We had an intresting discussion at my seminary and I thought it would be intresting to post it here. When you hear someone talk about HaRav, who do you think that is? HaRebbe? Rebbe? Rabeynu?

My answers are as follows

HaRav- Harav Kook
Rabeinu- Either Rav nachman or Rav Tzvi Yehuda Kook
Rebbe- Rav Yehuda Hanasi
Harebbe- Harebbe Milubavitch (or the Lubavitcher rebbe)

Well, this depends heavily on the community you're in. If you're in a community like Y.U. in New York, for example, "HaRav" would usually mean "HaRav Soloveitchik". And so on, and so forth.

Yair.

That's what I mean yair, in your community, what are the Dav's, rabeinu's, etc.

I find it's interesting that a lot of the people who have these "Stam" titles have a lot of controversy to them. (not going into if they are valid or not.) Why do you think it's that way?

Many innovative, great thinkers had to deal with controversy about their ideas. This doesn’t mean that the ‘bar plugta’ wasn’t arguing l’saim shomayim, but the Rambam and more recently the Ba’al Shem Tov certainly had their detractors. I think that is par for the course when you attempt something new. Even the great Rav Chaim Soloveichik of Brisk was known derogatorily as ‘the chemist’ amongst some of the gedolim of his time.

True, but on the other hand, in many cases the "Bar Plugtah" could be right.

True. I can't argue with that.

quote:

Originally posted by Rav Chaim:
I find it's interesting that a lot of the people who have these "Stam" titles have a lot of controversy to them. (not going into if they are valid or not.) Why do you think it's that way?

This is a heavy statement. The Brisker rov is also known as the Rov and reb Aharon kotler is the Rosh hayeshiva. I would adjust to - leaders of big institutions that are unique attain "stam" titles.

I don't think that in Rabeinu Nachman M'Breslov's case it's the same. I think that everyone agrees he was a spiritual giant. Just some people don't agree with the ways of his Chassidim. The other Rabbanim mentioned above had their controversies, not just their chassidims'.

Am I right about this?

quote:

The Brisker rov is also known as the Rov and reb Aharon kotler is the Rosh hayeshiva

The Brisker Rov is known as the Rov as a shortening of his title (which was the way to be known as the Rov from where they came from hence "Brisker" Rov) and "the Rosh Yeshiva" by RAv Ahron is only by lakewooders who was their Rosh Yeshiva, like others called their Rosh Yeshiva as the Rosh Yeshiva (as I call RAv PAm) . But this did not make them their actual titles to the world, like the YU Rabbi SOlvichic or RAv Kook wasn't a shortening of the name.