Editing Yitzchak Hutner (section)

=== Methodology ===
Hutner's methodology and style was complex, controversial, and difficult to pigeonhole. While placing great emphasis on intellectually penetrating Talmudic study and analysis, emotionally he veered towards the Hasidic-style, and more-so than his Lithuanian-style colleagues reared as [[Misnagdim]] could tolerate. Ultimately though, he saw himself more as a traditional [[Lithuanian Jews|Litvish]] rosh yeshiva.<ref name="5TJT">Gordon, Yochanan (March 19, 2019) [http://www.5tjt.com/rabbi-hutner-and-the-rebbe/ "Rabbi Hutner And The Rebbe"], ''Five Towns Jewish Times''. Accessed July 31, 2022.</ref> 

The core of Hutner's synthesis of different schools of Jewish thought was rooted in his studies of the teachings of [[Judah Loew ben Bezalel]] (1525–1609) a scholar and mystic known as the ''Maharal of [[Prague]]''. Various pillars of Hutner's thought system were likely the works of the [[Vilna Gaon]] and [[Moshe Chaim Luzzatto]]. He would only allude in the most general ways to other great ''mekubalim'' (mystics) such as the [[Baal Shem Tov]], the ''[[Isaac Luria|Ari]]'', [[Shneur Zalman of Liadi]], [[Mordechai Yosef Leiner]] of Izbitz and many other great Hasidic masters, as he did with the works of [[Kabbalah]] such as the [[Zohar]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hyperleap.com/topic/Yitzchok_Hutner|title=Yitzchok Hutner}}{{Dead link|date=November 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Hutner initiated a number of changes in Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin that differed greatly from the ''[[Mussar movement|mussar]]'' (ethics) yeshiva practice in Slabodka. He abolished the half-hour learning session in ''mussar'' and replaced it with one of ten or fifteen minutes.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}

Hutner viewed secular studies as essential for attending college, learning a profession and becoming self-supporting. He obtained, together with Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz, a charter from the [[University of the State of New York|New York State Board of Regents]] to set up a combined yeshiva and college. However, this plan was dropped at the insistence of [[Aharon Kotler]].{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

Hutner developed a style of celebrating [[Shabbat]] and the [[Jewish holiday]]s by delivering a type of discourse known as a ''ma'amar''. It was a combination of Talmudic discourse, [[Hasidic Judaism|Hasidic]] celebration (''[[Tish (Hasidic celebration)|tish]]''), philosophic lecture, group singing, and when possible, like on [[Purim]], a ten-piece band was brought in as accompaniment. Many times there was singing and dancing all night. All of this, together with the respect to his authority that he demanded, induced in his students an obedience and something of a "heightened consciousness" that passed into their lives transforming them into literal Hasidim of their rosh yeshiva, who in turn encouraged this by eventually personally donning Hasidic garb (''levush'') and behaving like something of a synthesis between a rosh yeshiva and a [[rebbe]]. He also instructed some of his students to do likewise.<ref name="Religious"/>