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Letter from Rabbi Shimon Shkop, Dean of Grodno Yeshiva – Tamuz, 1934

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Lengthy letter handwritten and signed by R. Shimon Yehudah HaKohen Shkop, dean of the Grodno yeshiva. 15th Tamuz 1934.


Addressed to R. Yechezkel Abramsky, who served at the time as Rabbi of the Machazikei HaDat community in London, thanking him for his Chazon Yechezkel on the Tosefta. R. Shimon writes some of his notes on the book, mentioning his hope to visit R. Abramsky in England to raise funds for the yeshiva, but doubts whether he had the strength to do so at his age. R. Shimon asks R. Abramsky to assist his yeshiva at every opportunity due to the pressing financial situation.
In his signature, R. Shimon Shkop blesses R. Abramsky to complete his project of commenting on the Tosefta, and signs, "blessing him with the threefold blessing [Birkat Kohanim], Shimon Yehudah HaKohen Shkop".


R. Shimon Yehudah HaKohen Shkop (1860-1939) a leading Torah scholar and transmitter of the Torah in Lithuanian yeshivas, was a disciple of R. Chaim Soloveitchik in the Volozhin yeshiva, who instructed him in his intricate and profound methodology of Torah study. At the age of 24, he was appointed dean of the Telshe yeshiva (founded by his uncle R. Eliezer Gordon), where he transmitted his innovative method of logical study – an approach dominating the entire Torah world to this day. One of his foremost disciples from that period was R. Elchanan Wasserman. In 1920, he was called to head the Shaar HaTorah yeshiva in Grodno and served as the Rabbi of the Vorstadt suburb of Grodno. His works include: Shaarei Yosher, Maarechet HaKinyanim and Chiddushei R. Shimon Yehudah HaKohen.


1 leaf. Official stationery. 28 cm. Good condition. Stains and folding marks.


The present letter was printed with a facsimile in Melech BeYofyo, p. 253.

PLEASE NOTE: Some lot descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to the Hebrew text.

Letters by Important Rabbis and Manuscripts
Letters by Important Rabbis and Manuscripts