Letter by Rabbi Shabtai Sheftil HaLevi Av Beit Din of Setshin, to Rabbi Shlomo Rosenthal (Mahr) of Pest. Setshin, 1836.
Handwritten letter signed "Shabtai Sheftil son of the rabbi of Setshin", in which Rabbi Shabtai Sheftil requests that Rabbi Shlomo use his contacts and influence to assist him in securing a rabbinic position after leaving the Setshin Rabbinate. Much of the letter consists of a Jewish philosophical discussion. "ג€¦and this is the defective opinion of Spinozaג€¦ to which the answer isג€¦ and indeed in regard to the question by the Chacham Kant on the Rambamn [Moshe Mendelson] I saidג€¦".
Rabbi Shabtai Sheftil Ha'Levi Margaliot (Encyclopedia L'Chachmei Galicia, Volume 3, page 948; Ishim B'Tshuvot HaChatam Sofer, page 364), son of Rabbi Gershon of Ternopol, was a prominent disciple of Rabbi Yehoshua Heshel Av Beit Din of Ternopol author of "Sefer Yehoshua". He served as Av Beit Din of Keszthely from 1828, left due to a dispute with members of his congregation thereafter appointed Rabbi of Setshin. In Setshin as well, congregants made his life miserable and in his distress he turned to Rabbi Shlomo Rosenthal (see attached material). As indicated by this letter, Rabbi Shabtai Sheftil was forced to leave the Setshin Rabbinate: "Because I greatly lack livelihood, nevertheless, I thank the Almighty for ridding me of these evil people.."..
The recipient of the letter, Rabbi Shlomo Rosenthal-Mahr of Pest, rabbi and public askan, one of the most influential leaders of Hungary in those days, corresponded with many Torah leaders of his generation. On reverse side of letter, two lines were written by someone else: "Rabbi Sheftil grasped the fundamentals of religion and did not know the difference between right and left".
[3] pages, 24 cm. Good condition. Tear to third page [with slight damage to text] in place of the wax stamp. Folding marks. On back page an address in a foreign language and in Hebrew and a wax stamp of Rabbi Shabtai.

Manuscript, "Farheltunges Regeln der Shuhlehrer" - method of teaching youngsters, handwritten and signed by Chief Rabbi Avraham Friedman, Carlsberg, 1847.
Rabbi Avraham Friedman, (died 1879), served in the 1730s as rabbi of the Shimanda community near to Arad. He was influenced by the Reform and tended to be lenient with prohibitions. In 1834, the "Chatam Sofer" sent him a responsum not to permit a yevama to marry illegally (Chatam Sofer responsa Even HaEzer Volume 2 Siman 82). In this responsum, he addresses him respectfully ("my friend", "outstanding in Torah knowledge") yet on the other hand, he attacks him sharply. In 1845, he was chosen with government support as Rabbi of Carlsberg and General Rabbi of Transylvania, but most of the Charedi rabbis of the country did not cooperate with him. Under his influence, the Carlsberg community became a status-quo community [not orthodox and not reform]. After his death, the institute of "General Rabbi" was discontinued in Transylvania. See: Ishim B'Tshuvot Chatam Sofer, page 29; Chachmei Transylvania pater 189-190.
Leaf 50 cm. written on both sides. Fair condition, mildew stains and restored damages with paper filling.

Document of sale of a lot, signed by the sellers, witnesses and with the signature of the Rabbi of the city "Yitzchak Av Beit Din of the Community and its surroundings". Bacֳ¡u (Romania), Tevet 1857.
Leaf 39 cm., written on both sides. Good-fair condition, stains and creases, wear to margins of leaf.