Letter of congratulations (unsigned), handwritten by Rebbe Chaim Halberstam, Rabbi of Sanz (Nowy Sącz), author of Divrei Chaim. [Sanz, ca. 1844].
Addressed to R. Yechezkel Panet, author of Mareh Yechezkel, congratulating him for the appointment of his son, R. Menachem Mendel of Desh (Dej) as rabbi and posek (of Urişor, Dej region):
"His letter reached me and I rejoiced upon hearing of the appointment of his astute son Menachem Mendel as rabbi and posek, may he be successful, edify upright disciples, lead his flock with compassion to fine springs and pastures, guiding them in the correct path, may his prestige be raised and may he grow onwards and upwards".
Inaccurate copies of this letter were published in Heichal HaBesht, 8, Tishrei 2004, pp. 100-101 (see there regarding the historic background of this letter); and in Ateret Chaim – Yalkut Igrot Kodesh, II, Brooklyn 1980, p. 106, letter 99.
Rebbe Chaim Halberstam, Rabbi of Sanz and author of Divrei Chaim (1797-1876) was the founder of the Sanz Chassidic dynasty. He was the son-in-law of R. Baruch Frankel-Teomim, author of Baruch Taam, and a disciple of Rebbe Naftali Tzvi of Ropshitz (Ropczyce) and Rebbe Tzvi Hirsch of Zidichov (Zhydachiv). He was renowned not only as one of the great Chassidic masters of his times, but also as a noted Halachic authority. His court attracted thousands of followers, among them many of the generation's rebbes. He established contact with many of the leading rabbis of his time and was an influential leader of Galician and Eastern European Jewry. His descendants followed in his footsteps, combining Chassidic leadership with Halachic erudition and serving both as Chassidic rebbes and as rabbis of cities in Galicia, Hungary and Romania. His eldest son was R. Yechezkel Halberstam, Rabbi and Rebbe of Shineva (Sieniawa). The Sanz dynasty is continued today through the Chassidic courts of Bobov, Sanz-Klausenberg, Stropkov, Czchow, Zhmigrod, Gorlice, and others.
R. Menachem Mendel Panet, Rabbi of Dej (1818-1885) was the son of Rebbe Yechezkel author of Mareh Yechezkel (1783-1845, a disciple of R. Mendel of Rymanów, served as Rabbi of Carlsburg [Alba Iulia] and of Siebenburgen [Transylvania]). In 1837, he studied in the yeshiva of the Chatam Sofer and was the only young man in the Pressburg Yeshiva who donned a Chassidic silk robe on Shabbat. His teacher, the Chatam Sofer, was very fond of him and used to stroll while conversing with him every Shabbat eve (he would dub him "the golden one"). While studying in the yeshiva of the Chatam Sofer, he merited a revelation of Eliyahu HaNavi who greeted him in the Beit Midrash, in the disguise of a poor person. R. Menachem Mendel was appointed by his father in ca. 1842-1844 as rabbi of the northern counties of Transylvania, yet since the government did not allow Jews to settle in the county capital Dej at that time, he meanwhile served as rabbi of Urişor (which is approx. 3 km away from Dej), and only in 1858 did he move over to serve as rabbi of Dej. From ca. 1855, he served as Chief Rabbi of Transylvania. He authored Maaglei Tzedek on the Torah and the series of responsa books Avnei Tzedek, Shaarei Tzedek and Mishpat Tzedek.
[1] leaf. approx. 13X5.5 cm. 5 lines handwritten by the Divrei Chaim. Good condition. Stains and folding marks.