A letter of ordination handwritten and signed by Rabbi Bezalel HaCohen of Vilna, to Rabbi Shraga Meir Leizerovitz. Written on a journey to Vilnius, 1874.
The letter was written at the inn at the train station to Vilnius: "While passing today on the iron rails which go to our community, we chanced in one inn". He writes of Rabbi Shraga Meir: He has great capability to judge and rule the laws of "Yoreh Deah" and "Choshen Mishpat" and "Apparently, he has spent much time studying the words of the earlier and later 'poskim' to know… and to respond according to 'halacha'… well-versed in the words of the later 'poskim' and their sources in the Talmud and 'Rishonim'… Undoubtedly, he will be one of the generation's Torah leaders".
Rabbi Bezalel HaCohen of Vilna (1820-1878), an outstanding rabbi in his generation, known from his childhood as an exceptional genius. At his bar-mitzvah meal which was also his marriage feast, he made a "siyum" on the whole Talmud and gave a homily that astonished all of Vilnius's great Torah scholars. At the age of 18, the author of "Mishkenot Ya'akov" already sent him his book to look over. At 23, he was appointed rabbi of his city, Vilnius (at a time when it was full of exceptional outstanding Torah geniuses), and for decades he was the chief posek and spiritual leader of the Vilnius community. Some of his renowned disciples: his younger brother Rabbi Shlomo HaCohen of Vilna, author of "Cheshek Shlomo" and Rabbi Yisrael Meir HaCohen, author of the "Chafetz Chaim". He wrote the "Reshit Bikurim" responsa, his glosses "Mareh Cohen" printed in the Vilna Talmud and in the Vilna "Shulchan Aruch"; the "Minchat Bikurim" glosses on the "Tosefta", etc.
32 cm. Fair condition, much wear to paper folds, pasted on paper for preservation.
A copy of the "semicha" writ is enclosed, in the handwriting of Mr. Eliyahu Eliezer Sakolsky from Vilnius and London (died 1951).