Letters from Rabbis

A long letter in the handwriting and with the signature of Rabbi Yaacov Shapiro Rosh Yeshiva of Volozhin to one of the yeshiva's alumni, regarding strengthening the mother of all yeshivot. | Rabbi Yaacov Shapiro [1873-1936] Rabbi of the village and Rosh Yeshiva of Volozhin. Son of Rabbi Rafael Shapiro and grandson of the Netziv, who wrote about him when he was a young boy that: "He is clever boy, with wonderful novaelle in the truth of the Torah". Author of the book 'Gaon Yaacov'. | Fold marks. Age and ink stains. | 20 cm. General condition: Very good.

A letter on an official letterhead in the handwriting and with the signature of Rabbi Avraham Yoffen Rosh Yeshiva of Novardok to his student Rabbi Eliezer Ben Zion Bruk one of the foremost members of the Mussar Movement and Rosh Yeshiva of the Novardok yeshiva in Jerusalem. A letter full of love and concern, including about marriage with the grandson of Rabbi Noach Palay. | Rabbi Avraham Yoffen [1886-1970], a tremendous genius, one of the greatest disseminators of Torah in his generation, son-in-law and successor of the Alter of Novardok. He headed the chain of "Beit Yosef – Novardok" yeshivot in Novardok and Bialystok, New York and Jerusalem. The Steipler was one of his students. Rare. | Filing holes, fold marks. | 21x14 cm. General condition: Good.

A photocopied approbation for the books of the Maharam Shik from Rabbi Elazar Menachem MannShach, at the bottom of the leaf is an addition of 5 lines in the handwriting and with the signature and stamp of Rabbi Yaacov Yisrael Kanievsky, the Steipler. Tammuz 1974. Slight stains. 8x27 cm. Overall condition: Very Good.

An expenses voucher of the Ponovezh yeshiva with the signature of Rabbi Elazar Menachem Man Shach, 1966. 12x15 cm. Filing holes. Overall condition: Very Good.

A letter of approbation for the books of the Maharam Shik on an official letterhead in the handwriting and with the signature and stamp of Rabbi Elazar Menachem Mann Shach. Tammuz, 1974, a total of 11 lines. Overall condition: Very Good.

A letter on an airletter, in the handwriting and with the signature of Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz. Dated Sunday Vayigash 1971. Regarding the engagement of his son Rabbi Avraham (Zvi), a lecturer in the Mir Yeshiva. | Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz [1902-1978] one of the foremost roshei yeshiva of the past generation. Rosh yeshiva of Mir in Lithuania and later in Shanghai – during the Second World War, and then again in the Mir Yeshiva in the Land of Israel. A member of the Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah of Agudat Yisrael. | Fold marks. | 28x18 cm. General condition: Good.

2 pages of a sermon for Yom Kippur in the handwriting of Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv. Good condition.

A letter on an official letterhead in the handwriting and with the signature of Rabbi Yosef Kaplan author of 'Hadrat Yosef' to Rabbi Yechezkel Sarna rosh yeshiva of the Chevron Yeshiva. The letter is dated 7th Cheshvan 1939 regarding a donation to the Chevron Yeshiva in Jerusalem. | Rabbi Yosef Kaplan, rosh yeshiva of the Beit Midrash HaGadol in St. Petersburg, author of 'Hadrat Yosef'. The son of the hidden tzadik, Kabbalist and miracle worker Rabbi Moshe Nemis of Starabin who served as the shamash of a synagogue, and multitudes of people, Jewish and non-Jewish, came to receive his blessing. | Fold marks. Filing holes. 27x19 cm. | Overall condition: Good.

A letter on an official letterhead, squared paper. In the handwriting and with the signature of Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky. Dated 15th Adar 1930. To his friend Rabbi Baruch, dayan of Pulra. Regarding permitting an agunah to remarry. | Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky [1863-1940], foremost scholar of his generation and leader of world Jewry. Rabbi of Vilna (despite never being officially appointed as there was no official Rabbi of Vilna since the death of the Vilna Gaon, out of respect for him), president of the Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah and author of the book of responsa Achiezer, considered the leader of Lithuanian ultra-orthodox Jewry at the time in which great rabbis such as the Chafetz Chaim and Rabbi Chaim of Brisk lived, and the Chafetz Chaim even used to refer to him as the "President of the Jewish People". Rare. | Fold marks. Restoration. | 26 cm. General condition: Good.

A letter printed by stencil on an official letterhead, squared paper. With an additional line in the handwriting and with the signature and stamp of Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky. Dated 11th Tevet 1933. To the members of the Agudat Rabbanim, the chairman Rabbi Zilber and the secretary. Regarding Rabbi Yeshaya Bakasht, emissary of the Ramailis yeshiva he headed. | Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky [1863-1940], see the previous item. | Fold marks. | 28 cm. General condition: Good.

1. A letter of receipt for donors on an official letterhead in Vilna with a stamp in the form of Rabbi Chaim Ozer's signature and his personal stamp. 2. A receipt for donors with a stamp in the form of Rabbi Chaim Ozer's signature and the stamp of the Va'ad Yeshivot of Lithuania. Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky [1863-1940], foremost scholar of his generation and leader of world Jewry. Rabbi of Vilna (despite never being officially appointed as there was no official Rabbi of Vilna since the death of the Vilna Gaon, out of respect for him), president of the MoetzetGedoleiHaTorah and author of the book of responsa Achiezer, considered the leader of Lithuanian ultra-orthodox Jewry at the time in which great rabbis such as the Chafetz Chaim and Rabbi Chaim of Brisk lived, and the Chafetz Chaim even used to refer to him as the "President of the Jewish People". | Sizes vary. Filing holes. Overall condition: Good

A typewritten letter on an official letterhead and with the signature of the chief rabbi of Jerusalem Rabbi Zvi Pesach Frank. Dated 3rd Nissan 1951. To the presidency of the Agudat Yisrael national committee regarding a gathering for the sake of Heaven "may we have the merit to transcend the divisions". | Rabbi Zvi Pesach Frank [1873-1961], rabbi of Jerusalem, one of the foremost rabbis and halachic rulers of his time. Succeeded Rabbi Shmuel Salant as a member of the Beit Din. Founder of the "Officer of the Rabbinate" in Jerusalem. His Torah novaelle and halachic responsa were printed in the books: Responsa Har Zvi, Mikraei Kodesh, Mikdash Melech and more. | Filing holes. 27 cm. General condition: Very good.

A collection of 2 rulings on official letterhead of the chief rabbinate of the Land of Israel from 1937-1938, with the signature of the rabbi of Jerusalem Rabbi Zvi Pesach Frank, as well as Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac HeLevi Herzog chief rabbi of Israel and more. Overall condition: Very Good.

A printed letter in English on an official letterhead with the signature of Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook (in English). From 1927. 21x28 cm. Filing holes. Overall condition: Very Good.

An interesting letter on an official letterhead with the handwritten signature of the chief rabbi of Israel Rabbi Isser Yehuda Unterman. The letter is from the date 27th Tammuz 1971 regarding arranging an apartment and stipend for a ritual slaughterer from Samarkand. | Rabbi Isser Yehuda Unterman [1886-1976] served as the third chief rabbi of Tel Aviv, and later as the chief rabbi of Israel. Born and educated in Lithuania and one of the leaders of the Mizrahi movement. | 21x17 cm. Fold marks. | Overall condition: Good.

An interesting letter to a young man who is doing "examinations in subjects which could be useful for understanding halachot" in the handwriting and with the signature of the mashgiach Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe. Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe (1914-2005) was one of the foremost mashgichim of the past generation and an author of books in the field of service of God according to the mussar movement. Served as mashgiach of the Be'er Yaacov yeshiva and in the GivatShaul yeshiva, which he established. The letter is on an official letterhead of the ShochareiMussar movement in Jerusalem. Pastings on the top section. Stains. Overall condition: Good.

A letter on an official letterhead, in the handwriting and with the signature of Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Duvitsky Rabbi of Montreal, Canada. To Rabbi Yechezkel Sarna Rosh Yeshiva of Chevron. The letter is dated 9th Adar 1940 regarding a donation to the Chevron Yeshiva in Jerusalem. | Rabbi Avraham Shmuel son of Rabbi Naftali Duvitsky [died in 1944], son-in-law of Rabbi Moshe Lernblatt Av Beit Din of Sosomkinin Courland (Latvia), Rabbi Avraham Shmuel succeeded his father-in-law and was later appointed as rabbi of the city of Goldingen in Courland, from where he went to Montreal, Canada where he served as rabbi of the AdatYeshurancongregation until his death in 1944. On his tombstone is written: "One of the foremost rabbis of his time, famous for his Torah and wisdom". | 24x22 cm. Fold marks. Filing holes. | Overall condition: Good.

A typewritten letter on an official letterhead of the Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem, with the handwritten signature of the Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Finkel. The letter is dated 2nd Kislev 1962 and addressed to the rabbi of Haifa Rabbi Shar Yeshuv Cohen. It deals with inaccuracies (apparently financial). | Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Finkel [1877-1965], son of the Alter of Slabodka. He was Rosh Yeshiva of the Mir yeshiva in the village of Mir and re-founded it in the Land of Israel. A member of the MoetzetGedoleiHatorah. | Fold marks. 21x17 cm. Filing holes. | Overall condition: Good.

A typewritten letter on an official letterhead of the Va'adHayeshivotB'Eretz Yisrael, dated 14th Elul 1945. To the 'BnotYerushalayim' organization with the handwritten signatures of Rabbi ZalmanSorotzkin and Rabbi ChizkiyahuMishkovsky. In their long letter, these great rabbis ask and command Jewish girls to go and collect money to strengthen the yeshivot, following the destruction of European Jewry. Indeed, their mission was successful, and they managed to re-establish the Torah world, leading to the current situation where the yeshivot are flourishing as before the destruction, and even more so. | Rabbi ZalmanSorotzkin [1840-1966], known as the Lutzker Rabbi, was the Av Beit Din of Lutzkin the Ukraine. Studied in the yeshivot of Slabodka, Volozhin and Telz. Served as head of the MoetzetGedoleiHaTorah, chairman of the ChinuchHa'Atzmai and one of the heads of Va'adHayeshivot. | Rabbi Chizkiyahu Yosef Mishkovsky [1884-1947], Rabbi of Krink, and one of the heads of 'AgudatRabbanim' in Poland and in the Land of Israel. He had a close relationship with the Chafetz Chaim and Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky and served as their emissary for many missions which arose. The 'Knesset Chizkiyahu' yeshiva in Kfar Chassidim was named after him. | Fold marks. | 28x22 cm. Overall condition: Good.

A long letter in the handwriting and with the signature of Rabbi Mordechai GimpelYaffe. Rabbi Mordechai GimpelYaffe, author of 'Techelet Mordechai' (1820-1891) was the rabbi of the village of Rozinoi in White Russia, and a member of the First Aliyah. 34 lines.

A letter of shlichut for the ToratChessed yeshiva in Brisk in the handwriting and with the signature of Rabbi Yaacov ZalmanLivshitz of Brisk. Rabbi Yaacov ZalmanLivshitz, one of the foremost rabbis of Lithuania. Son of Rabbi Baruch Mordechai Livshitz author of 'Brit Yaacov'. One of the heads of the community of Brisk and the right-hand man of Rabbi Chaim of Brisk. Father of the yeshivot of Brisk and one of the leaders of the ultra-orthodox community in Lithuania. He was an emissary of Rabbi Chaim of Brisk to a gathering of an organization of the ultra-orthodox sect against Zionism, which was convened in Kovno in 1929 (this organization was referred to by the Zionists as "The Black Office in Kovno"). His Torah novaelle were printed in various books and compilations. The 'Sdei Chemed' corresponded with him extensively on halachic topics. Fold marks. Overall condition: Very Good.

A document with the signature of Rabbi Yechiel Chaim Levini of Mako, the father-in-law through his third marriage of the Rebbe Rabbi Aharon of Belz. The document is dated 28th Kislev 1969 and contains a request to be accepted as a member of the 'Association of Rabbis Who Fled Russia and Other Countries'. | Fold marks. A tiny tear on the bottom white margins. | 21x17 cm. Overall condition: Good.

A leaf of regulations of the "Ovdim et Hashem B'Emet Uvetamim" Society. In scribal handwriting on a leaf of squared paper. A list of 9 regulations which the members accepted upon themselves, regarding how to conduct themselves in matters between man and God and between man and his fellow man. With handwritten additions and corrections. Jerusalem, early 20th century. | Stains. Creases. Tears. | 28x22 cm. Overall condition: Fair – Poor.