Copy of the historic letter from Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin about founding the yeshivah of Volozhin. The letter was written by Rabbi Chaim to “Lovers of Torah” in Lithuania. In it, he declares the need for the establishment of the yeshivah. The letter was copied in the early 20th century, on official stationery of “The National Library Midrash Abarbanel and Ginzei Yosef” (which later became the National Library of the State of Israel). The signature on the signed copy before us reads, “יום א’ ד’ עשרת ימי התשובה תקע”ד לפ”ק פה ק”ק וולאזין.” The letter was first printed in תרס”ב (apparently a number of years after the copy before us) in the rabbinic journal, HaPeles (year II, Berlin) with this comment under it: “We received this letter from the gaon Rabbi Ze’ev Wolf Radonsky, shlit”a, rabbi of Pesochnaya, who writes us that he copied the text of the letter word for word. – The Editor.” But in HaPeles, the letter is signed with the date תרס”ג (which was indeed the year the Volozhin yeshivah was established). There are other minor differences between the two copies. [2] leaves official stationery. 33 cm. [3] pages written. With corrections and glosses. Moderate-fine condition. Fold marks. Tears in the margins without lack or damage to text.