A letter from Rabbi Meir Eisenstaedter, one of the great rabbis, poskim, and leaders of Hungarian Jewry in the 19th century to his friend Rabbi Chaim Bezalel Panet, rabbi of Tashnad, a disciple of the Chatam Sofer, and one of the great rabbis of Transylvania. Ungvar, [1843].
[1] double leaf. 21×26 cm. Written on one side. Signed in cursive rabbinic handwriting. Remnants of a wax stamp and Latin writing on the rear side of the letter.
In the letter the Maharam Asch advises the recipient “to leave his place and travel around the country…for now there are heretical souls who cause sorrow to the rabbis in every place,” referring to the battle that raged at the time between the Orthodox and the Neologues regarding the organization of the congregations in greater Hungary. In an appendix to the letter the Maharam Asch discusses a law from the laws of tevillah, and mentions a responsum written by Rabbi Shlomo Kluger of Brody.
Rabbi Meir Eisenstaedter, known by his moniker Maharam Asch after the name of his book (1780-1854), was one of the first disciples of the Chatam Sofer when he lived in the city of Mattersdorf, and later in Pressburg, and is considered to be one of his greatest students. He served as rabbi of Baja, Balassagyarmat, and Ungvar, where he established a yeshiva in which hundreds of students studied, among them the greatest Hungarian rabbis. After the death of the Chatam Sofer, he began to write halachic responsa to hundreds of questions, and was considered the foremost posek of Hungarian Orthodox Jewry. The Chatam Sofer’s son, Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Binyamin, author of the Ktav Sofer, wrote about him in his eulogy: “The great rabbi the Maharam Asch was the greatest of the students of my father, the light of the diaspora, the choice one of his choice students in Torah, righteousness, and character traits.” As the Chatam Sofer’s foremost student, the Maharam Asch continued the Orthodox battle against the Neologue sector and played a decisive role in the formulation of the Orthodox rabbinic outlook.
Folding marks. A few stains. Very fine condition.