The Views of Rabbi Moses Feinstein, Rabbi Abraham Joshua ...

descended from the Beis Halevi (the great-grandson of ―R[abbi] Chaim of Volozhin,‖ 138
the most prominent disciple of Rabbi Elijah of Vilna, a leading ―oppo[nent]‖ 139 of the
Chassidic movement, as well as ―the founder of Volozhin Yeshivah and the spiritual
father of the modern yeshivah movement‖ 140 ) and was related to a prominent Lithuanian
rabbinic family known for its unique approach to Talmudic scholarship. The latter
descended from the Apter Rav, ―the rebbe of Apt (in Polish, Opatow)…venerated for his
diplomatic as well as spiritual skills,‖ 141
having ―mediated disputes among Hasidic
leaders during a period of extreme factionalism,‖ 142 later ―bec[oming] a spokesman for
the third [C]has[s]idic generation‖ 143 following the death of the Baal Shem Tov (founder
of the Chassidic movement). Furthermore, Soloveitchik and Heschel sought a general
education beginning in Warsaw and continuing their studies at the University of Berlin,
where each of them received doctorates in philosophy. Moreover, both men might have
met one another in the context of ―gather[ing] around the brilliant Talmudic scholar
Rabbi Haim Heller‖ 144 and did meet one another in the context of discussion regarding
interfaith dialogue. Both rabbinic personalities grappled with the writings of a variety of
philosophers, including Kant and Kierkegaard, while employing ideas from a variety of
theological writings, including those of Reinhold Niebuhr, in developing their
descriptions of Judaism. Despite sharing a knowledge of such writings, both rabbis are
138 Meller 8
139 Satlow 282
140 Wein 111
141 Kaplan & Dresner 5
142 Kaplan & Dresner 5
143 Kaplan & Dresner 5
144 Kaplan & Dresner 106
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