Rav Yitzchok Hutner (1906–1980), late renowned Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin in Brooklyn, USA and of Yeshiva Pachad Yitzchok in Jerusalem, Israel left behind a treasury of printed books known as Pachad Yitzchok ("fear/awe of Isaac") when he passed away. They were written in a classical poetic Hebrew rooted in the methodology of rabbinic and Torah writings making reference to the vastness of Jewish Torah thought and the nuances of complex ideas as expressed in Tanach, Talmudic, Midrashic, Kabbalistic, Hasidic, philosophical (Hashkafa), mystical, Mussar (Jewish Ethics) sources
Using supreme and absolute brilliance of memory and mind, exact logic, penetrating analysis, soaring poetics and much more, Rav Hunter explained both simple and complex ideas and concepts.
Rav Hutner was the ultimate Torah teacher and pedagogue and had the ability to reach a vast variety of audiences and personalities both inside and outside the Torah world during his lifetime.
Rav Hutner's works were primarily based on the Sabbath and the Jewish Holidays that were used as springboards to teach and discuss the gamut of the Torah and its commandments as gateways to understanding and perceiving the workings of the Divine and the role of the Jewish People in God's plan for the world.
For a very long time Rav Hutner's written works were not translated into English for various reasons. One was, finding authors who could be trusted with the master's works and be able to correctly translate them into an appropriate literate English. Another was, that after Rav Hutner's passing there was behind the scenes tension between various groups of leading disciples.
On the one hand, some did not feel that Rav Hutner's books could really be adequately translated into English so they opposed it, while on the other hand there were those who felt that no matter how difficult a job it would be to translate Rav Hutner's books, since there was a constant desire by serious English speaking scholars and laymen to enjoy Rav Hutner's ideas even if limited by the inevitable drawbacks of translation, efforts should be made to translate and publish Rav Hutner's writings.
For almost twenty five years and even longer the conservative school of thought at Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin prevailed and effectively stopped any serious translations of Rav Hutner's books into English to take place, preferring to keep his writings limited to esoteric groups of scholars who could both expound and understand with exactitude what Rav Hutner really said, meant, wrote, and wanted to be publicized and known.
Everyone realized that the totality of the content of Rav Hutner's Pachad Yitzchok books could never be completely conveyed in the same way as they existed in the original written Hebrew language that had flowed from the mind, heart, soul and hand of the original master. It would be like trying to recompose rich classical music in the format of modern plastic popular music, and would just totally diminish from the glory and grandeur of the original master work.
This argument held sway for a long time, lasting at least for more than twenty years after Rav Hutner passed away with there not being even a semi-official release of a sophisticated translation of Rav Hutner's books. Meanwhile, the Hebrew originals were being constantly republished by the only authorized publishers, the Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin-Kollel Gur Aryeh in Brooklyn.
The groundbreaking rabbi who eventually took the plunge and started translating and publishing Rav Hutner's books and the elevated ideas and concepts they contained was Rabbi Pinchas Stolper (1931–2022) one of Rav Hutner's most devout disciples who was also an original thinker in his own right. Rabbi Stolper had an advanced college education and had been the founder of the Orthodox Union's NCSY youth movement as well as later serving as the OU's executive vice-president for a very long time.
Rabbi Stolper had published various works to popularize Judaism and was the one who discovered and launched the caerer of Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan (1934–1983) one the most successful popularizers of Jewish Orthodox thought in modern times. Rabbi Stolper was not beholden to the Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin hierarchy but his credentials as a devout and loyal disciple of Rav Hutner personally were beyond any doubt or questioning by anyone.
In January 2003, twenty three years after Rav Hutner's passing, Rabbi Stolper published a groundbreaking translation of some of Rav Hutner's writings about the festival of Purim. The title page is instructive and reads as follows: "PURIM IN A NEW LIGHT: Mystery, Grandeur, and Depth Revealed through the writings of Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner Author of Pachad Yitzchak, Rosh Yeshiva Mesivta Rabbi Chaim Berlin, Kollel Gur Aryeh and Yeshivas Pachad Yitzchak. Interpreted and Adapted by Rabbi Pinchas Stolper." (David Dov Publications. Distributed by Israel Book Shop).
This was followed by another master work published in February 2003: "LIVING BEYOND TIME; The Mystery and Meaning of the Jewish Festivals: Includes 20 essays based on the teachings of Hagaon Yitzchok Hutner." (Shaar Press. Distributed by Mesorah Publications).
In 2005 Rabbi Stolper completed and published "HIDDEN LIGHTS: Chanukah and the Jewish/Greek Conflict by Rabbi Pinchas Stolper." (David Dov Publications. Distributed by Israel Book Shop). In his "Acknowledgments and Thanks", among others, Rabbi Stolper states that "The conceptual sections rely heavily on the writings of my rebbe, the Gaon Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner zt"l, published in his volume, Pachad Yitzchak on Chanukah, much of which I heard orally. Rav Hutner zt"l was strongly influenced by the writings of the Maharal [of Prague] (Ner Mitzvah on Chanukah) [and] Rabbi Tzaddok HaKohen of Lublin zt"l."
In December 2005, Rabbi Stolper published "CHANUKAH IN A NEW LIGHT: Grandeur, Heroism and Depth as revealed through the writings of Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner. Author of Pachad Yitzchak, Rosh Yeshiva, Mesivta Rabbi Chaim Berlin, Kollel Gur Aryeh and Yeshivas Pachad Yitzchak. Interpreted and Adapted by Rabbi Pinchas Stolper." (David Dov Foundation. Distributed by Israel Book Shop).
In 2009 Rabbi Stolper published two works on Shabbos based on Rav Hutner. The first was "SHABBOS NOT A DAY OF REST: Discovering the True Shabbos: Majesty, Meaning , Spirituality by Rabbi Pinchas Stolper." (David Dov Foundation. Distributed by Israel Book Shop). In the acknowledgments he states: "Three lectures from Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner zt"l have been included with this volume. An English adaptation of Rabbi Hutner's brilliant and eye-opening Hebrew Volume" 'Pachad Yitzchak/Shabbos,' 'Shabbos in a New Light' will soon be published. This will be the first of Rabbi Hutner's teachings on Shabbos will reach those for whom his intellectual and revealing insights have hitherto been inaccessible."
The second was "SHABBOS IN A NEW LIGHT: Majesty, Mystery, Meaning: Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner, Sefer Pachad Yitzchak. Interpreted and adapted by Rabbi Pinchas Stolper." (David Dov Foundation. Distributed by Israel Book Shop). Described as: "These brilliant writings, taken from Pachad Yitzchak and offered in English for the first time, are the original, intellectual, spiritual, and philosophical creativity of Maran Haga'on Rav Yitzchak Hutner zt"l. Your Shabbos will shine with a new light, after absorbing some of the rays and reflections of the late Rosh Yeshiva of Chaim Berlin zichrono l'vrachah."
In 2011 Rabbi Stolper published "THE PASSOVER PUZZLE: Mystery, Grandeur, Inspiration and Depth. [Including] Five Ma'amarim [lectures] from Pachad Yitzchak [by] Maran Harav Hagaon Rav Yitzchak Hutner author of Pachad Yitzchak, Rosh Hayeshivah Mesivta Rabbi Chaim Berlin, Kollel Gur Aryeh and Yeshivas Pachad Yitzchak." (Israel Bookshop Publications).
Over a period of about eight years, from 2003 to 2011, Rabbi Stolper broke through the barriers holding back Rav Hutner's works from appearing in the English language. It took an act of far-sighted bravery and courage for Rabbi Stolper to defy the conservative school of thought that felt it was both impossible and inappropriate to attempt a serious translation into English of any of Rav Hutner's books.
Rabbi Stolper was a pioneer by nature. He pioneered the NCSY Orthodox youth movement that reached out to secular and alienated Jewish teens and brought thousands back to serious Jewish observance. Rabbi Stolper pioneered easy-to-read in idiomatic English literature to popularize Orthodox Judaism especially to alienated Jewish youth.
That same spirit imbued his efforts to take the thoughts of Rav Hutner out of the Torah ivory tower that they were trapped in Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin and opened the tightly shut curtains for the searching Jewish English speaking public to enjoy a serious introduction to the works of one of the greatest Jewish thinkers and minds of modern times. Much still remains to be done in this regard.
Rabbi Yitschak Rudominwas born to Holocaust survivor parents in Israel, grew up in South Africa, and lives in Brooklyn, NY. He is an alumnus of Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin and of Teachers College–Columbia University. He heads the Jewish Professionals Institute dedicated to Jewish Adult Education and Outreach – Kiruv Rechokim. He was the Director of the Belzer Chasidim's Sinai Heritage Center of Manhattan 1988. He is the author of The Second World War and Jewish Education in America: The Fall and Rise of Orthodoxy. Contact Rabbi Yitschak Rudomin at izakrudomin@gmail.com
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