Auction 82 - Part II - Books and Letters from the Rabbi Yaakov Landau Family Collection
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Three letters of rabbinic ordination, accorded to R. Yaakov Landau: • Letter of rabbinic ordination from R. Betzalel HaKohen Zaitchik Rabbi of Smilovitz. [Smilovitz, 1913/1914?]. • Letter of rabbinic ordination from R. Chaim Sagalovich, posek in Vilna. [Vilna? 1913/1914?]. • Letter, enthusiastic recommendation and rabbinic ordination from R. Menachem Mendel Zak Rabbi of Riga. [Riga], Adar II 1932. R. Betzalel HaKohen Zaitchik, rabbi of the Chassidic community in Smilovitz (Smilavichy). Outstanding and renowned Torah scholar in his times. R. Chaim Sagalovich (1844-Cheshvan 1922), posek in Vilna. Elder Lithuanian rabbi. Authored Responsa Mekor Chaim. R. Menachem Mendel Zak (1871-1943), prominent Latvian rabbi. He published the writings of the Or Same'ach. 3 letters. Size and condition vary.
Addressed to R. Yaakov Rabinowitz (a respected member of the Telz community, father-in-law of R. Yaakov Landau Rabbi of Bnei Brak).
In his letter, R. Yosef Leib reports to R. Yaakov Rabinowitz about the progress of his son, who was studying in his yeshiva.
R. Yosef Yehuda Leib Bloch (1859-1930), a leader of the mussar movement. Established a yeshiva in Shadova, later succeeding his father-in-law R. Eliezer Gordon as rabbi and dean of Telz. Author of Shiurei Halachah and Shiurei Daat.
Postcard. 14 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains. Folding marks, creases and wear. Filing holes. Postmarks.
Both letters discuss a teaching position in one of the Telz educational institutions, offered to R. Yaakov Landau (whose father-in-law, R. Yaakov Rabinowitz, was a respected member of the Telz community). In the letter from 1931, R. Eliyahu Meir reports about obstacles preventing him from promoting the appointment, while in the second letter (presumably written after the position was given to someone else), R. Eliyahu Meir writes courteously about the refusal, and his hopes that a suitable educational position will be available in the future.
Both letters bear R. Eliyahu Meir's full signature: "Eliyahu Meir son of R. Y.L.".
R. Eliyahu Meir Bloch (1895-1955), son of R. Yosef Leib Bloch. Dean of the Telz yeshiva in Lithuania, and later founder of the Telz yeshiva in Cleveland, Ohio.
Two letters, one on official stationery and one on official postcard. 29 and 15 cm. Letter on stationery in good-fair condition. Tears, wear and folding marks. Original envelope enclosed. Postcard in good condition. Stains.
Addressed to R. Yaakov Landau Rabbi of Libau (later rabbi of Bnei Brak), in response to his question regarding the elections to the rabbinate of the town of Gorzd (Gargždai, Western Lithuania). R. Baruch (then president of Agudath HaRabbanim in Lithuania) writes that a permit from Agudath HaRabbanim is not required, and that the organization only authorizes the correct implementation of the elections.
R. Yaakov Landau, then rabbi of Libau, was considering accepting a position in a different town in Lithuania (see item 410). Ultimately, however, he immigrated to Eretz Israel in the summer of 1934 and served as rabbi of Ramatayim and later of Bnei Brak.
R. Baruch HaLevi Horowitz (1870-1936), leading Lithuanian Torah scholar, dean of the Slabodka yeshiva and head of Agudath HaRabbanim in Lithuania. A disciple of the Alter of Slabodka.
[1] leaf, official stationery. 29 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Tears and wear (tape repairs). Folding marks.
Includes letters from R. Shemaryahu Gurary, son-in-law of Rebbe Rayatz; R. Nissan Telushkin, prominent Chabad rabbi in Belarus and the United States; R. Moshe Dov Ber Rivkin, dean of the Torah Voda'ath yeshiva and others.
For a detailed list, see Hebrew description.
15 letters and additional paper items. Size and condition vary. Good to good-fair. Stains, tears and wear.
• Draft letter handwritten by R. Yaakov Landau, from his tenure as rabbi of Libau, describing the state of Torah observance. Presumably intended to be sent to many rabbis, in preparation for a gathering to discuss ways of strengthening Torah observance.
• Two leaves handwritten by R. Yaakov Landau, lengthy speech in Yiddish about the state of the Jewish People. Signed.
• Draft letter (typewritten) from R. Yaakov Landau, describing Passover 1916 in the presence of Rebbe Rashab.
4 leaves. Size and condition vary.
In one photograph, R. Landau is seen accompanying the Chazon Ish, in the second, the Chazon Ish is seen sitting at the head table, together with R. Avraham Yaakov Neimark of Tel Aviv, R. Wosner, R. Unterman of Tel Aviv and R. Yitzchak Gerstenkorn mayor of Bnei Brak (these photographs were published in Pe'er HaDor).
Two photographs. Approx. 13.5X8.5 cm. Good condition. Some stains and creases. Handwritten inscription on verso of one of the photographs: "At Eli[yahu]'s Bar Mitzva celebration. Tammuz 1951".
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.