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Large manuscript leaf, letter of a young girl who worked in the home of the Baal Shem of Michelstadt R. Seckel Leib Wormser, concluding with four lines in his handwriting and with his signature. Michelstadt (Germany), May 1845. German in Hebrew characters.
Letter signed by Karolinna Wolf, who writes that she cannot leave the home of "the rabbi" (the Baal Shem of Michelstadt) and come to serve as maidservant as she had pledged, since the rabbi wasn't in good health, and her services were therefore required in his home. She asks them to show consideration and return her collateral to her brother. At the foot of the letter, the Baal Shem of Michelstadt added a confirmation in his handwriting and with his signature. He attests that the girl's letter is true, and that due to his poor health, she is unable to leave his home. He signs: "So are the words of his friend, Seckel Leib son of the late R. Matityahu, residing here [?]".
R. Seckel Leib's poor health during this period can be learnt from an entry in his "Shiurim Pinkas" (a microfilm of the Pinkas is held in the Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People, No. HM-1049) from March 1845: "If not for my old age and weakness, I would dedicate… a separate letter…" (see preface to Baal Shem MiMichelstadt, Machon Yerushalayim 2006, p. 19).
R. Seckel Leib (Yitzchak Aryeh) Wormser (1768-1847) – the Baal Shem of Michelstadt, a scion of the Luria family, from the family of the Maharshal and Rashi, and a descendant of R. Eliyahu Baal Shem of Loans – the Baal Shem of Worms. In his youth, he studied under the kabbalist R. Natan Adler in Frankfurt, later returning to his hometown Michelstadt, where he served as rabbi of the town and the vicinity, and established his Beit Midrash, as well as a yeshiva which attracted many students. He was renowned as a righteous man and wonder-worker, earning him the appellation of "Baal Shem". Many flocked to him in quest of cures and salvations, even from other countries, and numerous people experienced salvations through his blessings, segulot and amulets. He was widely acclaimed by Jews and non-Jews alike. Reputedly, German soldiers who prayed by his gravesite during WWI all returned from the battlefield healthy and well. Until this day, the house he lived in boasts a memorial plaque, posted by the Michelstadt municipality, dubbing him "a friend of the people". His novellae and writings were published in the book Baal Shem MiMichelstadt (Machon Yerushalayim, 2006).
[1] leaf. 26.5 cm. Fair condition. Stains. Tears to folds, slightly affecting text, repaired with paper on verso.