I Do Not Forgive You
A story ofRav Yitzchok Hutnerהרב יצחק בן חיים יואל הוטנרProfile ›
In one letter to a talmid, Rav Hutner wrote, “I want you to know that I do not forgive you.” The sharp words carried a compliment as well, because the rebbe was telling his talmid that he thought him worthy of a precise accounting over a particular matter.
Rav Hutner used to cover his love for his talmidim with a cloak of rebuke. He once wrote that every piece of writing remains as a record, as the posuk says of the deed of purchase, “so that they may last many days” (Yirmiyahu 32:14). But some things, he added, are harmed if they last too long. He was familiar with each talmid’s character and the workings of his soul, and his words to each one were fitted to him.
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