Sunday, August 20, 2023

Steipler: There is no rebbe muvhak today since we learn from seforim - and not orally



פסקי תשובות סימן תקכט שמחת יו"ט ע' תלה #45

...ובס' אורחות רבנו ח"ב עמ' קי"ב מביא בשם הגר"י קניבסקי זצ"ל שדין מצוות קבלת פני רבו נהג רק בזמן שלמדו בע"פ וקיבל מרבו רוב הלמודו. אבל בזה"ז שלומדים מגמרא וספרים לא שייך ענין דרבו מובהק וחיוב הקבלח פניו. ובזה שמלמדו דרך הלימוד לא נעשה רבו כי יכול להתלמד דרך הלימוד לבד ועוד מי וידע אם הדרך של רבו היא האמת. וברבו שאין מובהק ליכא חיוב לקבל פניו. והא דילפינן משונמית שקבלה פני אלישע אף דל"ש אצלה רבו מובהק. כי אלישע היה רבן של כל ישראל וכולם חייבים לקבל פניו. עכתו"ד


In the sefer Orchos Rabbeinu (vol 2 page 112) it is stated in the name of the Steipler that the halacha requiring a person to visit his rebbe only applied during the time when learning was done orally and he received from his rebbe most of his learning. However in modern times where learning is from the gemora and seforim – the concept of rebbe muvhak and the obligation to visit him is not relevant. And this that a person learnt an approach to learning from him doesn't make him his rebbe. Thatis because it is possible to learn an approach to learning by oneself. Furthermore who knows whether the approach to learning of his rebbe is a valid? In contrast if his rebbe is not a rebbe muvhak there is no obligation to visit him. And what about the apparent contradicition to this assertion from the fact that the Shunamite woman visited Elisha even though it isn't relevant for him to be her rebbe muvhak? The answer is simply that Elisha was in fact the rebbe of all Jews and therefore eveyone was required to visit him.

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