By COLlive reporter
The cover article of this week’s edition of the Kfar Chabad Magazine is an interview with Rabbi Shlomo Kaplan in honor of the day of the founding of the Tomchei Tmimim.
The mission of Tomchei Tmimim is the same as when it was founded, he stated about the 15th of Elul, when the Rebbe Rashab founded what is today the global Chabad Yeshiva network.
What is unique about the interview is that Rabbi Kaplan is in his 30s and already holds the respected positions of Maggid Shiur Daled at Beis Medrash Oholei Torah in Crown Heights.
He also serves as a Mashpia in Chassidus in the Central Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim at 770 Eastern Parkway, a position he was appointed to by Rabbi Yoel Kahn, the Rebbe‘s Head Choizer and the preeminent Chabad scholar.
“Every Tomim needs to be fully and clearly imbued with the recognition that the Divine Will isn’t something dry, detached or distant,” he told the Kfar Chabad magazine. “Our Yiras Shamayim, one which everything is based, must be infused with real energy.”
Rabbi Kaplan is the son of Rabbi Leibel Kaplan, the longtime Rosh Yeshiva of Tomchei Tmimim Zal (Rabbinical College of Quebec) in Montreal and the great-grandson of the known mashpia Reb Peretz Mochkin OBM.
He is a close student of Rabbi Yisroel Friedman, Rosh Yeshiva of Beis Medrash Oholei Torah and often leads Chassidic farbrengens for frum crowds in Williamsburg, Monsey and elsewhere.
“It is rare to encounter a yungerman in his thirties who is accepted as a great talmid chacham both in nigleh and chassidus,” the Kfar Chabad Magazine wrote about him, noting his brilliance and vast knowledge.
This past summer, Rabbi Kaplan was the youngest invitee to the Global Yarchei Kallah, the annual gathering of Chabad’s leading rabbonim, Roshei Yeshiva and Mashpiim from around the world.
But in the interview, Rabbi Kaplan refused to speak about himself. Instead, he emphasized the Chabad’s commitment to Mivtzoim outreach is in no way a contradiction to the depth of learning and sincerity of davening by bochurim.
“May they merit to fulfill the divine will and be Chassidim, Yirei Shamayim and lamdanim, as the Rebbe wanted,” he wished for the bochurim.
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Montreal proud! It all started in Montreal.
R’ Shlome teaches his Talmudim how to analyse the gemora in a straight forward but deep way. Never had a teacher like him! He gives an incredible Chassidishe warmth too.
With teachers like Reb Shlomo Kaplan.
The next generation will be guided and Shepherded properly.
I spent a year with rabbi kaplan in yeshiva. He is one of a kind.