Important, beautiful and lengthy letter of approbation [approximately 150 words] entirely handwritten and signed by the leader of American Jewry and posek hador , the gaon Rabbi Moshe Feinstein. New York, 17 (“Tov”) Cheshvan 1973.
Approbation from the Iggerot Moshe for the sefer Ma’agalei Eliyahu [on the halachahs of hagalat keilim ] for the gaon Rabbi Eliyahu Schlesinger, av beit din of Jerusalem and rabbi of the Gilo neighborhood. Likely out of respect for the addressee’s Torah greatness [and possibly also due to the Yom Kippur War that threatened the very existence of the Land of Israel, with the addressee being one of the local rabbis], the Iggerot Moshe extends this letter beyond a standard letter of approbation, and he establishes a new halachah with respect to … writing approbations for sefarim .
The Iggerot Moshe writes, “With respect to halachic matters and especially about matters practical at all times, it is difficult to write a haskamah when it is not possible to look into each and every halachah in full depth, as a moreh hora’ah must conduct himself when a practical question comes to him”!!
However, the Iggerot Moshe qualifies himself by stating that in this case, the halachah is different because the author is a great talmid chacham who delves into the depths of halachah. As such, although the Iggerot Moshe does not have the time to go through each and every halachah, he grants his approbation to print the sefer , because it will be helpful for morei hora’ah in the relevant dinim .
The posek hador , the gaon Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, concludes his letter with important blessings for the author, “May you merit sitting all [your] days in the tent of Torah and author sefarim as [you] wish and according to the Torah prowess [you have] to clarify more halachah.” Needless to say, the blessings from the gadol hador were completely fulfilled. Rabbi Schlesinger, who when he received this letter was yet a young scholar in his early twenties, soon became one of the senior rabbis in Jerusalem and author of dozens of Torah works.
Refer to the Hebrew catalog text for brief biographies of the rabbi of the entire Diaspora, the gaon Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, and the gaon Rabbi Eliyahu Schlesinger .
[1] leaf, 19×21 cm. Official stationery, entirely handwritten and signed by the gaon Rabbi Moshe Feinstein.
Very fine condition. Fold marks.