Yoel Kahn, also spelled Kahan, is a senior Chabad rabbi, who served as the leading Choizer and Meiniach for the late Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. He served in this role from the beginning of the Rebbe's leadership in 1950 until his passing in 1994. Today he continues to serve as the senior Mashpia in the central Lubavitcher yeshiva at 770 Eastern Parkway. He's position as leading Choizer and Meiniach makes him the default authority on the Rebbe's teachings specifically, and he is universally recognized as the greatest scholar of general Chabad Chassidic doctrine and thought. He is referred to familiarly amongst Chabad Chasidim as Reb Yoel. He is the son of Refoel Nachman (Folle) Kahn, author of Shemu'os VeSippurim. He has no children.
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He was born in the Soviet Union, on 16 Shevat, 5690 which corresponds to February 14, 1930. His father Refoel Nachman Kahn, studied in the original Yeshiva Tomchei Temimim, in the town of Lubavitch, White Russia and authored Shemu'os VeSippurim an authoritative and multi-volume compilation of historical accounts and anecdotes, culled from the traditions handed down by reliable Chassidim of earlier generations and his own experiences. At a young age he emigrated to the Land of Israel together with his family, and studied in Yeshiva "Achai Temimim" in Tel Aviv under the tutelage of the Mashpia Rabbi Chaim Shaul Brook. During his teen years he also studied privately with the famed Mashpia and scholar of Chassidic thought Rabbi Moshe Gourarie. He also knew and was influenced by Rabbi Nochum Goldshmidt and to a lesser degree Rabbi Shlomo Chaim Kesselman.
In 1950 Kahn traveled to New York in order to continue his studies at the central Yeshiva Tomchei Temimim at 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, New York. At the time 770 was also the home and synagogue of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn, the sixth Rebbe of Chabad, and Kahn expected to be able to meet the Rebbe who's teachings he had studied all his life. However, when he finally arrived in New York by sea it was too late, the man who was to became known as "the Previous Rebbe" had already died. Kahn remained in New York and soon became very attracted to the younger son-in-law of the Previous Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who eventually became the seventh Rebbe of Chabad. In letters home during this period, he often praised the Rebbe for a humility that he was convinced hid deep piety, sincerity and depth of feeling as well as encyclopedic knowledge and brilliant scholarly insight. Even before the future Rebbe accepted the position officially, Kahn began to transcribe and publish his talks;[1] these efforts enabled the wider community of Chassidim to get a better idea of the Rebbe's caliber and ultimately influenced the succession.
For decades Kahn served as the Rebbe's main choizer, repeater.[2] He would listen to the talks and then, after consultation with colleagues, repeat the talks to the Hasidim.
He also served as Meiniach (transcriber) of many of these talks. This involved preparing these talks and discourses to be submitted to Rabbi Schneerson for editing; the final version was then released for public study. In this way Kahn prepared the first nine volumes of Likkutei Sichos, Schneerson's most important work, and the entire Sefer HaMa'amorim Melukat, along with assistant writers.[3]
He was considered to be sympathetic to the messianic faction within Chabad and supported the declaration of Yechi before the passing of Rabbi Schneerson. In 1993 he was quoted in the press saying "Moses was the first redeemer and the Rebbe is the last."[4]
In recent years he has become a fierce critic of the more extreme forms of Chabad messianism, arguing that referring to Schneerson as alive or praying for his continued long life makes a mockery of him. However, Kahn does agree that Schneerson will return, as he believes like all orthodox Jews in the principle of the resurrection of the dead, one of Maimonides' Principles of Faith[5]. He also writes that Schneerson will definitely ("vadai")be the messiah [6].