Memento Features Rebbe’s Q&A

By COLlive reporter

A Teshura memento published for the wedding of Yitzy Hayes and Toiby Soffer last week in Crown Heights included never-before-published Kisvei Yad from the Frierdiker Rebbe and the Rebbe.

It also featured the Rebbe’s answers to questions presented to him in 1944 by participants of a weekly Torah and science class in Manhattan led by Professor Alexander Cowen.

Cowen had a close personal relationship with the Frierdiker Rebbe. The Frierdiker Rebbe sent his Mazkir, Rabbi Dr. Nissan Mindel to attend the class, and send him a report of what transpired in each class.

One week, Rabbi Mindel included in his report that many questions were asked during the class. The Frierdiker Rebbe instructed him to give the questions the “my son-in-law,” (the Rebbe), and he will give you the answers.

The Rebbe looked at each question, rewrote the questions on a new paper, and wrote an answer to it, in a question and answer format.

After the Rebbe gave it back to Rabbi Mindel, he typed it up in English, and again gave it to the Rebbe to look over, and the Rebbe made additional corrections on the English.

The actual original Kisvei Yad and the English edits were both presented in this historic Teshura.

Also included was a preview of the Rebbe’s involvement in putting together an essay the Frierdiker Rebbe asked to be written on the topic of “What is a Chossid.”

These and many other documents in the Teshura were provided by Rabbi Sholom Ber Schapiro of Nissan Mindel Publications.

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