Kletzk developed a reputation as one of the leading Yeshivos in Europe – eclipsing other Yeshivos that were much older and more established. Rav Aharon’s reputation grew by leaps and bounds as well. Throughout Europe it was known that the finest of Bochurim should attempt to learn by Rav Aharon. Rav Kotler’s reputation as an outstanding Gadol and Illui spread far and wide, and he joined in gatherings among the elder Roshei Yeshiva of Europe, such as Rav Boruch Ber Leibowitz, Rav Shimon Shkop, Rav Naftoli Trop. They treated him like an equal – notwithstanding that he was an entire generation younger than them.
An interesting example of this can be seen from the following episode. The Agudas HaRabbonim convened in 1924, and a leading Rabbi in Lublin, Rav Alter Azriel Meir Eiger (1873-1941), a great great grandson of Rabbi Akiva Eiger of Posen, proposed a new halachic innovation. He suggested that any Jewish person embarking upon a career in business, should first draft a letter to be left with the Rav of his town that all of his business dealings will be done in accordance with a heter iskah. The proposal was revolutionary but halachically problematic. The idea was printed in the Kovetz Drushim of the Agudas HaRabbonim of that year (Vol. II #38). In the next edition of the journal, Rav Kotler penned a response. He meticulously examined every issue Rav Eiger brought up, and with halachic mastery marshaled arguments against it . The idea was never taken up.

In early 1925, Rav Aharon and his wife had a baby girl, whom they named Sarah. She was born in Kletzk.

During this period, Rav Aharon was described by his students as a maayan of Torah with an unceasing flow. Indeed, many of his Talmidim were intimidated by his masterful grasp of every sugyah in Shas. Rare was the student who could develop the “audacity” to challenge Rav Aharon’s mehalech in a sugya. When it came to Torah study, Rav Aharon was fierce, and was not known to treat his Torah sparring partners with “kid gloves.”

And yet Rav Aharon’s love for his students was such that he was concerned for both their spiritual development as well as their physical needs. He made sure that each student had the basic necessities. One student once needed a new pair of shoes. Immediately, Rav Aharon stepped outside and returned with a pair for the student. Only later did someone discover that the pair was purchased for Rav Aharon in order to make the cold fundraising trips that were necessary for the Yeshiva. Rav Aharon refused to keep specific hours for the students to speak to him in learning, as the other members of the hanhallah had advised. “How could he be unavailable to students who wished to discuss Torah?” he would ask.

Talmidim of Kletzk later took prestigious positions throughout the Torah world. One Kletzker Talmid remembered that of all the students who went through Kletzk there was an outstanding Ilui to whom Rav Aharon had paid special attention. His name was Dovid Pfefferman. He was, unfortunately, murdered by the Nazis yimach shemam.

Rav Aharon’s love and chessed for Klal Yisroel was not just for Bnei Torah. There is a vivid and moving memoir of a young woman, Sara Gelfand, who escaped the ravages of the war and was assisted at the time by the Kletzker Rabbi, Rav Aharon Kotler. There were many others too.

The new building in Kletzk was dedicated in 1927. The builders who built the large edifice donated the entire Mizrach Vant out of their own pocket. A photograph of the large group was taken. It was a moment of pride for the entire town as well as the entire Yeshiva. The town and the Yeshiva were unusually integrated, with the Yeshiva adopting the customs of the town. The event was so significant that Rav Isser Zalman returned from Eretz Yisroel to be present at the event. At the building’s dedication, Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky remarked that the Kletz Rosh Yeshiva, was the Rabbi Akiva Eiger of the generation.

Rav Aharon’s wife served as the Yeshiva’s secretary. She would often write the correspondences of the Yeshiva, and her husband would sign them. Her handwriting was particularly neat. One time, the son of the local hardware store owner, a student of Rav Elchonon in Baronovich, needed a letter of recommendation to the Yeshiva in Kobrin, Rav Aharon dictated the letter to her and she signed it.
The Beis HaMidrash was fairly large. In an era with no microphones, the Talmidim would all stand to hear Rav Aharon lecture from the Bimah facing them. They would all leave their benches and shtenders and stand up to hear Rav Aharon deliver a shiur. Rav Aharon would deliver shiurim twice a week. But he was always available to discuss the shiurim. Some of the Talmidim wore gray fedoras with black stripes. Others wore caps. But all listened with attentive rapture. Those who had studied in Kletzk were known as the elite Bochurim in Europe.

The davening occurred in the Beis Midrash. Rav Aharom was very careful to ensure that each of the students kept the first time for Shma – that of the Mogain Avrohom . This was interesting because Rav Aharon identified strongly with the Vilna Gaon.

The Aron Kodesh was a round wooden structure with a dark Paroches around it. The Mizrach vant had bare walls. The library housed thousands of seforim. Each sefer had a sticker upon it indicating where it should be returned, just like in other Yeshivos all over the world. Rav Aharon had his own study in the Yeshiva too. There was a dormitory. On the top floor was Rav Aharon’s quarters. The Talmidim would sometimes come to his quarters At times the number of Talmidim in the Yeshiva exceeded 250 bochurim. A top Talmid would sleep in Rav Aharon’s study when there were no other beds. This was the Yeshiva that was Kletzk, the apple of the eye of the Torah world across the globe.

In 1933, a young man, Yoel Klapt, approached him with a question about swearing falsely . He escaped his home country to study in Poland. He had a false passport that said he was born in Baronovich. When he wished to return home they asked for his birth certificate which stated that he was born in Baronovich. If he were to swear falsely, they would believe him and allow him to return. What should he do? .. Rav Aharon weighs the issue carefully. Unfortunately, we do not know what his final answer was.

In 0ctober of 1936, while in Kletz, Rav Aharon penned a letter to Rav Bick in the United States regarding the permissibility of opening up of a refrigerator door on Shabbos. He also responded to an inquiry from Rav Bick on the issue of renting stores to Shabbos violaters and whether that constituted Lifnei Iver or not .

TO BE CONTINUED

The author can be reached at [email protected]