Lot 343
Letter by the Ridvaz – Regarding the Polemic of Kollel America and the Vaad HaKlali – Jerusalem, 1909
Autograph letter signed by R. "Yaakov David Ridvaz". [Jerusalem], Sivan 1909.
Written to "My brothers and friends who live in the US and in Canada" – Call for keeping the agreement between the Vaad HaKlali and Kollel America regarding their fundraising campaigns. The Ridvaz writes of the importance of saving the campaigns of the Vaad HaKlali which lends assistance to 30,000 souls "in many ways which cannot be detailed on paper, and they cannot exist without the support of the Vaad HaKlali".
R. Yaakov David Wilovsky, the Ridvaz (1845-1913), Rabbi of Slutzk, served at that time as Rabbi in Safed and at the time this letter was written, he was visiting Jerusalem in the framework of his struggles promoting the observance of shemita laws (before the shemita year of 1910) as he himself recounts in the beginning of the letter: "At the time I was summoned to the holy city of Jerusalem, regarding the forthcoming year of shemita and am currently here in the holy city and have heard the disputes regarding the compromise reached in [Kollel] America concerning fundraising… Heaven forbid changing even the tiniest part of the first compromise…".
The founding of Kollel America in 1896 roused many trenchant disputes in Jerusalem instigated by the old-time heads of the kollelim, who were concerned lest the new kollel cause the downfall of the Vaad HaKlali, whose income was primarily dependent on American donations. That year, R. Shmuel Salant published an open letter sent all over the Diaspora, in which he announced that "the obliteration of the Vaad HaKlali is the obliteration of the entire Yishuv". He was joined by various heads of kollelim who also opposed the new kollel. Conversely, the Maharil Diskin supported the establishment of the kollel intended to support American needy families who immigrated to Eretz Israel. At the end of 1897, the Maharil Diskin published a letter in which he wrote, "Kollel America was established with my approval". In 1901, both sides reached an agreement regarding the fundraising rules and the manner of distributing the charity boxes in America, which finally brought the abovementioned controversy to its conclusion. This letter attests that even after the passing of years, this agreement still required reinforcement confronting those who wished to change some of its terms.
Leaf, 30 cm. Approximately 13 handwritten lines. Good condition. Light stains. Minor tears to margins.
