“Blessings for a joyous holiday and a good, happy year. May Hashem help you gain much spiritual satisfaction from all of your descendants, together with your wife, may she be well …” (some of the blessings from the Beit Yisrael)
Rare letter loaded with blessings for the high holidays, Sukkot and the new year. The entire letter [approximately 60 words!] was handwritten and signed by the Beit Yisrael himself, the Admo”r Rabbi Yisrael Alter of Gur, who was admired for his sanctity by the entire Jewish people, Chassidim and Mitnagdim alike, rabbis and rashei yeshivahs.”
The letter was sent between Yom Kippur and Sukkot, days considered in Kabbalah and Chassidut as a continuation of the days of judgement and mercy (until the first day of Sukkot – “HaRishon L’Cheshbon Avonot”), and it is addressed to one of the elite among Chassidim of Gur, the gaon Rabbi Ephraim Shraga Silberberg, son of the rabbi of Peterburg, addressed as “my dear friend” by the Beit Yisrael in this letter.
Right from the beginning of the letter, it is evident that the Beit Yisrael intends to enact special influence of blessing through this letter. The rabbi opens his series of blessings using expressions of multiplicity: “I hereby bless you once again.” (The expression “once again”[“עוד הפעם”] symbolizes ever-increasing infinite abundance, as the gemara explains the blessing “VaYiten Lach” – [“He shall give you”] – He shall give, return, and give again.) The Beit Yisrael, who was known to be concise with his words, and even more concise with them when writing, made an exception, doubling and tripling his blessings: “Blessings for a joyous holiday and a good and happy new year” followed by the Rebbe’s blessings for members of the family, “May Hashem give you much spiritual satisfaction from him [your son] and all the rest of your descendants, together with your wife, may she be well.” Towards the end of the letter, the Rebbe goes back and repeats his already doubled blessing a third time, “Your friend, who seeks your well-being, your good, your success and blessings for all goodness, Yisrael.” It’s astonishing how the majority of the letter is filled with the words of his sacred blessing.
The Admo”r Rabbi Yisrael Alter [1895-1977] was one of the leading Admo”rim of his generation, one of the leaders of Chareidi Jewry after the Holocaust. He was son and successor of his father, Rabbi Avraham Mordechai Alter, author of Imrei Emet . The Rebbe was renowned for his great sanctity and his sharp wisdom in both public and private matters. Many wonders were enacted at his home, and Jews of all stripes flocked to him. His Torah essays were printed posthumously in the book series Beit Yisrael .
It is told that manuscripts written by rabbinic leaders, or even just their signatures, were often used as amulets for protection, healing and success. All the more so a letter handwritten and signed by one of the unique tzaddikim of recent generations, admired by the entire Jewish people, known as a wonder-worker whose words were fulfilled precisely, blessing such important new year’s blessings in this letter, for him and his entire family.
[1] leaf paper. Approximately 8×17 cm.
Very fine condition: Fold marks. Very light aging stains.