]Letter from the Chaftez Chaim's son-in-law in defense of Rav Kook after the 1927

Satmar Chassidim in Rumania published a vitriolic attack on Rav Kook in their

["journal "Beit Vaad leChachamim

" ]= [ " "
" ]= [ " "
- " ]= [ -
" " ]= [ ]= [ - " ]= [1927"

, , ,
' " ," ]= [
, " ]= [
" ]= [ " ,
," ]= [ ,
, ) ,
" "
, ( ,
) (
" " - " ",
,
) " " " " "( "
" ]= [ " ' " , ,
, ,
,
" , ".
" , " ,
' .

" ]= [ "

Rabbi Aharon Hacohen

Author of Avodas Hakorbonos
Son of the gaon, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Hacohen, shlita, author of Chafetz Chaim and
Mishnah Berurah
Tel Aviv, may it be built and established
Land of Israel
Baruch Hashem. Friday, Parshas Emor and they will not desecrate the holies of
Israel [Vayikra 22:15] 5688 (1927)
Always, my heart wants to burst within me whenever I hear people who claim
to keep Torah and mitzvos and yet dare to insult that gaon and tzaddik, pious and
humble, the prince of the Holy Land, our Master Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Hacohen
Kook, shlita.
Nevertheless, I have not come forth publicly to protest this insult to the Torah.
This is because I know that my master, my teacher and father-in-law, the Chafetz
Chaim, who very much esteems and loves his honor, the master, the gaon, Rabbi
Avraham Yitzchak Hacohen, shlita, and his spirit was very downfallen when he heard
of these persecutions against himnevertheless, [the Chafetz Chaim] did not go forth
to protest openly against this, for he said that silence in such matters so as not to
publicize them is the best way to deal with them, in order to reduce and diminish their
force. (Still, no one dared express defamatory words against the honor of our master,
the gaon Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Hacohen shlita in [the Chafetz Chaims] presence.
And with regard to written defamations, he forcefully turned his eyes away without
opening [reading] them).
But now that I have seen in the monthly journal (this years Nisan issue) a
journal that has the arrogance to call itself Beis Vaad Lechachamim [Meeting
House of the Sages] the most terrible abuse and insults to our Master, the gaon
Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Hacohen shlita, which are forbidden even to be quoted, I
found it a holy obligation not to remain silent (as is discussed in Rambam, Hilchos
Talmud Torah 6:11,12). A person who insults a Torah sage has no portion in the
world-to-come. He is in the category of those who despised G-ds word [Bemidbar
15:31], and we are obligated to excommunicate such a person.
In particular, it is forbidden to pass over in silence the insult and disgrace
meted out to that gaon and pious man. Instead, one must go forth and protest this
insult to the Torah, and join the great and pained protest of the rabbis and gaonim of
the Holy Land and the Exile regarding these foul words, and not to view the sacred
being swallowed up [Bemidbar 4:20], Heaven forbid.
May G-d remove disgrace from the children of Israel, and raise up the honor
of the holy Torah.
These are the words of one who writes with an aching and burning heart over
the honor of the holy Torah, which has been defamed.
Aharon Hacohen
Son-in-law of the rabbi, the gaon and tzaddik, author of Chafetz Chaim, shlita