Auction 75 - Rare and Important Items
Letter from the Netziv – Regarding the Volozhin Yeshiva – Cheshvan, 1888 – "…They Will Attain Much Blessing, and the Merit of Torah Will Serve for Them… as a Protection from All Harm"
Opening: $2,000
Estimate: $3,000 - $5,000
Sold for: $4,500
Including buyer's premium
Letter (19 lines) handwritten and signed by R. Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin, dean of the Volozhin yeshiva. Cheshvan [1888].
Addressed to the Smilovitch (Smilavichy) community, sent with a special emissary who went there to strengthen the community's support for the Volozhin yeshiva: " …since I know that in the past they have been supporters of the Volozhin yeshiva, and in recent years they have neglected this good dead… therefore I asked the bearer of this letter, the outstanding rabbi, R. Chaim… who is aware of the prominence of the yeshiva". The Netziv then describes the virtues of the yeshiva and its growth with the acceptance of additional students: " Especially since now new students join every year, and it is the cornerstone of Torah development in this country – therefore one must strengthen this stronghold with every effort… and the merit of the Torah study of the multitudes… will stand for this rabbi to do good, and also the members of the community will attain much blessing, and the merit of Torah will serve for them… as a protection from all harm". The letter is signed with the Netziv's customary signature from those years: " One who is laden with work – Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin".
R. Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin – the Netziv of Volozhin (1817-1893), a foremost and outstanding Torah scholar of his generation, was the son-in-law of R. Yitzchak of Volozhin and his successor as dean of the yeshiva for decades. His father, R. Yaakov Berlin of Mir (1794-1868), immigrated to Jerusalem in 1854 and was one of the leaders of the Prushim community in Jerusalem. Known for his great diligence and brilliance, the Netziv led the Volozhin yeshiva with devotion and love for many years, until the yeshiva became the main breeding ground for Torah leaders who were the glory of Lithuanian, Russian and Polish Jewry. With his noble personality and profound, thorough erudition, he produced generations of eminent Torah scholars, yeshiva deans, dayanim and rabbis. He was also engaged in public leadership and his opinion was conclusive on all community matters in Russia and Lithuania. He responded to halachic queries which many rabbis sent to him, customarily signing his letters in those years as "one who is laden with work". He composed many books, including Hamek She'ala – novellae on She'iltot; Hamek Davar on the Torah; Responsa Meshiv Davar; Talmudic novellae and commentaries on Halachic midrashim: Mechilta, Sifra and Sifrei.
[1] leaf. 21 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains and folding marks.
Addressed to the Smilovitch (Smilavichy) community, sent with a special emissary who went there to strengthen the community's support for the Volozhin yeshiva: " …since I know that in the past they have been supporters of the Volozhin yeshiva, and in recent years they have neglected this good dead… therefore I asked the bearer of this letter, the outstanding rabbi, R. Chaim… who is aware of the prominence of the yeshiva". The Netziv then describes the virtues of the yeshiva and its growth with the acceptance of additional students: " Especially since now new students join every year, and it is the cornerstone of Torah development in this country – therefore one must strengthen this stronghold with every effort… and the merit of the Torah study of the multitudes… will stand for this rabbi to do good, and also the members of the community will attain much blessing, and the merit of Torah will serve for them… as a protection from all harm". The letter is signed with the Netziv's customary signature from those years: " One who is laden with work – Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin".
R. Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin – the Netziv of Volozhin (1817-1893), a foremost and outstanding Torah scholar of his generation, was the son-in-law of R. Yitzchak of Volozhin and his successor as dean of the yeshiva for decades. His father, R. Yaakov Berlin of Mir (1794-1868), immigrated to Jerusalem in 1854 and was one of the leaders of the Prushim community in Jerusalem. Known for his great diligence and brilliance, the Netziv led the Volozhin yeshiva with devotion and love for many years, until the yeshiva became the main breeding ground for Torah leaders who were the glory of Lithuanian, Russian and Polish Jewry. With his noble personality and profound, thorough erudition, he produced generations of eminent Torah scholars, yeshiva deans, dayanim and rabbis. He was also engaged in public leadership and his opinion was conclusive on all community matters in Russia and Lithuania. He responded to halachic queries which many rabbis sent to him, customarily signing his letters in those years as "one who is laden with work". He composed many books, including Hamek She'ala – novellae on She'iltot; Hamek Davar on the Torah; Responsa Meshiv Davar; Talmudic novellae and commentaries on Halachic midrashim: Mechilta, Sifra and Sifrei.
[1] leaf. 21 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains and folding marks.
Rabbinic Manuscripts and Letters
Rabbinic Manuscripts and Letters