Lengthy letter (2 pages, approx. 40 lines), handwritten and signed by R. Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor Rabbi of Kovno (Kaunas). Kovno, 1878.
Addressed to R. Shmuel Salant Rabbi of Jerusalem, and to the philanthropist R. Mordechai Yoffe of Jerusalem. The letter pertains to the terrible tragedy which struck the family of R. Yitzchak Elchanan's brother in Jerusalem, with the untimely passing of the latter's son. The letter discloses his worry for his brother's daughter-in-law, the young widow, and discusses the handling of the inheritance and financial concerns of the deceased's family.
R. Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor (1817-1896), a Torah luminary in his generation, renowned for his exceptional Torah knowledge, his diligence and outstanding piety. The supreme Torah authority of his times, he led Lithuanian and Russian Jewry for years with wisdom and compassion. He served as rabbi from ca. 1837 and in 1864, he was appointed rabbi of Kovno, his fame spreading throughout the world as a foremost halachic authority. His responsa and novellae are printed in his books Be'er Yitzchak, Nachal Yitzchak and Ein Yitzchak.
[1] leaf. 21 cm. Good-fair condition. Marginal worming, affecting two words of the letter.