Three letters with important content written and signed by the “Tzaddik of Raanana,” Rabbi Yitzchak HaKohen Hoberman, regarding the spiritual arrangements in Wetzlar, Germany in face of the turmoil that ensued after the Holocaust, 1940s.
* Letter written on a postcard. On one side, he wrote [in Hebrew] “Shivat Tzion B’Geula Shleima … Yitzchak HaKohen Hoberman,” his personal stamp appears next to his signature. The postcard was sent to רה”ג ה”צ החו”ב של היו”ח מגזע אראלים ותרשישים גאונים וקדושם מו”ה יחזקאל. Rabbi Hoberman asks them to send “young, talkative girls who could travel from camp to camp, it would be very effective, since one cannot compare hearing to seeing,” to the camp where he was [after the war] in Wetzlar, Germany and more. “… also we must encourage the rabbis so that the wedding arrangements not be forfeited to whoever wants, but be conducted specifically by the rabbi…” and other topics. Tear with loss to text in the bottom left corner.
* Letter written and signed by the rabbi, confirming that two witnesses had testified about a girl from Marmarosh that she was a “betula.” In addition, he writes that the marriage was to take place in March, 1948. [The official stamp of the beit din in Wetzlar appears next to his signature.]
* Letter written and signed [with his personal stamp] regarding two litigants and an apple business, when one side caused monetary loss to the other, and how to rule in the matter.
The chassidic kabbalist Rabbi Yitzchak HaKohen Hoberman – “The Tzaddik of Raanana” (1896-1977) was born in Poland and studied with Rabbi Yaakov Mordechai of Bilgoray, the “Shem MiShmuel” of Sochotshov, and the “Imrei Emet” of Gur. He had a close relationship with the Gur and Lubavitch chassidut. During the Holocaust, he was exiled to Siberia and was in charge of sawing trees. When he was forced to work on Shabbat, he cut off the end of his finger. After the Holocaust, he served in the rabbinate in Wetzlar for six years. He then moved to Raanana, where he was known as a righteous person and kabbalist and wonder worker, who had a close relationship with the Admors of Gur. In an approbation to his work, Rabbi Shach wrote, “He is known to be full of wisdom in both the revealed and concealed Torah.”
Three letters – all written and signed by this righteous person. Fine condition.