Letter of rabbinic ordination and permit to render halachic rulings, on official stationery. Entirely handwritten and signed by Rabbi Rephael Shapira, rosh yeshivah of Volozhin. Volozhin, 1911. Rabbi Rephael Shapira [1837-1921] was rabbi and rosh yeshivah in Volozhin, son of the renowned gaon R’ Leibele Kovner. He was the Netziv of Volozhin’s son-in-law, and father-in-law of Rabbi Chaim HaLevi Soloveitchik of Brisk. He was appointed assistant rosh yeshivah of the Volozhin yeshivah in 1870, aside his father-in-law the Netzi”v. He began to deliver lessons at the yeshivah three times a week. He then gave over this position to his son-in-law Rabbi Chaim of Brisk in 1881. When the Volozhin yeshivah was reopened, Rabbi Rephael was summoned back to serve as its rosh yeshivah and as town rabbi. Like other rosh yeshivahs of Volozhin, Rabbi Rephael ended his signature with a special conclusion: “העובד עבודת התורה בוואלאזין” [“performing Torah service in Volozhin”], which also appears on the permit before us. [1] leaf official stationery. 22×29 cm, placed in a decorative passe-partout, integrated with pictures of the ordainer, Rabbi Shapira, and the ordained, Rabbi Yehuda Leib Zlotnik of Gombin. Fine condition. The letter is pasted onto a cardboard.