“El Harei HaMor Gva’ot HaLevona” – Appeal to the generous public to support the Lublin congregation experiencing difficulty and distress due to the war between Sweden and Poland. Lublin, [1708].
Sheet of paper, impressive calligraphic writing in Ashkenazi handwriting. Appeal to generous public in various places, written in poetic style. Opens with words of praise for the Lublin congregation “Large and important Jewish city since the day of its establishment… from where teaching of Torah has spread to all of Israel… “, followed by lengthy detailing of hardships which the congregation underwent as a result of the war: captivity, massacre and plundering, burden of heavy taxes and debts of the congregation which resulted in a difficult financial situation.
“If we were to spend all the days writing it would not suffice to describe all the trouble and distress… the destruction of our homeland and the unusual deaths… and therefore we must do all that is within our power to bury the martyrs who gave up their lives… the debtors … to take our lives…”. As well, the community’s decision to send out two people to raise funds for the congregation is mentioned. The two people chosen were Rabbi Feivel son of Rabbi Yosef Av Beit Din of Shidlovtza, and Rabbi Leib son of Rabbi Ya’akov of Nikolsburg.
On reverse side of leaf three copies of letters of recommendation in favor of the Lublin community (in same handwriting), by the Ga’on Rabbi Naftali Katz Av Beit Din of Frankfurt am Main [author of "Semichat Chachamim], the Ga’on Rabbi Tzvi Ashkenazi Av Beit Din of Amsterdam [the "Chacham Tzvi"], and the Ga’on Rabbi Gavriel [Eskeles] Av Beit Din of Nikolsburg.
Exceptionally unique historical document relating the history of the Lublin community during the early 18th century.
21 cm. Good-fair condition. Folding marks, reinforced with scotch tape. Ownership notations.

“Tiferet Gedula Ve’ateret Yeshu’a”, handwritten greeting leaf, sent to “the honorable and famous philanthropist Dr. Robinson of Vienna”. From the “elderly Rabbi Yehoshua Krohn descendent of the Shach”, Rabbi in Borshchov, Galicia.
Ink upon paper, scribe writing. Blessings and words of praise to the philanthropist Dr. Robinson of the Vienna congregation. Upper section of leaf contains fine calligraphic writing in red, green and golden ink: “Mazal, blessing, abundance and success”.
Reverse side of leaf contains lengthy letter in foreign language, handwritten and signed by Rabbi Krohn, to Dr. Robinson.
34 cm. Good condition, folding marks and wear. Holes from ink in letters.

A letter given to Emissary Rabbi Yehuda Nechmad, signed by Torah scholars and rabbis of Tiberias. Tiberias, 1831. On reverse side of leaf is a letter of appointment of Rabbi Avraham Entebbe, signed by Rabbi Yehuda Nechmad, with a handwritten and signed addition by Rabbi Chaim Nissim Abulafia. Damascus, [1831?].
Rabbi Yehuda Nechmad was sent as an emissary to Syria and Aleppo. The Tiberias scholars equipped him with a letter describing the hard-pressed state of the city's Jewish population due severe drought: "Because of our sins, during this leap year there was anger and fury and distress because G-d did not send rain to the land… to bring forth bread from the earth… and the famine is severe in this land… The poor, orphans and widows and some of the Torah scholars are cheerless and hungry and there are over 100 people that do not have bread to eat, babies ask for bread and nobody provides them…". Signed by: Rabbi Eliezer Ebn Denan, Rabbi Chaim Duweck HaCohen, Rabbi Shlomo Alfasi, Rabbi Shmuel Bachar Alkalai, Rabbi Moshe Ben Simchon, Rabbi Ya'akov Toledano and Rabbi Tzion Bonan.
Due to old age and illness, Rabbi Yehuda Nechmad was not able to continue his mission and go from Damascus to Allepo. Therefore, he appointed Rabbi Avraham Antebi, in writing, together with Rabbi Matlov Menashe Sithon and Rabbi Yitzchak Shalom. At the end of the writ of appointment, Rabbi Chaim Nissim Abulafia who was then in Damascus added a number of lines in honor of Rabbi Yehuda Nechmad who served under him in the Tiberias rabbinate [Rabbi Chaim Abulafia, 1795-1861. Rabbi of Tiberias, in 1856 he was crowned the "Rishon L'Tzion" in Jerusalem].
Rabbi Yehuda Nechmad (died 1847, Otzar HaRabbanim 7031), a leading Tiberias rabbi, member of the beit din of Rabbi Chaim Nissim Abulafia, left as an emissary of the city of Tiberias in 1803 to Morocco. 30 years later, he left to fulfill the mission detailed above [this mission was unknown to Avraham Ya'ari and is not listed in his book "Sheluchei Eretz Yisrael" – see attached material].
One leaf. 30 cm. Fair condition, two coarse tears in leaf center with damage to text, stains and wear.
An expert's authorization is attached.

Emissary letter by congregation of Safed, to emissary Rabbi Ya’akov Chayun. Safed, [1876].
Scholars of Safed signed on the letter: Rabbi Shmuel Abu[?], Rabbi Ya’akov HaCohen, Rabbi David Edra’i, Rabbi Mordechai Maman, Rabbi Aharon Karasenti, Rabbi Moshe HaCohen, and the "Chacham Bashi" Rabbi Yosef Yehuda Chakim – Chief Rabbi of Safed. [For additional information regarding Rabbi Ya’akov Chayun and his journey to Arabia and India see: Ya’ari, Emissaries of Eretz Israel, p. 678].
Approx. 28 cm. Fair-poor condition, stains and coarse tears.
Authorization of expert attached.