Letters and manuscripts from the archive of Rabbi Zelig Reuven Bengis Ga'avad of Jerusalem, and an accounting book in his handwriting (with various accounts of charity money and deposits). * A letter he wrote to his wife while travelling from Jerusalem to Lithuania. Kalvarija, Shvat 1939. * Another letter in his handwriting and with his signature. * Various letters sent to him and to his family, some contain words of Torah.
Rabbi Zelig Reuven Bengis (1867-1953), a leading Torah scholar in his generation, student of the Volozhin Yeshiva where he was known as an exceptional genius and his teacher, the Netziv of Volozhin called him "a living Talmud". Rabbi and Av Beit Din of Boćki, Smolensk and Kalvarija. Ascended to Eretz Israel in 1938 and served as rabbi of the Eda HaCharedit in Jerusalem. Wrote L'Flagot Reuven.
8 items. Varied size and condition. Overall good condition.

A collection of letters by rabbis concerning enlistment to the IDF in answer to a question posed by a youth whose heart was drawn to Torah study. Israel, 2000.
The letters were sent to a religious youth who concluded his high school studies and was deliberating whether to postpone his enlistment to the IDF and continue his studies in a Yeshiva of higher learning or whether he has a religious obligation to serve in the army.
Among the rabbis who answer this question: the Rishon L'Zion Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu [on the letter with the query: "Whoever can study in a Yeshiva of higher learning shall be blessed…"], Rabbi Shlomi Aviner ["The State of Israel needs people who farm and people who carry arms… Whoever wishes to study Torah is doing chesed with the Jewish nation…afterward he will go to the army…"], Rabbi Dov Lior ["A weighty question… We do not have many young men who can dedicate the best of their youthful years to advance in Torah learning… therefore I conclude that he should study a few years…"], Rabbi Moshe Butzako – Head of the Heichal Eliyahu Yeshiva ["Before the chain of Hesder Yeshivot opened…I demanded that they establish the Hesder Yeshivot which…are a Torah obligation…a supreme command and a foremost mitzvah…"]. More letters by Rabbi She'ar Yashuv Cohen, Rabbi of Haifa, Rabbi Nachum Eliezer Rabinowitz – head of Ma'ale Adumim Yeshiva, Rabbi Chaim Katz, head of Yeshivat HaKotel, Rabbi Amnon Sugarman, head of HaGolan Yeshiva and a letter from the office of the Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau. Some of the rabbis enclosed articles on the subject of enlistment to the IDF with their letter.
10 letters + enclosed material. Varying size. Good condition.

A sales bill of a courtyard [called Der al Tufacha in Arabic] to the heads of the Ashkenazi Kollel [Kollel Perushim]. Jerusalem, 1836.
Signed by: "Avraham ben Rabbi Y.Z. Ashkenazi", Rabbi Avraham of Khislavichi (a gabai of Kollel Perushim in Safed and Jerusalem), and Moshe Yitzchak ben Rabbi Bezalel HaCohen".
On the reverse side of the leaf: "A bill of sale of the courtyard of the Kollel… and it belongs to our Kollel by G-d's goodness in favor of the needy of our Kollel Perushim in 1836, by Aryeh Ne'eman".
This certificate was publicized by Pinchas Grievsky, Zichron L'Chovivim HaRishonim, Booklet 10, Jerusalem 1928, pp. 17-19.
Height; 24 cm. Width: 35 cm. Good condition, few stains. Folding marks.

Letter in handwriting and with a signature of the Ga’on Rabbi Tanchum of congregation of Sudargas to his friend from youth the Ga’on Rabbi Shmuel Salant. [Vilnius?, c. 1858].
In the letter Rabbi Yosef Tanchum relates the rabbinical position offered to Rabbi Yisrael of Salant, among community leaders of Białystok (unknown from any other source), and portrays his friends from youth: “… the righteous Ga’on Rabbi Yisrael Salanter is still in Kovno; the community of Białystok eagerly awaits him; he is not yet well and has traveled to bathe in the sea of Kartinda, may G-d send him a speedy recovery. Rabbi Yechiel Heller resided in Flongian and left Sovalk. [On the 18th of Tamuz 1858 Rabbi Yechiel Heller author of Amudei Or resigned from the Sovalk rabbinate and traveled to Flongian – for additional information see Our Rabbis of the Diaspora, II, pp. 231-232]. Ga’on Rabbi Naftali Shater passed away and was eulogized by all. [Rabbi Naftali of Shat son of Rabbi Ephraim, Av Beit Din of Shat adjacent to Kaidan, among Torah giants of Lithuania, disciple of Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin. His approbations were printed in various books (from the 1830’s). Enthusiastically cited in books of his contemporary rabbis, who refer to him as “the sage has already instructed”].
Later in the letter he presents Divrei Torah which includes his responses to contemporary enlightenists who ridiculed authenticity and holiness of sayings of the Sages. At end of letter he relates blessings of welfare to Rabbi Yosef Zundel Salant, father-in-law of Rabbi Shmuel.
Ga’on Rabbi Yosef Tanchum (Termus) son of Rabbi David of Antkalia, among leading Torah scholars of Lithuania, proofread many books which were printed in printing presses of the Rom family in Vilnius, and is mentioned in preface of the Natziv to his book Ha’amek She’ela (thanking him for his assistance in clarifying correct commentaries and versions in Sefer HaShe’iltot) as well as in introduction to the books Keren Ora and more. His glosses for Chidushei HaRitva on laws of vows were printed in the Vilnius printing press in 1843. His comments on laws of Bechorot [firstborns] with Maharit Algazi, were printed in the Vilnius printing press in 1866.
The Ga’on Rabbi Yehuda Abelson writes in reference to glosses of Rabbi Yosef Tanchum on Seder Taharot: “Although the proofreader, Rabbi Yosef Tanchum son of Rabbi David is as proficient in Shas and Rishonim as one of the leading contemporary rabbis, since his oppressors degrade him it was impossible for him to revise and correct the entire book” (Sefer Zichron Yehuda, Vilnius 1851, introduction to Chidushei Rabbi Betzalel HaKohen. Presented in Binyan Shlomo responsa, Jerusalem, 1992, section II, Siman 14).
21.5 cm. Good condition.