Auction 83 - Part I - Rare and Important Items
Letter of Rabbinic Ordination Signed by the Noda BiYehuda, with the Signatures of the Dayanim in His Beit Din, Leading Prague Torah Scholars – 1760
Opening: $30,000
Estimate: $50,000 - $60,000
Sold for: $37,500
Including buyer's premium
Letter of rabbinic ordination signed by R. Yechezkel Landau – the Noda BiYehuda, and by the dayanim of his Beit Din in Prague. Prague, 3rd Sivan 1760.
The certificate was accorded to R. David son of R. Yitzchak Eizek Bindeles of Prague, granting him the title "Morenu HaRav".
Written by a scribe, the letter concludes: "So are the words of one who is engaged in Torah and worship of G-d, together with the rabbis of the Beit Din here in Prague on Sunday, 3rd Sivan 1760". This is followed by the handwritten signature of the Noda BiYehuda: "One who speaks in honor of the Torah and those who learn it, Yechezkel Segal Landau".
The signature of the Noda BiYehuda is followed by that of the dayanim of his Beit Din, leading Prague Torah scholars: "Yehuda Leib Kassowitz of Prague" – R. Leib Kassowitz (Rassowitz; d. 1783), head of the Beit Din during the time of the Noda BiYehuda; "Yitzchak Wolf son of R. Aharon Austerlitz Segal" – R. Yitzchak Binyamin Wolf Austerlitz (d. 1762), close disciple of R. Yehonatan Eybeschutz, dean of the Prague yeshiva and rabbi of the Chatzer HaGadol synagogue in Prague, one of the first signatories on the rabbinic appointment of the Noda BiYehuda; "Meir son of R. F. Bomsela" – R. Meir son of R. Fishel (Fischels) Bomsela (d. 1770), disciple and associate of R. Yehonatan Eybeschutz, served as head of the Prague Beit Din during the time of the Noda BiYehuda, dean of the Prague yeshiva for forty years, most of the Prague Torah scholars were his disciples; "Asher Anshel son of R. Baruch Osers" – R. Ascher Anschel Osers (d. 1765), a Prague Torah scholar and dayan in the Beit Din of the Noda BiYehuda; "Shlomo Zalman son of R. Gumpel Emerich" – R. Shlomo Zalman Emerich (d. 1794), disciple of R. Netanel Weill author of Korban Netanel, rabbi of the Maisel synagogue in Prague, dayan in the Prague Beit Din, and head of the Beit Din from 1793, author of Shisha Zironei Aruga (Prague 1789).
R. Yechezkel HaLevi Segal Landau (1713-1793) was a leading Halachic authority of all times, whom the entire Jewish nation relied upon. From a young age, he was renowned as a leading Torah scholar of his generation. From the age of 13 until 30, he resided in Brody, a thriving Torah center in those times, home to the celebrated Kloiz – Beit Midrash renowned for the study of all realms of Torah, and for the famous compositions on the Talmud, in Halachah and in Kabbalah which it produced. He served for about ten years as the rabbi of one of the four Batei Din in Brody. During his stay in Brody, he became close to the Kloiz scholars, including R. Chaim Sanzer and R. Gershon of Kitov (brother-in-law of the Baal Shem Tov). During those years, he studied the Arizal's writings together with R. Chaim Sanzer, a leading scholar in the Kloiz.
Ca. 1745, he went to serve as rabbi of Jampol, and in 1754, he began serving as rabbi of Prague and the region. In Prague, he led his community fearlessly, becoming a foremost leader of his generation. He established a large yeshiva there, in which he educated thousands of disciples, including many of the leaders of that generation (his disciple R. Elazar Fleckeles, author of Teshuva MeAhavah, eulogized him: "He edified several thousands of disciples, including hundreds of rabbis and dayanim"; Olat HaChodesh HaShlishi, 17, p. 85a). Thousands of questions were addressed to him from far-flung places. Approximately 850 of his responsa were published in Noda BiYehuda. His books published in his lifetime, Responsa Noda BiYehuda – Mahadura Kama, and Tzelach on Tractates Pesachim and Berachot, earned him worldwide fame already then (Noda BiYehuda – Mahadura Tinyana, printed after his passing, Prague 1811, includes hundreds of his responsa to questions about his first book, addressed to him from various places).
The Chida in Shem HaGedolim greatly praises the book Noda BiYehuda as well as its author, describing him as an exceptionally outstanding Torah scholar who disseminated much Torah through his books and disciples, and mentions the acuity and extensive Torah wisdom apparent in his responsa and books. The Noda BiYehuda himself wrote in a responsum regarding one of his novellae, that in his opinion it is a true Torah thought (Even HaEzer, Mahadura Tinyana, section 23, 2). The Chatam Sofer relates to this responsum in one of his responsa (Part II, Even HaEzer, section 95): "The words of G-d are in his mouth, truth".
[1] double leaf. 21.5 cm. Good condition. Stains. Folding mark.
The certificate was accorded to R. David son of R. Yitzchak Eizek Bindeles of Prague, granting him the title "Morenu HaRav".
Written by a scribe, the letter concludes: "So are the words of one who is engaged in Torah and worship of G-d, together with the rabbis of the Beit Din here in Prague on Sunday, 3rd Sivan 1760". This is followed by the handwritten signature of the Noda BiYehuda: "One who speaks in honor of the Torah and those who learn it, Yechezkel Segal Landau".
The signature of the Noda BiYehuda is followed by that of the dayanim of his Beit Din, leading Prague Torah scholars: "Yehuda Leib Kassowitz of Prague" – R. Leib Kassowitz (Rassowitz; d. 1783), head of the Beit Din during the time of the Noda BiYehuda; "Yitzchak Wolf son of R. Aharon Austerlitz Segal" – R. Yitzchak Binyamin Wolf Austerlitz (d. 1762), close disciple of R. Yehonatan Eybeschutz, dean of the Prague yeshiva and rabbi of the Chatzer HaGadol synagogue in Prague, one of the first signatories on the rabbinic appointment of the Noda BiYehuda; "Meir son of R. F. Bomsela" – R. Meir son of R. Fishel (Fischels) Bomsela (d. 1770), disciple and associate of R. Yehonatan Eybeschutz, served as head of the Prague Beit Din during the time of the Noda BiYehuda, dean of the Prague yeshiva for forty years, most of the Prague Torah scholars were his disciples; "Asher Anshel son of R. Baruch Osers" – R. Ascher Anschel Osers (d. 1765), a Prague Torah scholar and dayan in the Beit Din of the Noda BiYehuda; "Shlomo Zalman son of R. Gumpel Emerich" – R. Shlomo Zalman Emerich (d. 1794), disciple of R. Netanel Weill author of Korban Netanel, rabbi of the Maisel synagogue in Prague, dayan in the Prague Beit Din, and head of the Beit Din from 1793, author of Shisha Zironei Aruga (Prague 1789).
R. Yechezkel HaLevi Segal Landau (1713-1793) was a leading Halachic authority of all times, whom the entire Jewish nation relied upon. From a young age, he was renowned as a leading Torah scholar of his generation. From the age of 13 until 30, he resided in Brody, a thriving Torah center in those times, home to the celebrated Kloiz – Beit Midrash renowned for the study of all realms of Torah, and for the famous compositions on the Talmud, in Halachah and in Kabbalah which it produced. He served for about ten years as the rabbi of one of the four Batei Din in Brody. During his stay in Brody, he became close to the Kloiz scholars, including R. Chaim Sanzer and R. Gershon of Kitov (brother-in-law of the Baal Shem Tov). During those years, he studied the Arizal's writings together with R. Chaim Sanzer, a leading scholar in the Kloiz.
Ca. 1745, he went to serve as rabbi of Jampol, and in 1754, he began serving as rabbi of Prague and the region. In Prague, he led his community fearlessly, becoming a foremost leader of his generation. He established a large yeshiva there, in which he educated thousands of disciples, including many of the leaders of that generation (his disciple R. Elazar Fleckeles, author of Teshuva MeAhavah, eulogized him: "He edified several thousands of disciples, including hundreds of rabbis and dayanim"; Olat HaChodesh HaShlishi, 17, p. 85a). Thousands of questions were addressed to him from far-flung places. Approximately 850 of his responsa were published in Noda BiYehuda. His books published in his lifetime, Responsa Noda BiYehuda – Mahadura Kama, and Tzelach on Tractates Pesachim and Berachot, earned him worldwide fame already then (Noda BiYehuda – Mahadura Tinyana, printed after his passing, Prague 1811, includes hundreds of his responsa to questions about his first book, addressed to him from various places).
The Chida in Shem HaGedolim greatly praises the book Noda BiYehuda as well as its author, describing him as an exceptionally outstanding Torah scholar who disseminated much Torah through his books and disciples, and mentions the acuity and extensive Torah wisdom apparent in his responsa and books. The Noda BiYehuda himself wrote in a responsum regarding one of his novellae, that in his opinion it is a true Torah thought (Even HaEzer, Mahadura Tinyana, section 23, 2). The Chatam Sofer relates to this responsum in one of his responsa (Part II, Even HaEzer, section 95): "The words of G-d are in his mouth, truth".
[1] double leaf. 21.5 cm. Good condition. Stains. Folding mark.
Rabbis – Autographs
Rabbis – Autographs