Interesting letter dealing with receiving a donation for reconstruction of the glorious Telz yeshivah. Sent to a delegate of the third Russian Duma, the Jewish judge, Leopold Nisselovitz. Telz [c. 1906-1910]. Beautiful scribal script, signed at the end by Rabbi Eliezer. Letters from him are very rare.
In the letter, Rabbi Eliezer reminds the addressee that the previous year, he had promised to make a donation to the yeshivah, but due to [Nisselovitz’s] weak health, the first emissary did not want to trouble him, so he left the city without Mr. Nisselovitz’s donation. At the present time, another emissary, Rabbi Avraham Minsky, is arriving in Petersburg (where Nisselovitz resided), and he is requested to donate to the best of his ability “because there is still a large sum necessary to repair the building inside, and to construct all the buildings necessary in the courtyard, aside from the tremendous debt that has already accrued, and there is a lot of pressure prevailing here …”
In 1908, there was a big fire in the yeshivah that totally destroyed the building. For the next two years (until his passing in 1910), Rabbi Eliezer dedicated all of his strength and energy into rebuilding the yeshivah. This letter may have been written after the fire.
It is interesting to note that in contrast to the yeshivah in Volozhin that operated with a government permit, the Telz yeshivah was illegal. Rabbi Eliezer was occasionally forced to clash with clerks that wanted to close the yeshivah, and even to bribe corrupt clerks. In this letter, Rabbi Eliezer appeals to a member of the government with a request that he donate to the illegal yeshivah!
Refer to the Hebrew catalog text for a brief biography of Rabbi Eliezer Gordon .
[1] leaf paper, 21×27.5 cm. Official stationery blank. Scribal script and Rabbi Eliezer Gordon’s signature.
Very fine condition. Fold marks and very light stains. Two tiny perforations, without damage to the text.