The rabbi of the town, Rabbi Hirsch Braude, got to know and appreciate twelve year old Lipkin, and immediately suspected the high spirit which dwelt in him. This acquaintance had the effect that Lipkin from then on was the favorite pupil of Rabbi Hirsch. He was sometimes called “Rabbi Hirschel Tosafos” called “because he was a great championship in the interpretation and explanation of the so-called “Tosafos” or “Extras” is the name of a Talmudic commentary, to which the comment of Rabbi Solomon ben Isaac (Rashi) is linked. These additions have been compiled from a number of very learned men who have become known as the “Baalei Tosafos”.

   So this great Talmudic master instructed Lipkin night and day, and it was not long before he had taken up the contents of the extensive Talmud literature so in himself that this called his big teacher him once jokingly called him “Little Alfassi”  – (Rabbi Isaac ben Jacob Alfasi from Fes is the author of an “exodus” from the Talmud, is the most under the name of the author briefly Alfasi  or shortened called Rif.  Lipkin was also significantly influenced by another truly great man in Salant – Rabbi Joseph Sundel – by profession a businessman, but nevertheless, a great scholar and ascetic in the true sense of the word. He was fortunate to sit at the feet of the very famous Rabbi Chaim in Volozhin  (Russia) and the illustrious Rabbi Akiba Eger in Posan .- (Reb Chaim Volozhin is the author of a highly regarded ethical writing “Nefesh Hachajim “(Soul of Life), Rabbi Akiva Eger has through his astute responsa  gained a reputation).

   After he had now rejected the Director post in Vilna, he moved to Kaunas (Kovno). Here it should be even more aware of how much had taken the awakened mind of enlightenment, “Haskallah”, had threatended to undermind the spirits and the old traditional Judaism of the fathers and this was very distressing for Rabbi Lipkin.  His perception led him to ponder a remedy, so that the “old faith would be saved.” He knew no better means against this tide of bringing in the proposal as the erection of a Beis Midresh or room, dedicated to what would be entertained as Chochmos Mussar or the “ethics of Judaism” and maintained.

   This house should stand for time for everyone, alike the age and the conditions, openly, first however thought the pious founder of such people, those by its worldly occupation or by providing for woman and child taken off from the high one and holy one too much, neither nor must find to quite actually think about their true regulation as Jews on this earth.  Thus, should  and could every man of the house of Jacob, whose chest was still “excited holy feelings” come in this house and draw from there in readiness “building books,” the necessary instruction to the “self”, which was the main condition of all virtue, and improvement is.

   Here, however, the visitors also had many opportunities, from the mouth of the words of the founder himself, he began to hear and collect, what words might have influenced and have a much more lasting effect on the audience due to the high enthusiasm and stirring eloquence of the master, as all reading in books and writings. This house was almost a lecture hall of the “stoic”, which was preached to the fragility and transience of all earthly things. However, this arrangement had provoked the opposition of some highly significant contemporaries, who had feared in this institution is affected then in full bloom standing Talmudic studies; other hand, we entertained the fear that it might over time develop through this movement a new “sect”.

   When it came to the election of a rabbi in Kovno in 5624  Rabbi Lipkin nevertheless failed to apply for this office. Rather, his friend, Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor was appointed as rabbi of Kovno. Rabbi Lipkin himself could, in principle, never decide to adopt such a public office. He had once been the town of Suwalki in Poland to an employment contract to take over the rabbinate had been submitted to him, he still refused at the last hour.

     Once it was in the house of Dr. Sternheim, Rabbi Lipkin slipped on the staircase and fell to the first floor.  He was almost completely unharmed, except for a slight contusion of the one hand he hand come down on. The other time it was in the synagogue of that newly established community itself Rabbi Lipkin was one day in an adjoining room, and  a crazed Jewish craftsmen from the neighborhood had imperceptibly crept into the synagogue, and attached him, “Why not create your announcement of the Moshiach?” cried the madman loud.  Rabbi Lipkin, who was absorbed in thought, had not seen this man initially. When the intruder, however, repeated his question again, and louder, then Rabbi Lipkin saw this unknown man in front of him in more detail. This, made the man even more excited and he began then to cry loudly: “What? You look at me?” I propose now dead, if you would not have the Moshiach immediately procured. I’ll get a piece of wood, so I’ll split your head in half!”  While the madman ran from the room, Rabbi Lipkin pushed the bolt of the door quickly behind him, and so escaped the danger of death.

   Touching and modest were his demands on life. His watchword was deprivation and renunciation!  For his selfless efforts and exhausting for the spiritual and physical uplift of the whole of his people, he had only claimed as much as indispensable to its maintenance was least bit. In the last years of his life, a worthy and grateful pupil Lipkin, Rabbi Elias Lewinsohn Krottingen from Russian at Memel, the care of his great teacher and master had taken over, and when combined with some other friends to him the means to his livelihood and other needs readily available, without anyone else knew about them.  From his income, or rather “pocket money” as necessary, said the gifts to needy people of all kinds, especially of his protégés, the poor students of the Talmud. To favor the latter he has often invoked enough influence through speech and writing. If any had important matter, the father would turn to Lipkin.  A letter of recommendation from his hand opened the door and gate of the homes of the noblest and best in Israel.

   Kindness and affability were the basic traits of his character. But he was very careful with his recommendations, and sometimes unrelenting, if he had the slightest concern that such a personal letter could serve him as the promotion of such purposes, would his real sentiments and principles are not followed.

   Admirably, however, was his self-denial and self-control. Here he showed himself in all his greatness. Like no other he had his own “self researched” that he himself was in the crowd surging passions of the text and did not lose consciousness. Touching was the sincerity and honesty of his convictions. He was like the embodiment of truth itself, in the introduction to the above concept in “Tevunah” lay at the end of this introduction from the following confession: “In I’m obviously ahead (not to be taken for such a one who steals the “thoughts of the people”) that my posts (because of my limited knowledge) will, with the help of others, come into the publicity, God willing! “

   In fact, Rabbi Lipkin’s teaching was more through the living word, than in his writings. Countless speeches he delivered. Not sermons were his lectures, but only “talks” in the true sense of the word. Often he was knon to stir his audience to tears, through tears that he cried himself. This, his speeches, were in the dialect of the “Judeo-German ‘jargon, interwoven and permeated by the words of the sages of the Talmud and Midrash, supported by the highest wisdom and deepest beliefs, coupled with the results modern research in art and science. In almost any question the saying of Solomon ” If you do the same search as the treasures of silver and track her down, then you will understand the fear of God and the knowledge of God found ‘, or the prophets saying “Bring us back, O Lord, to thee, and we want to repent of our transformation.” This phrase he often repeated so often until he began to weep loudly. 

  Usually have his speeches as “Winged words” mouth to mouth they were propagated. Many speakers and writers of his homeland during his lifetime have already used some beautiful words from his mouth as the yield. But that’s what got us in this way, nothing more than patchwork. His speeches were not tied to specific days and hours. He said where and when he found it necessary to often probably unprepared and off the cuff, because he never lacked substance because he is one always bubbling “water source” was like, whose water never ended. 

   Although he stood in matters of faith in the unshakable ground of supernaturalism, it was nevertheless in his speeches even more than in his footsteps that he was a thinking theologian. So he said in a speech, for example, the dogma of “reward and punishment” in the afterlife succinctly by saying: “There will be after the life of this world, a condition in which it will be good or bad!” – Such a sober and thoughtful explanation (definition) of beliefs must be, so one would think, even the “free-thinkers and skeptics,” to wring applause and encourage them in the belief in a “survival of the soul in death.”

  In general, Rabbi Lipkin put great weight on the Talmudic principle: “The danger is more severe than the prohibition!”

  During his last visit to Memel people employed him, among other things, the resolution of a question concerning the purity laws for women,”Shilos Nashim” whose solution required in this particular case, some anatomical knowledge, or rather gynecology. After he was unable to agree with some of Memel physicians on this account,  the old Lipkin traveled a few miles away from the Russian border town of Memel Gar’s to confer with the local dentist Judah Aronsohn on this question because he believed he could communicate better with this, since Aronsohn a former yeshiva student have been.

  The same Lipkin showed prudence in relation to the usual customs and everyday life.  During his stay in Memel, it happened once that Rabbi Lipkin had the annual mounring prayer (Kaddish) for the memory of his late father, happened to be the same day on which another member of the community had a memorial for a deceased daughter, no children left behind. Rabbi Lipkin had noticed the grieving man and understood his desire. He immediately nodded kindly to him, saying: “You say the Kaddish” – After the Kaddish they argued and Rabbi Lipkin said smiling, “Well, I met with my father’s Kaddish  by Gemilus Chessed (works of charity ) for the Neshama (soul) of my father (This episode has given me the person himself, Mr. Isaac, Isaac’s son, called Packer announced this orally, shortly before his death.)   Those who have ever seen an opportunity, in the services of the Polish or Russian Jews, will certainly have noticed how the quarrelling among mourners around the “Kaddish”  often has the weighty words of the rabbi, or even decide the fate. (Such appearances at services also occur in Germany sufficiently, especially in small communities.)

   You know, the Polish rabbis pray very slowly, at best, and longest, they delve into the “silent prayer” or the “Eighteen” (Shemone Esray), which the public worship, or rather the town often on usual duration is also stalled because of the prayer leader (chazen) usually will start with no more “loud repetition ‘(cahzoros haShatz) for daring to have ended up as the spiritual leader of his silent prayer. From such a popular consideration Rabbi Lipkin has only very rarely used. Only in the “Days of Penitence”, he would pause in the “silent prayer” somewhat longer than usual to keep, and this mostly in the first three main pieces of Prayer (Avos) to avoid any further “harassment of the community” if possible.

(You know, the Talmud forbids the playing of musical instruments (Kli Shir) to feasts and holidays from the concern of the players would like, if something in the tools became involved in disorder, a same immediately put back in order, ie on the instruments make, which, according to the rabbis within the definition of  “Sat” forbidden labor would fall. “)

   A great desire of his heart was, to make the Talmud the common property of his people. This was his heart’s desire, he at first believed by the publication of a Talmudic dictionary “in the colloquial language of his countrymen” was worth to attempt to achieve. With the development of such a dictionary, he had entrusted to some residents in Memel.  If this had ever come about, we do not know. In addition to the publication of this dictionary, he’d want to carry yet another plan for the mediation of the Talmud with the same knowledge and he discussed this often with his students at the end of his earthly career. He had in mind to commit to a whole extensive Talmudic commentary (perush) to help even a beginner, without the assistance of a qualified teacher, get a thorough understanding of the Talmud. Of course, the execution of such a plan could not have been the work of an individual. Rather, about a hundred of the most important rabbis and Talmud students in giant companies should collaborate and share so much in the work that each employee of free choice should work on a small part of the Talmud, about 30 leaves, for processing in Hebrew Language.  This plan even put into effect, he’s not come, however, brought a few years ago, Jewish newspapers, the news that they had been working in London with the formation of a club which had pursued the goal of those carrying out his plan.

   Educational resources of classical antiquity, such as Latin, Greek, etc., can only be fruitful for the overall education of the students. Really have Christian scholars of our time, made no such suggestion from the Jewish side, the beginning, drag the “Talmud” in the area of their teaching activity at universities, though it initially only the “Mishna”. We think “Mishna edits” of Professor Strack in Berlin, who has also written an “Introduction to the Talmud.”

“Then I have an answer!”

   While Rabbi Lipkin had his approval and is approved, of Talmud translations, in whatever language, it was clearly visible that he thought of “translations” is generally not very much, by making a faithful reproduction of the sense or the text by a translation is ever questioned. This possibility, he doubted, not only with the laconic held “Talmud”, but also in the “bible”.

  Regarding the teaching lessons of the Talmud, Rabbi Lipkin was a warm friend and representative of those teaching and learning style, whose very essence a “rivalry of ingenuity” and therefore under the name “pilpul” “pepper” known. This teaching speaks to Rabbi Lipkin and his preface to the said weekly especially the word: “One is it that pointed to by the moralists and they have refused to enter into the “congregation of Israel“, that is “pilpul “. But in my opinion, the case is reversed: The pilpul is a great and a strong basis for the search after truth, without it there can be little. “

Rabbi Lipkin high value placed on “regular” learning. With reference to this he once said the following words: “In the temple, a sacrifice was offered every day, morning and evening sacrifice. However, in the Scripture, that sacrifice is called the “continual sacrifice” not because it was burning day and night on the place of sacrifice, but because it became a daily basis that is “regularly offered.” Thus, even one who deserves to be called “diligent”, is  only “regularly” engaged in the sacred doctrine.”  I meant that Rabbi Lipkin with this ingenious interpretation of the written word, young and old, it is easy to assume he would not order the admonition of Scripture: “Deal with the holy teachings day and night,” accept it and share power, since he himself was the brightest lines in it.

A new feature in this work is an epistle “Iggeres Hamussar” Mussar Letter or above the high value of the “self” and the consequent obligation to deal with the Study of morality (Mussar). This epistle, also of Rabbi Lipkin, was first printed as an appendix to the Hebrew Scriptures: Tomar Devorah. The conclusion provides an incisive discussion (pilpul) on a topic from the Talmud to handwritten notes of his grandfather. This addition has been included because, as he laments, of the so many such speeches his grandfather had not even one hand is found. Another treatise from the pen of Lipkin, who is also a bonus printed under the said epistle is written: Pri Eitz “Fruitful Tree” (Vilnius, 1881). This paper Lipkin has written on the evening of his life in Memel. In addition to this is mentioned in Scripture is as comprehensive treatise from the pen of his great contemporary and friend, Rabbi Isaac Elchonon Spektor in Kaunas. This script was designed to contemporary Jews to “care for poor yeshiva students” cheer. It is noteworthy that the aforementioned “Epistle” of Lipkin was printed into most popular books of devotion. So we find this letter in the devotional booklet “Four Open Letter” again, which contains three similar epistles from other great men of Judaism (Vilnius, 1882). Just as an appendix in later editions of the delightful little book “Messilas Yeshorim “The Path of the Righteous” by Luzatto.

  This would, however, be everything know that was made by this great man as a writer. Yet even shines sufficiently clear from these few things is the spirit Lipkin, and even this small amount is sufficient to secure his name in immortality. If we consider the manifold and comprehensive efforts of this man, it is clear that the completion and implementation of the same is not the work of an individual.  If he has this great and magnificent work of his life and effort did not even put into execution and completion, he has but by what he thought and done, shows what remains to do the good and great still left to posterity, and the drawn off and paved, which leads to this lofty goal. The picture of this man’s life is now unrolled, however, it shows how much, not even at the end of his life had he become tired, as he would approach his life’s work of the greatest possible perfection.