Never About Him

IF I thought writing a biography on Rav Nota Greenblatt would entail interviewing a few primary sources, I was wrong. Because Rav Nota was probably the least localized human being on earth, traveling wherever he was needed, often on a moment’s notice, crisscrossing the US on trains, planes and buses in order to help individuals and entire Jewish communities. It sounds cliché, but his story changed my life. With the imminent release of Rav Nota, maybe it will change yours, too

Full disclosure. I’m very much not the “my rebbi changed my life” kinda guy. That’s not necessarily a good thing, and I’m certain my wonderful rebbeim tried their best. But despite the sincerest inspiration, changing your life isn’t easy, and I never quite managed to hit the jackpot.

Until August of 2022.

It was then that I got a call asking if I‘d take on the job of writing a biography on Rav Nota Greenblatt, just a few months after his petirah at age 96. I accepted and worked diligently for a year and a half.

And it changed my life.

To be sure, I was already somewhat familiar with Rav Nota Greenblatt. In honor of his shloshim, Mishpacha featured an article on him titled “The Humblest Mountain” (Issue 912), which I had the privilege of writing. I was aware that Rav Nota, who was born in 1925, was a great talmid chacham and an exceptionally close talmid of Rav Moshe Feinstein. I knew that he spent several years in Eretz Yisrael where he developed relationships with the Brisker Rav, Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer, Chevron Rosh Yeshivah Rav Aharon Cohen, and many other Torah giants of that era.