Interesting letter, handwritten and signed by R. Shimon Yehuda HaKohen Shkop, dean of the Grodno yeshiva. London, summer 1936.
Addressed to his disciple, "my acquaintance from my young years", R. Yisrael Baruch Zinober, a rabbi in Manchester. R. Shimon writes to him with humility and joy at the prospect of meeting one of his veteran disciples, also mentioning his delight upon seeing R. Zilberstam, whom he met in Liverpool.
This letter was written during the course of R. Shimon Shkop's trip to England in his later years, with the purpose of saving the Grodno yeshiva from financial collapse. The letter contains a description of the difficulty involved in this trip, and about his stay in London, which would extend over two weeks before his departure for Manchester. He concludes the letter "Seeking his wellbeing, blessing him with success in all his endeavors – Shimon Yehuda HaKohen Shkop".
R. Shimon Yehuda Shkop (1860-1939, Otzar HaRabbanim 19962), as disciple of R. Chaim Soloveitchik in the Volozhin yeshiva, who instructed him on 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 gave over to the many students his innovative method of logical study – approach adopted by the entire Torah world until 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. His works include: Shaarei Yosher, Maarechet HaKinyanim and Chiddushei R. Shimon Yehuda HaKohen.
[1] leaf, official stationery. 28 cm. 15 lines in his handwriting and with his signature. Good-fair condition. Folding marks and minor tears. Repairs to the verso of the leaf.

Lengthy and interesting letter handwritten by R. Elchanan Bunem Wasserman and with his full signature. Baranovich (Baranovichy), [1930].
Addressed to his friend the wealthy R. David Potash of Tel-Aviv. The letter begins with R. Elchanan's account of the Chafetz Chaim's historic audience with the President of Poland (in 1930, while lobbying to rescind the decree of compulsory secular studies in Jewish boys' schools): "I returned today from Warsaw, and the Chafetz Chaim was also there and was received for an audience with the government ministers. The ministers received him with exceptional friendliness and promised to fulfill his requests to the extent it would be possible".
R. Elchanan then asks R. David to inquire about a prospective match for the daughter of R. Tzvi Gutman, Mashgiach of the Baranovich yeshiva - the young student Shmuel Felman "who is a lecturer on the Talmud in one of the Tel-Aviv yeshivot, and son of the deceased rabbi of Zagar-Yashan (Žagarė)… and I request of you to inform us of the character of the boy in question, since I have not seen him for ten years…". R. Elchanan extols the virtues of the young lady in question and relates to the prerequisites the boy's mother set for the couple's financial situation: "These days, it is very difficult to obtain a young lady who follows the straight path, therefore the sum of money cannot be a decisive factor, her wishes should rather be disregarded… in order to finalize the matter in the best way, please G-d". (R. Shmuel Felman, a dean of the Or Zore'ach yeshiva in Tel Aviv-Yafo, indeed later married the daughter of R. Tzvi Hirsh Gutman of Baranovich. Their son was R. Ben Tzion Felman, a leading rabbi in Bnei Brak).
R. Elchanan signs the letter with expressions of friendship and blessings: "Who appreciates and honors him for his outstanding worth, attached to him with loyal love, and blesses him that G-d should fulfill all his heart's wishes for the good, may he merit to see the Redemption of the Jewish people through the true Redeemer…, seeking his wellbeing always – Elchanan Bunem Wasserman".
R. Elchanan Wasserman (1875-1941) was a disciple of R. Shimon Shkop in the Telshe yeshiva and prominent disciple of the Chafetz Chaim. He served as lecturer and dean in the Brisk (Brest) yeshiva and other places. During WWI, at the behest of the Chafetz Chaim, he established a yeshiva in Smilavichy (Minsk province, today Belarus), and R. David Potash, then one of the wealthiest people in Russia, was a leading supporter of the yeshiva. After the war, R. Elchanan founded Yeshivat Ohel Torah in Baranovich.
A renowned Torah scholar and a foremost yeshiva dean in Lithuania, he represented the Chafetz Chaim and R. Chaim Ozer Grodzinski in the Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah of Agudat Yisrael. He composed many essays on Jewish ideology which were later published in his book Ikveta DeMeshicha, in which he expressed the Torah stance of his teacher the Chafetz Chaim on Zionist nationalism and the spiritual state of the Jewish people. During the Holocaust, he was deported to the Kovno (Kaunas) ghetto, where he was arrested and murdered in Seventh Fort, while studying the laws of Kiddush HaShem. His teachings and lectures were published in the following books: Kovetz Shiurim, Kovetz He'arot, Kovetz Inyanim, Kovetz Igrot HaGaon R. Elchanan Wasserman and others. His approach in learning and his books serve until this day as the basis of intensive yeshiva study in the Torah world.
[1] leaf, official stationery, 27.5 cm. 17 handwritten lines. Good-fair condition. Wear to the folds. Light stains.

Chazon Ish, on Demai, Maaserot and various selections [by R. Avraham Yeshayahu Karelitz]. Jerusalem, Shemita year, [1938]. First edition.
In the front endpaper, dedication and blessing handwritten and signed by the author: "A souvenir of blessing for Mr. Asher son of Yehuda. Thursday, Kislev 16, 1953, Zichron Meir. A.Y.Sh." (initials of Avraham Yeshayahu).
R. Avraham Yeshayahu Karelitz, author of the Chazon Ish (1878-1953) was a foremost scholar in Halacha and Jewish philosophy in our generation. A preeminent Torah scholar and hidden righteous man, his first book Chazon Ish was published in 1911 anonymously, and he thereafter became known under that title. (This book too does not mention the name of the author, though the name of the publisher [his brother-in-law] R. Shmuel Greineman is indicated on the title page and on its verso). He immigrated to Eretz Israel in 1933, where he became recognized as the leading Torah authority, and stood at the helm of the resurgence of the Torah world in our generation. He authored and published numerous volumes of Chazon Ish, which were written with great toil and in-depth study, covering nearly all Talmudic topics. Many turned to him in quest of blessing, advice and salvation.
[5], 3-67 leaves. 32 cm. High-quality paper. Fair-good condition. Dampstains and worming. Paper repairs to the endpapers. New binding.
The endpaper bears an additional dedication from the owner who presented it to a friend in 1992. On the verso of this leaf, a clipping from a (secular) newspaper dated 1978 is attached, with a picture of the Chazon Ish and citations of prose passages from his book Emuna UBitachon.

Manuscript, "Likutim" – Selections of novellae and deliberations in Halacha and Aggada, on the Talmud and on the Torah, by two writers. [Europe, ca. 19th century].
Ownership and other inscriptions from various periods. Including ownership inscriptions of R. Leib Homler, student of the Novardok yeshiva in Białystok, and ownership inscription of "Our master and teacher R. Yaakov Kanievsky". A scholarly note appears on p. 33b, in a more recent script (presumably, in the handwriting of the Steipler – R. Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky).
Signatures and other inscriptions in early script: "Meshulam Feivel son of R. Yissachar Ber - Meszulem Faiwel Berkowicz"; draft letter to "the astute Torah scholar R. Alexander Susman son of R. Eliezer Yaakov of Łabiszyn by West Prussia".
This work was composed by several writers: leaves 1-34 in neat, calligraphic Ashkenazic script (typical of ca. start of the 19th century). The pages bear the heading "Likutim" (selections). From p. 30b, the heading changes to "Selections – New Vessels" (the expression "new vessels" presumably implies that henceforth, the selections consist of the writer's own novellae). Leaves 39-43 contain a different, more recent Ashkenazic script typical of the second half of the 19th century. An additional leaf appears between the leaves, (in a script characteristic of the start of the 20th century, possibly the Steipler's handwriting) containing ethical thoughts for Parashat Chayei Sara.
R. Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky (1899-1985), author of Kehilot Yaakov and brother-in-law of the Chazon Ish, was the dean of Novardok – Beit Yosef yeshivot in Bnei Brak and around the world. Already as a yeshiva student he became known in the Lithuanian yeshiva world as "the Steipler" (appellation derived from his hometown Hornostaipil, Ukraine), and stories abound about the scope of his diligence, brilliance and holiness.
In his adolescent years, he wandered from the Novardok yeshiva in Homel (Gomel), Ukraine, over the border into Poland, and became one of the founding students of the main Novardok yeshiva in Białystok, together with his friend R. Leibel Homler. Presumably, the latter gave him this manuscript during that period (an ethical essay from the teachings of R. Aryeh Leib Homler was published in Gevilei Eish, ethical discourses from leading Novardok alumni who perished in the Holocaust, Jerusalem 1973, p. 256).
[1], 1-35, [1], 39-44, [5] leaves. Contains 79 written pages of Torah thoughts, the remaining leaves do not comprise Torah thoughts, only page numbers and various inscriptions. 19.5 cm. Thick, high-quality paper, fair condition. Worming affecting text. Wear. Detached leaves. Without binding.

Letter handwritten and signed by the "Tzadik of Jerusalem", R. Aryeh Levin. Jerusalem, [Kislev], 1929.
Addressed to his future son-in-law, R. Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (who married R. Aryeh Levin's daughter Chaya in Adar 1930). Most of the letter contains Torah thoughts. R. Aryeh begins the letter expressing great affection in poetic terms: "To the honored, light of my eyes, my beloved, Mr. Sh.Y. worlds" (Sh.Y. are the initials of his name Yosef Shalom, but also allude to the Kabbalistic concept "Shay Olamot", the 310 worlds awaiting righteous men in the World to Come). The letter also concludes with flowery expressions of fondness: "With all my sentiments of honor and great love, what our sages called eternal love, your future father-in-law, Aryeh Levin".
The "Tzadik of Jerusalem" R. Aryeh Levin (1885-1969), excelled in Torah and in charitable deeds. An alumnus of Lithuanian yeshivot: Hlusk, Slutsk, Volozhin and the Torat Chaim yeshiva in Jerusalem, he was a cherished disciple of the leading Torah scholars of the generation: R. Refael Shapiro of Volozhin (Valozhyn), R. Chaim Berlin, R. Shlomo Elyashov the Leshem, R. Baruch Ber Leibovitz, R. Avraham Chaim HaKohen Kook, his brother-in-law R. Tzvi Pesach Frank and R. Yitzchak Zev Soloveitchik of Brisk (Brest). He immigrated to Jerusalem as an adolescent and married the granddaughter of the head of the Jerusalem Beit Din, R. Chaim Yaakov Shapira. He served as the spiritual director and supervisor of the Etz Chaim Talmud Torah (boy's school). Renowned for his dedication to acts of benevolence, and for his frequent visits to the British Mandate prison, he was later appointed as the Jewish Prison Chaplain. He offered a listening ear to one and all, absorbing their difficulties as well as joys, engaging in acts of kindness his whole life. He merited having sons and sons-in-law who were noted Torah scholars. He was particularly fond of his son-in-law the diligent Torah scholar R. Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, grandson of his primary teacher the Leshem.
[1] folded leaf, 20.5 cm. 2 written pages, approx. 31 lines in his beautiful handwriting and with his signature. Good condition. Folding marks and light creases.