“And [your] pure opinion is uncomfortable with what I wrote … please don’t make efforts in the opposite direction, Heaven forbid … and don’t reconsider, I am just stating the truth according to my small mind” (the letter that caused Rabbi Shlomo Eiger to change his ruling)
Beautiful and lengthy letter of responsum covering two densely and clearly written pages, from the me’or hagadol (as he is called by the gaon Rabbi Shlomo Eiger) the gaon Rabbi Yekutiel Lazel Margaliot, av beit din of Schwersenz – one of the gaon Rabbi Akiva Eiger’s leading disciples. The letter was sent to the gaon Rabbi Shlomo Eiger, as a response to his reply regarding a ruling published in his sefer , Shu”t Ra”sh Eiger in the name of Rabbi Yekutiel Lazel Margaliot, Schwersenz. Wednesday, 23 Tevet 1842.
Background: In Shu”t Ra”sh Eiger (Part I Orach Chaim siman 9) there is a responsum dealing with a widespread phenomenon those years: ” heter hamechirah lagoy ” – not for shemittah, but for Shabbat – to bring in a non-Jewish partner to a Jewish business, so that the non-Jew runs the business on Shabbat. The gaon Rabbi Shlomo Eiger opens his responsum (there) with the words: “This is the ruling of the rabbi, the great light, etc. Rabbi Yekutiel av beit din of Schwersenz.” He then transcribes the latter’s ruling word-for-word from the heter mechirah ruling written by Rabbi Yekutiel Margaliot for a Jewish industrialist. The gaon Rabbi Shlomo Eiger points out that he was asked to join this ruling, but he politely refused. The date that appears on the transcribed ruling is “Today, Friday, 18 Tevet 1842,” five days before this letter here (these dates are significant).
After the end of this responsum, in which Rabbi Shlomo Eiger favors being stringent, unlike Rabbi Yekutiel Margaliot, there is a new passage (there), entitled: “With Respect to the Above” in which Rabbi Shlomo suddenly begins to be lenient like Rabbi Yekutiel. This is followed by another passage entitled: “More with Respect to the Above” where Rabbi Shlomo Eiger explicitly agrees to Rabbi Yekutiel Margaliot’s heter mechirah , stating, “It was brought before the adjudicators in the city of the me’or hagadol Rabbi Yekutiel Margaliot, av beit din of Schwersenz, as written above, and I consent to this heter ” (Rabbi Shlomo Eiger only requires a slight change in the text of the heter ).
Considering only what appears in the sefer , it is unclear what caused Rabbi Shlomo to suddenly change his mind from the inclination to prohibit, as in the first responsum, to the almost complete heter in the final responsum. However, examination of this letter sent to Rabbi Shlomo Eiger among the three responsa, for his first responsum, in which Rabbi Margaliot responds to Rabbi Shlomo Eiger’s critique with all due respect, yet he remains firm in his opinion that the heter is appropriate. Rabbi Yekutiel Margaliot opens this lengthy letter, “And [your] pure opinion is uncomfortable with what I wrote, but I don’t want to trouble [you] … please don’t make efforts in the opposite direction, Heaven forbid… and don’t reconsider, I am just stating the truth according to my small mind … and if it is not agreeable to [you], by all means do as [you] see fit and do not reconsider, [I am] just telling the truth according to my small mind … words of the one who stands guard hurriedly, faithful to the covenant …” And indeed, in his Rabbi-Akiva-Eiger-style humility, Rabbi Shlomo Eiger acquiesces to Rabbi Yekutiel Margaliot and rescinds his own ruling, and rules like Rabbi Margaliot.
Refer to the Hebrew catalog text for a brief biography of the gaon Rabbi Yekutiel Lazel Margaliot, av beit din of Szubin, Gröditz and Schwersenz .
Specifications: [2] written pages. 16×20 cm. Light bluish paper. 56 lines. Entirely handwritten and signed by Rabbi Yekutiel Margaliot + the second part of the leaf that served as an envelope for the letter, with the details in a foreign language.
Fine-very fine condition. Minimal light stains. (Tear from opening the blank envelope-leaf.)
