Sunday, February 12, 2006

Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan remembered



(RAK at Yitz of HN's son's Bris in 5737)
From "Heichal HaNegina"

Only 48 Years old, Chaval!

28 comments:

  1. He was another mekubbol that was niftar at a young age.People must be careful with kabbalah.

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  2. I was told that he was born with a rheumatic heart and knew that he was severely at risk his whole life. This is probably why he worked at such a furious pace to accomplish all that he did.

    Undoubtably people must be careful with Kabbalah. But that doesn't mean this was why Rabbi Kaplan passed away so young. So did the SHaCH and the RaMA, as well as many other great figures in the world of nigleh. "Sod Hashem le-yeri'av..."

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  3. Ironic how self-proclaimed "poshute-Yidden" seem to know why G-d takes people away at a young age, no?

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  4. Alter

    maybe you can tell us more. How did he get connected to Breslov? Does Breslov not discourage from learning Kaballah?

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  5. I knew him personally for many years. He was a BT from the Klausenberger Rebbe. He learned in Torah Vadaas, and Mir in Israel. He had an MA in physics and listed in the "whos who in Physics". He recieved Smicha from Rabbi Finkel. He had a photographic memory. He had published 48 books when he passed away at the age of 48.
    He sent some of his kids to Lubavitch Yeshiva on Ocean Parkway. When he published the Living Torah he had three bounded in leather, He gave one of them to the Lubavitcher Rebbe. (sorry for the spelling)

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  6. RE: being a BT of the Klausenberger Rebbe. That's the first I heard of that. Are you sure?

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  7. I heard that he was a conservative rabbi at one stage in his life. Is that true?

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  8. Conservative himself, or just the Rabbi in a Conservative temple?

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  9. HT - yes, he beacme religous because of the Klausenberger Rebbe, and even was a Rosh Yeshiva in one of his schools for a short period of time

    Boruch - he was a Rabbi in a Conservative temple in Albany for a short time before he moved to NY in the late 60's

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  10. how did he come to meet the Kloisenborger Rebbe? and was he the Rabbi there after he became frum? but wasn't he in Torah Vodaas and Mir?

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    Replies
    1. On Wikipedia, they cite one of Nachman Seltzer's books that he became a BT through Henoch Rosenberg, a Klausenberg chasid who was his neighbor in The Bronx at the time and - I assume - currently lives in Monsey.

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  11. HT - he had met the K. Rebbe in NY (Rabbi Kaplan was born in the Bronk - and had met him in NY). After he learned in Torah Vadaas before he went to Israel, he was a Rosh Yeshiva for less than a year in one of the Klausenberger Yeshivas.

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  12. chassidishe tourist, we are talking about the non-lubavitch arueh kaplan, not the Lubavitcher shliach in safed.
    Interesting, they both passed away early.

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  13. Seems that the commomn trait of many rational/influential personalities amongst the frum people is, them not having gone through the dumbed-down yeshiva system at a young impressionable age. Kaplan, Shteinsaltz, Ginsburg(Yitzchak), Uri Zohar, amnon Yitzchak, (.... The Lubavitcher Rebbe .....) and the list goes on.

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  14. I wish you wouldn't include UZ in that list, he doesn't belong.

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  15. HT,
    just for your information:
    To the contrary, Breslov encourages Limud HaKabbala.

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  16. Breslovitcher

    if so, why then the stress on "emunah pshutah" and not learning Chabad style seforim? or am I wrong on that too?

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  17. Wrong again. But I won't hold it against you ;-)

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  18. care to elaborate where I went wrong?

    and why there's emphasis on Temimus in Breslov?

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  19. I don't know if what was reported above re RAK having been in Albany and a Klausenberger connection is correct, but I do know that RAK was in KY (Louisville I think) for a time. I think he taught in a day school and/or was a Rav there.

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  20. is there a biography available for purchase?

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  21. C said - He was also in Kentucky, and that is where he met his wife. Also, all the above stated is true. I was close to the Rabbi and still very close to the family.
    There is no biography - and never will be, because he was not your typical Rabbi.

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  22. and non-typical Rabbis can't have biographies written about them?

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  23. There was some articles written about him in the magazine of the O-U in the past.

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  24. I'm glad to see my post has engendered so many comments, hope you all visit my blog too!

    I think Rav Kaplan ZT"L was from Kentucky originally. And I agree with HT, why can't there be a bio on him. I'm sure it'd be fascinating!

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  25. Rabbi Kaplan was origially from the Bronx. He had spent some time in Kentucky and met his wife there.

    The reason their will never be a biography, his life was very "colored" and no major company like Feldheim or Artscroll would write one.

    Rabbi Kaplan was a fascinating person. He was an artist, professional boxer... besides all of his jewish accomplishments,

    BTW - Rabbi Finkel from Mir would give Smicha as follows. He would randomnly take out one of the volumes of Shulchan Aruch (any section)and randomnly open the page - and show it to the testee. He would then close the book and make the testee discuss the complete page - with all the commentaries on that page. From what I have heard, less than a dozen people recieved Smicha from R' Finkel, and R' Kaplan was one of them

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  26. He was professional boxer???

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