Leaf with four handwritten letters of recommendation by German rabbis, for Rabbi Aryeh Leib ben R' Asher, grandson of the author of Sha'agat Aryeh. Germany, 1840.
The first letter is by Rabbi Ya'akov Yehuda Kaufman Rabbi of Leipheim, who writes that Rabbi Aryeh Leib from Poland, grandson of the author of Sha'agat Aryeh came to his city and was in need of charity and monetary support (17th of Adar Aleph, 1840). Under this letter is another letter of recommendation by Rabbi Feitel Falhinger Rabbi of Bretten (17th of Adar Bet, 1840), and on the reverse side are two more letters. One is by Rabbi Eliyahu Hirsh Prager Rabbi of Bruchsal (10th of Adar Bet 1840), and the other is letter by Rabbi Elya Wilstetter Rabbi of Karlsruhe. All the writers lavishly praise Rabbi Aryeh Leib and note his greatness in Torah knowledge.
Rabbi Asher Walerstein Rabbi of Karlsruhe, son of the author of Sha'agat Aryeh and father of the subject of these recommendations was one of the greatest Torah scholars in his times and some of the most famous German rabbis were his disciples. Among them are the author of the Aruch LaNer and Rabbi Elyah Wilstetter, who wrote one of the recommendations and later succeeded him in the Karlsruhe rabbinate.
At the beginning of the book Gevurot Ari by the Sha'agat Aryeh, on Tractate Ta'anit, is a letter from 1836 written by Rabbi Aryeh Leib, the subject of the recommendations, in the name of his father, Rabbi Asher who was already blind and could not write by himself [there are also approbations by his disciples Rabbi Elya Wilstetter and Rabbi Eliyahu Hirsh Prager Rabbi of Bruchsal, from 1839].
Leaf, 19.5 cm. Written on both sides. Fair condition, stains, tears to margins and folding marks.

Halachic responsum, by the Krakow Beit Din, to Rabbi Ze'ev Wolf Frankel Rabbi of Przeworsk, signed by Rabbi "Shaul Landau of Krakow ". [C. 1857].
In the letter, he discusses the matter of the government decrees on changing the attire of the population, and he discusses if this is included in the prohibition of "Not following the customs of non-Jews", and if a person must give his life to refrain from changing his dress.
The "Decree of Attire" is a well-known historical affair. In circa 1846, a law was passed in Russian lands, allowing only several fixed styles of clothing, village dress, city dress, shaving beards, etc. Leading Polish rabbis of those days disagreed on this matter; whether the decree can be called a Gezerat Shmad which would halachically prohibit Jews from dressing like non-Jews (as we learn about the Jews in Egypt that did not change their dress); or, since the dress code had been decreed on all the country's population, Jews and non-Jews alike, Jews are not prohibited to heed the decree. The opinion of the Chiddushei HaRim and Rabbi Avraham of Ciechanów was that the change of dress is prohibited by Jewish law even if one has to forfeit his life to adhere to this law. This item is a halachic letter about this historic subject by one of the heads of the Beit Din in Krakow, Poland.
Rabbi Shaul Landau of Krakow (1790-1854), a holy Chassid, Mekubal and outstanding Torah genius, one of the leading rabbis of Galicia-Poland, served for 50 years as rabbi and dayan in Krakow and was held in high esteem by all the city's population. After the split in 1832, he headed the Beit Din of Chassidim in the city. He was known to be a holy person, who ate and slept little, yet was robust and on Simchat Torah he used to dance hugging two Torah scrolls while prancing around like a light bird. Written on his tombstone is "Master of thousands and great among the Jews".
The recipient of the letter is Rabbi Avraham Ze'ev Wolf Frankel (1780-1849), Av Beit Din of Przeworsk, and one of the leading rabbis of Rzeszów. A disciple of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Rubin Av Beit Din of Lesko (Linsk) ( father of Rabbi Naftali of Ropczyce). Chassid and close to the Chozeh of Lublin, Rabbi Shalom of Belz and Rabbi Zvi Hirsh of Rymanów.
2 pages, approximately 22.5 cm. closely written (approximately 68 lines). Good condition.

Long letter handwritten and signed by Rabbi David Deutsch to his brother Rabbi Avraham. Zaharoy, 1861.
Rabbi David Deutsch Rabbi of Mysłowice and Zaharoy, (1810-1873), disciple of Maharam Benet and the Chatam Sofer, author of Esof Aseifa (Breslau 1846), in opposition to the Reform convention in Braunschweig, and other books. (See Chatam Sofer V'Talmidav, page 105). Son of Rabbi Mordechai Deutsch (Rabbi of Zülz – died in 1813).
Letter's recipient: His brother Rabbi Avraham Deutsch of Zülz. A manuscript of his novellae appeared in Kedem catalog, Auction 14, Item 476.
2 pages, 17 cm. Approximately 70 handwritten lines. Good condition

Large handwritten leaves, copies by the scribe of the Dretske congregation in Hungary, related to appointment of rabbis of city.
Copies include: • Protocol of community decision to appoint Rabbi Shlomo Sofer as rabbi from Rosh Chodesh Adar I 1888. • Letter of response to the congregation written by Rabbi Shlomo Sofer regarding his appointment. • Letter by Rabbi Simcha Bunim Sofer [author of Shevet Sofer] blessing appointment of his brother as rabbi of city. • Decision of the congregation to inaugurate Rabbi Yosef Leib Sofer. Iyar 1885. • Rabbinate writ to his brother Rabbi Shmuel Binyamin Sofer. 1903. • Poem in honor of inauguration of Rabbi Shmuel Binyamin Sofer.
Ga’on Rabbi Shlomo Sofer, youngest son of the Ktav Sofer, who arrived to Dretske in light of his marriage to the daughter of the city rabbi, served in the rabbinate of the city between 1878 and 1884. He was then transferred to the rabbinate of Beregszasz. His successor was Ga’on Rabbi Yosef Leib Sofer, who was not related to him, and was the son of Gao’n Rabbi Eliezer Zussman Sofer Av Beit Din of Paks. He served in Dretske until the demise of his father in 1903, when he was summoned to succeed him in Paks, and his younger brother Rabbi Shmuel Binyamin Sofer took his place and served in Dretske until his demise during the Holocaust in 1943.
[4] leaves (7 written pages). 38 cm. Good condition. Stains.