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Ephraim Eliezer Kohen is addressed in the correspondence as a distinguished rabbinic figure, recognized for his scholarship and communal leadership. The letters from the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, refer to him with honorific titles and acknowledge his role as a dayan (rabbinic judge) and later as Rosh Av Beit Din (chief of the rabbinical court).
The Lubavitcher Rebbe's letters to Ephraim Eliezer Kohen reflect deep respect and personal warmth. In a letter dated 2 Adar Rishon, 5711 (1951), the Rebbe expresses pleasure at receiving Rabbi Kohen's letter and commends him for his unwavering attention to the welfare of another chasid, Reb Sholom, a shochet. The Rebbe draws a lesson from the laws concerning kohanim, emphasizing the importance of not diverting one's focus from helping others, and connects this to the broader spiritual role of kohanim in blessing the Jewish people. The Rebbe concludes with a blessing that any delay in the matter should be for the good, and notes the merit of praying for others, citing the teaching that one who prays for another is answered first.
In a subsequent letter dated 12 Adar Sheni, 5711 (1951), the Rebbe congratulates Rabbi Kohen on his appointment as Rosh Av Beit Din, a position of significant rabbinic authority. The Rebbe offers blessings for success in this new role, encouraging him to imbue the beit din with both strength and compassion, and to serve as a source of mutual delight and happiness for himself and those under his guidance. The Rebbe references teachings from Likkutei Torah and other classic sources, weaving together halachic and chassidic insights. Due to the busy preparations for Purim, the Rebbe notes he cannot respond at greater length, but encloses a Purim booklet and a letter from his father-in-law, the Previous Rebbe, as a gesture of esteem and encouragement.
The correspondence is characterized by a tone of encouragement, scholarly engagement, and spiritual guidance. The Rebbe addresses Ephraim Eliezer Kohen as a peer in Torah leadership, offering both practical blessings for success in communal service and deeper chassidic insights into the meaning of his rabbinic roles. The letters highlight the values of steadfastness in helping others, the spiritual responsibilities of kohanim, and the importance of compassionate leadership within the Jewish community.