That desire to “do for the Jewish People,” was nurtured in the Wein home
He spoke without rhetorical flourish, in the gruff, instantly recognizable Chicago accent of his youth, just as if he were speaking to you across his dining room table. That was part of his ability to connect to so many listeners, even in large forums. And no matter what the Torah subject, much of the impact lay in his observations, asides, stories, and mussar — again, just as one would spice the conversation with a breakfast guest. One young man wrote to the Destiny Foundation upon Rabbi Wein’s passing, identifying a series of comments that had proven life-changing for him.
He enjoyed enlightening his audiences that not everything that is de rigueur today was ever thus. When he was sitting shivah for his beloved rebbetzin, he mentioned offhandedly how he had sat next to the Novominsker Rebbetzin in the only religious elementary school in Chicago in those days.
On a more serious note, he once told me that the Torah world has undergone many changes in order to preserve its core values. Both chassidus and mussar, for instance, can be seen as mutations, in his words, in response to deep-seated communal needs. And as such, both had done much to preserve the vibrancy of Torah life.
Create a free account to keep reading.
