Beautiful and lengthy letter written entirely in Arabic, from the av beit din of Safed, the sacred gaon Rabbi Shmuel Heller – disciple and successor of the rebbe of Ovrutch, author of Bat Ayin . Signed in his rare foreign-language signature. [Safed, c. mid 19th century]. Letters from Rabbi Shmuel Heller in a foreign language are extraordinarily rare, and letters from him in Arabic are even more uncommon.
The letter is addressed to one of the Arab leaders in Safed. It deals with a request to see to the health of a Jewish woman who is ill and also has family difficulties, to admit her to the Anglican hospital. The letter concludes with Rabbi Shmuel’s rare foreign-language signature, together with his Hebrew-language stamp. The rebbe Rabbi Heller was known for his exceptional talents, and he knew Arabic fluently. He held productive dialogues with residents of Safed and environs, who were primarily Arabs. He even learned from them about the plants native to the Land of Israel, and how to use them for medicinal purposes. It is not impossible that the letter is entirely handwritten by him.
Refer to the Hebrew catalog text for a brief biography of Rabbi Shmuel Heller .
[1] leaf paper, 20×14.5 cm.
Fine condition. Aging stains. Tiny perforations.