Auction 86 - Part I - Rare & Important Items
- (-) Remove manuscript filter manuscript
- manuscripts, (39) Apply manuscripts, filter
- and (30) Apply and filter
- letter (30) Apply letter filter
- signatur (30) Apply signatur filter
- rabbi (25) Apply rabbi filter
- italian (13) Apply italian filter
- sephardi (13) Apply sephardi filter
- ashkenazi (12) Apply ashkenazi filter
- illustr (9) Apply illustr filter
- on (9) Apply on filter
- parchment (9) Apply parchment filter
- chassidut (5) Apply chassidut filter
![Manuscript, prayers for the cemetery. [Italy, ca. late 18th or early 19th century].
Pocket size. Square and semi-cursive It](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale86a/55.jpg "Manuscript – Prayers for the Cemetery – Italy, 18th/19th Century")
Pocket size. Square and semi-cursive Italian script, mostly vocalized (headings and instructions non-vocalized).
The manuscript begins with the blessing recited upon entering the cemetery – Asher Yatzar Etchem BaDin. The manuscript also comprises: Seder Tziduk HaDin, Hakafot SheOmrim LeIsh, prayer recited when accompanying the dead to the grave, and the long Kaddish (customarily recited after burial).
[15] leaves. Approx. 10 cm. Thick, high-quality paper. Good condition. Stains. Original leather binding, slightly damaged.
The groom, R. Refael Berdugo, already served at that time as chief rabbi of the city, and this is a late remarriage (third or fourth marriage; R. Refael reputedly endured much sorrow in his life, including the death of three wives).
In accordance with the custom of Moroccan Jewry, the ketubah includes "Yachas HaKetubah" (see Hebrew sidebar), listing the lineage of the groom and bride, up to their shared ancestor R. Yosef Berdugo: "…R. Refael son of… R. Mordechai son of… R. Yosef Berdugo… the bride daughter of… R. Yehuda son of… R. Shlomo son of… R. Yehuda son of… R. Yosef Berdugo".
Additional Tena'im (in smaller characters, torn and lacking) at the foot of the ketubah, after the witnesses' signatures.
The groom – R. Refael Berdugo (1746-1822) was a leading Moroccan Torah scholar of all times. His exceptional holiness earned him the name "HaMalach Refael" (see Malchei Rabbanan, pp. 106b-107a). He was the son and disciple of HaRav HaMarbitz, R. Mordechai son of R. Yosef Berdugo (1715-1762), who served as rabbi of Meknes, yeshiva dean and Torah disseminator. His mother was the daughter of HaRav HaMashbir – R. Moshe son of R. Avraham Berdugo (1679-1731), the yeshiva dean and head of the Beit Din in Meknes (prime teacher of his son-in-law and relative HaRav HaMarbitz, father of HaMalach Refael). R. Refael also studied Torah from his eldest brother R. Yekutiel Berdugo, who was a leading Torah scholar in the city.
R. Refael was renowned for his tremendous brilliance and authority. His Torah novellae stand out for their originality and innovativeness. Many Torah scholars in his generation did not always agree to his innovative ways, yet his opinion was nevertheless conclusive, and his authority recognized as supreme – all Moroccan rabbis turned to him for halachic rulings. His nephew, R. Yaakov son of R. Yekutiel Berdugo, writes about him in a responsum: "…and in particular my uncle, who is a great tree to lean on… even in his lifetime all the Torah scholars of the generation obeyed him as Moshe in the name of G-d" (Responsa Shufreih DeYaakov, section 26). Many books of his teachings were published: Responsa Mishpatim Yesharim, Torot Emet on Shulchan Aruch, and homiletic works on the Torah and Aggadot (some of which were printed in very limited editions).
The bride was the daughter of R. Yehuda Berdugo, grandson of R. Yehuda Berdugo (1690-1744), author of Mayim Amukim, great-uncle of the groom and close disciple of their relative HaRav HaMashbir.
The first signatory: R. Shmuel Benouaich (1738-1818), a holy man, leading rabbi and dayan in Meknes, and a dean in the city. Wondrous accounts about him are related in Malchei Rabbanan (pp. 121a-b), including the story of how he chased a lion out of the city, with the power of his holiness.
The second signatory: R. Moshe Benchlouch, dayan and scribe in Meknes (see Malchei Rabbanan, p. 90b). His signature appears on responsa and Beit Din rulings from ca. 1790s-1810s, published in Responsa Avnei Shayish by R. Shaul Yeshuah Abotbol.
[1] leaf. Approx. 21X15.5 cm. Fair condition. Stains and wear. Tears and open tears, affecting text. The ketubah was restored and mounted on paper. Inscriptions.
Manuscript, Chupat Chatanim – Pinkas Zechirat HaKetubot handwritten by R. Refael ibn Tzur Rabbi of Fez, documenting close to 300 marriage ketubot scribed by the Beit Din. Fez (Morocco), Tishrei 1859 to Adar 1869.
Neat cursive Sephardic script; two columns per page. From the changes in the writing and ink color, it is obvious that the manuscript was written over the years. Heading at the top of the pages: "Chupat Chatanim". On some leaves, blessings were added in the heading or chronogram.
The present manuscript was seen by R. Yosef Benaim, who quotes it once in his book Malchei Rabbanan (Jerusalem, 1931, p. 30a, entry on R. Chaim Yamin HaKohen) as "R. R. ibn Tzur in Zechirat HaKetubot". To the best of our knowledge, this work has not been published (apart from the quote in Malchei Rabbanan).
The manuscript documents (often in poetic terms) all the marriage ketubot scribed by the Beit Din in Fez in the given period (all ketubot and contracts in Morocco were written by the Beit Din scribes, in accordance with early regulations of the Moroccan Jewish communities). It therefore serves as a rich source of information on the history and customs of the Fez community, its families and rabbis.
The main significance of this manuscript is its function as a Book of Lineage for Moroccan Jewish families (see sidebar on Zechirat HaKetubot by Fez rabbis). The records include the names of the grooms and brides, their fathers and lineage generations back (see also previous item). The names of the witnesses are also documented. In most of the recorded ketubot, R. Refael himself served as one of the two witnesses, as he writes: "Witnesses… and myself, Refael ibn Tzur".
The records also include other information from ketubot: the amounts of the dowry and of the basic and additional ketubah monies; blessings for the couple (usually in poetic terms); and various details about the couple and marital agreements (primarily in second marriages, which involve more complex monetary arrangements, such as alimony for children from previous marriages – see Hebrew sidebar on marital agreements and rules of conduct appearing in ketubot). The manuscript documents many cases of a man remarrying his divorcee, Ketubah DeIrkasa (replacement ketubah), polygyny (practice which was still prevalent in Morocco, unlike Ashkenazic communities who accepted the ban of Rabbenu Gershom), levirate marriages and the marriage of orphans betrothed as minors.
The manuscript includes various mentions of regulations instituted by "Rabbotenu HaMegorashim" – prominent Torah scholars from the first generation of Spanish exiles, who settled in Morocco and particularly in Fez. These Torah leaders served as dayanim in Moroccan cities, and instituted various regulations pertaining to marital and monetary matters, following the customs of Spanish Jewry.
One of the entries, which records the marriage of a woman from Sefrou with a man from Fez, highlights the differences between the customs of various Moroccan communities. The record mentions agreements made before the wedding, such as the condition that the wedding would take place in Sefrou. The woman ultimately waived this requirement and the wedding was held in Fez, though it was stipulated that the couple would return to live in Sefrou, and that any monetary matters would be settled according to the regulations instituted in Sefrou by Rabbotenu HaMegorashim (Iyar 1866; p. [16]b).
R. Refael son of R. Shlomo ibn Tzur (1830-1916), rabbi of Fez. He first served as scribe in the Fez Beit Din, and was later appointed rabbi of the city. Apart from his Torah prominence, he enjoyed material wealth and owned much property. He left behind several halachic works and novellae on various topics. He was also known as a collector of books and manuscripts.
[19] written leaves (approx. 33 pages) + blank leaves. 23 cm. High-quality paper. Good-fair condition. Stains. Worming, affecting text. New binding, with leather spine.
Zechirat HaKetubot by Fez Rabbis – Books of Lineage of Moroccan Jewry
Notebooks with copyings of Ketubot by the dayanim of Moroccan Batei Din, are referred to in various sources as Zechirat HaKetubot or Mazkeret Ketubot.
These works serve as a rich source of information on the history of Moroccan Jewry, and contain detailed genealogical documentation, the likes of which do not exist in any other community. Various sources mention Zechirat HaKetubot manuscripts written by leading Moroccan rabbis, though these works have not been published.
R. Yosef Benaim in his book Malchei Rabbanan (Jerusalem, 1931), biographies of Moroccan rabbis, repeatedly quotes such record books and ketubot, including the present manuscript – see other sidebar. Likewise, in his book Responsa She'erit HaTzon (Part I, sections 96 and 122), R. Yosef Benaim quotes a Zechirat HaKetubot manuscript by R. Refael ibn Tzur (the passage he quotes was not found in the present manuscript, and it presumably appears in a different manuscript, documenting other years).
R. Refael's ancestor – R. Yaakov ibn Tzur Rabbi of Fez, known as the Yaavetz, also had a Zechirat HaKetubot notebook. It is quoted several times in Malchei Rabbanan, as well as in Pirchei Shoshanim by R. Yedidia Monsonego. R. Refael Oved ibn Tzur (son of the Yaavetz) likewise wrote a similar composition, also quoted in Malchei Rabbanan.
In the present manuscript, a composition referred to as "Sefer Yuchasin by my grandfather Geon Yaakov" is quoted repeatedly (see other sidebar), and it is presumably the Zechirat HaKetubot notebook of the Yaavetz.
Such a composition was the primary source for Igeret Yachas Fez by R. Avner Yisrael HaTzarfati, published in Fez VeChachameha (see Part I, pp. 138 and 141).
In Malchei Rabbanan, R. Yosef Benaim relates that he found genealogical records handwritten by R. Natan Memmi, who wrote that when going over an old notebook of ketubot records, he discovered and took note of the lineage of families which have vanished in the Maghreb (Malchei Rabbanan, p. 99a).
Yachas HaKetubah in the Present Manuscript
Many records in the present manuscript include Yachas HaKetubah of the groom or bride, or of both. One record includes Yachas HaKetubah listing 11 generations of the Elbaz family, ancestors of the bride, and 4 generations of the Edery family, ancestors of the groom.
In the present manuscript, R. Refael ibn Tzur occasionally abridges the Yachas HaKetubah by referring to the Yachas already listed elsewhere, in other Books of Lineage, written by him or others. In several places, he refers to the writings of "my grandfather Geon Yaakov" (presumably his ancestor R. Yaakov ibn Tzur, the Yaavetz, who served as rabbi of Fez several generations before him).
For instance, in Cheshvan 1860, there is a record of the marriage of the dayan R. Yedidia Monsonego (presumably his second marriage, in his old age). In the Yachas of the groom's family, he writes briefly and refers to the Sefer Yuchasin of his grandfather Geon Yaakov, whilst in the Yachas of the bride, he lists five generations of rabbis from the Ben Simchon family, including all the original titles of honor and praises.
The present manuscript is quoted in Malchei Rabbanan (Jerusalem, 1931, p. 30a, entry on R. Chaim Yamin HaKohen). The quoted passage is found on the final page of the present manuscript, in the middle of an entry recording a levirate marriage, listing 8 generations of the ancestors of the groom, and 6 generations of the ancestors of the bride.
See Hebrew for examples from the present manuscript.
Handwritten by the author, with deletions and emendations. The title Beit Tefillah appears at the top of the first page. Two leaves in a different hand bound at the end of the manuscript, with copyings of several piyyutim appearing in the manuscript.
The manuscript comprises many piyyutim with various acrostics of the author's name. In some cases, the acrostics are noted in the heading.
Inscription on final leaf: "This notebook of piyyutim by the great rabbi… R. David Ben Shimon…", concluding with a calligraphic signature, presumably of one of his sons.
Most of the present collection of piyyutim was printed at the end of the book Shem Chadash by his son R. Masoud Chai Ben Shimon (Egypt, 1917), under the title Shir Chadash – Shirei Tehillah, with several textual variations and omissions (primarily of the piyyut headings).
R. David son of R. Moshe Ben Shimon, author of Shaarei Tzedek (1826-1879), known as HaRav Dvash or Tzuf Dvash, was a Torah scholar in Rabat, Morocco. He immigrated to Jerusalem in 1855, where he established the Vaad HaEdah HaMaaravit (for immigrants from Maghreb, North Africa) and served as head of the Maghrebi Beit Din. He authored Shaarei Tzedek and other works. His sons were R. Refael Aharon Ben Shimon – chief rabbi of Cairo, author of Nahar Mitzrayim, and R. Masoud Chai Ben Shimon, who succeeded his brother as rabbi of Cairo after the latter's passing.
[12] leaves (approx. 15 written pages). Approx. 19 cm. Fair-poor condition. Stains. Extensive worming, with significant damage to text. Large open tears to three leaves, affecting text. Old binding, damaged.
The notebook comprises hundreds of passages on various topics, which R. Alfandari recorded during the course of his studies, with no specific order of writing or topics: halachic rulings and novellae, commentaries to verses and homiletics, references, and more. In one place, there is a lengthy responsum on the topic of one who finds money in his friend's house, addressed to Moharitz.
The contents of the notebook were not published (to the best of our knowledge).
A similar notebook was published by Machon Ahavat Shalom under the title Yakhel Shlomo Part I (Jerusalem, 2012). R. Yaakov Moshe Hillel, in his foreword there, describes the diligence of the Saba Kadisha in his unceasing Torah study, and his habit of taking notes as he learned, whether halachic responsa and novellae, or comments and commentaries on whatever topic he delved into and whichever book he studied, thereby leaving behind a wealth of Torah teachings for future generations.
The first leaves of the manuscript (pp. [2-4]) contain a copying of the beginning of the Shacharit prayer in a different hand. Inscription in Ladino on the first page in the same hand, attesting that the notebook belongs to Nissim Yitzchak Alfandari. The notebook apparently belonged to a Nissim Yitzchak Alfandari (perhaps a family member) before reaching the hands of R. Shlomo Eliezer who reused it to record his novellae.
R. Shlomo Eliezer Alfandari (ca. 1813-1930), leading Turkish rabbi. In his youth, he exchanged halachic correspondence with R. Akiva Eger (who passed away in 1837). He served as chief rabbi of Constantinople and Damascus. When he was about 100 years old, he immigrated to Eretz Israel where he served as rabbi of Safed. In his final years, he settled in Jerusalem, where he passed away close to the age of 120. During his time in Jerusalem, he refrained from taking a stance on communal matters, and remained in his home studying Halachah and Kabbalah, together with the elite holy men of Jerusalem. In his final year, the Minchat Elazar of Munkacs came to Eretz Israel specially to visit him, and they discussed kabbalistic matters together (reputedly, when the Minchat Elazar was asked about this visit, he stated in the name of the Baal Shem Tov that in each generation there is one Torah leader who is Mashiach ben Yosef, and R. Alfandari was the one of that generation. Yeshurun, XXX, p. 514). He authored Responsa of Maharsha, Responsa of the Saba Kadisha, and more.
[37] leaves written on both sides (over 70 pages handwritten by R. Shlomo Eliezer Alfandari). Approx. 21 cm. Paper of various colors: green, white and yellow. Fair-good condition. Stains. Wear and tears. Open tears, affecting text. Final two leaves torn down middle, lacking half the leaf. Original binding, torn, with significant loss.
The Ben Ish Chai explains the words of the Midrash (Vayikra Rabba 14, 7) on the verse "If a woman conceives and gives birth to a male child" (where the Midrash states: "If you observed the days of Niddah, I will give you a son whom you will circumcise at eight days of age"). The Ben Ish Chai concludes the final section with the following words, which include a blessing: " The Torah has eight levels, therefore he shall merit a son and circumcise him at eight days of age, may G-d come to our assistance, guard us and help us always".
The homilies in the present leaf were printed in his book Imrei Binah (Oseh Feleh 2:30), with textual variations.
R. Yosef Chaim of Baghdad (1833-1909), author of Ben Ish Chai and dozens of other important books. He was the son of R. Eliyahu Chaim son of R. Moshe Chaim Rabbi of Baghdad, and the disciple of R. Abdallah Somekh. He was renowned from a young age for his brilliance and righteousness. After the passing of his father in 1859, at the age of 26, he succeeded him as preacher in the Great Synagogue of Baghdad, upholding this practice every Shabbat for the next fifty years. His sermons on special occasions such as Shabbat Shuva and Shabbat Hagadol drew crowds of over four thousand people, who sat enthralled throughout the sermon, which often lasted for four to five hours. His sermons incorporated Halachah, commentaries of verses and Aggadot, using the various approaches of exegesis.
The Ben Ish Chai was recognized as the de facto leader of Baghdad and entire Iraq, and all the local rabbis and judges deferred to him. His complete mastery of Torah and Kabbalah, as well as his great piety and holiness, gained him renown throughout the world. In 1869 he travelled to Eretz Israel in order to pray at the graves of tzaddikim. While praying, he received a heavenly message that the source of his soul was that of Benayahu ben Yehoyada. He therefore titled many of his works after the descriptives of Benayahu: Ben Ish Chai, Ben Ish Chayil, Ben Yehoyada, Rav Pe'alim, Od Yosef Chai and others. Some of his other works: Leshon Chachamim, Aderet Eliyahu, Responsa Torah Lishma (published anonymously), Chasdei Avot, Birkat Avot and others.
[1] leaf (2 pages). 15 cm. Marginal wear and tears, slightly affecting several characters. Folding marks.
The leaf opens with a copying of the approbation of the dayanim of Tiktin on two rulings by the rabbi of the city – R. Moshe Ze'ev Margolies, permitting women to reunite with their husbands. The dayanim, R. Yehuda Leib son of R. Y.L. Kahana and R. Aryeh Leib HaLevi begin their approbation with praise of R. Moshe Ze'ev.
The copying is followed by a letter of approbation – three lines handwritten and signed by R. Akiva Eger, praising R. Moshe Ze'ev and approving his ruling without any doubt whatsoever. Dated and signed: "Thursday 16th Adar 1820, Posen, Akiva Günsman".
The halachic rulings to which these approbations relate were printed in Responsa Agudat Ezov by R. Moshe Ze'ev Margolies, Even HaEzer part, Vilna 1885, sections 1-2. The contents of this leaf were printed there at the end of section 2, followed by an additional responsum by R. Akiva Eger on the same topic. This leaf was presumably used in the printing of Responsa Agudat Ezov, since several lines of heading were added to the letter by R. Akiva Eger, and these were printed verbatim in Agudat Ezov. Two sections from the second responsum by R. Akiva Eger on this topic were copied on the verso of this leaf.
[1] leaf. 20 cm. Good condition. Stains. Marginal damage and tears, slightly affecting several characters.
Neat Ashkenazic script, presumably handwritten by the author. Somewhat later inscription on the front endpaper, attesting that the book was written by "R. Yekele Meyer, consistorial rabbi in Strasbourg, long before he came to Strasbourg". Many inscriptions and quill trials on the endpapers.
This manuscript was preserved by his descendants, the Guggenheim family, and is currently in process of being published.
The author, R. Yaakov Meyer (1739-1830), studied in his youth in Karslruhe and Frankfurt am Main, under R. David Tevele Scheuer and R. Shlomo Zalman of Berlin. In 1762, he was appointed rabbi of Hagenthal-le-Bas in Alsace – his wife's hometown, where he composed his work Yodei HaItim on the sanctification of the month and establishing the festivals. In 1769, he was appointed dayan of Rixheim, Alsace, later serving as its rabbi, after the passing of R. Binyamin Hemmendinger. In 1787, he succeeded his grandfather in Ribeauvillé, and composed halachic responsa to questions addressed to him from throughout France and other countries. He later established and headed a yeshiva there. He was held in high esteem by the Torah leaders of the generation, as one can see from a responsum which the Noda BiYehuda sent to him (Responsa Noda BiYehuda, Even HaEzer, section 12), in which he addresses him with exceptional titles of honor. In 1806, he was appointed member of the Sanhedrin established by Napoleon I, and assisted the president of the Sanhedrin, R. David Sinzheim, in his battle to preserve Torah-true Judaism. In 1813, after the passing of R. Sinzheim, he was appointed chief rabbi of Strasbourg and head of the Central Consistory, a position he held until his passing.
115 leaves. 21 cm. Good condition. Stains. Several marginal open tears, not affecting text. Original binding, damaged.
Two lengthy scholarly glosses on ff. 13a and 20b, signed "Yisrael". The glosses were identified by an expert as having been handwritten by R. Yisrael Lifshitz author of Tiferet Yisrael.
R. Yisrael Lifshitz (1782-1860) is renowned for his monumental work Tiferet Yisrael on the six orders of Mishna, which was accepted by the entire Jewish world and has been reprinted in hundreds of editions until this day. He was the son of R. Gedalia Lifshitz, author of Regel Yeshara, and grandson of R. Yisrael Lifshitz, rabbi of Cleves. An outstanding Torah scholar and a foremost leader of German Jewry, he sat studying Torah the entire day, wrapped in Tallit and Tefillin beneath his outer coat, and was renowned as a holy and G-d fearing man. He served as rabbi for over fifty years, in many Prussian communities, including: Wronki, Chodzież, Dessau, Danzig and others. Apart from Tiferet Yisrael on the Mishna, he composed many other books of homily, novellae and halachic rulings.
36 leaves. 33 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Worming, affecting text. Marginal tears and wear. Open tear to title page, affecting text, repaired with paper. Ownership inscription at top of folio 17a. New, elegant leather binding.
Addressed to Sir Moses Montefiore, with a detailed report of the reception of charity funds, sent to Jerusalem in various ways (primarily through R. Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenburg, author of HaKetav VehaKabbalah, rabbi of Königsberg).
The letter concludes with blessings and prayers for the wellbeing and longevity of Sir Moses Montefiore and his wife Lady Judith Montefiore. With the handwritten signatures of R. "Yeshaya son of R. Yissachar Ber", R. "Shmuel Salant" and R. "Uri Shabtai son of R. Chaim".
This is followed by an additional letter to R. Eliezer HaLevi, Montefiore's secretary, signed by the same three rabbis.
R. Yeshaya Bardaki (d. 1862) was the son-in-law and successor of the disciple of the Gaon of Vilna, R. Yisrael of Shklow, distinguished leader of the Perushim community in Jerusalem.
R. Shmuel Salant (1816-1909), studied in his youth in Salant together with R. Yisrael Salant (founder of the musar movement). After his marriage with the daughter of R. Yosef Zundel Salant, he immigrated to Eretz Israel in 1841 to serve as posek and rabbi of the Perushim community of disciples of the Gaon of Vilna in Jerusalem. In his capacity as rabbi of Jerusalem, a position he held for close to seventy years, he founded the educational and charity institutions in the city, established the Beit Din and strengthened the Ashkenazi community. He was renowned for his brilliance and practical approach in halachic rulings and in running all communal matters in Jerusalem and worldwide.
R. Uri Shabtai Salant, second son-in-law of R. Yosef Zundel Salant, was a dayan in the first Beit Din founded by his brother-in-law R. Shmuel Salant in 1841, and a founder of the boys' school in the Hurva of R. Yehuda HeChasid. His signature appears on a document pertaining to the building of the Hurva in 1837, and on the jewelry regulation in 1852.
[1] leaf. 27 cm. Thin, light-bluish stationery. Good condition. Stains. Minor tears. Address and postmarks on verso.
The notebook comprises the following letters of recommendation: letter handwritten and signed by R. Chaim Berlin (in square script); letter handwritten and signed by R. Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook Rabbi of Jaffa (in square script); letter handwritten and signed by R. Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld; letter signed and stamped by the heads of the Sephardi Batei Din, R. Moshe son of Yitzchak Tagger (HaRav HaMabit), R. Shmuel Nissim and R. Avraham Bichacho; three letters signed by the dayanim of the Ashkenazi Batei Din, the Chassidic Beit Din and the Perushim Beit Din: R. Lipman David Shuvaks, R. Moshe Nachum Wallenstein, R. Tzvi Pesach Frank, R. Leib Dayan, and others; letter from R. Eliyahu Moshe Panigel, and more; several letters in Hebrew, Arabic and French, including recommendations from Menachem Sheinkin and Dr. Joseph Klausner.
The letter by R. Chaim Berlin and two other letters were written on separate leaves and pasted in the notebook.
Georgian Jews began immigrating to Eretz Israel in the 1860s. In the 1910s, there were already over five hundred Georgian immigrants in Jerusalem. They established a synagogue and yeshiva, ran their own community, and even managed their own fund (kollel) to support the needy of their community.
The first page of the notebook states that the children of Georgian immigrants need their own school since they are unable to integrate into other schools due to the language barrier.
[13] written pages. Most the leaves of the notebook remain blank, some of the letters of recommendation were written on separate leaves and pasted in the notebook. 31 cm. Good condition. Stains. Old binding.
Enclosed: Group photograph (of the boys' school administration?). Mounted on card, with photographer's stamp: "David S. Abdo – Photographer – Jerusalem".
Written by a scribe, with the line of the signature handwritten by the Chafetz Chaim.
The letter was sent to the World Rabbinical Conference taking place at that time in Kraków. The Chafetz Chaim writes that due to his weakness and old age, he is unable to make this long journey to Kraków, "I am unable to come participate in your esteemed conference. I am hereby sending my words via the rabbis, bearers of this letter, regarding one critical matter…". The Chafetz Chaim urges them to devise a plan of action to save the yeshivot, which were in dire straits due to financial crises. He mentions the objective of his stay in Hrodna – to participate in a meeting for saving the yeshivot, and he writes that two meetings on the matter had already taken place: "…the first one in Vilna and now in Hrodna, and it has been decided to impose on whoever has the means, to contribute a dollar semiannually for the support of the yeshivot… This regulation has so far been instituted in the regions of Vilna and Hrodna, but this small amount is not enough to provide for all the needs of the yeshivot… I therefore take the liberty to request that at the conference, it should be resolved to assign a respectable sum of money from the Keren HaTorah fund, for our yeshivot – Torah centers, to rescue this surviving ember, since at the moment their survival is entirely contingent upon miracles…".
The Chafetz Chaim concludes the letter by blessing the participants with a good year: "And all those who have gathered for the honor of G-d and His Torah, should be blessed with a good year, a year of raising the prestige of the Torah and its learners. So is the plea of the one who honors and respects you… who blesses you with a good inscription and sealing, who awaits bountiful Divine mercy – Yisrael Meir HaKohen, author of Chafetz Chaim and Mishna Berura".
The Rabbinical Conference in Kraków for strengthening Judaism was initiated by R. Alter Chaim Levinson of Reisha (Rzeszów; author of Tikun Olam. A disciple of R. Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin). In this conference, most of the rabbis and rebbes of Poland, Galicia, Austria and other European countries came together for the sake of Heaven, to institute regulations for the strengthening of religious observance in the aftermath of WWI, to bolster the observance of Shabbat, Kashrut, Taharah, and the education of children to Torah and fear of G-d. This venture followed the success of the first world Knessia Gedolah that convened in Vienna in Elul 1923 and was attended by the Chafetz Chaim. It must be noted that the conference in Kraków had the exclusive objective of reinforcing Shabbat observance and religion in general (and did not have any political agenda of organizing the Orthodox communities), therefore it received the support of many rebbes and rabbis who did not endorse Agudath Yisrael (such as the Rebbe of Belz and other Galician and Polish rabbis).
R. Yisrael Meir HaKohen of Radin (ca.1838-1933), leader of the Jewish people, was widely known by the name of his first book, the Chafetz Chaim. He founded the Radin yeshiva and authored many halachic and ethical works: Mishna Berura, Shemirat HaLashon, Ahavat Chessed and dozens more. This letter was written in his later years, at the age of about 85. Despite his advanced age, he travelled to Hrodna to take part in this meeting for saving the yeshivot, and from there, sent this letter via his representatives to the large conference in Kraków.
[1] double leaf (3 written pages). 20.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Folding marks, wear and minor tears.
To the best of our knowledge, this letter was hitherto unknow and never published.