Two original carbon copies – letters from Chareidi Jewry in Jerusalem to the rabbi of the entire Jewish people, the Chafetz Chaim, and to the leading Admo”r, the Imrei Emet of Gur, about the Chafetz Chaim’s historic aliyah to the Land of Israel. Av, 1925.
Authentic carbon copies of the historic letters documenting the emotional appeal by Chareidi Jewry to the Chafetz Chaim, with a request that he hurry and ascend to the Land of Israel to take up the fight of those who fear G-d, against the destroyers. The second letter is on the same topic, to the leading Admo”r – the Imrei Emet of Gur, with a request that he use the full extent of his influence to expedite the Chafetz Chaim’s ascent to the Land of Israel. (Refer to the discussion below about the Chafetz Chaim’s attempt to make aliyah.)
It is told in the name of the Sabba Kaddisha Rabbi Shlomo Eliezer Elfandri (there are those who say that it is in the name of Rabbi Shaul HaKohen Dwek), that when said rabbi heard about the aliyah attempt, he emphatically determined that it would not happen! And why not? Because if the Chafetz Chaim ascended to the Land of Israel, he would have to take the position of one of the camps, which would inevitably be against the position of the other side. And the Chafetz Chaim – as the unique one in the generation – must be acceptable to all factions and camps, and therefore must not be able to ascend to the Land Israel. Some have questioned this tradition. The letters here testify to the attempt to persuade the Chafetz Chaim to take the position of one of the camps in the Land of Israel.
Historic discovery from the story of the immigration of the leader of the generation, which, if it had been carried out, history in the Land of Israel in general and in Jerusalem in particular – would undoubtedly have been completely different.
[2] original carbon copies. Approximately 20×29 cm.
The first letter is designated for the Chafetz Chaim. This is the first page, without the end.
The second letter is to the Admo”r, the author of Imrei Emet of Gur, with a space to fill out signatures by the G-d-fearing, with one signature.
Moderate-fine condition. Slight creases. Tear in the margins of one of the letters, with lack in the margins of one of the leaves, with lack of individual words. Tiny ink scorches.
Refer to Winner’S catalog 106, with the Chafetz Chaim’s letter on this topic, approximately three months after receiving this letter.
Historic background: The dream and great passion of the ‘Chafetz Chaim’ was always to ascend and build on the dust of the sacred Land; he was imbued with a longing to settle in it. Already in 1880, he made a condition with his son-in-law that although he would assume the obligation to provide him with food, this would not prevent him from moving to the Land of Israel. This also what he did with the rest of his sons-in-law, and again when he married his second wife, Mrs. Miriam Frieda, in 1903. However, his great concern and work for his yeshivah and the Torah institutions of the Diaspora prevented him from fulfilling his aspiration. Despite this, after the establishment of the Va’ad HaYeshivot, which the Chafetz Chaim saw as an economic anchor for the yeshivahs, he once again turned to fulfilling his wish and immigrating to the Land of Israel. When the rabbis of Lithuania learned about this, a meeting was held at the home of Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski, av beit din of Vilna, and it was decided to ask the Chafetz Chaim to postpone his trip in order to strengthen the “Va’ad HaYeshivot” under his influence. ‘Rabbi Chaim Ozer’s appeal bore fruit and the Chafetz Chaim did indeed postpone his trip until Elul 1925. He sent a farewell letter to his brethren in the Diaspora and all his packages were ready for the trip. But again a delegation of yeshivah heads came to him, led by Rabbi Baruch Ber Levovitz, who cried tears begging him to stay until at least after Sukkot to help ensure the existence of the yeshivahs. The Chafetz Chaim nodded his head and postponed his trip until the last day that his certificates were valid – Tuesday of parashat Lech Lech 1925.
“Here I was almost completely ready to travel to the Holy Land, ” related Rabbi Yisrael Meir HaKohen. “And from heaven my wife became very weak, becoming a patient who was in complete danger. We were forced to travel with her to the hospital in Vilna. By the grace of G-d she escaped danger, but she still needs mercy… and this caused my delay until now.”
The end of the story is known, later that year his wife recovered (refer to Shnot Dor VaDor , Part I, p. 292). He obtained new permits, but exactly the day they arrived, his daughter became ill, and the doctors advised that traveling in his weak state of health and advanced age is dangerous. The Chafetz Chaim came to terms with this and said that Heaven is delaying his trip. (Regarding all this, refer to the book HeChafetz Chaim U’Pealo by R’ M. M. Yashar, Part II, pp 608-617.)
