Chaim, you’re incorrect. Litvaks always had a connection with a Rebbe, we just have a different definition of what a Rebbe is.
Litvaks look at a Rebbe as the person who teaches you Torah – usually the person’s primary teacher is referred to as his Rebbe. Chassidim look at the Rebbe with the chassidish definition – referred to as “The Tzaddik” in the teaching of the Besht. A person may have never actually met the Rebbe in his life, but since he’s a part of the chassidus, he will still claim him as his Rebbe.
In my case, as people here may have noted, I learned in Darchei Torah, and look at R’ Bender shlita as my Rebbe. There is one other Rebbe in Darchei who I am very close with, and also look at as a primary Rebbe, but I can honestly say that I am the person I am today because of R’ Bender. I don’t believe that he was born without a yetzer hara, or that he needs to descend into the levels of tumah in order to elevate his students (the Besht taught those things about the Tzaddik).
