The Gadlus of a Gadol and the Needs of His Generation

At the end of a hesped for Rav Aharon Kotler, Rav Hutner spoke of three kinds of gedolim. There have been gedolim whose personal stature matched the size of their mission to their generation. There have been towering gedolim whose mission did not show their greatness. And there have been gedolim whose mission to their generation went beyond their personal stature. He placed Rav Kotler in the first group, and said that Rav Kotler’s work was in the public eye and was a type of greatness that everyone could readily appreciate.