Skip to main content
kedem Auction House Ltd. logo
  • Current Auction
  • Archive
  • Buying
  • Selling
  • Press
  • About
EN HE
  • Home
  • search
  • Auction 055 Online Auction: Judaica, Chassidut and Kabbalah – Jerusalem Printings – Letters – Jewish Ceremonial Art (501) Apply Auction 055 Online Auction: Judaica, Chassidut and Kabbalah – Jerusalem Printings – Letters – Jewish Ceremonial Art filter
  • Auction 045 Online Auction - Judaica (472) Apply Auction 045 Online Auction - Judaica filter
  • Online Auction 39 - Judaica (493) Apply Online Auction 39 - Judaica filter
  • Online Auction 029 - Judaica: Books, Manuscripts, Letters, Objects (500) Apply Online Auction 029 - Judaica: Books, Manuscripts, Letters, Objects filter
  • Online Auction 026 – Jewish and Israeli History, Art and Culture (490) Apply Online Auction 026 – Jewish and Israeli History, Art and Culture filter
  • Online Auction 025 – Judaica: Books, Manuscripts, Letters, Objects (500) Apply Online Auction 025 – Judaica: Books, Manuscripts, Letters, Objects filter
  • Online Auction 021 – Jewish and Israeli History, Art and Culture (511) Apply Online Auction 021 – Jewish and Israeli History, Art and Culture filter
  • Online Auction 020 – Judaica: Books, Manuscripts, Letters, Objects (500) Apply Online Auction 020 – Judaica: Books, Manuscripts, Letters, Objects filter
  • Online Auction 016 – Jewish and Israeli History, Art and Culture (499) Apply Online Auction 016 – Jewish and Israeli History, Art and Culture filter
  • Online Auction 014 – Jewish and Israeli History, Art and Culture (537) Apply Online Auction 014 – Jewish and Israeli History, Art and Culture filter
  • Online Auction 013 – Judaica: Books, Manuscripts, Letters, Objects (591) Apply Online Auction 013 – Judaica: Books, Manuscripts, Letters, Objects filter
  • Auction 57 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art (477) Apply Auction 57 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art filter
  • Online Auction 012 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture (496) Apply Online Auction 012 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture filter
  • Online auction 011 - Judaica: Books, Manuscripts, Letters, Objects (507) Apply Online auction 011 - Judaica: Books, Manuscripts, Letters, Objects filter
  • Online Auction 010 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture (489) Apply Online Auction 010 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture filter
  • Online Auction 09 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture (539) Apply Online Auction 09 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture filter
  • Online Auction 08 - Passover Haggadot & Sifrei Kodesh (465) Apply Online Auction 08 - Passover Haggadot & Sifrei Kodesh filter
  • Online Auction 07 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art (499) Apply Online Auction 07 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art filter
  • Online Auction 06 - Jewish Art and Artists (518) Apply Online Auction 06 - Jewish Art and Artists filter
  • Online Auction 05 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture (534) Apply Online Auction 05 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture filter
  • Online Auction 04 - History of the Jewish People in Eretz Israel and in the Diaspora (510) Apply Online Auction 04 - History of the Jewish People in Eretz Israel and in the Diaspora filter
  • Online Auction 03 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Letters, Objects (505) Apply Online Auction 03 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Letters, Objects filter
  • Auction 54 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art (475) Apply Auction 54 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art filter
  • Auction 50 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture (595) Apply Auction 50 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture filter
  • Auction 47 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture (492) Apply Auction 47 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture filter
  • Auction 45 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture (612) Apply Auction 45 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture filter
  • Auction 44 - Judaica: Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters (471) Apply Auction 44 - Judaica: Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters filter
  • Auction 38 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture, Israeli and International Art (491) Apply Auction 38 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture, Israeli and International Art filter
  • Auction 34 - The Arnie Druck Collections (703) Apply Auction 34 - The Arnie Druck Collections filter
  • Auction 33 - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters (532) Apply Auction 33 - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters filter
  • Auction 31 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture (568) Apply Auction 31 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture filter
  • Auction 30 - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters (471) Apply Auction 30 - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters filter
  • Auction 27 - Books, Manuscripts and Rabbinical Letters (533) Apply Auction 27 - Books, Manuscripts and Rabbinical Letters filter
  • Auction 26 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture (534) Apply Auction 26 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture filter
  • Auction 22 - Books, Manuscripts and Rabbinical Letters (516) Apply Auction 22 - Books, Manuscripts and Rabbinical Letters filter
  • Auction 21 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture (570) Apply Auction 21 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture filter
  • Auction 18 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture (612) Apply Auction 18 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture filter
  • Auction 16 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters (521) Apply Auction 16 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters filter
  • Auction 15 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture (639) Apply Auction 15 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture filter
  • Auction 14 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters (636) Apply Auction 14 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters filter
  • Auction 13 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture (666) Apply Auction 13 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture filter
  • Auction 12 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters (590) Apply Auction 12 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters filter
  • Auction 11 - Israeli History and Culture (619) Apply Auction 11 - Israeli History and Culture filter
  • Auction 5 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture (552) Apply Auction 5 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture filter
  • Auction 3 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture (507) Apply Auction 3 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture filter
  • Auction 10 - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters (587) Apply Auction 10 - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters filter
  • Auction 9 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture (1003) Apply Auction 9 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture filter
  • Auction 8 - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters (586) Apply Auction 8 - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters filter
  • Auction 7 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture (562) Apply Auction 7 - Jewish and Israeli History and Culture filter
  • Auction 6 - Books, Manuscripts and Rabbinical Letters (544) Apply Auction 6 - Books, Manuscripts and Rabbinical Letters filter
Displaying 829 - 840 of 58939

Pages

  • « first
  • ‹ previous
  • …
  • 66
  • 67
  • 68
  • 69
  • 70
  • 71
  • 72
  • 73
  • 74
  • …
  • next ›
  • last »

Lot 197 Collection of Letters of Rabbis of Soviet Russia – To Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook in Eretz Israel – 1930s


  Large collection of letters of rabbis, dayanim, shochatim and poskim in Soviet Russia, addressed to R. Avraham Yitzchak Ha

  Large collection of letters of rabbis, dayanim, shochatim and poskim in Soviet Russia, addressed to R. Avraham Yitzchak Ha

  Large collection of letters of rabbis, dayanim, shochatim and poskim in Soviet Russia, addressed to R. Avraham Yitzchak Ha

  Large collection of letters of rabbis, dayanim, shochatim and poskim in Soviet Russia, addressed to R. Avraham Yitzchak Ha

  Large collection of letters of rabbis, dayanim, shochatim and poskim in Soviet Russia, addressed to R. Avraham Yitzchak Ha

  Large collection of letters of rabbis, dayanim, shochatim and poskim in Soviet Russia, addressed to R. Avraham Yitzchak Ha
Download picture
Download picture
Download picture
Download picture
Download picture
Download picture
Collection of Letters of Rabbis of Soviet Russia – To Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook in Eretz Israel – 1930s Collection of Letters of Rabbis of Soviet Russia – To Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook in Eretz Israel – 1930s Collection of Letters of Rabbis of Soviet Russia – To Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook in Eretz Israel – 1930s Collection of Letters of Rabbis of Soviet Russia – To Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook in Eretz Israel – 1930s Collection of Letters of Rabbis of Soviet Russia – To Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook in Eretz Israel – 1930s Collection of Letters of Rabbis of Soviet Russia – To Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook in Eretz Israel – 1930s
6 PHOTOS
Auction 101 Part 2 Chassidut and Kabbalah | Jerusalem Printings | Letters and Manuscripts | Objects Feb 18, 2025
Opening: $500
Sold for: $1,625
Including buyer's premium
Large collection of letters of rabbis, dayanim, shochatim and poskim in Soviet Russia, addressed to R. Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook, Chief Rabbi of Eretz Israel and a leader of the Aid Committee for Russian Jews of the rabbis of Eretz Israel. Various cities in Russia and Ukraine, 1933-1935.

Most letters written within Russia, during Stalin's reign of terror. The rabbis recount at length the harsh persecution and self-sacrifice for keeping the Torah under the conditions of famine and poverty. They beg for material assistance, and ask for help attaining visas to immigrate to Eretz Israel. Some letters include various Torah and halachic novellae.
The authors include Chassidic rabbis of the Chabad, Chernobyl, Rachmastrivka, Chortkov, Breslov and other Chassidic traditions – including distinguished followers of the Rebbe Rashab and the Rebbe Rayatz of Lubavitch.
The authors of the letters in the present collection include:
• R. Eliezer Moshe Madyevsky, Rabbi of Khorol (a senior Chabad rabbi in Russia, and a leading public activist as an emissary of the Rebbe Rashab and the Rebbe Rayatz).
• R. Avraham Levi (Levik) Slavin, Rabbi of Kulashi and Kutaisi.
• R. Yisrael Moshe son of R. Yaakov Aryeh Itkin, shochet and mohel in Mglin (Bryansk region).
• R. Yaakov Gershon HaKohen Akushsky, a rabbi of Yekaterinoslav (Dnipro), successor of R. Levi Yitzchak Schneerson (father of the Lubavitcher Rebbe).
• R. Mordechai Shmuel Kroll, Rabbi of Kfar Chassidim.
• R. Mordechai son of Avraham Matityahu Kroll, Rabbi of Novoukrainka.
• R. Shlomo Avraham Aberbuch, posek in Franpol (Kosohirka), formerly Rabbi of Kuzmyn.
• R. Michel Ruchman, posek in Berditchev.
• R. Avraham Breitman, Rabbi of Kamianets-Podilskyi, a Chortkov Chassid and dean of his local Tiferet Yisrael yeshiva.
• R. Pinchas Blechman, rabbi and posek in Tulchyn.
• R. Avraham Kravitzky, Rabbi of Kalis (apparently Kalush, Ukraine).
• R. Yitzchak Meir Glaser, rabbi in Kupil (Ukraine).
• R. Chaim Mendel Chefetz, Rabbi of Sevastopol (Crimea), formerly preacher in Kiev.
• R. Yisrael Yaakovson, rabbi on Bakhmut (Ukraine), formerly rabbi in Sevastopol (Crimea). In the margins of the letter he explains the use of an old stamp from his rabbinic tenure in Sevastopol: "As these years we are not permitted to make stamps".
• R. Yisrael Maggid, Rabbi of Kryzhopil (Vinnytsia province).
• R. Moshe Chaim Dinin, "grandson of the Baal Shem Tov and other holy ones", dayan and posek in Pykiv (Vinnytsia province).
• R. Moshe son of R. Yosef Shlomo, Rabbi of Ulaniv (Vinnytsia province).
• Letter (in square letters, signed?) – call for action, with chilling descriptions of exile to concentration camps, disease and famine, and the mass death of Jewish Torah scholars. On back on leaf, stamp of receipt dated 1933 [apparently this letter was sent by Jews of the Caucasus regions].
See Hebrew description for a detailed list, with quotations from the letters.

20 letters. Size and condition varies. On some letters, stamps of receipt of the rabbinate in Jerusalem, with date of receipt filled in by hand, and red pencil inscriptions with summaries of content.

Stamps of rabbis in most letters (mostly to top of letter, mimicking official stationery), some old stamps with handwritten corrections, others fashioned amateurishly by carving of wood. [Production of stamps and official stationery appears to have required official approval in those days. See also the note of R. Yisrael Yaakovson mentioned above: "As these years we are not permitted to make stamps"].
Catalogue
View Details

Lot 198 Letter of Recommendation from Rabbi Yitzchak Ze'ev Soloveitchik, the Brisker Rav – Brisk, 1934


  Lengthy letter (some 18 lines), handwritten and signed by R. Yitzchak Ze'ev Soloveitchik, Rabbi of Brisk (the Brisker Rav)
Download picture
Auction 101 Part 2 Chassidut and Kabbalah | Jerusalem Printings | Letters and Manuscripts | Objects Feb 18, 2025
Opening: $5,000
Sold for: $10,000
Including buyer's premium
Lengthy letter (some 18 lines), handwritten and signed by R. Yitzchak Ze'ev Soloveitchik, Rabbi of Brisk (the Brisker Rav). Brisk "on the Bug river", Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan, 1934.

Addressed to his friend R. Yechezkel Abramsky, rabbi of the Machazikei HaDat community in London. Recommendation for a yeshiva student traveling from Lithuania to England, seeking to be accepted in the Etz Chaim yeshiva in London. The student, "Aharon Forman", is commended as a diligent studier of Torah in the Mir and Kletsk yeshivas, who needs to receive a summoning from England "to save his life". He adds that his family is well-off and can support him financially.
The Brisker Rav goes on to ask R. Abramsky to influence the Federation in London, who had stopped supporting the Torat Chesed yeshiva in Brisk.
At the end of the letter, he signs his name "Yitzchak Ze'ev son of… R. Chaim HaLevi Soloveitchik".

R. Yitzchak Ze'ev Soloveitchik, the Brisker Rav (1886-1959), son of R. Chaim HaLevi of Brisk, and grandson of the Beit HaLevi. Already at a young age, still in his father's lifetime, he was considered one of the prominent Torah leaders of the generation. In 1919 (about the age of 32), he succeeded his forefathers as Rabbi of Brisk, and with his Torah authority, he governed all religious matters in his city and the entire region. He managed to escape the Holocaust together with some of his children who fled from Brisk to Vilna, from which they immigrated to Jerusalem in 1941. His authority was recognized by the entire Torah world in Eretz Israel and abroad. His books: Chidushei Maran Riz HaLevi on the Rambam and the Torah. His oral teachings were published as Chidushei HaGriz. His teachings serve to this day as a cornerstone of in-depth yeshiva learning and form the basis for the thought of large portions of Orthodox Jewry. He was famous for his searing fear of heaven and zeal for pure truth.

The recipient,
R. Yechezkel Abramsky (1886-1976), close disciple of R. Chaim of Brisk and close friend of his son R. Yitzchak Ze'ev. Shortly after his marriage, he traveled to Brisk to study under R. Chaim ca. 1910 (at the advice of his father-in-law R. Yisrael Yehonatan Yerushalimsky, a disciple of R. Chaim during his Volozhin period), where he stayed for some four months, after which point he became devoted to his Torah teachings for the rest of his life. While serving as Rabbi of Smilavichy, he visited his teacher R. Chaim, then staying in Minsk, for long periods, during which time he would clarify Torah topics with him. R. Yechezkel would say of his teacher R. Chaim's method of learning: "R. Chaim goes at once to the heart of the issue". R. Chaim greatly appreciated his disciple's wisdom, and in one letter he calls him a friend (Melech BeYofyo, p. 95). During those periods R. Abramsky became a close friend of his teacher's son, R. Yitzchak Ze'ev (R. Velvele), which led to some fifty years of friendship and a close correspondence. Some of their Torah discussions and correspondence are printed in Chidushei Maran Riz HaLevi. When R. Abramsky was living in Jerusalem (after he immigrated to Israel in 1951), they met often and dealt with Torah issues and public affairs together.

[1] leaf. Official stationery. 28.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains and folding marks. Minor tears to folds. Wear to line on widthwise fold in middle of letter, affecting text.
Catalogue
View Details

Lot 199 Letter of Rabbi Yitzchak Ze'ev Soloveitchik, the Brisker Rav – Jerusalem, Nisan 1947

Letter handwritten and signed by R. Yitzchak Ze'ev Soloveitchik, the Brisker Rav. Jerusalem, 28th Nisan 1947.
Addressed to hi
Download picture
Auction 101 Part 2 Chassidut and Kabbalah | Jerusalem Printings | Letters and Manuscripts | Objects Feb 18, 2025
Opening: $3,000
Sold for: $6,250
Including buyer's premium

Letter handwritten and signed by R. Yitzchak Ze'ev Soloveitchik, the Brisker Rav. Jerusalem, 28th Nisan 1947.

Addressed to his friend R. Yechezkel Abramsky, head rabbi of the London Beit Din, regarding funds sent to the Brisker Rav on R. Abramsky's behalf, by the "Torah fund" of Agudat Yisrael. The Brisker Rav writes that he doesn't know to what end the funds were sent, and asks him what to do with the money and apologizes for disturbing him with the question.
At the end of the letter he signs his name along with a blessing: "Yitzchak Ze'ev son of… R. Chaim HaLevi Soloveitchik".

R. Yitzchak Ze'ev Soloveitchik, the Brisker Rav (1886-1959), son of R. Chaim HaLevi of Brisk, and grandson of the Beit HaLevi. Already at a young age, still in his father's lifetime, he was considered one of the prominent Torah leaders of the generation. In 1919 (about the age of 32), he succeeded his forefathers as Rabbi of Brisk, and with his Torah authority, he governed all religious matters in his city and the entire region. He managed to escape the Holocaust together with some of his children who fled from Brisk to Vilna, from which they immigrated to Jerusalem in 1941. His authority was recognized by the entire Torah world in Eretz Israel and abroad. His books: Chidushei Maran Riz HaLevi on the Rambam and the Torah. His oral teachings were published as Chidushei HaGriz. His teachings serve to this day as a cornerstone of in-depth yeshiva learning and form the basis for the thought of large portions of Orthodox Jewry. He was famous for his searing fear of heaven and zeal for pure truth.

The recipient, R. Yechezkel Abramsky (1886-1976), close disciple of R. Chaim of Brisk and close friend of his son R. Yitzchak Ze'ev. Shortly after his marriage, he traveled to Brisk to study under R. Chaim ca. 1910 (at the advice of his father-in-law R. Yisrael Yehonatan Yerushalimsky, a disciple of R. Chaim during his Volozhin period), where he stayed for some four months, after which point he became devoted to his Torah teachings for the rest of his life. While serving as Rabbi of Smilavichy, he visited his teacher R. Chaim, then staying in Minsk, for long periods, during which time he would clarify Torah topics with him. R. Yechezkel would say of his teacher R. Chaim's method of learning: "R. Chaim goes at once to the heart of the issue". R. Chaim greatly appreciated his disciple's wisdom, and in one letter he calls him a friend (Melech BeYofyo, p. 95). During those periods R. Abramsky became a close friend of his teacher's son, R. Yitzchak Ze'ev (R. Velvele), which led to some fifty years of friendship and a close correspondence. Some of their Torah discussions and correspondence are printed in Chidushei Maran Riz HaLevi. When R. Abramsky was living in Jerusalem (after he immigrated to Israel in 1951), they met often and dealt with Torah issues and public affairs together.

[1] leaf. Official stationery. 22.5 cm. 9 handwritten lines. Good condition. Folding marks.

Catalogue
View Details

Lot 200 V-Mail (Airgraph) from Rabbi Yitzchak Ze'ev Soloveitchik, the Brisker Rav, To Rabbi Abramsky – Jerusalem, Tamuz 1944 – Opposing the International Assembly of Rabbis in Eretz Israel


  V-mail (photocopied mail) of a lengthy letter from R. Yitzchak Ze'ev Soloveitchik, the Brisker Rav, addressed to his frien
Download picture
Auction 101 Part 2 Chassidut and Kabbalah | Jerusalem Printings | Letters and Manuscripts | Objects Feb 18, 2025
Opening: $250
Unsold
V-mail (photocopied mail) of a lengthy letter from R. Yitzchak Ze'ev Soloveitchik, the Brisker Rav, addressed to his friend R. Yechezkel Abramsky, head of the London Beit Din [Jerusalem-London], 18th Tamuz 1944.

The present letter was sent by V-mail (Airgraph) – a process of microfilming developed during World War II, which was used to correspond with the soldiers on the battlefront. The letters were photographed and transported as thumbnail-sized images on negative microfilm. Upon arrival to their destination, the negatives would be printed on photographic paper at approximately a quarter of the original size of the letter, and the reduced letter was delivered to the addressee. The original letter was usually discarded after being photographed in the country of origin, and V-mail letters are the only remaining documentation of letters sent by this method.
The original letter was handwritten by R. Yosef Dov (Berel) Soloveitchik, son of the Brisker Rav, with the full signature of the Brisker Rav: "Yitzchak Ze'ev son of… R. Chaim HaLevi Soloveitchik".
In the present letter, the Brisker Rav expresses his sharp opposition to the attempt to organize an "international gathering of rabbis", and reveals the secret of the real reason for his opposition to his friend: Since the Zionist parties were making religious reforms in all areas, even affecting the Torah and Torah learners, and if an international gathering of rabbis were organized, the Chief Rabbis' party would gain power over everything.

R. Yitzchak Ze'ev Soloveitchik, the Brisker Rav (1886-1959), son of R. Chaim HaLevi of Brisk, and grandson of the Beit HaLevi. Already at a young age, still in his father's lifetime, he was considered one of the prominent Torah leaders of the generation. In 1919 (about the age of 32), he succeeded his forefathers as Rabbi of Brisk, and with his Torah authority, he governed all religious matters in his city and the entire region. He managed to escape the Holocaust together with some of his children who fled from Brisk to Vilna, from which they immigrated to Jerusalem in 1941. His authority was recognized by the entire Torah world in Eretz Israel and abroad. His books: Chidushei Maran Riz HaLevi on the Rambam and the Torah. His oral teachings were published as Chidushei HaGriz. His teachings serve to this day as a cornerstone of in-depth yeshiva learning and form the basis for the thought of large portions of Orthodox Jewry. He was famous for his searing fear of heaven and zeal for pure truth.

The recipient,
R. Yechezkel Abramsky (1886-1976), close disciple of R. Chaim of Brisk and close friend of his son R. Yitzchak Ze'ev. Shortly after his marriage, he traveled to Brisk to study under R. Chaim ca. 1910 (at the advice of his father-in-law R. Yisrael Yehonatan Yerushalimsky, a disciple of R. Chaim during his Volozhin period), where he stayed for some four months, after which point he became devoted to his Torah teachings for the rest of his life. While serving as Rabbi of Smilavichy, he visited his teacher R. Chaim, then staying in Minsk, for long periods, during which time he would clarify Torah topics with him. R. Yechezkel would say of his teacher R. Chaim's method of learning: "R. Chaim goes at once to the heart of the issue". R. Chaim greatly appreciated his disciple's wisdom, and in one letter he calls him a friend (Melech BeYofyo, p. 95). During those periods R. Abramsky became a close friend of his teacher's son, R. Yitzchak Ze'ev (R. Velvele), which led to some fifty years of friendship and a close correspondence. Some of their Torah discussions and correspondence are printed in Chidushei Maran Riz HaLevi. When R. Abramsky was living in Jerusalem (after he immigrated to Israel in 1951), they met often and dealt with Torah issues and public affairs together.

[1] leaf. 14 cm. Good condition. Folding marks.

The contents of this letter are only known from a personal copy made by R. Meshulam David Soloveitchik from the draft written by his father and brother (see Igrot Maran Riz HaLevi, 104, pp. 266-268). The present item is the full letter that reached R. Abramsky.
Catalogue
View Details

Lot 201 Letter of Rabbi Yitzchak Ze'ev Soloveitchik, the Brisker Rav – Eretz Israel, Ca. 1950

Letter (about 7 lines) handwritten and signed by the Brisker Rav, R. Yitzchak Ze'ev Soloveitchik – on a letter addressed to h
Download picture
Auction 101 Part 2 Chassidut and Kabbalah | Jerusalem Printings | Letters and Manuscripts | Objects Feb 18, 2025
Opening: $1,500
Sold for: $6,250
Including buyer's premium

Letter (about 7 lines) handwritten and signed by the Brisker Rav, R. Yitzchak Ze'ev Soloveitchik – on a letter addressed to his friend R. Yechezkel Abramsky in London. [Eretz Israel, ca. summer-fall 1950].

Written on leaf 2 of a letter signed by R. Avraham Yitzchak Winkelstein of Haifa, administrator of the Achiezer institution for educating children of refugees in immigrant camps. In his letter, R. Winkelstein mentions that R. Sorotzkin introduced them during a visit a year and a half earlier [R. Abramsky's first visit to Eretz Israel was in Nisan 1949, hence the present letter is to be dated to the latter half of 1950].
In the margins of the letter, the Brisker Rav adds seven lines in his handwriting, warmly commending the work of Achiezer in Haifa to save the immigrants' children from spiritual damage.
The Brisker Rav concludes with a blessing and his signature.

R. Yitzchak Ze'ev Soloveitchik, the Brisker Rav (1886-1959), son of R. Chaim HaLevi of Brisk, and grandson of the Beit HaLevi. Already at a young age, even during his father's lifetime, he was considered one of the prominent Torah leaders of the generation. In 1919 (about the age of 32), he succeeded his forefathers as Rabbi of Brisk, and with his Torah authority, he governed all religious matters in his city and the entire region. He managed to escape the Holocaust together with some of his children who fled from Brisk to Vilna, from which they immigrated to Jerusalem in 1941. His authority was recognized by the entire Torah world in Eretz Israel and abroad. His books: Chidushei Maran Riz HaLevi on the Rambam and the Torah. His oral teachings were published as Chidushei HaGriz. His teachings serve to this day as a cornerstone of in-depth yeshiva learning and form the basis for the thought of large portions of Orthodox Jewry. He was famous for his searing fear of heaven and zeal for pure truth.

R. Yechezkel Abramsky (1886-1976), close disciple of R. Chaim of Brisk and close friend of his son R. Yitzchak Ze'ev. Shortly after his marriage, he traveled to Brisk to study under R. Chaim ca. 1910 (at the advice of his father-in-law R. Yisrael Yehonatan Yerushalimsky, a disciple of R. Chaim during his Volozhin period), where he stayed for some four months, after which point he became devoted to his Torah teachings for the rest of his life. While serving as Rabbi of Smilavichy, he visited his teacher R. Chaim, then staying in Minsk, for long periods, during which time he would clarify Torah topics with him. R. Yechezkel would say of his teacher R. Chaim's method of learning: "R. Chaim goes at once to the heart of the issue". R. Chaim greatly appreciated his disciple's wisdom, and in one letter he calls him a friend (Melech BeYofyo, p. 95). During those periods R. Abramsky became a close friend of his teacher's son, R. Yitzchak Ze'ev (R. Velvele), which led to some fifty years of friendship and a close correspondence. Some of their Torah discussions and correspondence are printed in Chidushei Maran Riz HaLevi. When R. Abramsky was living in Jerusalem (after he immigrated to Israel in 1951), they met often and dealt with Torah issues and public affairs together.

[1] leaf. Official stationery. 28 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains and folding marks. Marginal open tears (not affecting text).

Catalogue
View Details

Lot 202 Draft of Poster by the Brisker Rav and Rabbi Abramsky – Opposing the Inauguration of Heichal Shlomo – With Handwritten Corrections by Rabbi Abramsky


  Typewritten letter, with handwritten corrections by R. Yechezkel Abramsky – draft of a letter of Torah leaders in Israel o

  Typewritten letter, with handwritten corrections by R. Yechezkel Abramsky – draft of a letter of Torah leaders in Israel o
Download picture
Download picture
Draft of Poster by the Brisker Rav and Rabbi Abramsky – Opposing the Inauguration of Heichal Shlomo – With Handwritten Corrections by Rabbi Abramsky Draft of Poster by the Brisker Rav and Rabbi Abramsky – Opposing the Inauguration of Heichal Shlomo – With Handwritten Corrections by Rabbi Abramsky
2 PHOTOS
Auction 101 Part 2 Chassidut and Kabbalah | Jerusalem Printings | Letters and Manuscripts | Objects Feb 18, 2025
Opening: $300
Sold for: $500
Including buyer's premium
Typewritten letter, with handwritten corrections by R. Yechezkel Abramsky – draft of a letter of Torah leaders in Israel opposing participation in the inauguration of Heichal Shlomo in Jerusalem. [Jerusalem, Adar 1958].

Heichal Shlomo, the former seat of the Chief Rabbinate and Supreme Beit Din of Israel, was inaugurated in 1958, with the participation of rabbis and public figures worldwide. The plan of its founders to create an "international spiritual center" drew the opposition of R. Yitzchak Ze'ev Soloveitchik, the Brisker Rav, out of concern for an attempt to create a new Sanhedrin.
On 7th Adar, the notice of Torah leaders forbidding participation in the inauguration ceremony was published. The present leaf is the draft of the text that was eventually signed by seven Torah leaders in Jerusalem: R. Yitzchak Ze'ev Soloveitchik, the Brisker Rav; R. Akiva Sofer of Pressburg; R. Zalman Sorotzkin of Lutsk; R. Yechezkel Abramsky of London; R. Eliezer Yehudah Finkel, dean of the Mir yeshiva; R. Yechezkel Sarna, dean of the Hebron yeshiva; and R. Dov Berish Weidenfeld of Tchebin. This notice was published in contemporary newspapers, and published as a facsimile in several books.
The present draft was apparently submitted for editing to R. Abramsky by the Brisker Rav, who had initiated the letter. The present leaf contains several handwritten glosses by R. Abramsky, most of which were integrated into the final text of the notice (see Hebrew description), while some were apparently not accepted by the Brisker Rav.

R. Yechezkel Abramsky (1886-1976), close disciple of R. Chaim of Brisk and close friend of his son R. Yitzchak Ze'ev. Shortly after his marriage, he traveled to Brisk to study under R. Chaim ca. 1910 (at the advice of his father-in-law R. Yisrael Yehonatan Yerushalimsky, a disciple of R. Chaim during his Volozhin period), where he stayed for some four months, after which point he became devoted to his Torah teachings for the rest of his life. While serving as Rabbi of Smilavichy, he visited his teacher R. Chaim, then staying in Minsk, for long periods, during which time he would clarify Torah topics with him. R. Yechezkel would say of his teacher R. Chaim's method of learning: "R. Chaim goes at once to the heart of the issue". R. Chaim greatly appreciated his disciple's wisdom, and in one letter he calls him a friend (Melech BeYofyo, p. 95). During those periods R. Abramsky became a close friend of his teacher's son, R. Yitzchak Ze'ev (R. Velvele), which led to some fifty years of friendship and a close correspondence. Some of their Torah discussions and correspondence are printed in Chidushei Maran Riz HaLevi. When R. Abramsky was living in Jerusalem (after he immigrated to Israel in 1951), they met often and dealt with Torah issues and public affairs together, including the Brisker Rav's campaign against establishing an "international spiritual center" for fear of marginalizing the poskim of the generation.

[1] leaf. 27.5 cm. Typewritten on both sides. Thin paper. Good-fair condition. Folding marks and creases.
Catalogue
View Details

Lot 203 Letters of Rabbi Yisrael Soloveitchik – Printing the Writings of His Uncle Rabbi Chaim of Brisk – Johannesburg, 1949-1950


  Two lengthy letters and an additional handwritten leaf by R. Yisrael HaLevi Soloveitchik – disciple and nephew of R. Chaim

  Two lengthy letters and an additional handwritten leaf by R. Yisrael HaLevi Soloveitchik – disciple and nephew of R. Chaim

  Two lengthy letters and an additional handwritten leaf by R. Yisrael HaLevi Soloveitchik – disciple and nephew of R. Chaim

  Two lengthy letters and an additional handwritten leaf by R. Yisrael HaLevi Soloveitchik – disciple and nephew of R. Chaim

  Two lengthy letters and an additional handwritten leaf by R. Yisrael HaLevi Soloveitchik – disciple and nephew of R. Chaim
Download picture
Download picture
Download picture
Download picture
Download picture
Letters of Rabbi Yisrael Soloveitchik – Printing the Writings of His Uncle Rabbi Chaim of Brisk – Johannesburg, 1949-1950 Letters of Rabbi Yisrael Soloveitchik – Printing the Writings of His Uncle Rabbi Chaim of Brisk – Johannesburg, 1949-1950 Letters of Rabbi Yisrael Soloveitchik – Printing the Writings of His Uncle Rabbi Chaim of Brisk – Johannesburg, 1949-1950 Letters of Rabbi Yisrael Soloveitchik – Printing the Writings of His Uncle Rabbi Chaim of Brisk – Johannesburg, 1949-1950 Letters of Rabbi Yisrael Soloveitchik – Printing the Writings of His Uncle Rabbi Chaim of Brisk – Johannesburg, 1949-1950
5 PHOTOS
Auction 101 Part 2 Chassidut and Kabbalah | Jerusalem Printings | Letters and Manuscripts | Objects Feb 18, 2025
Opening: $300
Sold for: $575
Including buyer's premium
Two lengthy letters and an additional handwritten leaf by R. Yisrael HaLevi Soloveitchik – disciple and nephew of R. Chaim HaLevi Soloveitchik, Rabbi of Brisk. Johannesburg (South Africa), Elul 1949 / Av 1950.

Addressed to R. Yechezkel Abramsky, head rabbi of the London Beit Din and a disciple of R. Chaim of Brisk. The letters primarily discuss Torah novellae by R. Chaim of Brisk in the possession of R. Yisrael Soloveitchik.
In the 1949 letter, R. Yisrael says that he heard that his uncle's writings were about to be printed, and he asks what had been discussed with R. Yitzchak Ze'ev Soloveitchik (the Brisker Rav), since he had sent all of R. Chaim's novellae to him. He also notes that he should contact R. Joseph B. Soloveitchik in Boston, who also possessed many Torah novellae, including autographs. He ends with his hope to see the writings in print, concluding with a Shanah Tovah blessing and his signature.
In the 1950 letter, he writes that he sent all the novellae he had to the Brisker Rav in Jerusalem, and reiterates his hope to see them in print, adding that he and the Brisker Rav's wonder why the printing is delayed.
Enclosed: Another leaf handwritten by R. Yisrael Soloveitchik, with notes for publication, including a catalog of the novellae that were to be included in the book.

R. Yisrael Soloveitchik, a rabbi of South Africa (d. 1951), son of R. Avraham Baruch Rabbi of Smolensk and cousin of R. Yitzchak Ze'ev Soloveitchik, the Brisker Rav. After the Russian Revolution, R. Yisrael came to Vilna and was active in community work. In the 1930s he was sent to England and South Africa by the Chafetz Chaim and R. Chaim Ozer, to work on behalf of the rabbis in Russia under the Bolshevik regime (see Lot 186). In South Africa he served as rabbi and member of the Johannesburg Beit Din, and in 1951 he immigrated to the United States, where he passed away later that year.
R. Yisrael studied under his uncle R. Chaim in the Volozhin yeshiva, where he copied many novellae from R. Chaim's notebooks, which included much material that had not previously been printed in R. Chaim's novellae on the Rambam (Brisk, 1936). The present letters appear to indicate that his son R. Yitzchak Ze'ev didn't approve of their publication until they passed careful inspection by R. Abramsky. R. Soloveitchik of South Africa sent the writings to R. Abramsky to be printed, and later to his cousin R. Yitzchak Ze'ev Soloveitchik.

3 leaves, including two letters on bluish paper, written on both sides of leaf. Size and condition varies.
Catalogue
View Details

Lot 204 Collection of Letters and Manuscripts Regarding Holocaust Agunot – From Rabbi Shlomo David Kahana of Warsaw, "Father of the Agunot"


  Collection of manuscripts and letters – halachic responsa on matters relating to agunot, by R. Shlomo David Kahana, a rabb

  Collection of manuscripts and letters – halachic responsa on matters relating to agunot, by R. Shlomo David Kahana, a rabb

  Collection of manuscripts and letters – halachic responsa on matters relating to agunot, by R. Shlomo David Kahana, a rabb

  Collection of manuscripts and letters – halachic responsa on matters relating to agunot, by R. Shlomo David Kahana, a rabb

  Collection of manuscripts and letters – halachic responsa on matters relating to agunot, by R. Shlomo David Kahana, a rabb
Download picture
Download picture
Download picture
Download picture
Download picture
Collection of Letters and Manuscripts Regarding Holocaust Agunot – From Rabbi Shlomo David Kahana of Warsaw, Collection of Letters and Manuscripts Regarding Holocaust Agunot – From Rabbi Shlomo David Kahana of Warsaw, Collection of Letters and Manuscripts Regarding Holocaust Agunot – From Rabbi Shlomo David Kahana of Warsaw, Collection of Letters and Manuscripts Regarding Holocaust Agunot – From Rabbi Shlomo David Kahana of Warsaw, Collection of Letters and Manuscripts Regarding Holocaust Agunot – From Rabbi Shlomo David Kahana of Warsaw,
5 PHOTOS
Auction 101 Part 2 Chassidut and Kabbalah | Jerusalem Printings | Letters and Manuscripts | Objects Feb 18, 2025
Opening: $300
Sold for: $750
Including buyer's premium
Collection of manuscripts and letters – halachic responsa on matters relating to agunot, by R. Shlomo David Kahana, a rabbi of Warsaw and the Old City of Jerusalem. Jerusalem, [ca. 1946].

Written on official stationeries of R. Kahana, some handwritten by him and some handwritten by a scribe, with R. Kahana's signatures. The letters mainly relate to permitting agunot and agunim who survived the Holocaust to remarry, including responsa on agunot and laws of Gittin and Chalitzah. Some letters relate to assistance to refugees in DP camps in Cyprus.
The collection includes many letters to Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Eizik HaLevi Hertzog, R. Kosovsky of Johannesburg, R. Chaim Yaakov Rottenberg of Antwerp (and France), R. Yosef HaLevi of Tel Aviv, R. Yitzchak Yedidiah Frankel and others.

R. Shlomo David Kahana, "Father of the Agunot" (1869-1953), a rabbi of Warsaw, son-in-law and successor of R. Shmuel Zanvil Klepfish, one of the leading rabbis in Warsaw (see Lot 182) After World War I, he was appointed by the Chief Rabbinate of Warsaw to oversee the complex issue of agunot. In this capacity, he worked tirelessly to release from their agunah status tens of thousands of women whose husbands, as soldiers in the war, were reported as missing in action and whose fates remained unknown. At the outbreak of World War II and the many casualties in Polish cities from enemy air raids (even before the mass extermination by the Nazis), R. Kahana foresaw what was coming and began preparing for the release of war agunot. He later managed to escape to Eretz Israel and was appointed Rabbi of the Old City of Jerusalem. During that period, he established the Office for Agunah Affairs in Jerusalem on behalf of the Union of Rabbis from Poland in Eretz Israel. Some of his many responsa were recently published in his book "Nechemat Shlomo" (published by Machon Yerushalayim, Jerusalem, 2022).

About 20 letters. 28 leaves. Most on official stationery. Size and condition varies. Overall good to good-fair condition.

Enclosed: Responsa Nechemat Shlomo, Machon Yerushalayim, 2022.
Catalogue
View Details

Lot 205 Invitation to the Chazon Ish to Participate in an Assembly of Torah Leaders During the Holocaust – 13th Tevet 1942 / Kvittel Handwritten by the Chazon Ish


  Letter from Agudat Yisrael, signed by R. Yitzchak Meir Levin (son-in-law of the Imrei Emet of Ger). Jerusalem, "Monda

  Letter from Agudat Yisrael, signed by R. Yitzchak Meir Levin (son-in-law of the Imrei Emet of Ger). Jerusalem, "Monda
Download picture
Download picture
Invitation to the Chazon Ish to Participate in an Assembly of Torah Leaders During the Holocaust – 13th Tevet 1942 / Kvittel Handwritten by the Chazon Ish Invitation to the Chazon Ish to Participate in an Assembly of Torah Leaders During the Holocaust – 13th Tevet 1942 / Kvittel Handwritten by the Chazon Ish
2 PHOTOS
Auction 101 Part 2 Chassidut and Kabbalah | Jerusalem Printings | Letters and Manuscripts | Objects Feb 18, 2025
Opening: $300
Unsold
Letter from Agudat Yisrael, signed by R. Yitzchak Meir Levin (son-in-law of the Imrei Emet of Ger). Jerusalem, "Monday, Vayechi, 13th Tevet 1942" [December 21].

Addressed to R. Avraham Yeshayah Karelitz, the Chazon Ish, with an invitation to a "small assembly of Torah leaders who are in Eretz Israel", supposed to take place in the offices of Agudat Yisrael in Jerusalem on Thursday, 16th Tevet, in order to plan rescue efforts from the Holocaust, when the "terrible, frightening news of European Jewry" arrived. R. Yitzchak Meir Levin writes that "we are trying… to rouse the nations of the world to do something to save the Jews, and although our protests are making an impression in the world – the events overtly show us that we have no one to rely upon but our Father in Heaven".
On verso of title page, kvittel inscriptions handwritten by the Chazon Ish [the Chazon Ish used to write down names of men and women with their mothers' names to prayer for their healing and salvation].

[1] leaf. Official stationery. 22 cm. Typewritten, with handwritten corrections and signature. Good-fair condition. Dark stains. Wear and folding marks. Open tears to folds.
Catalogue
View Details

Lot 206 Torah Letter – From Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer – Jerusalem, Nisan 1939


  Lengthy letter (4 large pages), handwritten and signed by R. Isser Zalman Meltzer, dean of the Etz Chaim yeshiva (formerly

  Lengthy letter (4 large pages), handwritten and signed by R. Isser Zalman Meltzer, dean of the Etz Chaim yeshiva (formerly

  Lengthy letter (4 large pages), handwritten and signed by R. Isser Zalman Meltzer, dean of the Etz Chaim yeshiva (formerly
Download picture
Download picture
Download picture
Torah Letter – From Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer – Jerusalem, Nisan 1939 Torah Letter – From Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer – Jerusalem, Nisan 1939 Torah Letter – From Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer – Jerusalem, Nisan 1939
3 PHOTOS
Auction 101 Part 2 Chassidut and Kabbalah | Jerusalem Printings | Letters and Manuscripts | Objects Feb 18, 2025
Opening: $500
Sold for: $1,375
Including buyer's premium
Lengthy letter (4 large pages), handwritten and signed by R. Isser Zalman Meltzer, dean of the Etz Chaim yeshiva (formerly "Rabbi and yeshiva dean of Slutsk"). Jerusalem, Nisan 1939.
Addressed to his friend R. Yechezkel Abramsky, head of the London Beit Din (who had filled R. Isser Zalman's position as Rabbi of Slutsk in the 1920s). The beginning of the letter relates to the sale of Even HaAzel in England. Most of the letter is a Torah discussion in reply to R. Yechezkel Abramsky's comments on his books. On the fourth page, after the signature, R. Isser Zalman apologizes for not being able to look at Chazon Yechezkel on Pesachim, which he had lent to someone else; in a second postscript he writes that the sending of the letter was delayed and he was able to look at the reference.

R. Isser Zalman Meltzer (1870-1953), author of Even HaAzel. A leading Torah scholar of Lithuania and Jerusalem, he was born in Mir and studied in the Volozhin yeshiva under the Netziv and R. Chaim of Brisk, who esteemed him highly. After his marriage he served as the first yeshiva dean of the Knesset Yisrael yeshiva in Slabodka along with R. Moshe Mordechai Epstein, and later moved to Slutsk where he established a large yeshiva and subsequently succeeded the Ridvaz as Rabbi of the city. He immigrated to Jerusalem in 1924 and was appointed dean of the Etz Chaim yeshiva. He was also a leader of Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah, and father-in-law of R. Aharon Kotler, dean of Kletsk and Lakewood yeshivas.

The recipient,
R. Yechezkel Abramsky, author of Chazon Yechezkel (1886-1976), head rabbi of the London Beit Din, was a friend of R. Isser Zalman from before World War I, when R. Isser Zalman served as Rabbi of Slutsk and R. Abramsky served as Rabbi of Smolyan and Smilavichy. In 1923, when R. Isser Zalman was obliged to flee the Bolsheviks in Russia, he recommended R. Abramsky to serve as his successor as Rabbi in Slutsk, in which position R. Abramsky served until he was arrested and exiled to Siberia in 1930. When R. Abramsky was released in 1932, he traveled to serve as Rabbi of the Machazikei HaDat community in London, and from 1935 as head rabbi of the London Beit Din, until his retirement and immigration to Jerusalem in 1951.

[2] leaves. Official stationery. 28 cm. Written on both sides. Good-fair condition. Stains. Folding marks and tears (not affecting text).
Catalogue
View Details

Lot 207 Draft of Approbation by Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer to Avi Ezri by His Disciple Rabbi Shach – Jerusalem, 1948


  Handwritten leaf by R. Isser Zalman Meltzer, with a draft of the approbation he wrote for the publication of Avi Ezri by h
Download picture
Auction 101 Part 2 Chassidut and Kabbalah | Jerusalem Printings | Letters and Manuscripts | Objects Feb 18, 2025
Opening: $1,000
Sold for: $1,250
Including buyer's premium
Handwritten leaf by R. Isser Zalman Meltzer, with a draft of the approbation he wrote for the publication of Avi Ezri by his disciple and sister's son-in-law, R. Elazar Menachem Shach. [Jerusalem, Iyar 1948].

Unsigned draft, with erasures and additions, on R. Isser Zalman's official stationery.

R. Isser Zalman Meltzer (1870-1953), author of Even HaAzel. A leading Torah scholar of Lithuania and Jerusalem, he was born in Mir and studied in the Volozhin yeshiva under the Netziv and R. Chaim of Brisk, who esteemed him highly. After his marriage he served as the first yeshiva dean of the Knesset Yisrael yeshiva in Slabodka along with R. Moshe Mordechai Epstein, and later moved to Slutsk where he established a large yeshiva and subsequently succeeded the Ridvaz as Rabbi of the city. He immigrated to Jerusalem in 1924 and was appointed dean of the Etz Chaim yeshiva. He was also a leader of Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah, and father-in-law of R. Aharon Kotler, dean of Kletsk and Lakewood yeshivas.

His nephew and close disciple,
R. Elazar Menachem Man Shach (1898-2002), author of Avi Ezri, was a leading yeshiva dean of the previous generation. Born in Lithuania, he studied in his youth in the Ponevezh, Slabodka and Slutsk yeshivas. He served as lecturer in the Slutsk and Kletsk yeshivas, and as dean of the Karlin yeshiva in Luninets. During the Holocaust, he immigrated to Eretz Israel, and became a close disciple of the Brisker Rav. He served as lecturer in the Kletsk yeshiva in Rechovot, and the Lomza yeshiva in Petach Tikva. He was later appointed lecturer and dean of the Ponevezh yeshiva in Bnei Brak. He was a member and leader of Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah, and stood at the helm of the Torah world for decades.
[1] leaf. Official stationery. 22 cm. Good-fair condition. Dampstains.
Catalogue
View Details

Lot 208 Letter of Rabbi Aharon Kotler – On the Independent Education System and the Poalei Agudat Yisrael Movement – New York, Av 1960


  Lengthy letter (65 lines), on aerogram, handwritten and signed by R. Aharon Kotler, dean of the Lakewood yeshiva in the Un

  Lengthy letter (65 lines), on aerogram, handwritten and signed by R. Aharon Kotler, dean of the Lakewood yeshiva in the Un
Download picture
Download picture
Letter of Rabbi Aharon Kotler – On the Independent Education System and the Poalei Agudat Yisrael Movement – New York, Av 1960 Letter of Rabbi Aharon Kotler – On the Independent Education System and the Poalei Agudat Yisrael Movement – New York, Av 1960
2 PHOTOS
Auction 101 Part 2 Chassidut and Kabbalah | Jerusalem Printings | Letters and Manuscripts | Objects Feb 18, 2025
Opening: $600
Sold for: $2,500
Including buyer's premium
Lengthy letter (65 lines), on aerogram, handwritten and signed by R. Aharon Kotler, dean of the Lakewood yeshiva in the United States. New York, Av [July] 1960.

Addressed to R. Yechezkel Abramsky in London, then a leader of the Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah in Eretz Israel, who was visiting his family in London at the time. The letter addresses the Independent Education System (Chinuch Atzma'i) in Israel, mentioning R. Zalman Sorotzkin, R. Moshe Feinstein, the Rebbe of Kopitchnitz, R. Teitz, R. Joseph B. Soloveitchik, rabbinic organizations in the United States, and various philanthropists and activists.
R. Aharon Kotler describes the activities in the United States opposing the Poalei Agudat Yisrael's attempt to abolish the independence of the Independent Education System. R. Kotler asks R. Abramsky to engage the rabbis and Beit Din of London to join the worldwide activities opposing the changes.
R. Aharon sharply criticizes the Poalei Agudat Yisrael movement, which at that time joined the Mapai coalition, calling it "a terrible betrayal" and adding that it was a conclusive parting of ways with the Orthodox community.
Towards the end of the letter, R. Aharon opposes a joint fundraiser with Mizrachi, and concludes with blessings and his signature, "Aharon Kotler".

R. Aharon Kotler (1892-1962), disciple of the Alter of Slabodka, famous for his brilliance (while he was still a young student, the Or Sameach predicted that he would be the "R. Akiva Eger" of the next generation). He was the son-in-law of R. Isser Zalman Meltzer. He served as lecturer and dean of the Slutsk yeshiva, and during World War I, he fled with the yeshiva students to Poland, reestablishing the yeshiva in Kletsk. He was one of the yeshiva deans closely associated with R. Chaim Ozer and the Chafetz Chaim. A founder of Vaad HaYeshivot and member of the Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah in Lithuania. During the Holocaust, he escaped to the United States, and established the famous Lakewood yeshiva in New Jersey (a yeshiva which revolutionized the yeshiva world in the United States, by inculcating its students with the passion and absolute devotion to Torah study which was typical of Lithuanian yeshivot). He was one of the heads of the Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah in the United States, and dedicated much of his later years to activity on behalf of the Independent Education System in Eretz Israel.

Aerogram. 30.5X18.5 cm. Written on almost all parts. Good condition. Folding marks and few tears.
Catalogue
View Details

Pages

  • « first
  • ‹ previous
  • …
  • 66
  • 67
  • 68
  • 69
  • 70
  • 71
  • 72
  • 73
  • 74
  • …
  • next ›
  • last »
  • Current Auction
  • Past Auctions
  • How to Buy
  • How to Sell

About Kedem

Founded in 2008, Kedem specializes in the sale of rare Jewish collectibles: classical Hebrew books ("Sifre Kodesh"), rabbinical manuscripts and other items related to Jewish and Israeli history and culture. Kedem employs a team of specialists and experts, all passionate about their craft. The company is headquartered in Jerusalem with sales representatives in North America and Europe.

Read More

  • News & Press
  • Contact Us
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Follow
Stay in Touch
  • (972) 775 140 223
  • office@kedemltd.com
  • 8 Ramban St. Jerusalem
  • Sign up to our newsletter

© 2025 — kedem Auction House Ltd.   |    Powered by CircuitAuction