Auction 82 - Part II - Books and Letters from the Rabbi Yaakov Landau Family Collection
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The letter discusses the halachic difficulties involved in supplying water for the city of Bnei Brak on Rosh Hashanah 1936, which would fall on Thursday and Friday, immediately followed by Shabbat. In order to prevent Shabbat and Yom Tov desecration, it was necessary to plan the water supply from the municipal water pool, so as to avoid operating the pumps. The Chazon Ish suggests supplying a limited amount of water each day, so that it would last for all three days.
The Chazon Ish begins by expressing his distress over the operation of the water company on Yom Tov, which was problematic both from ideological and halachic viewpoints.
[1] leaf. 25.5 cm. Good condition. Stains. Creases and folding marks.
In this letter, the Chazon Ish discusses various details pertaining to the establishment of a new chicken abattoir in Bnei Brak. The Chazon Ish concludes that "due to the severity of the matter on which all kashrut essentials depend", he does not wish to leave the matter unfinished, and is just waiting for R. Landau's approval.
[1] leaf. 19.5X17.5 cm. Good condition. Stains. Creases and folding marks.
Ten letters handwritten by the Chazon Ish (seven of them are signed), two are written on the letters sent to the Chazon Ish by R. Landau.
The letters pertain to Eruv enhancements, shechitah and terefot, acceptance of a shochet, kashrut, the kashrut for Passover of water from the municipal water supply, operating the municipal water supply pool on Shabbat, a Din Torah regarding the renting of a house to a synagogue, and more.
These letters disclose the close relationship which developed between the Chazon Ish and R. Landau (who was fifteen years younger than the Chazon Ish). The Chazon Ish relied on him and on his halachic rulings, and greatly valued his responsibility, devotion and firm stance on all halachic matters in Bnei Brak.
In one particularly interesting letter, the Chazon Ish on the one hand praises R. Landau for his dedication to the development of the Bnei Brak eruv, yet on the other hand explains why he instructs individuals not to rely on the eruv on Shabbat.
10 letters handwritten by the Chazon Ish. Size varies. Overall good condition.
Enclosed: envelope with a (penciled) letter addressed to R. Landau, handwritten and signed by R. Dov Maayani (rabbi of Magdiel) - bringing the opinion of the Chazon Ish on a communal matter.
Six letters (including five lengthy letters and one brief one) handwritten and signed by the Chazon Ish, sent to R. Yaakov Landau Rabbi of Bnei Brak.
Enclosed: five leaves with draft letters by R. Landau to the Chazon Ish on the same topics.
The letters contain instructions and explanations in regard to the building of mikvaot in Bnei Brak and rendering them kosher. The letters disclose that the Chazon Ish trusted R. Landau, who was considered a world expert on Mikvaot.
One letter concludes with good year wishes.
6 letters (9 written pages) handwritten by the Chazon Ish + 5 leaves with drafts handwritten by R. Landau on official stationery. Size varies. Condition varies, good to fair.
• Letter, dated 27th Sivan 1947, in which the Chazon Ish requests to borrow the book She'erit Yehuda.
The Chazon Ish presumably required the book since he was studying the topic of halachic measures at that time, and was in the midst of the polemic with R. Chaim Na'eh on this topic (see Hebrew sidebar).
[1] leaf. 21 cm. Good condition. Stains. Folding marks.
• Letter (undated), asking R. Landau to forget about a certain matter which the Chazon Ish was unsuccessful in furthering. It is unclear what the matter in question is.
[1] leaf. 20 cm. Good condition. Stains. Folding marks. Margins trimmed unevenly.
• Four letters handwritten by the Chazon Ish (including three with his signature), addressed to R. Landau Rabbi of Bnei Brak.
• Leaf (handwritten by a copyist), summary of laws of kilayim by the Chazon Ish, nine sections. This leaf was enclosed with one of the letters.
• Two lengthy letters handwritten and signed by R. Yaakov Landau on these topics, addressed to the Chazon Ish.
In two of the letters, the Chazon Ish negates false rumors about his rulings pertaining to the laws of shemittah.
4 letters handwritten by the Chazon Ish (4 leaves) and 4 additional leaves (copy of the rulings of the Chazon Ish and two letters handwritten and signed by R. Landau. Size and condition vary. Most leaves in good condition.
Eight halachic letters handwritten by the Chazon Ish (including six with his signature). One letter is particularly lengthy and covers three large leaves.
Two letters discuss the prohibition of milking on Shabbat (see Hebrew sidebar).
The other six letters discuss the kashrut concerns involved in cheese produced from ingredients of questionable kashrut imported from Australia.
[10] leaves (eight letters handwritten by the Chazon Ish). Size and condition vary. Overall good condition.
For a detailed list, see Hebrew description.
13 letters. Size and condition vary. Overall good to good-fair condition.
The letters are addressed to R. Yaakov Landau Rabbi of Bnei Brak, and discuss issues pertaining to the city and kashrut certification.
• Letter from 1967, regarding the kashrut certification of a reception hall. R. Wosner lists the decisions taken in regard to the hall, and requests R. Landau's opinion on the matter. • Letter (undated) regarding kashrut certification. R. Wosner (who was one of the heads of the Chug Chatam Sofer Bnei Brak kashrut certification) asserts that he has no intention of taking any steps which would cause any anguish or conflict between himself and R. Landau.
• Letter from 1984, regarding a Din Torah pertaining to a school on HaShomer St.
3 letters on official stationery. Size varies. Two letters in good condition and one letter in good-fair condition. Stains. Folding marks.
Lengthy letter (4 leaves), from Rebbe Yoel Teitelbaum of Satmar. Sharp protest against the proposed establishment of a religious council in Bnei Brak. Sharon Springs, NY, [20th Tammuz] 1964.
Typewritten on the official stationery of the rebbe, with his hand signature.
Addressed to R. Yaakov Landau Rabbi of Bnei Brak. The letter was written in 1964 during the course of the debate between various rabbis over the establishment of a religious council in Bnei Brak - see following items (see sidebar regarding the affair and particularly the involvement of the rebbe of Satmar).
[4] leaves + attached piece of paper (addition to letter). 29 cm. Good condition. Stains. Folding marks. Filing holes.
The letter was published in Divrei Yoel - letters.
The Rebbe of Satmar and His Involvement in the Bnei Brak Religious Council Polemic
The Orthodox city of Bnei Brak was unique since it's founding for its independent rabbinate. Unlike other cities, Bnei Brak never had a religious council - the rabbis received their salaries directly from the municipality, and all kashrut and religious services in Bnei Brak were funded directly by the municipality, without the involvement of a third, governmental party such as a religious council. In other places, all religious services were under the control and supervision of the religious council, which in those days was under the Ministry of Religions, led by members of the Mizrachi movement.
Bnei Brak was also the only city in Eretz Israel were Satmar Chassidim participated in the municipal elections, with the approval of Rebbe Yoel of Satmar, fierce opponent of any cooperation with the Zionist government, and with the approval of the rabbi of Riskeva, rabbi of the Satmar community in the city. The main reason for this exception was the necessity to maintain the independence of the Bnei Brak rabbinate, and to preserve the power of R. Landau and his colleagues who upheld proper Torah observance.
In the summer of 1964, the Ministry of Religions established a religious council in Bnei Brak. Knowing that the Orthodox community would not passively accept this move, it was done in an underhanded way, on paper only. A notice from the Ministry of Religions was published in the HaTzofeh newspaper, announcing the establishment of the religious council headed by 12 members lead by R. Yaakov Landau Rabbi of the city. The notice was published without the knowledge of the new council members, and without a prior notification. This placed them in a difficult position - on the one hand R. Landau and his colleagues did not wish to cooperate with the establishment of a religious council led by the Ministry of Religions, yet on the other, if they would renounce their positions, the Ministry of Religions would appoint other members to the council instead, and they would thus lose their control over the religious services in the city (see item 430 and enclosed material).
At the beginning of Tammuz 1964, R. Landau sent a letter to the rebbe of Satmar, explaining at length why his resignation from the religious council would wreak havoc on the religious services in Bnei Brak (see item 430). The rebbe of Satmar sent him a sharp letter in response (this item), to which R. Landau replied with another letter, in Av 1964, in which he clarifies certain points (see item 430).
Collection of rabbinic letters and draft letters from R. Yaakov Landau, regarding the establishment of a religious council in Bnei Brak. Sivan-Av, 1964.
The collection includes two letters from R. Pinchas Epstein, head of the Edah HaCharedit Beit Din in Jerusalem; two letters from R. Avraham Shlomo Katz - rabbi of the Satmar community in Bnei Brak; and draft letters and photocopies of letters which R. Yaakov Landau sent to various rebbes and rabbis.
In 1964, the Ministry of Religions announced the establishment of a religious council in Bnei Brak, without coordinating the move with the rabbis of the city. This aroused a great polemic involving rabbis and rebbes worldwide (see sidebar of item 429). The present letters shed much light on this affair.
For a detailed list of letters, see Hebrew description.
13 paper items, official stationery. Size and condition vary.
The Rebbe of Satmar and His Involvement in the Bnei Brak Religious Council Polemic
The Orthodox city of Bnei Brak was unique since it's founding for its independent rabbinate. Unlike other cities, Bnei Brak never had a religious council - the rabbis received their salaries directly from the municipality, and all kashrut and religious services in Bnei Brak were funded directly by the municipality, without the involvement of a third, governmental party such as a religious council. In other places, all religious services were under the control and supervision of the religious council, which in those days was under the Ministry of Religions, led by members of the Mizrachi movement.
Bnei Brak was also the only city in Eretz Israel were Satmar Chassidim participated in the municipal elections, with the approval of Rebbe Yoel of Satmar, fierce opponent of any cooperation with the Zionist government, and with the approval of the rabbi of Riskeva, rabbi of the Satmar community in the city. The main reason for this exception was the necessity to maintain the independence of the Bnei Brak rabbinate, and to preserve the power of R. Landau and his colleagues who upheld proper Torah observance.
In the summer of 1964, the Ministry of Religions established a religious council in Bnei Brak. Knowing that the Orthodox community would not passively accept this move, it was done in an underhanded way, on paper only. A notice from the Ministry of Religions was published in the HaTzofeh newspaper, announcing the establishment of the religious council headed by 12 members lead by R. Yaakov Landau Rabbi of the city. The notice was published without the knowledge of the new council members, and without a prior notification. This placed them in a difficult position - on the one hand R. Landau and his colleagues did not wish to cooperate with the establishment of a religious council led by the Ministry of Religions, yet on the other, if they would renounce their positions, the Ministry of Religions would appoint other members to the council instead, and they would thus lose their control over the religious services in the city.
At the beginning of Tammuz 1964, R. Landau sent a letter to the rebbe of Satmar, explaining at length why his resignation from the religious council would wreak havoc on the religious services in Bnei Brak (in this lot). The rebbe of Satmar sent him a sharp letter in response (see item 429), to which R. Landau replied with another letter, in Av 1964, in which he clarifies certain points (in this lot).
Two letters handwritten and signed by R. Shmuel HaLevi Wosner Rabbi of Zichron Meir. [Bnei Brak, ca. 1964].
In these letters, R. Wosner coordinates with R. Yaakov Landau several issues related to the battle against the establishment of a religious council (the letters were presumably written in preparation for the rabbinical conference against the establishment of a religious council in Bnei Brak, called for the day after Shavuot 1964 - see next item).
In the first letter, R. Wosner encourages R. Landau in the battle for maintaining the independence of the Bnei Brak rabbinate, and urges him not to compromise in any way. In the second letter, R. Wosner asks him to try to get the signature of R. Moshe Hager (later rebbe of Vizhnitz), presumably for the proclamation issued by the rabbis of Bnei Brak, see items 432-433.
2 letters, official stationery. 22 cm. Good condition. Stains. Filing holes in one letter.
The Orthodox city of Bnei Brak was unique since it's founding for its independent rabbinate. Unlike other cities, Bnei Brak never had a religious council - the rabbis received their salaries directly from the municipality, and all kashrut and religious services in Bnei Brak were funded directly by the municipality, without the involvement of a third, governmental party such as a religious council. In other places, all religious services were under the control and supervision of the religious council, which in those days was under the Ministry of Religions, led by members of the Mizrachi movement.
Bnei Brak was also the only city in Eretz Israel were Satmar Chassidim participated in the municipal elections, with the approval of Rebbe Yoel of Satmar, fierce opponent of any cooperation with the Zionist government, and with the approval of the rabbi of Riskeva, rabbi of the Satmar community in the city. The main reason for this exception was the necessity to maintain the independence of the Bnei Brak rabbinate, and to preserve the power of R. Landau and his colleagues who upheld proper Torah observance.
In the summer of 1964, the Ministry of Religions established a religious council in Bnei Brak. Knowing that the Orthodox community would not passively accept this move, it was done in an underhanded way, on paper only. A notice from the Ministry of Religions was published in the HaTzofeh newspaper, announcing the establishment of the religious council headed by 12 members lead by R. Yaakov Landau Rabbi of the city. The notice was published without the knowledge of the new council members, and without a prior notification. This placed them in a difficult position - on the one hand R. Landau and his colleagues did not wish to cooperate with the establishment of a religious council led by the Ministry of Religions, yet on the other, if they would renounce their positions, the Ministry of Religions would appoint other members to the council instead, and they would thus lose their control over the religious services in the city.