On 6 Av 5781, the Jewish world lost a once-in-a-lifetime talmid chocham, chasid, baal kishron and baal midos, Rabbi Yoel Kahan.
He was born in Moscow in 1930 to Reb Rafael Nachman HaKohen and Rivka Kahan. Shortly after his birth, his father was sent to Siberia as a punishment for disseminating Torah.
In 1935, the family immigrated to Eretz Yisroel and lived in Ramat Gan. Reb Yoel attended the newly-founded Lubavitch Achei Temimim yeshiva.
Reb Yoel’s education was saturated with warmth, intelligence and yiras shamayim. As a young 10-year-old, his genius mind already guided him although he played with his friends outside as a normal 10-year-old boy.
His rosh yeshiva was Rabbi Dovid Povarsky, who later in 1944 transferred to Ponovitz, and his chavrusa was Reb Shlomo Berman, who later became a rosh yeshiva in Ponovitz. Reb Berel Povarsky, Reb Dovid’s son, told Reb Yoel that he remembers the day his father came home and said, “Yoelik tut besser vi shlomke.” – “Yoel understands [the Gemara] better than Shlomo.”
In 1950, the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe authorized Reb Yoel and five others to study in 770. Reb Yoel left Eretz Yisrael on 11 Shevat without knowing that the Rebbe had passed away the day before. A while after his arrival, Reb Yoel asked the Ramash, as the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe was then called, if he should return to Eretz Yisroel, given that he came to study in the previous Rebbe’s presence.
The Ramash told him that since his father-in-law told him to come, he should stay. Reb Yoel stayed until 2021. Thanks to the genius mind and memory of Reb Yoel, Chabad has all of the Rebbes teachings available. Most teachings were on Shabbos and Yom Tov when recordings were forbidden. It took a “tape recorder” like Reb Yoel to record in his mind the Rebbes words and ideas. In Chabad we call such a person a chozer. Reb Yoel was chief chozer who guided younger student chozrim for 42 years.
Chassidus For Other Kehillos
Reb Yoel excelled in teaching Chassidus, and in particular, the Tanya, to Jews in other non-Chabad communities. Be it other Chasidic or Litvish groups Reb Yoel offered Chabad teachings in a way that was understood and appreciated by the average ben Torah.
I heard from the late Artscroll Talmud editor HaRav Chaim Malinowitz, z”l, that he was waiting for the day that a student of Reb Yoel would ask him if he could share divrei Torah in his shul. He said he would welcome it with the greatest honor because Reb Yoel was one of his three rebbis. These were Reb Moshe in halacha, Reb Abba Berman in Gemara and Reb Yoel in hashkafa. He said he learned with him for four years as part of a group of outstanding minds who, after seder at 10 p.m. attended a Tanya shiur Reb Yoel gave for them until 12 midnight.
Reb Yoel “received Torah from his teacher and shared it with others” for 70 years. You could find him one night in Philadelphia and the next night he would be in Lakewood and the third night in Eretz Yisroel teaching Chassidus.
For 45 years Reb Yoel taught Chassidus in Boro Park to chasidim of Belz, Bobov, Boyan, Klausenburg, Ger, Satmar and Vishnitz. He was highly respectful of their approach and taught them to be more appreciative of their Chassidus. He did this by strengthening their emunah. This was his number one objective. He was not interested in making “Lubavitchers.”
A neighbor of mine told me he attended Reb Yoel’s Boro Park Tanya shiur for two years while still a Bobov student. Each time he walked out after the shiur he thought to himself, “This man really believes in G-d and Torah!”
On numerous occasions I was present when all sorts of very bright minds dialogued with Reb Yoel at his dining room table. I was privileged to have had a ben bayis-like relationship with him and his rebbetzin, Leah, may she be well.
Reb Yoel changed their paradigms without pressuring them. He did “brain surgery,” showing them that their way of thinking led them to a position that at times was antithetical to Torah. He convinced them intellectually that there was another, more correct way of logic that supported Torah and faith in Hashem.
Reb Yoel was also a very warm person. I write this because I experienced it as a student of his and even later as a married person. Whether it was inviting me to eat with him privately on Shabbos or putting his hand around me when explaining a concept in Chassidus, I “tasted” his warmth.
Reb Yoel knew when to be serious and when to be relaxed in dealing with people. I could laugh with him and also cry with him. One always felt comfortable in his presence when getting to know him.
After Gimmel Tammuz
After the Rebbe passed away, Reb Yoel used his position as communicator of the Rebbe’s Torah to teach and inspire the youth with the idea that although the Rebbe isn’t physically here, nevertheless he message and teachings are just as real after his passing as while during his lifetime.
Gimmel Tammuz was a confusing time for Lubavitch and others throughout the frum Jewish community. However, Reb Yoel wasn’t confused. His main point was honoring the Rebbe, as his rebbetzin once told me. Hence, when he believed the Rebbe was best in one way, he championed that position. If he felt the Rebbe was honored another way, even if it directly opposed to his previous stance, he supported that. It seemed wishy-washy but was not. Rather, it was the integrity of emes according to Torah that guided his decisions.
Mashiach
From 1950, Reb Yoel well knew the Rebbe’s Mashiach ideology. However, the Rebbe’s passion about Mashiach grew in his last few years, which caused Reb Yoel to see it the same way. Some argued that after the Rebbe’s passing the Mashiach call should be on the back burner. Reb Yoel disagreed. He did say he and his friends made a mistake in thinking the Rebbe could not pass away but that this doesn’t mean the Rebbe isn’t here spiritually, making an impact within the physical world.
After surviving Covid, Reb Yoel was weak. However, he continued writing Sefer haErchim the Chabad Chassidus Encyclopedia, which he was instructed by the Rebbe to do. This was his masterpiece, although he took no credit for it. On the cover page his name isn’t mentioned and it has the Rebbe’s border, implying it is the Rebbe’s work.
Although he contributed to many other Torah publication for the Rebbe, the Sefer haErchim was top on his list because the Rebbe wanted it and put him in charge. In seeing the first volume, the Rebbe commented that he, Reb Yoel, knew Chassidus but wasn’t aware to what extent.
Reb Yoel was 91 when his soul returned to its maker after a short stay in the hospital. He was conscious and aware till the end. He was buried very close to the Rebbe’s Ohel, facing the grave of the Rebbe’s mother, Rebbetzin Chana.