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<font size=3>R. Baruch HaLevi Epstein, the author of the Torah Temimah,
also wrote Mekor Baruch. In this book he recalled many events of the
past. Part of Mekor Baruch was translated and published under the title
My Uncle the Netziv. This book caused considerable controversy shortly
after it appeared. <br><br>
The book Recollections is a translation of another part of Mekor Baruch.
On page 156 he writes<br><br>
"The remark was characteristic of the Noda BeYehudah, who never
passed up an opportunity to express his objection to chassidim and
<i>chassidus. </i>The following story is related by his student, the Gaon
Rav Eliezer Palklash, the Chief Rabbi of Prague, in his work <i>She'los
U'Teshuvos Teshuvah MeAhavah, </i>vol. 1, no.1:<br><br>
It once happened that a person came to recite a<br>
blessing over the <i>esrog </i>of the Noda Be Yehudah, and he<br>
began to recite the prayer <i>Y'hi Ratzon </i>printed in the<br>
<i>machzorim </i>and in the work <i>Likutei Tzvi, </i>which is based<br>
on various chassidic concepts of different combinations<br>
of the letters of God's Name and other ideas. When the<br>
Noda BeYehudah heard this, he was outraged and said<br>
angrily, "I refuse to give my <i>esrog </i>to one who recites
the<br>
<i>Y'hi Ratzon," </i>and he did not give him the <i>esrog.<br><br>
</i>It appears to me, however, that the Noda BeYehudah was not just
reacting in anger to the kabbalistic nature of this prayer and its
allusions, but, rather, there was an instructive purpose in his action;
he was trying to teach a special lesson fundamental to Jewish
law."<br><br>
I have posted the rest of what the Torah Temimah wrote about this subject
as well as an incident involving the Baal Shem Tov and the Noda BeYehudah
at
<a href="http://www.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/rsrh/noda_beyehudah.pdf" eudora="autourl">
http://www.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/rsrh/noda_beyehudah.pdf</a> <br>
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Yitzchok Levine</font></body>
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