He and I had one thing in common besides our Hashkafos. We saw Rav Aharon Soloveichik as our primary mentor. I had other influences as well (which I listed in my bio located in the right margin). And of course so too did Rav Lichtenstein. He considered Rav Hutner, his Rosh HaYeshiva when he studied at Yeshivas Chaim Berlin to be among the more important influences in his life. And of course his father in law, Rav Joseph Dov (Yoshe Ber) Soloveitchik when he studied at Yeshiva University (YU).
It makes sense that these three figures influenced his Hashkafos. All 3 of them advocated the study of Mada. Both Rav Ahron and R’ Yoshe Ber had advanced degrees in Mada. And R’ Hutner (along with Rav Shraga Feivel Mendelowitz) famously tried to create a college level secular studies program at Yeshivas Chaim Berlin. They actually got to a point where the New York Board of Regents had accredited it. The only reason it never happened is because Lakewood founder and Rosh Hayeshiva, Rav Aharon Kotler said no. He was considered the Gadol HaDor in the Yeshiva world at the time and when he made a public policy decision that was the end of it.
Woe is to us. Who will replace this great man? Is there another Rav Lichtenstein whose genius in both Torah and Mada was so great? Is there another Torah giant that is also renowned for his expertise in any subject of Mada? If there is, I haven’t heard about him yet. There are some names… but I don’t think they quite measure up to him. At least not yet. There are Torah greats whose Mada is lacking. And there are Mada greats whose Torah is lacking.
I believe that the reason for this is that the move to the right has become so strong that Mada has been at best marginalized if not outright abandoned as a discipline for a Torah student to study. Gone are the days when a Rosh HaYeshiva at Chaim Berlin advises his students which subject to take in college – as did Rav Hutner.
Yeshiva University has not produced anyone of that caliber yet. A lot of students have attended YU over the years and decades since Rav Lichtenstein was there. But I don’t know of anyone they have produced like him. I suppose that’s because of the nature of a YU that steers most of its students into career paths other that Torah study. Those in YU that do tend to achieve great heights in Torah study have generally bought into the arguments of the right and do not seek great achievements in Mada as a goal – seeing it more as distraction rather than an important area of study.
I realize there are exceptions. More than a few students at YU do seek excellence in both. But I don’t think there is a critical mass that will produce another Rav Aharon Lichtenstein.
Today we lost more than a Gadol. We lost a man that was the role model for Torah U’Mada in our time… with no apparent heir to follow. Baruch Dayan Emes.