A letter signed by R. Shmuel Salant, Jerusalem, 1891
Sent to the Austro-Hungarian Consul, in response to his request for information regarding a dispute between Dr. Popilos and his mechutan R. Yosef Nissim Burla [Ra'avad of the Jerusalem Sephardic community] over jewelry and dowry-money. The letter contains a practical solution that the dowry jewelry be deposited to a trustee for a year, or less to see if "it it shows that the couple lives in true peace…".
Rabbi Shmuel Salant (1816-1909) was born in Lithuania and at a young age was already known as a prodigy. At the age of seven [!], he went to study at Lithuanian Torah centers and at the age of 14 received a letter from his teacher R. Abele Posveller Raa'vad of Vilna concerning a complex question which arose while arranging a divorce. This document unmistakably proves the extent to which his teacher considered him an outstanding Torah scholar and relied on his rulings. In his youth, he studied Torah in the town of Salant and R. Yisrael Salant [founder of Musar movement] was his study partner. After he married the daughter of the R. Yosef Zundel of Salant, he immigrated to Eretz Israel in 1841, to serve as posek and rabbi of the "Perushim", disciples of the Vilna Gaon, living in Jerusalem. He served in the Jerusalem rabbinate for almost seventy years, established educational and charity institutes in the city, founded a Beit Din and worked to strengthen the Ashkenazi community. Known for his genius and practical approach to Halachic rulings and for his management of public affairs in Jerusalem as well as all over the world.
Leaf, 27 cm. Handwritten by a scribe; hand-signed and stamped by R. Shmuel Salant. Good condition. Folding marks.

Collection of papers and letters from the archive of R. Shmuel Salant, Rabbi of Jerusalem. Contains halachic letters which he received from various countries. [c. 1845-1910].
· Letter (in English) from Yosef Sabag Montefiore. London, 1892. · Letter of responsa on the laws of Even HaEzer, by R. Avraham Goldzweig of Warsaw. Jerusalem, 1845. · Letter with a query regarding the laws of names for drawing up a get, by R. Ya'akov Sofer, an emissary of the Vehran community. Casablanca, Morocco, 1894. · Letter with halachic query, in the name of R. Saliman the Chazan (cantor), regarding covering one's head with a knitted kipah (skullcap) with net-like holes. [Bombay, c. 1890s-1900s]. On the verso is an inscription in Latin letters of the address for sending the response to R. Solomon Joseph [who was a chazan and shochet in Bombay at that time]. · Draft of a halachic ruling regarding the laws of rights of possession of courtyards [among family members and residents, Ashkenazim and Sephardim]. · Accounts and lists related to debentures and bills placed for safekeeping in the custody of R. S. Salant. · More letters and various printed and handwritten paper items.
16 items. Size and condition vary.

Two long interesting letters, to the dayanim and heads of the Perushim community in Jerusalem, written and signed (signatures crossed out in pen) by the convert "Mordechai Yehoshua watchmaker in Jerusalem", Jerusalem, Kislev 1851.
One letter was sent to the "Dayanim R. Yitzchak Yosef and R. Shmuel [Salant] and R. Binyamin David [of Vilna] and to R. Aryeh [Ne'eman]". The other was sent to R. David [Yellin] of Lomza, with threats of the steps he will take if they do not respond to his first letter to the Beit Din.
He requests that the Beit Din order those who spread rumors slandering him and his family to appear in court and also publicize in the Batei Midrash that their vilification should cease. He writes: "…I have not swerved from the path of faith and from the right track, I am the one who maintains religion…while other Jews are careful about the teachings of the rabbis…I have no evil and no wrong can be found in my home… because I am a servant of G-d…". In the second letter, he writes about the rumors about him and his wife accusing them of adultery and other allegations. He claims that the community heads intentionally harass him so that he should not receive the Halukka and he protests the suspicion and aloofness of the community rabbis. (He mentions the rabbi who came to his home to perform a circumcision and brought all his dishes with him because he did not trust the kashrut in his kitchen). He describes his greatness in Torah and fear of Heaven and mentions his study of the Talmud and Tosfot and commentaries for one and a half years under the tutelage of R. Hillel Rivlin [disciple of the Vilna Gaon], together with R. Hillel's grandson R. Yosef Rivlin and writes that after R. Meir immigrated to Jerusalem [presumably, R. Meir Ragoler, grandson of R. Avraham, the Vilna Gaon's brother who moved to Jerusalem in 1836, or possibly R. Meir Shenbaum, one of the founders of Batei Machseh who moved to Jerusalem at the end of the 1830s] he studied in his Beit Midrash, together with R. Yonah Pressburger [R. Yonah Lebel-Mendelson, disciple of the Chatam Sofer].
The writer of the letters is the watchmaker Mordechai Yehoshua Hilpern (his Christian name was Thomas Murad Hilpern), who moved to Jerusalem from Białystok in ca. 1834. Initially, he was a Torah scholar but ultimately he went as far as to convert to Christianity with his entire family. He was
very wealthy owning an exclusive shop in the Muristan marketplace in the city selling watches, jewelry and precious stones. His wife, Feigele who converted with him, used to say that she was a "forced convert" and took pride that she continued adhering to the laws of kashrut and kindling Shabbat candles. See article by C. M. Michlin on the Jerusalem Mission, in Grayevsky's book, Milchemet HaYehudim B'Misyon, Jerusalem, 1835, pp. 8-9. In other articles in that same book (pp. 27 and 31), he is described as one who enticed others to convert to Christianity in c. 1853. From the content of this letter, it seems that in 1851 he did not yet convert and he was still attempting to clear his name and to receive Halukka funds for treating his sick sister. He also expressed worry about finding a match for his elder sister. This letter can perhaps give a peek into the hidden reasons behind the conversion of such a person, who was a respected wealthy member of the Jewish community [unlike most of the Jewish converts in Jerusalem at that time who were impoverished and socially dependent on the mission institutes].
"The testament of Murad the watchmaker" has been printed in the book "Jews in the Muslim Courts - the 19th century". (Jerusalem 2003), in the chapter "Converts and the missionaries", Certificate 58, pp. 125-129: Ottoman certificate (translated) regarding the estate of "Murad the watchmaker" who died in August 1888, containing many details of his family and his abundant possessions.
2 letters, 4 pages. 20.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Wear and minor tears.

Two printed booklets of regulations and contracts for purchase of plots in the new Jerusalem neighborhoods outside the walls. Completed and signed by hand. Jerusalem, 1889-1909.
1. The Sha'arei Chesed society for construction of houses in Jerusalem. Printed booklet, with the society's objectives and regulations. Jerusalem, Sivan 1909. [Lowy & Partners printing press].
This booklet was published in honor of the construction of the Sha'arei Chesed neighborhood that same year. On the last leaf, following the regulations of the society is a printed "membership certificate" completed by hand with the name of the member R. Alter Menachem Mendel Mendelson. The certificate is signed by the gabaim and managers of the society including leading Jerusalem rabbis: the signature of R. Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, signatures of R. Eliyahu Romm, R. Aryeh Leib Bahararad, R. Avraham Aharon HaLevi Prague, R. Yechiel Michel Tikochinsky, and others.
[13] printed pages + one handwritten page. 21 cm. Good condition. Worn, detached binding.
2. Schaar Hapinah [Sha'ar HaPinah], booklet of regulations with pages for recording payments, in Hebrew and German. "Book of regulations and manner of construction and payment for the thirty houses name Sha'ar HaPinah… by Liebrecht & Lapin". Jerusalem, 1889. The pages for plot no. 19 [of 30] of the Sha'ar HaPinah neighborhood are filled in by hand, with many signatures of Mr. Shmuel Leib Kanetovsky who purchased the plot, and of the company representative R. Meir Shimon Liebrecht.
16, [12] pages. 17 cm. Good condition. Wear. Worn binding.
S. HaLevi, no. 686.