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Rabbanit Henkin speaking with Rabbi Dr. Josh Joseph at the World Mizrachi Siyum HaShas celebration, January 2020.

that Eitam, as the scion of an illustrious rabbinic dynasty, while supporting Eitam’s learning. Modesty, humility, and
felt a deep connection to the Aruch HaShulchan. integrity were central to both. Naama told us that young
women graphic artists starting out were asking her how to
Rav Eitam grew up in institutions that were closely iden- set up a business. She said, “I know they’re going to be my
tified with Rav Kook’s philosophy. Eitam’s scholarship was competitors, but I still help them.”
focused on Rav Kook’s halachic works. He was terribly upset
by the Charedi defamation of Rav Kook. In the chapter titled They shared all the burdens of the home. They did every-
“The Haredi/National-Religious Dichotomy”, he discusses thing together – they brought the kids to school together
how family members excised Rav Kook from the biographies and took walks together. They were inseparable.
of their rabbinic forbears – some of whom were part of Rav
Kook’s closest circle. It outraged our son that Rav Kook was Rav Eitam’s life was tragically cut short, but by age
being cavalierly written out of the lives of some of his closest 31 he had already achieved so much. What words
disciples by their descendants. of encouragement and inspiration do you think he
His connection to Rav Henkin, his illustrious great-grandfa- would share with young men and women who are
ther, was something he imbibed from day one. Many years aspiring to grow in their Torah learning and make
ago, my husband left Columbia University graduate school their own contribution to Klal Yisrael?
to learn with his zeide, Rav Yosef Eliyahu Henkin, every I can’t speak for him, but there is a line we found in his diary
morning and afternoon for five years. If you open my hus- which captures so much. He wrote, “I hope that I can make the
band’s teshuvot, he refers to his grandfather on almost every ikar ikar and the tafel tafel,” meaning “I hope that I can make
page. What he received from his grandfather he passed on the important things important and the unimportant things
to Eitam, so Eitam’s whole world from his earliest days was unimportant.” I think that answers the question of how they
shaped by his great-grandfather’s legacy.
both accomplished so much. They had innate gifts, but that’s
not enough. The ability to distinguish between what’s really
Can you talk a little about the remarkable relation- important and what is not enables you to set priorities and
ship Eitam had with Naama? reach goals, and also to ignore what’s trivial or petty.
They met in their teens, on a religious Hebrew internet They lived in a yishuv called Neria, and their tiny front yard
forum, where they were both prolific contributors. They was an artificial grass lawn. Remembering the fragrance of
wrote under nicknames; Naama’s name was mitkarevet, while a recently-mowed lawn from my childhood, I said to Eitam,
he used the acronym of toch kedei dibbur (ד“כת). I don’t know “Don’t you want real grass?” He said, “I don’t have time to
whether Naama initially knew she was talking to a male! mow the lawn.” Now I am so thankful that he didn’t mow
They ultimately met in person, and eventually decided they the lawn, that he sat and learned and wrote. Being organized,
would marry after Eitam finished the army. setting your priorities, and living with humility, integrity and
devotion to Torah, is what I think Eitam can teach us all. n
The two were not just brilliant and multi-talented, but
also had very similar middot. Naama carried much of the Thank you to Rabbanit Chana Henkin for providing the photos for
financial burden of the household with her design business, this article.

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