Lengthy halachic responsum and another two pages loaded with Torah novellae, all [approximately 650 words] handwritten and signed by the first Admo”r of Dej, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Panet, son of the author of Mareh Yechezkel and beloved disciple of the Chata”m Sofer. To the extent of our research, the responsa has not been published, and it does not appear in his book Sh”ut Sha’arei Tzedek al Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah (which deals with the laws of vows).
The halachic responsum appears on the right side of the sheet, written vertically. Lengthy responsum, dated [1877] and signed. The responsum is addressed to the gaon Rabbi Yekutiel Schwartz, Av Beit Din of Monoshtor (near Satmar), and deals with an interesting event in which a ritual slaughterer (his details appear in the letter) took a public vow that he would no longer slaughter. He then released the vow in front of three people and went back to slaughtering. The Admo”r attacks the scholars who released him from his vow – as to how could they have done so in contradiction to halachic rules, saying the following, “I was absolutely astonished – which scholars could have released him from his vow – and did not studied the laws of vows at all? Behold it says in the Shulchan Aruch that the vow may not be released until it applies, and the Sha”ch adds to this that even post facto it is not permissible.” The Rebbe then engages in a lengthy in-depth discussion as to whether the meat can be declared kosher post facto. On the back of the responsum, on the reverse side of the page, there is a notation by ‘the youth Avraham Moshe Green, a disciple of the gaon of Dej, shlit”a, in which he confirms that “This letter is a responsum from the Admo”r Rabbeinu, the lofty gaon … Rabbeinu Menachem Mendel of Panet, ztz”l, the Av Beit Din of Dej, author of Ma’agalei Tzedek on the Torah and Shu”t Sha’arei Tzedek , Avnei Tzedek , Mishpat Tzedek on the four parts of Shulchan Aruch. It was written to the great gaon, the Av Beit Din of Anashtor z”l” and then the disciple adds “וקניתי מהוני לכבוד צורי וקוני.”
The Torah novellae appear on the left side of the sheet, written on both sides horizontally, also handwritten by the Admo”r Rabbi Menachem Mendel. Some of the Torah novellae deal with topics related to the halachic responsum. It is worth mentioning that the Admo”r mentions his teacher and rabbi, the ‘Chatam Sofer, ‘ in this letter.
The Admo”r Rabbi Menachem Mendel Panet [1818-1885] was the Av Beit Din of Dej and son of the author of Mareh Yechezkel . The Admo”r Rabbi Menachem Mendel was a beloved disciple of the ‘Chatam Sofer, ‘ who drew him close with much affection, and even called him “der zaidener bachur” [freely translated as: the silk disciple – this because he was the only one in the Pressburg yeshivah who wore silk Chassidic garb]. The ‘Chatam Sofer would take walks with him every Shabbat evening, a wondrous matter. It was accepted among the disciples of the Chatam Sofer that he was privileged to witness a revelation of Eliyahu HaNavi when the latter arrived to study with his rabbi, the ‘Chatam Sofer.’ In 1837, following his marriage, Rabbi Menachem Mendel moved to Sátoralja-Ujhely (Ihel), when he studied Torah under the gaon Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum, the author of Yismach Moshe . Rabbi Menachem Mendel served at the beginning as Av Beit Din of Arishar, and then as Av Beit Din of Dej. At the same time, he served as the Rav HaKollel of all of Transylvania. Aside from his Torah genius and his thousands of halachic responsa, he was renowned as a wonder-worker, and he had hundreds of Chassidim who flocked to his abode (there is an incident that occurred with one of his followers who was poverty-stricken. Rabbi Menachem Mendel instructed him to study his book, Ma’agalei Tzedek , the section on the Torah portion Re’eh, and said to him “This will cause you to [become far more financially comfortable], ” and so it was). It was due to him that many began to pray in nusach Sephard, and the city of Dej became a Chassidic stronghold. His books include: and Shu”t Sha’arei Tzedek , Avnei Tzedek , and his work on Torah Ma’agalei Tzedek .
[1] sheet paper folded into four pages, 16×21 cm each, (three pages in his hand, and the fourth bearing the student’s confirmation).
Fine condition. Fold marks. Minimal smudges without damage to text.