May a Sephardic Jew hosting an Ashkenazic Jew in his home deceive his guest and tell him that the meat he is being served is under Ashkenazic kashrut (despite its being under Sephardic kashrut supervision)?
Sensational and lengthy halachic responsum handwritten and signed by the gaon Rabbi David Tzvi Hoffmann, a prominent disciple of the Ktav Sofer and the Mahara”m Schick, and one of the admired leaders of German Jewry. Sent to “The great luminary Eliezer HaLevi(?) of Jerusalem.” Berlin, 1902.
The content of this letter demonstrates that Rabbi Eliezer HaLevi apparently ascended from Germany to Jerusalem, where he encountered halachic queries that were not relevant in Germany, questions relating to Ashkenazic and Sephardic neighbors. (In those days, the Sephardim were the respected authorities in Jerusalem.) For example, when an Ashkenazi is being hosted by a Sepharadi, is it permissible for him to eat from the meat being served to him without clarifying the ritual slaughtering method? And more such questions, regarding Ashkenazic-Sephardic relations.
The gaon Rabbi David Tzvi Hoffmann expands on this question in his responsum: May a Sephardic person hosting an Ashkenazic person in his home deceive his guest and tell him that the meat he is being served is under Ashkenazic kashrut (despite its being under Sephardic kashrut supervision)? And, as was his way, he cites leading poskim – Rishonim and Achronim , from the Ritv”a through “the gaon Naftali Hirsch Berlin” [his contemporary, the Netzi”v of Volozhin] concluding with the clear halachah at the end of this letter. Fascinating halachic letter!
Refer to the Hebrew catalog text for a brief biography of the gaon Rabbi David Tzvi Hoffmann .
[1] postcard, stamped and postmarked (German Reich stamps). Approximately 9×14 cm.
Very fine condition.