Letter handwritten and signed by Rabbi Shmuel HaLevi Wosner, to bolster a family who removed the television from their home. Bnei Brak, 2009. Specifications: [1] leaf, official paper, handwritten and signed by Rabbi Wosner. 15×15 cm. Includes the envelope sent by Rabbi Wosner to the above-mentioned family, bearing his handwriting and a postmarked the 11th of Tevet 5769 [07.01.2009], the day of the letter was mailed. Letter Contents: [After his greetings], I wish to strengthen you for removing ‘the great harm,’ television, from your home. May blessing rest upon your heads, and may you be rewarded with all goodness. May you merit doing the will of our Heavenly Father in all your ways…” Background: Rabbi Shmuel HaLevi Wosner, author of Shevet HaLevi ‘s battle against television is well known. Before us is an expression of his joy that yet another family in Israel has disengaged from ‘the great harm’ – television. Condition: Very fine condition
Collection of letters from rabbis of the Eidah HaChareidit, including: an original letter in [2] copies from the Admor of Dushinsky, Rabbi Yisrael Moshe Dushinsky, Av Beit Din of Jerusalem; and a letter by Rabbi Meir Brandsdorfer.
* [2] identical letters from the Admor Rabbi Yisrael Moshe Dushinsky, for the benefit of his student suffering economic distress due to unusual medical expenses. Printed letter with his handwritten signature. Jerusalem, Cheshvan, 5750 [1989]. * Letter by Rabbi Meir Brandsdorfer, member of the Badatz HaEidah HaChareidit, handwritten on official stationery, signed and stamped. Jerusalem, “The sixth day of the Torah portion ‘He Who brings you out from under the suffering of Egypt,’ 29th of Tevet, 5767 [2007].” Letter of intriguing content, including words of encouragement to a Holocaust survivor. Condition: Very fine condition.
Six letters on the subject of the spiritual arrangements for the survivors in Germany, some on official letterheads of the various aid committees. 1948-1952.
* Letter signed by Rabbi Yitzchak Mordechai Schwartz on the official stationery of ‘Survivors under the Leadership of R’ Yekutiel Yehudah Halberstam Shlit”a …’ in Fernwald, Shevat 1947. Sent to the Admor of Stropkov, Rabbi Yechezkel Shraga Lipshitz Halberstam. Among other matters, Rabbi Schwartz discusses the letters that had arrived from the Admor of Klausenberg and about the shipment sent to them in Fernwald.
* Interesting letter on the subject of the struggles over the distribution of funds between the chareidim and the free among the survivors, handwritten and signed by Rabbi Moshe Schuster, written in Fernwald 1948. In the letter, Rabbi Schuster tells about the struggles between the chareidim and the free on the subject of the distribution of the monies collected for the ill among the survivors. At first, the funds were joint, but there was ‘slight favor’ shown to the G-d-fearing by the committee responsible – the committee saw it a something of a compensation to their dedicated organization for raising the funds. The free clearly opposed this: ‘And this was seen by the leadership of the free … as thorns in their eyes – why should the chareidim and G-d-fearing benefit more than they, so they employed the characteristic of Sodom: Neither I nor you will have. In the letter, the rabbi tells that the free published in the press that they are not interested in receiving any support: ‘ Neither I nor you will have’ and explains that ‘this hurt us a lot – the Sitra Achra and the criminals preventing the Jewish people from giving charity.’ In response, the committee arranged charity boxes designated for the chareidi public only. In the margins, R’ Shuster details the list of rabbis who benefit from the new fund founded for chareidim in Fernwald.
* Letter from Vaad Agudat HaRabbanim in the American Zone of Munich on official Vaad stationery, addressed to the Admor of Stropkov. In the letter, the committee members express astonishment at the huge sums the Admor sought for the salaries of the supervisors there and they claim that if the Joint hears all the amounts requested they will certainly not authorize them.
* Letter signed by Rabbi Elchanan Parson from the Religious Office in Munich, 10 Iyar 1948, in which he thanks the Admor of Stropkov for saving the Vaad from leading the public astray by buying tzitzit made not according to halachah (apparently by machine).
* Letter on postcard handwritten and signed by Rabbi Avraham David Horowitz while on vacation in Switzerland.
* Letter from the Bada”tz in Pest from Tammuz 1952 signed by Amram HaLevi Jungreis about a woman living there and settling matters with her husband.
Overall fine condition.
Halachic Responsum Handwritten and Signed by the Chazon Ish 1951
[1] postcard, 10×15 cm.
Rabbi Kalman Kahane, a close associate of the Chazon Ish’s, was in the United States. A young couple turned to him there; the wife was halachically unable to bear children. Rabbi Kalman Kahane sent their inquiry to the Chazon Ish in Bnei Brak, and pointed out that there is no one in the United States who can be asked such a fundamental question, and he requested that the Chazon Ish write his answer and send it to the US. From the responsum, the Chazon Ish’s tremendous knowledge of medical matters is evident.
Rabbi Avraham Yeshayahu Karelitz [1879-1953] known by the name of his book, Chazon Ish , was a gaon and righteous person, expert in all secrets of the Torah. He was an example for all generations as one who ‘toils in Torah.’ He was among the leaders of the chareidi community in the Land of Israel, among those who charted its path after the establishment of the state, reconstructing the Torah world after the Holocaust.
Very fine condition.
Letter from Rabbi Shmuel Salant to Rabbi Shimon Menashe [Chaikin] after he visited Hebron and saw a functioning Talmud Torah there. He wrote something of a recommendation, and countered those who deny the existence of the Talmud Torah in the city. Jerusalem, 1899.
Specifications: [1] leaf, 19×14 cm, with his handwritten signature and stamp.
Background: A Talmud Torah was established in Hebron with the efforts of Rabbi Shimon Menashe Chaikin, Av Beit Din of Hebron, one of the great disciples of the “Mittler Rebbe” of Lubavitch. Tales from the era tell of financial friction between this Talmud Torah and Torah institutions in Jerusalem, regarding monies sent from the diaspora. In the letter before us, Rabbi Shmuel Salant wrote to Rabbi Shimon Menashe Chaikin that he had just been in Hebron, and per his request, he had visited the Talmud Torah and he saw four teachers learning with students in four rooms. He blesses them with success in their studies, and continues at length against those who deny this clear reality and spread rumors as if there is no Talmud Torah in Hebron “in their desire to make light darkness and darkness light,” and he expresses his support for those who work faithfully.
Regarding this episode, refer to Shloshah Olamot by Rabbi Chaim Hamburg, second part, Chapter 15.
Fine condition. Stains and fold marks.
Letter of support for Rabbi Yaakov Meir upon his appointment as Rishon LeTziyon, signed by the Eidah HaSepharadit in Jerusalem. Poster of historic significance. [Jerusalem, 1907?]
[2] large paper leaf. 20×47 cm. Scribal script, and with signatures of about 100 people.
Special poster sent to Constantinople, with support for the appointment of Rabbi Yaakov Meir as Rishon LeTziyon, including about 100 (!) signatures of prominent members of the Sephardic community in Jerusalem.
After Rabbi Yaakov Shaul Elyashar’s passing, Rabbi Yaakov Meir [1856-1939] was appointed chief Sephrdic rabbi of Jerusalem, the ‘Rishon LeTziyon.’ This appointment aroused opposition from some groups in the city, who accused him of a tendency to Zionism. The opponents sent letters to the Chacham Bashi in Constantinople, with the purpose of preventing his apporoval of the appointment. Rabbi Meir preferred to prevent the dispute, and resigned of his own accord. He left Jerusalem for some time and served as rabbi of Salonika. With the establishment of the chief rabbinate of Israel in 1921, he was chosen as chief Sephardic rabbi.
Fine condition. Fold marks. Tiny tears on the fold marks.
Torah novellae handwritten by the rosh yeshiva of Knesset Yisrael in Slobodka, Rabbi Itzele of Ponovezh.
Novellae on the topics of divorce and marriage.
The gaon Rabbi Yitzchak Yaakov Rabinowitz, known as Rabbi Itzele of Ponovezh, was born in Lithuania in 1854. He studied under Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, author of Beit HaLevi , and was his son, Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik’s study-partner. He was rosh yeshiva of Knesset Yisrael in Slobodka, and due to differences of opinion regarding mussar study, he left [he was among those opposed to the mussar movement]. In 1895 he was appointed rabbi of Ponovezh, and he taught a “kibbutz’ of scholarly young men. During WWI, he wandered, and when he returned to Ponovezh, there was an outbreak of Typhus. While he devoted himself to treating patients, he caught the disease and passed away on 20 Adar 1919. He paved a special way in Torah novellae, using chilukim [‘divisions’] and Torah novellae from him were studied in all the yeshivas in Lithuania. A few of his novellae were printed in Zecher Yitzchak and some of his lectures were printed in Chiddushei HaRYY”R .
To the best of our knowledge, these Torah novellae were not printed.
[1] leaf written on both sides. 20×13.
Fold marks, fine condition.
[1] postcard. 14×9 cm. Entirely handwritten and signed by him.
Rabbi Akiva Sofer [1878-1959], known by the name of his book, Daat Sofer , was the son of Rabbi Simchah Bunim Sofer, who was rabbi of Pressburg and author of Shevet Sofer . He served as the last rabbi of Bratislava. He was appointed to succeed his father as chief rabbi of Pressburg [then in Hungary] when he was only 29 years old. He was chosen to serve as president of the Council of Orthodox Rabbis, an organization which oversaw more than 300 Orthodox communities across Hungary. During WWII, he fled to Switzerland and from there to the Land of Israel. He also served as a member of the Council of Torah Sages. Upon his immigration to Israel after WWII, he reestablished the Pressburg yeshiva in Jerusalem, and simultaneously served as president of Kollel Shomrei HaChomot and Batei Ungarin in Jerusalem.
Fine condition.
16 letters from the great Admors and rabbinical leaders in America.
Highlights: handwritten letter from the Admor of Helmetz, ztz”l; lengthy letter handwritten and signed by Rabbi Yosef Dov Klein, Av Beit Din of the Tab community, regarding assistance for the sister of one of the great Admors and the difficult material situation in America; letter handwritten and signed by Rabbi Yaakov Pinchas Gewirtz of Vesikin; letter handwritten and signed by Rabbi Gershon Tanenbaum; printed letter signed by Rabbi Yitzchak Yehudah Blum, Av Beit Din of Kahal Yereim; handwritten letter by the Admor Ben Tziyon Yehudah Leib Twersky and more.
Not thoroughly examined, overall very fine condition.
Collection of six lengthy and very interesting letters of encouragement from rabbinical leaders, against bringing a television into the home.
Specifications:
* Letter handwritten and signed by Rabbi Yitzchak Sheiner, rosh yeshivah of Kaminetz. [1] leaf, official stationery. 15×21 cm. Jerusalem 2010.
* Letter handwritten and signed by Rabbi Azriel Auerbach, Rabbi Elyashiv’s son-in-law. [1] leaf, postcard. 9×14 cm. Jerusalem, 2008.
* Letter handwritten and signed by Rabbi Yissachar Meir, rosh yeshivah of Yeshivat HaNegev. [1] leaf, letter paper. 12×17 cm.
* Letter handwritten and signed by Rabbi Moshe Tzadkah, Rosh Yeshivah of Porat Yosef. [1] leaf, writing paper. 21×25 cm. 2010.
* Letter handwritten and signed by Rabbi Naftali Halberstam, the Admor of Tschakava. [1] leaf, postcard. 14×10 cm. Jerusalem, 2011.
* Letter handwritten and signed by Rabbi Elazar Mordechai Kenig, leader of Breslov chassidim in Safed. [1] leaf, paper. Safed, 2007.
Condition: Very fine condition.
Collection of [14] letters by great roshei yeshivahs, signed in their handwriting, [12] of the letters are handwritten. Blessings, halachic rulings, paths to repentance and more.
Specifications: Signed letters in various sizes, most handwritten, some on stationery.
Including letters from: Rabbi Yitzchak Sheiner, Rabbi Meir Tzvi Bergman, Rabbi Natan Gestetner, Rabbi Yissachar Meir, Rabbi Yankale Galinsky, Rabbi Yosef Leiberman, Rabbi Moshe Tzadkah, Rabbi Asher Weiss, Rabbi David Yosef.
Condition: Various conditions, fine-very fine.
[10] letters from Rabbi Chaim Wolkin, [2] letters from Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch and [2] letters from Rabbi Azriel Auerbach.
Specifications:
* [10] leaves, of which [8] are blanks. 28×21 cm: Interesting letters from the renowned mashgiach Rabbi Chaim Wolkin. Jerusalem, 2010-2018.
* [2] leaves, Slobodka yeshivah “Knesset Yisrael” blank: Lengthy and interesting letters handwritten and signed by Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch, rosh yeshivah of Slobodka. 21×29 cm. Bnei Brak, 2009-2010. In these letters Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch encourages someone newly religious and directs his path as to how to deal with the accompanying difficulties.
* [2] leaves, postcards, 14×9 cm. From Rabbi Azriel Aurbach, Rabbi Elyashiv’s son-in-law. New Year’s greetings and blessings for the bar mitzvah of a great-grandson and grandson. At least one of the postcards is from 2010.
Fine condition.
Collection [3] letters handwritten and signed by kabbalist Rabbi Sroyah Devlitzky, ztz”l, who recently passed away. With good wishes and blessings.
Specifications: [3] leaves, official paper. 17×25 cm.
In one of the letters, he writes to a woman that he requests her forgiveness if he did not respond to the postcard she sent him one time – this is the content of the letter, and he adds blessings.
Condition: Fold marks. Fine-very fine condition.
Greetings in pleasant scribal writing to: “A river of peace and blessing, a mighty stream, to our honored kindred spirit, truly brave, invaluable, the complete and honorable esteemed friend Dr. Moshe son of Yosef Wallach, shlit”a!” – Rabbinic signatures in the margins, including the handwritten signature of the gaon Rabbi Yehudah Leib Frank (father of Rabbi Tzvi Pesach Frank).
In the letter, the rabbis turn to Dr. Wallach with a message and a blessing regarding his work saving lives and healing, as well as his assistance in the year of drought (that year), and bless him that he merit many good, pleasant years, etc. The rabbis’ signatures are in the margins, aside that of the above Rabbi Yehudah Leib Frank, are those of Rabbi Hertz Shmuel Weiss, Rabbi Yaakov David son of Moshe Slatky, Rabbi Yaakov Mordechai, Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Neiman of Volozhin and more.
[1] leaf 22×15 cm. Very fine condition.
Huge collection of [70] letters from great rabbis.
The collection was not thoroughly checked, various sizes and conditions, overall very fine condition.
Inheritance certificate for Chaim Siton of Safed from 9 Adar 1931 signed by the gaon Rabbi Tzvi Pesach Frank and additional signatories.
The gaon Rabbi Tzvi Pesach Frank [1873-1961], rabbi of Jerusalem, among the greatest adjudicators and rabbis of his generation. Successor to Rabbi Shmuel Salant as a member of the rabbinical court.
[1] leaf official stationery of the chief rabbinate of the Land of Israel 22×27 cm. Slight tears in the margins, fine condition.
Seven letters and stencil print documents, most on the k abbalist yeshiva Sha’ar HaShamayim’s official stationery, headed by the gaon Rabbi Chaim Yehudah Leib Auerbach (father of adjudicator of his generation, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach), mid-1930s.
The documents attest to a period [1935-1936] in which the yeshiva was in financial crisis. One of the documents describes the situation in the yeshiva: ‘The Torah institutions of Jerusalem have fallen beneath a yoke of debts and creditors are prevailing now. The administrators are unable to extricate the yeshiva from these straits by themselves.’ There is a detailed list of the institution’s debts to the rabbis and various elements, and details of ‘the institution’s assets’ in the form of areas purchased for or sanctified to the yeshiva in various places in Jerusalem [a courtyard in the old city of Jerusalem bought with the institution’s monies by Rabbi Elyashar, and more]. There is an interesting document sent to the Jerusalem district governor in 1935 in which it was decided to raise the number of administrators of the yeshiva for five years, with the addition of Rabbi Ze’ev Shachor, Rabbi Michael Shraga Harris, Rabbi Shlomo Travis and more rabbis. It says in this document that after the end of those five years, the administration of the institution will return to the founder Rabbi Chaim Yehudah Leib Auerbach, and after his passing, it will be run by his son, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach.
There is also a letter handwritten and signed by Rabbi Shimon Tzvi Horowitz who was one of the yeshiva’s founders at the very beginning, in which he describes the difficulties he endured founding the yeshiva: ‘Given that my soul is bound up with the Sha’ar HaShamayim yeshiva which I founded some thirty years ago, and how much trouble and hardship I suffered until, with Hash-m’s help, I was able to establish it correctly, and how many world-class geniuses learned there, as everyone knows …’ In this letter, the gaon relates internal power struggles within the yeshiva which arose among various elements [Mr. Treiwich] who attempted to take over the yeshiva. Additional documents.
[7] leaves. Various sizes and conditions. Overall fine condition.
Letter handwritten and signed by the famous kabbalist Rabbi Moshe Yair Weinstock.
Specifications: [1] leaf, official paper. 18×27 cm. At the end of the letter, Rabbi Moshe Yair blesses Rabbi Lifshitz with ” Ketivah VeChatimah Tovah ,” and sends greetings and blessings to his father.
Condition: Fine condition.
Letter signed by Rabbi Dov Sokolovsky to the lawyer Buxbaum, in which he requests that he contribute his part towards encouraging observance of Shabbat, as he has much experience in Shabbat law. And he blesses him that in this merit G-d bless him in all his ways.
The gaon Rabbi Dov Sokolovsky [1897-1988], among the select of the Mir Yeshiva, known as “the prodigy R’ Berel Sopotkiner” (after his birthplace Sopotkin), disciple of the “Chafetz Chaim,” son-in-law of Rabbi Avraham Tzvi Kamai, Av Beit Din of Mir. Rabbinic leader in Torah and fear of Heaven, among the righteous of Jerusalem. When he settled there, he established ‘חברת מזהירי שבת’ [‘Guardians of Shabbat Society’] by instruction of his rabbi, the Chafetz Chaim. He recruited hundreds of volunteers who organized protests and struggled against businesses opening on Shabbat and desecration of Shabbat in Jerusalem, including Rabbi Aryeh Levin, Rabbi Shabtai Yudelevitz, Rabbi Yisrael Yaakov Fisher and additional rabbis. He also disseminated Torah and engaged in charitable activities and supporting poor Torah scholars. He passed away childless at an advanced age.
[1] leaf Mazhirei HaShabbat stationery. 22×28. Slight tear in the upper left corner. Fine condition.
Student enterprise membership card from the Chachmai Lublin yeshivah, Zichron Meir Bnei Brak, with Rosh Yeshivah of Chachmai Lublin, Rabbi Shmuel HaLevi Wosner’s signature.
Specifications: [1] leaf, thick paper, folded. 22×19 cm. “Student enterprise membership card,” for a student who learned in the “student enterprise” in the yeshivah in 1975, which combines a receipt for a donation to the yeshivah with an appeal by Rabbi Wosner, “The situation today is that a large part of the yeshivah’s budget is built upon the participation of alumni, so don’t be negligent in the work of Heaven and hurry yourself and others to reinforce the home, the great home which raises Torah and prayer … words from your rabbi and friend, who seeks your welfare forever …” Printed letter with his handwritten signature.
Fold marks, stains, fine condition.
Letters signed by the rabbinical leaders of the Eidah HaChareidit, the Raava”d Rabbi Yitzchak Yaakov Weiss, Rabbi Moshe Aryeh Freund, Rabbi Yisrael Moshe Dushinsky, Rabbi Yisrael Yaakov Fisher and Rabbi Binyamin Rabinowitz with a request to assist the Admor Rabbi Shalom Dov Lipshitz Halberstam of Stropkov, in order to expand his study hall, ‘To build a special home for students to study the holy Torah.’ 19 Tevet 1979.
Letters with all the above signatures together are uncommon.
[1] leaf. Official Bada”tz stationery of all the Ashkenazic communities. Fold marks, adhesion marks on the reverse. Moderate-fine condition.
Letter signed by the Sephardic Badatz’s rabbinical leaders including kabbalist and Av Beit Din Rabbi Yaakov Mutzafi, Rabbi Yosef Susu HaKohen, and with Rabbi Shraga Lipshitz Halberstam’s signature appended, from 19 Iyar 1979.
Call to help Rabbi Shalom Dov Lipshitz Halberstam, rosh yeshiva of Beit Sanz “preferably with decent amounts,” their handwritten signatures are in the margins.
The gaon kabbalist Rabbi Yaakov Mutzafi [1899-1983], Av Beit Din of the Sephardic Edah Chareidit in Jerusalem, kabbalah disciple of Rabbi Ephraim HaKohen, Rabbi Shimon Aggasi and Rabbi Sadqua Hussein, rosh yeshiva of Shemesh Tzadkah established by Rabbi Sadqua Hussein.
[1] leaf 22×28 cm, fold marks. Tears in the margins, moderate-fine condition.
Letter handwritten and signed by Rabbi Shneur Kotler. Tammuz 5739 (1979).
[1] leaf, official paper. 28×22 cm.
Interesting letter in which the gaon confirms his receipt of a donation to the yeshivah from the rebbetzin, Mrs. Beila Ruchama Perlow, widow of the Admor of Novominsk. He relates that a memorial plaque was set up with the Admor ztz”l’s name. He writes further: “May his great merit protect his widow, the Rebbetzin, and the entire family, and may they merit to continue the golden chain of Torah until the coming of the Redeemer.”
Fold marks. Very fine condition.
Early letter in the handwriting and with the signature of Rabbi Aharon Cohen, rosh yeshiva of Chevron in Jerusalem.
The letter is addressed to the lawyer Mordechai Buxbaum, in which he thanks him for a donation to the ‘spiritual fund whose goal is to raise the prestige and honor of the Torah in our yeshiva,’ and he blesses him that Hash-m fulfill all his heart’s desires for the good. His signature is in the margins of the letter.
Rabbi Aharon Cohen [1904-1961] immigrated to the Land of Israel in 1924 together with the members of the Slobodka yeshiva which settled in Chevron. In 1934, after his father-in-law’s passing, he began to give lectures in the Chevron yeshiva, and after a while was appointed to the role of rosh yeshiva.
[1] leaf official stationery of ‘Chevron Knesset Yisrael in Jerusalem, Land of Israel’ yeshiva. 22×29 cm. Fold marks. Tear in the bottom margins, fine condition.
