Rabbi Dr. Moshe David Tendler, the son-in-law of Rav Moshe Feinstein, was my rebbe in Yeshiva University. I always used to say about him that he did not teach Torah, but rather mesorah. In other words, he was not teaching the information from the book, but rather passed on the heritage of Torah. Once I asked him how many generations back his family were rabbis? He answered at least ten, but probably going all the way back to Moses. And you felt that you were learning Torah – and stories! – from rabbis going back to Sinai.
He was very hands-on, from building mikvas to baking matzah, and I can still see his strong knuckles. Yet another time he took me down to his office, took out a notebook to write in, and picked up his phone to listen to the messages. He turned up the volume so that I could hear it as well: “Hello Rabbi Tendler, this is so and so. My husband was in a car accident. The doctors say he is clinically dead but is on life support. Should we detach him from the machines?” And on and on it went. Super hard halachic issues, life and death issues, from all over the world. He wrote everything down and then started calling them back! He was so kind to them, asked medical questions, and gave the often-hard but comforting answers. The people thanked him profusely for his knowledge and for the comfort he gave them. Rebbe had true broad Torah shoulders – and through Moshe Tendler I saw the glowing face of Moshe Rabbeinu.
