By COLlive reporter
Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar was the guest speaker at the annual Chof Daled Teves Farbrengen in the city of Bnei Brak to mark the yartzeit of the Alter Rebbe.
Before the event, Rabbi Lazar visited the homes of a few of the city’s renowned rabbonim to give a first-hand update about the revival Jewish life in the former Soviet Union.
One such meeting was with Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, considered a leading authority in the Litvish world, the son of “the Steipler” Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky and a nephew of the “Chazon Ish” Rabbi Avraham Yeshayahu Karelitz OBM.
Rabbi Kanievsky, the prominent gaon, expressed interest in hearing about the growing activities of Chabad Rabbonim in Russia.
Rabbi Lazar presented him with a set of seforim “Likutei Torah Hamevuar” of the Alter Rebbe and the sefer “Inyona Shel Toras Hachassidus.” Rabbi Kanievsky accepted them and asked that they are brought to his room so he can review them.
Some 6 years ago, Rabbi Kanievsky welcomed to his home Rabbi Yoel Kahn, the preeminent Chassidus scholar and transcriber of the Rebbe’s teachings. It was another indicator of the warm relations between Chassidic and Litvish communities.
At the Farbrengen later in the Tuesday evening, Rabbi Lazar spoke alongside Bnei Brak Rabbi Moshe Landa and other rabbonim and mashpiim. A guest speaker via video was Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin.
VIDEO:
THIS IS DEFINITELY THE TIMES OF MOSHICH WHEN LITVISH AND LUBAVITCH SIT TOGETHER WHICH SUCH AHAVAS YIROEL