Lot 425
Polemic Letter by Rabbi David Tevli Katzenelbogen, Rabbi of Leningrad (St. Petersburg) – 1928
A long letter handwritten and signed by Rabbi David Tevli Katzenelbogen Av Beit Din of Leningrad, to his relative ("my brother-in-law's grandson"), Rabbi Eliezer Silver in the USA. Leningrad (formerly Petersburg), Sivan 1928.
In his letter he relates of the rabbis in Bolshevik Russia and their difficulties: "… they are very great and excel in Torah and fear of Heaven. If not for them, Jews would have already forgotten the Torah… and only a few rabbis give up their lives, each in his congregation and according to his ability and beyond, to uphold the Torah". He hints to the revolutions in Russia "you are not permitted to write things given orally".
Further on in the letter, he complains that the assistance funds of “Ezrat Torah” that arrived from the USA do not reach their primary goal, to support rabbis and Torah yeshivot, but they fall into the hands of Lubavitchers. They use these monies to conquer communities to Chassidut, while each of their yeshivot numbers no more than a few young men "that all they study is Chassidut… and all their strength and will is to teach laws of Shechita and Bedika so they will be shochtim and bodkim in the small communities, and Chassidut will be their trade, to enable them to teach others".
Rabbi David Tevli Katzenelbogen (1850-1930), was a noble figure amongst Lithuanian rabbis and the eldest of Russian rabbis. From his youth he was known as an amazing prodigy and at the age of sixteen already edited a short commentary on the Talmud Yerushalmi. Served in the rabbinate in Lithuania villages, in 1894, was appointed as Rabbi of Suwalki, a district city. In 1907, he was called to the capital city of Petersburg to serve as rabbi, where he was honored greatly by Jews and non-Jews. Even after the Bolshevik revolution, he remained in the rabbinate of the city re-named Leningrad. These were days of distress and hardship for rabbis and for Jewry. It is a wonder that his book “Mei Naftoach” on Tractate Yevamot was printed in Leningrad in 1924 by the printing press "The Red Propagandist" where the official newspaper “Izvestia” was printed. In 1928, he printed the book of his homiletics “Gam Ele Divrei David” in Leningrad.
Two pages, 27.5 cm. Good-fair condition, wear damage to paper folds.
