Rabbi Yoel Kahn OBM, often referred to as “Reb Yoel,” was the chief reviewer and transcriber of the discourses of the Rebbe, and the most preeminent authority on Chabad-chassidic teachings.
He was born in the former Soviet Union in 1930, and moved to Israel as a young child, where he studied under the guidance of a number of outstanding Chabad scholars. In his youth already, Rabbi Kahn was recognized for his rare penetrating intelligence and analytical skills, as well as his remarkable memory.
In 1950, Rabbi Kahn left Israel for New York, arriving just after the passing of the Frierdiker Rebbe. Rabbi Kahn assumed the role of chief chozer and meni’ach– (memorizer and transcriber) of the new Rebbe’s talks. For decades, at each of the Rebbe’s public gatherings, frequently held on Shabbos when recording or writing are not permitted, Rabbi Kahn would memorize every word of the Rebbe’s talks—which often lasted many hours long. He and a team of students would then transcribe the talks.
Rabbi Kahn was also the lead editor of Sefer Ha’erechim, a multi-volume encyclopedia of abstruse chassidic and mystical concepts.
This article in honor of Shavuos was translated into English from the book “Hamohadim Bechassidut.”
