Large collection of letters, manuscripts and documents, from the archive of Rabbi Yehosef Gedalya Ralbag and his family: · Letter of semicha to his father Rabbi Menachem Isaac Ralbag, signed by Jerusalem rabbis (Rabbi Menachem Natan Auerbach, Rabbi Shimshon Aharon Polansky, Rabbi Yechiel Michel Horwitz, etc.). · Travel certificates to the USA from 1925; a notary document, signed by Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook, Chief Rabbi of Eretz Israel (English). · Interesting letters by Rabbi Menachem Isaac Ralbag and his brother Rabbi Aryeh Leib Ralbag from the US, to their relative Rabbi Aryeh Levine in Jerusalem. · Letters from their uncle Rabbi Mordechai Ralbag from Jerusalem [1920s]. · Copies of letters and various lists related to their ancestor Rabbi Eliezer Dan Ralbag. · Letter handwritten and signed by Rabbi Zvi Pesach Frank. · Letter by Rabbi Chaim Hirshson. · Long letter by Rabbi Ya'akov Shapira, head of the Volozhin Yeshiva in Lithuania. · Printing plates (wood and metal) of letters by Rabbi Zvi Pesach Frank and Rabbi Yisrael Yitzchak HaLevi Reisman. · Letter by Rabbi Dov Sokolovsky. · More. · Sermon for bar-mitzvah, (5 leaves) on stationery of the Kashruth Association of Jamaica, [c. 1939]. · Many sermons and Torah thoughts. · Many letters by Rabbi Yehosef Gedalya Ralbag [some letters written to the Lubavitcher Rebbe and other Chabad rebbes]. · Letters from various communities in Eretz Israel and the Diaspora to Rabbi Ralbag. · Signed receipts, proclamations and copies of letters, various papers. Rabbi Yehosef Gedalya Ralbag (1927-1994) was born in the US, son of Rabbi Menachem Isaac Ralbag (grandson of the Ra'avad of Jerusalem, Rabbi Chaim Ya'akov Shapira), who traveled from Jerusalem to the US in 1925 as an emissary of the Eretz Israel Chief Rabbinate and served for decades as a rabbi in the US. In 1952, Rabbi Yehosef Gedalya married Rebbetzin Sima from the Slonim family in Jerusalem. He studied at the kollel of Rabbi Aryeh Levine, the “Jerusalem Tsaddik”. In 1961, he was appointed rabbi of the government hospitals and in 1970 Rabbi of the Kiryat Yovel neighborhood in Jerusalem. He served as chairman of the Chabad educational institutes in Jerusalem, was a prominent Chabad rabbi in Eretz Israel and one of the heads of the Chabad batei din in Israel. Approximately 70 items, more than 100 leaves, size and condition vary.

Letter (unsigned) in the handwriting of Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook calling to join the Tiferet Bachurim Society in Jerusalem. [C. 1920s-1930s]. The Tiferet Bachurim Society in Jerusalem was founded in 1925 by the Rabbi of Gomel, Rabbi Avraham Elyashiv (1878-1943), who immigrated to Jerusalem together with his father-in-law author of the Leshem. The objective of the society was to gather tradesmen and craftsmen in Jerusalem for Torah studies, discourses and lessons in religious observance. Rabbi Avraham's illustrious father-in-law Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv, author of the Leshem and his disciple Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook, the Chief Rabbi of Eretz Israel, encouraged and supported this enterprise. The relationship between Rabbi Kook and Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv, author of the Leshem and his son-in-law Rabbi Avraham began in their days in Lithuania at the time Rabbi Kook studied Kabbalah from the Leshem. In 1904, Rabbi Kook [who then served as Av Beit Din of Bauska] ordained Rabbi Avraham with Semichat Chachamim [see Lot 293]. In the 1920s, Rabbi Kook obtained an immigration certificate for the Leshem and his family and when they arrived in Jerusalem, Rabbi Kook came many times to bask in the Leshem's greatness and the Leshem in turn honored Rabbi Kook greatly. From this document, we can learn that Rabbi Kook, too, supported the establishment of Tiferet Bachurim headed by Rabbi Avraham Elyashiv, the Rabbi of Gomel. Leaf, 11X16.5 cm. Approximately 11 handwritten lines. Good condition.

Letter handwritten and signed by Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer. Jerusalem, Tevet 1935. Sent to Rabbi Isser Yehuda Unterman, who at that time served as Av Beit Din of Liverpool (England) expressing gratitude for his participation in the expenses of the printing of his book Even HaEzel and his apology that he did not reply to his letter earlier: "Recently, many worries have sprung upon me, and the writing of very important letters are postponed from day to day. And in the meantime, your cherished letter with Torah novellae has arrived and I thought to study them thoroughly and see what to write about them but that too was postponed until now and right now I do not remember where I laid your valued letter and I can already see that it is too late…”. Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer (1870-1954), author of Even HaEzel, disciple of Rabbi Chaim of Brisk at the Volozhin Yeshiva, Av Beit Din and head of the Slutsk Yeshiva immigrated to Jerusalem in 1924 and was appointed head teacher in the Etz Chaim Yeshiva. One of the heads of Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah. Father in law of Rabbi Aharon Kotler, head of the Kleck and Lakewood Yeshivas. Official stationery, 28 cm. Good condition, creases, folding marks and light wear.

Granted to the young man "Exceptional in Torah and fear of G-d Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Miller, son of my friend Rabbi of Petroşani." Rabbi Ben Zion Weisel (1864-1938 Otzar HaRabbanim 3913), was Av Beit Din of Brasov. In 1898, he succeeded his father as Av Beit Din of Turda. A foremost rabbi in his generation and head of the Orthodox Office of Transylvanian Rabbis, he utilized his wisdom and personality to protect the needs of the orthodox community. (His son-in-law and successor was Rabbi Yosef Adler “The Turda Gaon”). The semicha was granted to Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Miller (1904-1996), son of Rabbi Asher Anshel Yehuda Miller (1880-1961), Av Beit Din of Petroşani in Transylvania. Renowned from a young age as an outstanding prodigy, his Torah novellae were featured in Torah publications of his time. Before the Holocaust he served in the Deva rabbinate and after WWII he served in the Temesvár rabbinate. He immigrated to Israel in the 1950s and served in the rabbinate of Kiryat Binyamin and in Kiryat Ata. Leaf, 21 cm. Approximately 14 handwritten lines. Fair condition, wear, tears and gluing.