Auction 89 - Rare and Important Items
Small notebook, with notes and outlines of sermons. The notebook contains two long drafts (two different versions) of a sermon to be delivered at a thanksgiving festivity for the Prisoners of Zion, underground fighters who were imprisoned during the British mandate. R. Aryeh writes that although the duty of a freed prisoner to give thanks applies specifically upon his release, some (such as the Tosafot Yom Tov) celebrated every year the anniversary of the miracle they experienced, and even instructed their descendants to do so.
In one note, R. Aryeh describes with great emotion his first visit to the prison, holding a Torah scroll in his arms. He describes how he walked towards the prison with the scroll, and soaked the mantle with his tears, as he felt intensely that G-d and the Torah are together with the prisoners in their sorrow. He relates how upon arriving at the prison, he refused to hand over the scroll, and told the prisoners what the Baal HaTanya had said when he was imprisoned in St. Petersburg – how G-d is with us in our troubles. He describes his joy at finally partaking in their thanksgiving celebration. He concludes by assuring that the prophecy of Zechariah would soon be fulfilled with the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the gathering of the Jewish people.
The "Tzadik of Jerusalem" R. Aryeh Levin (1885-1969), excelled in Torah and in charitable deeds. 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, he was beloved by one and all, wholeheartedly sharing the difficulties and joys of his brethren. During the British Mandate, he regularly visited the inmates in the British prisons, to lift their spirits, and became known as "Rabbi of the Prisoners". He was revered by all sections of society, whether Orthodox, religious or traditional; including many members of the Herut movement (members of Lehi and Etzel), who remained in touch with him since the days of the underground movements, before the establishment of the State of Israel. He offered each and every person his listening ear and true love.
Stamps of the Etz Chaim boys' school in Jerusalem (where R. Aryeh Levin served as head director). On leaf 2 receipt handwritten by R. Aryeh Levin, signed by one of the school teachers, confirming receipt of his wages for Av 1949.
Notebook, [9] leaves (over 12 written pages). Approx. 10 cm. Fair condition. Extensive wear. Dampstains, mold stains and foxing. One leaf detached. Another leaf loose. Without wrappers.
Two letters related to the activities of R. Aryeh Levin as rabbi of the members of the underground imprisoned during the British Mandate:
• Letter from the management of the Central Prison in Jerusalem, signed by the Assistant Superintendent of Police. The officer thanks him for his letter, and confirms having received the Torah ark, which R. Aryeh brought to benefit the prisoners. Jerusalem, May 5, 1939. English. Hebrew inscription (in pencil) handwritten by R. Aryeh: "receipt for the Torah ark".
[1] leaf, official stationery. 24.5 cm. Fair condition. Stains, traces of past dampness and mold stains. Folding marks, tears and filing holes.
• Typewritten letter from the Lehi fighter Matityahu son of Chaim Zvi Shmuelevitz, addressed to R. Aryeh Levin, in which he describes his reaction in 1944 upon being informed that his death sentence had been commuted; as he writes at the beginning of the letter: "Rabbi! When they came to the dungeon where I was detained while awaiting execution, and informed me that I had been pardoned, they were very annoyed that I didn't thank them. I didn't curse them when they sentenced me to death, and I didn't bless them when they pardoned me, since I believe that it is not their kindness, and not in their hands did I deposit my soul…".
[1] leaf. Approx. 25 cm. Poor condition. Mold stains. Wear and open tears, affecting text.
The recipient of the letter, the "Tzadik of Jerusalem" R. Aryeh Levin (1885-1969), excelled in Torah and in charitable deeds. 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. During the British Mandate, he regularly visited the inmates in the British prisons, to lift their spirits, and became known as "Rabbi of the Prisoners". He was especially renowned for comforting and encouraging the underground prisoners and Olei HaGardom (members of the underground organizations who were sentenced to death by hanging) – see previous item.
Matityahu Shmuelevitz (1921-1995) was born in Lodz (Poland) and immigrated to Eretz Israel as a youth, as part of the "Af Al Pi" Aliyah (the illegal immigration of the Revisionist Movement). Upon arriving in Eretz Israel, in 1938, he joined the Betar Platoon, and later, following the split from the Irgun, joined the Lehi organization (Stern Gang). In 1941 he was arrested for the first time and sent without trial to be detained at Latrun. About a year later he was among twenty Lehi members who managed to escape the internment camp via a tunnel they had dug. After his escape he resumed his underground activities, but in April 1944 he was arrested a second time, after having been caught in an exchange of fire with British police officers in the course of which he wounded one of the officers. Shmuelevitz was imprisoned at the Central Prison in Jerusalem, and his trial, which received extensive press coverage, afforded him the opportunity to present his arguments against British rule. He was sentenced to death by hanging, but following public pressure, his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. The present letter was written during that time, after his sentence was commuted (earlier letters which Matityahu sent R. Aryeh at the time of the trial, were sold in Kedem Auction 55, part I, item 102).
Matityahu Shmuelevitz later became a leader of the Prisoners of Zion who served prison time in the Mandate prisons. In the course of his imprisonment, he was transferred to Acre Prison. In 1947, he unsuccessfully attempted to escape during a raid by Irgun forces. He was later transferred to the prison in Jerusalem, escaping again in 1948, along with other prisoners. Shmuelevitz was arrested for the third time by British forces following the assassination of U.N. mediator Count Folke Bernadotte in September 1948 (along with Nathan Yellin-Mor). The two were tried for operating a terrorist organization and sentenced to a number of years in prison, but were pardoned a few days later. In 1972 Shmuelevitz joined the Herut Movement, and later served as Director General of the Prime Minister's Office under Menachem Begin.
The notebook comprises a lengthy halachic responsum, written upon the request of Merkaz Brit HaShabbat, with a detailed analysis of the Shabbat laws pertaining to radio broadcasts – whether live or recorded (using an automated system, which broadcasts recordings using gramophone discs). The responsum includes a study of various laws, such as those applying to speaking into a microphone or telephone on Shabbat, whether it is permitted to leave a radio on over Shabbat and hear broadcasts, and more. R. Shlomo Zalman describes the mechanical and electrical mechanisms in detail, explaining how microphones work, how radio waves are received and broadcasted, and more. The responsum was written in regard to the radio station Kol Yerushalayim established by the British Mandatory Authority in Jerusalem.
This responsum was mimeographed and published by Merkaz Brit HaShabbat in 1946. In 1948, R. Shlomo Zalman published an essay on this topic in Sinai (year 22, Tishrei-Adar II 1948, pp. 139-154); later reprinting it in his book Minchat Shlomo (141, section 9). In later publications, the responsum was reprinted basically in the same version, although R. Shlomo Zalman changed his mind regarding certain points, both due to a renewed analysis of the technology, and based on further study of the halachic topic. Furthermore, in later publications, he does not relate to the original questions addressed to him by Merkaz Brit HaShabbat regarding the radio station Kol Yerushalayim (for more information about this responsum, see note to Meorei Esh HaShalem, Jerusalem 2010, II, pp. 576-577; Shulchan Shlomo – laws of Shabbat, Jerusalem 1999, I, pp. 54-57).
R. Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (1910-1995), dean of the Kol Torah Yeshiva and leading posek of his times. Born in Jerusalem to R. Chaim Yehuda Leib Auerbach, dean of the Shaar HaShamayim yeshiva for kabbalists. He was a close disciple of R. Isser Zalman Meltzer, who held him in high esteem and quotes him in his book Even HaEzel. In 1935, at the age of only 24, he published his first book – Meorei Esh on using electricity on Shabbat, which received the approbations of the Torah leaders of the generation, including R. Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky (who was very impressed by the ability of the young Torah scholar from Jerusalem to analyze the halachic status of a new invention, which is not discussed in halachic literature), his teacher – R. Isser Zalman Meltzer and R. Kook. In his youth, R. Shlomo Zalman was a household member of R. Zelig Reuven Bengis, head of the Edah HaChareidit, who despite being an elder Lithuanian Torah scholar, held the young Torah scholar in high regard. In the home of R. Bengis, R. Shlomo Zalman made acquaintance with his colleague R. Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, and elder Jerusalem Torah scholars such as R. Gershon Lapidot and the rabbi of Teplik. In time, R. Shlomo Zalman became one of the leading poskim and the foremost authority in Halachic matters, such as medicine and halachah. His pleasant ways and refinement earned him the veneration of all sects of Orthodox Judaism, as was expressed at his funeral which was attended by some 300,000 people.
[16] leaves (16 written pages) + 5 written pages of notes and additions to the responsum. 19.5 cm. Good condition. Stains and wear. Original paper wrappers, somewhat torn.
The collection includes:
• Over 150 letters and draft letters, mostly from Mrs. Farha Sassoon, addressed to members of her family and others, and some addressed to her, including letters from her father R. David Solomon Sassoon, addressed to her and to her brother R. Solomon David.
• 6 Torah notebooks of Mrs. Farha Sassoon, as well as dozens of leaves with Torah notes. One of notebook is inscribed: "This book belongs to the young Farha David Sassoon, Rosh Chodesh Adar II 1921", another notebook states: "Farha David Sassoon, 21st Shevat 1928 – Lashon HaKodesh, homiletics, etc.". A third notebook (from Tevet 1928) is entitled: "Book of novellae by Farha David Sassoon".
• Drafts of letters which Mrs. Farha wrote to her teacher R. Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler.
Mrs. Farha (Flora) Sassoon, daughter of the famous philanthropist, researcher and collector R. David Solomon Sassoon. She was raised together with her only brother, R. Solomon David Sassoon, in the Sassoon family estate in London. She later married R. Asher Feuchtwanger (rabbi of Letchworth, England, author of Asher LaMelech). Farha and her brother studied in their youth under R. Dessler, and maintained close ties with him over the years.
R. Dessler moved to London from Lithuania in the late 1920s. Several months after his arrival, he received the position of synagogue rabbi in the East End, and some time later, he began teaching the children of the Sassoon family, following the recommendation of R. Shmuel Yitzchak Hillman, rabbi of London, to Mr. David Sassoon who sought a suitable tutor for his two children. Farha was fifteen years old at the time, and Solomon David fourteen. R. Dessler became their private teacher while upholding his position as synagogue rabbi, and would travel three times a week to the Sassoon family estate in the luxurious neighborhood of Mayfair, London. The present draft letters highlight the close relationship the Sassoon children shared with R. Dessler. In her letters, Farha shares all her experiences with R. Dessler, writing to him on a variety of topics. She addresses him as "my teacher and mentor". In one letter, she relates that she is trying to keep to her study quotas, listing her achievements: "…two hours every morning, I have studied so far by heart until chapter 5, Mishnah 3 of tractate Berachot, I am also studying 2 leaves of Kitzur Shulchan Aruch and reviewing 3 mishnayot in Yoma every day".
Approx. 200 paper items. Size varies. Overall good condition.
Notebook with musical scores handwritten by Cantor Josef (Yossele) Rosenblatt. [United States, early 1930s]. Hebrew, Yiddish, and English.
Music manuscript (staff lined) notebook filled with musical scores handwritten by the greatest of 20th-century cantors, known as the "King of Cantors, " Josef (Yossele) Rosenblatt, which he made use of during his recitals. The present notebook contains 69 works – Jewish prayers, liturgical hymns, and traditional songs in Hebrew and Yiddish, and a number of popular songs and operatic arias, some composed by Rosenblatt himself and some by other composers – handwritten onto staff notebook pages. Some of the works contained here have never been published.
Among the works included in the notebook: "Baim Koisel Marovi, " "Lomir Zich Iber Beiten, " "R'tzei Asirosom, " "Kevakoras, " "Vaani S'filosi, " "Racheim No, " "Hashir Shehalviyim, " "Hasom Nafsheinu Bachayim, " "Hamavdil, " and more. Underneath the notes for "Shoshanas Yaakov" (p. 53), the lyrics for the Hanukkah song "Haneiros Halalu" are written in. Apparently, the original melody for "Shoshanas Yaakov" was adapted for other lyrics. This particular work was never published during Rosenblatt's lifetime, nor was it ever recorded by him; indeed, it was recorded only recently – for the first time – by Cantor Moti Boyer.
Next to several works, Rosenblatt adds brief handwritten notations, some regarding the time and place a given piece was composed. For instance, at the end of the melody to the prayer "L'Olom Y'Hei Odom" (p. 15), he inserts the following note (in Yiddish): "Completed on the train from Indianapolis to New York, Sunday, January 16, 1927." "L'Olom Y'Hei Odom" was first recorded just a few days later, on January 20 (see online recordings listed on the website "Discography of American Historical Recordings"), but was apparently never published during Rosenblatt's lifetime.
Toward the end of the composition "Rabi Yishmoeil" (p. 19), Rosenlatt added (in Hebrew): "I began [this] on Dec. 17, 1926 in Seattle, Wash. and finished [it] on the way from New York to Chicago on March 10, 1927." The melody was recorded on October 18, 1928.
After "Di Tefilin" (p. 75), Rosenblatt writes (in Yiddish): "composed by Herman Wohl, piano accompaniment by Cantor Josef Rosenblatt, ‘Shliyach Tzibur' in New York." For many years, the Jewish-American composer Herman Wohl (1877-1936) served as the conductor of the choir that accompanied Rosenblatt at his public performances.
At the end of the score to "Minachal Baderech" (p. 104), Rosenblatt writes (in English) "Composed by Josef Rosenblatt." It seems that this melody was never printed or recorded by Rosenblatt.
In addition, Rosenblatt writes down in his notebook the names of the artists who composed and arranged most of the works. He also inserts various comments, instructions, and directions regarding how a given work is to be performed, and assorted corrections. Some of the scores in the notebook have lyrics added in a different handwriting, in pen or pencil, underneath the staff lines, and some have an indication of the date of the composition. The pages are all numbered by hand.
A Table of Contents – typewritten on the personal stationery of Yossele's son, Henry Rosenblatt – appears at the beginning. It lists most of the works included in the notebook. Notations penciled in next to most of the segments indicate the times when the individual works are to be performed. Ownership inscription by Henry Rosenblatt on the front flyleaf (English).
[210] pages of handwritten musical scores on staff lined sheets (and additional blank pages) + [1] f. table of contents, typewritten on personal stationery of Henry Rosenblatt. Approx. 30 cm. Fair-good condition. Minor stains. Brittle paper. Closed and open tears, causing minor damage to text or musical scores. Repairs with adhesive tape on some leaves. Upper edges of several leaves trimmed, causing minor damage to text and page numbering. Detached and partially detached leaves. Leather binding with gilt impression. Wear and blemishes to binding. Spine detached and torn (with losses).
Provenance:
1. Henry Rosenblatt, Josef's son (ownership inscription appears on front flyleaf).
2. Collection of G. Atlas, student and close friend of Henry Rosenblatt.
Josef (Yossele) Rosenblatt (1882-1933), cantor and composer, widely regarded as the greatest cantor in the Jewish world in the 20th century. Vocalist whose singularly virtuosic skills immeasurably enriched the art of cantorial music. Rosenblatt's distinctive, ethereal tenor voice earned him recognition among Jewish communities – and the general public – around the world, throughout Europe, the United States, and Palestine.
Josef Rosenblatt was born in Bila Tserkva (southern Russian Empire, today in Ukraine). In his early childhood, the family moved to Sadigura (Sadhora), Bukovina (part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire), where he was exposed to the Hasidic melodies that profoundly influenced his artistic development and molded his musical style. He began performing at the tender age of nine, and gained a reputation early in life as a popular, crowd-pleasing "chazan" (cantor). At the age of 17, he sharpened his skills with vocal training in Vienna, and following that, he began appearing before audiences throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After getting married, he was hired to serve as a cantor in Munkatch (Mukachevo or Mukacheve, today in western Ukraine). In 1901, he moved to Bratislava (Pressburg); it was here that his reputation as a cantor possessing rare, beautifully musical vocal skills began to spread throughout Europe. He was subsequently appointed Chief Cantor of the prosperous Hamburg Jewish community. In 1912 he immigrated to the United States, where he became Cantor of New York's Ohab Zedek Congregation, whose membership consisted largely of Hungarian-Jewish émigrés. Soon thereafter, he began touring the length and breadth of the United States and entertaining ever-larger audiences.
At the start of his multi-faceted musical career, while leading synagogue services as a cantor, Yossele Rosenblatt would typically improvise his melodies on the spot. Eventually, however, he began writing down the musical scores for his tunes, and thus, over time the various melodies developed into fixed musical works that he would perform over and over in his appearances before audiences. In total, he is thought to have composed over 600 different works. He even authored a number of books containing his compositions, including "Zemorot Yosef" (1906) and "Tefillot Yosef" (1906). Rosenblatt also recorded many albums that feature him singing his own original compositions and arrangements, as well as popular Jewish folk tunes and works by various other composers. In addition, he contributed vocal segments to the motion picture "The Jazz Singer" (1927), the world's first feature-length movie to offer a recorded musical soundtrack and segments of dialogue and song produced in synchrony with the motion picture. The movie quickly gained fame; it marked the end of the era of silent movies and ushered in the era of sound films. As far as Rosenblatt was concerned, it earned him a place of honor in the annals of cinema.
In early 1933, Rosenblatt traveled to Palestine where he embarked on a concert tour, accompanied by his son Henry and the pianist-composer Nahum Nardi. He also took part there in the filming of another movie, the Yiddish-language film "Cholom Fun Mein Folk" ("Dream of my People"). In this film, Rosenblatt is shown performing songs in sites all over the country, including Mt. Scopus (Jerusalem), the Cave of the Patriarchs (Hebron), the Dead Sea, and other places. While making this movie, Rosenblatt fell in love with the Land of Israel and he decided to settle here. Unfortunately, his days in this country were numbered; on June 19, 1933, while still involved in the filming of the movie, he suddenly felt unwell, was rushed to hospital, and passed away shortly thereafter. He was interred on the Mt. of Olives in Jerusalem. Following his death, Henry Rosenblatt committed himself to the task of rearranging his father's musical compositions.
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