Rabbi Dr. Bernard Revel (pictured about on the left), the visionary Rosh Yeshiva of RIETS and President of Yeshiva College, expressed his view that Bible criticism was a threat to Jews and Judaism, in a letter to Yeshiva College trustee Bernard London in 1929, who was funding a chair in Bible:

“This higher criticism, which threatens the very foundations of Jewish spiritual and religious life, cannot be ignored. We must meet the attacks of these enemies of the Bible, within or outside of our ranks, on their own ground, with their own weapons. We must meet with constructive criticism the destructive Bible-criticism of those misguided – for I will not say malicious – critics.”

Revel explained the importance of appointing a rabbinic authority with academic scholarly credentials to tackle the problem:

“Torah-Jewry, of which the Yeshiva is the lighthouse in this land, can no longer permit this misrepresentation of what is our very life, our exalted contribution to mankind. Several Jewish scholars have recently taken up the war for God and his Torah. Foremost among them is Dr. Chaim Heller (pictured above on the right) Biblical and Rabbinic scholar of the first rank, whose researches in the field of ancient Biblical Versions, have proved the worthlessness of some of the fantastic theories of these Bible critics, meeting them as an equal, with a complete critical apparatus, and with love and zeal for God. It is manifest how valuable such a scholar and influence are to the home of learning, the Yeshiva, from which our spiritual leaders, who are to spread the knowledge of the Bible and be prepared to answer questions and criticisms in regard to it. There are, at the Yeshiva, students already equipped, with knowledge of the Bible and ancient languages, to do constructive scholarly work with Professor Heller."

Fifteen years later, in 1944, the issue of how Orthodox Jews deal with Bible criticism remained an important topic. The Mizrachi Organization of America rose to the challenge and announced a series of five lectures by Reb Chaim Heller, “the greatest Biblical and Talmudical authority in generations,” “the well-known world Gaon, greatest fighter against Bible criticism,” known as “The Professor Einstein of Bible and Talmud.” The lectures would deal with the Bible in light of: Talmudic and Midrashic literature, ancient translations, and medieval lexicographers, grammarians, and exegetes. Rabbi Dr. Joseph Soloveitchik would be the moderator. Rabbi Heller was the founder of the Bet Midrash Elyon in Berlin, where Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik studied in the 1920s. Their friendship lasted through time and space: from Berlin in the 1920s to New York in the 1940s and beyond. (Rav Soloveitchik's middle name was incorrectly spelled "David," rather than Dov / Ber in the ad in Hadoar, presumably a typesetter's error.)

The lecture series was advertised in Hadoar, the Histadruth Ivrith Hebrew weekly. As reported in Hadoar, the audience at the lectures included people from the rabbinic and intellectual circles of New York Jewry, from bearded rabbis with peyos to writers for the left-wing newspapers, academics, researchers, poets, laymen, and many young people.  Several of the lectures were summarized in subsequent issues of Hadoar. Rabbi Heller, somewhat jokingly, provided a contemporary example to explain his critique of Bible critics’ conclusion that there were different Biblical texts. The critics based their evidence on the variations in Bible translations, which indicated to them that the translators were working from texts that were not identical. Rabbi Heller thought this did not prove anything, since it is normal for translators to interpret words differently. In order to emphasize his point to a general audience, he said that he is against the current “style of the day,” the use of textbooks with selections of the Bible for students (rather than the complete text), since -- who knows – one day in the future “researchers” will come to the conclusion that the people who wrote these condensed Bibles had different versions of the Bible in front of them.

The lectures took place in 1944, in the midst of the Second World War. Hadoar placed a notice that fourth lecture, scheduled for Tuesday, March 21, would be postponed to Wednesday, March 22, so people could attend the rally in Madison Square Garden. The Yeshiva University student newspaper, the Commentator explained the importance of the event: “A mass ‘rally for Palestine’ is scheduled for Tuesday evening, March 21, at Madison Square Garden. This anti-White Paper rally is sponsored by the American Zionist Emergency Council. Every Yeshiva student should make it his business to be there.” Commentator – Thursday March 15, 1944.

Hadoar reported that over a thousand people attended each lecture in the Pennsylvania Hotel; people had to be turned away because there wasn’t enough room -- even though the event was repeatedly moved to larger auditoriums.

Those that who were turned away might have had future opportunities to study with Reb Heller. He taught in the summer program of the Bernard Revel graduate school in the 1950s. The course was entitled: Seminar on Research Problems in Rabbinics and Biblical Exegesis and was described as “The fundamental principles of research in Rabbinics and Biblical Exegesis are studied through the examination of selected problems in these fields.” His listing in the catalog was simply:" Chaim Heller, Ph.D. – University of Wuertzberg. Visiting Professor. Bible and Rabbinics." Rav Soloveitchik taught in the graduate school as well; his listing is: "Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Ph.D. – University of Berlin, 1930. Professor. Jewish Philosophy and Codes." The Rabbi Isaac Elchanan website lists Rav Heller as a Rosh Yeshiva (head of the Yeshiva). He is in a photograph of the Semicha board in the 1950s, together with rabonim Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Samuel Belkin, Moshe Shatzkes, and Dovid Lifshitz. In his eulogy for Rav Heller, Rav Soloveitchik quoted how Dr. Samuel Belkin introduced Rav Chaim at a Chag HaSemikhah in the 1950s, “R. Chaim, is one of the remnants of the scribes of Israel (ve-al pletat sofrehem),” for whom we pray every day in the Shemonah Esreh.

Rav Heller’s teachings live on in his students and his books, primarily works studying Bible translations, such as the Samaritan Pentateuch, the Septuagint, and Saadyah Gaon’s Tafsir, and his editions of the Rambam’s (Maimonides) Sefer haMitsvot.

Rav Heller died at the age of 81 on Erev Pesach, 14 Nisan 5720 = April 11, 1960. Although the funeral was on the eve of Passover, and time was of the essence, Rav Soloveitchik attended the funeral. A month later, he delivered a formal eulogy on the shloshim of his friend, colleague, and partner in learning. In an odd twist of fate, Rav Soloveitchik’s funeral was on April 11, 1993, the eve of the last days of Passover. Both men merited to have thousands of people accompany them to their resting places, a particular honor since it was erev yontef (eve of the holiday) and the holiday was fast approaching.

Sources:

Hadoar - various issues, January 21, 1944 - May 1944

Letter from Bernard Revel to Bernard London, April 10, 1929. Yeshiva University Archives. Bernard Revel Papers, Box 8, Folder 5/3-28.

Rabbi Chaim Heller | kevarim.com

Soloveitchik, Joseph B. “A Eulogy for R. Hayyim Heller,” in Shiure HaRav, edited by Joseph Epstein. New York: Hamevaser, 1974, 7-17.

Soloveitchik, Joseph B. “Lidmuto shel Rabi Hayim Heller z”l,” Shanah be-shanah, edited by Aharon ha-Levi Pits'eniḳ. Jerusalem: Hekhal Shelomoh, 1970.

Yeshiva University Graduate School / Division Bulletin, 1949-1950, 1950-1952, 1951-1952, 1953-1954.

Posted by Shulamith Z. Berger

Curator of Special Collections