Letter written by the gaon Rabbi Meir Shapira, rosh yeshivah of Chachmei Lublin and initiator of the Daf HaYomi, to his wife the Rebbetzin, about a student at the yeshivah who became ill. Lublin, 1932. Yiddish.
In his emotional letter, the Mahara”m Shapira pleads with his wife the Rebbetzin, who was known to have come from a wealthy family, to agree to lend the necessary funds for healing one of the students at the yeshivah. Mahara”m Shapira, due to astronomical construction expenses, owed millions and apparently did not have the necessary sum available at the time, so he is asking the Rebbetzin to lend it from her personal account.
Rabbi Meir Shapira [1887-1933] was the rabbi of Lublin – the glory of Polish Jewry. He was a very accomplished person, and a tremendous gaon who raised the banner of Torah by founding the Chachmei Lublin yeshivah. Mahara”m Shapira was one of the great leaders of Agudat Yisrael. He raised his marvelous idea of studying Daf HaYomi during the Agudah’s Knessiah Gedolah. This initiative is presently marking completion of another cycle all around the world. He served as a member of the Polish parliament (the “Sejm”) by request of the Admo”r of Gur. The Mahara”m passed away at an early age, when he was just 47 years old. A short time earlier, he had bought life insurance for himself for a huge sum, and at his death he bequeathed the life insurance to his yeshivah so that it would cover its debts and be able to continue to function. Mahara”m Shapira and his wife the Rebbetzin had no progeny of their own, and the students at the yeshivah were truly as their own children, which is evident from the great devotion that bursts forth from this letter.
[1] leaf official stationery. 27 cm; fine condition. Aging stains. Filing perforations. Fold marks, tears in the folds without lack nor blemish. Taped reinforcements.