Auction No. 9 - 06.04.2016

Letter handwritten and signed by the Rav, on dealing with the kiddushin of a young girl from America who was betrothed at age 10 and whose father is protesting her betrothal. The letter was sent to Gaon Rav Baruch Markus, Chief Rabbi of Haifa. HaRav Masalton opens with wonderful praises in his letter to Rav Markus. HaRav Yaakov HaKohen Trab Masalton was a sage and Av Beit Din in Damascus (1851-1923), was born in Damascus, learned in the revealed and hidden Torah, in halacha and aggadah, he would give drashot on shabbatot and holidays that later were compiled into the book “Devek Tov,” he compiled another book, “Beit Yaakov” in two sections, and “Sha’arit Yaakov” in two sections. Good condition, signs of folding. Filing marks.

Recommendation letter for a groom, a member of a yeshiva, written on official letterhead of the Gaon HaRav Nissim Karlitz, signed by hand by him and by other sages: HaRav Aharon Yehuda Leib Steinman, HaRav Shimon Ba’adani, HaRav Masoud ben Shimon. Good condition, signs of folding.

Letter against the Zionist control of education in Jerusalem. From 1924. “We the residents of Jerusalem defend against every attack of the regulations of the law that place the whole Jewish yishuv under the control of the National Committee and force the Haredim to take part with those who freely desicrate shabbos and are unbelievers.” At the bottom of the letter are more than 100 signatures of rabbis from Jerusalem and important public figures (some of them appear to be copied by a writer). Historic document, excellent condition.

Letter from 1945, sent to “Moshel HaMachoz,” Jerusalem. Against the education tax that was to be passed. Letter says that the tax is clearly against the laws of the Torah. In the margins are signatures of a number of rabbis. Gaon RAv Isser Zalman Melzer, Rav Yehezkel Sarna, Rav Yaakov Moshe Harlap, Rav Avraham Yisrael Moshe Maharkov, Yitzhak Yaakov Vechtpoigel, Rav Halperin, and a bunch of other rabbis. Historic letter, important and rare.

Letter signed by the heads of the Badatz, Rav Yitzhak Yaakov Weiss, Av Beit Din. Rav Yisrael Moshe Dushinsky. Rav Yisrael Yaakov Fisher. Rav Moshe Aryeh Friend. Against the municipal elections, and setting a clear fence around taking any part in the elections. Good condition, signs of folding.

Psak Din on money of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, signed by Gaon Rabbi Tzvi Pesach Frank and the dayanim. Jerusalem 1930. Attached are 2 invitations to debates in the Beit Din of Petah Tikva that are related to the same subject. Good condition, signs of folding.

Letter written and signed with an envelope, sent to his son-in-law, Rav Yosef HaLevi, Jerusalem 1928. Letter on the subject of donations and practical questions relating to mevushal wine. Written on official letterhead, excellent condition.

Recommendation letter handwritten by the Gaon Rabbi SHlomo Zalman Auerbach on official letterhead, “Pesach Ze’ira” Jerusalem 1951. 10 lines with his signature. In the margins, Gaon Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv added 3 lines of his own and signed them. Signs of folding, tearing, ok condition.

Letter handwritten from 14 Nissan 1980. It opens with many blessings, followed by divrei torah. 24 handwritten lines. The page is cut in the margins, seems to be missing the end. An additional line of writing on the other side of the page. Good condition.

10 lines in his handwriting, excellent condition.

Responding to questions sent to Minister of Torah, with page of answers.

Responding to questions sent to Minister of Torah, with page of answers.

Rabbis joining the protest of the stadium. In 1979 it was decided to build a stadium in Jerusalem, at the same time all the rabbis called for a mass protest and prayer in Kikar Shabbat against that decision. Very rare letter, seemingly the only copy!! Good condition, signs of folding.

1. Membership card of Rav Elazar Menahem Shaich, 1944, with his signature. Donation 1200 per year. 2. Rav Isaac Sar, with signature. 25 per month. Written: “I hereby declare that I will contribute this as a membership contribution for the Eida Haredit.” Size 7x10cm, good condition.

Letter written on official letterhead of the Badatz. In the margins are signatures of sages of Israel, including Rav Yosef Haim Zonenfeld, Rav Dov Zvi Karlenstein, Rav Shimshon Aharon Polonsi, Rav Yehoshua Alter Wildman, Rav Zerach Epstien, Rav Yehiel Michal Tikoshinsky, Nasim danon, and more. About a woman who desecrates shabbos in Farhessia. Originally, the letter was on two pages, we have the second page, the last bit with signatures of rabbis. Jeruslame 1928, good condition, signs of folding, light defects.

Letter sent to the Va’ad HaIr for the Ashkenazi community, handwritten and signed by the Gaon RAbbiYosef Haim Zonenfeld. Letter regarding vandals who carved a stamp in the shape of his signature, this letter warns Rav Zonenfeld that any letter not bearing the actual hand-written signature will be considered fake, and that the Or Chadash yeshiva sent a booklet with this stamp. Good condition, signs of folding.

Letter written entirely by hand and signed by Rav Avraham Yitzhak HaKohen Kook, Chief Rabbi of Israel, on official letterhead, from 1933. Letter sent to Rav Zalman Soloveitchik , asking for help for a Jewish woman “from a respected family” who didn’t have anything. Written by hand and signed, with an additional request handwritten and signed. An important and rare letter. Good condition. Signs of folding. Three additional letters written by hand, by his son-in-law Rav Shalom Natan Ra’anan Kook. And an additional letter from Rav Kook’s secretary on official letterhead from 1934.

Recommendation letter for a groom by the Beit Midrash for Torah and Teaching, for bnei eidut hamizrach, Jerusalem, 1963. In the margins of the letter are the signatures of HaGaon Rabbi Sholom Schwadron, Rabbi Haim Aharon Turchin, Rabbi Moshe Shimon HaCohen Weintraub. Rabbi Sholom Schwadron was nicknamed the Maggid HaYerushalmi (1912-1998). He was the grandson of Rabbi Sholom Mordechai Schwadron, the Maharsham, and the son-in-law of HaRav Yehuda Leib Auerbach, known for his fiery drashot in synagogues and yeshivot, especially in the Great Synagogue of Zichron Moshe. He edited the books “Or Yahel” for his rabbi, HaRav Yehuda Leib Hasman, and “Lev Eliyahu” for Rabbi Eliyahu Lupian. HaRav Haim Aharon Turchin (1917-1971), head of the yeshiva “Yeshiva L’Metzuyanim” in Jerusalem. An associate of the Brisker Rav, and compiler of the books Ma’aseh Hiya on the Shas. Signs of folding, good condition.

Written following the Admor HaReetz’s visit to Israel, ok condition, defects and tears, deep signs of folding.

Letter sent to Mr. Eliyahu Duval, handwritten and signed by the Rav Yisrael Aryeh Sapir, on his role in Petah Tikva. Rav Yisrael Aryeh Sapir, son of Rav Yaakov Moshe sapir, moved to Israel in 1917, and served as rabbi of Petah Tikva, after which he vacated his place for his father and moved to the United States as an ambassador for the Radin yeshiva. After his father died he served as Dayan and then Av Beit Din in Petah Tikva, alongside a number of important rabbis, such as Rav Ovadia Hadaya and Rav Ovadiah Yosef. Died in 1961. Was a friend of the Chief Rabbi HaRav Avraham Yitzhak HaKohen Kook. Good condition.

Letter written and signed, to the Rav Zalman Sortzkin, blessings and well-wishes on the subject of the printing of his book Lev Ivra. Letter includes the envelope in which it was sent, written on letterhead. Good condition, filing marks. Rav Yosef Eliyahu Henkin, a famous Gaon and Posek from the United States (1881-1973), who got smicha from four sages of the generation, HaRav Issur Zalman Meltzer, HaRav Baruch beer Leibowitz, the Ridbaz, and Rav Yehiel Michal Epstein, the Aruch HaShulchan. Served in the rabbinate of Georgia in 1903, and in 1914 in the rabbinate of Smalan, at the end of 1925 he was appointed the manager of the “Ezrat Torah” organization. Composed many important books on halacha and aggadah.

1. Letter from the representative of Agudat Yisrael in Israel, Rav Moshe Bluya, on letterhead from 1927, to Rav Moshe Eliyahu HaLevi, calling for support for the Eida Hareidit. Typewritten with his signature. 2. Letter from Rav Tuvya Levinstein, rabbi of Zurich, written on official letterhead of Zurich, 1921. To the management of the International Organization of Agudat Yisrael, typewritten with signature. Good condition, holepunchd.

1. Letter handwritten and signed by Rav Yosef Tzvi Kalish, Avdak of Bnei Brak from Skierniewice. Bnei Brak 1942, to Rav Yaakov Landau, letterhead, good condition. 2. Handwritten and signed letter by Rav Shmuel Shmelka Rubin, son of the Admor of Solitza, 1977, handwritten signature and stamp. Good condition. 3. Letter with addition of the handwriting and signature of Rav Mordechai Shalom Yosef Friedman of Sedigura, Tel Aviv 1974. Good condition. 4. Letter with addition of the handwriting and signature of Rav Naftali of Moskowitz, Ashdod 2005. Good condition. Different sizes.

Letter written entirely by hand and signed by Rabbi Shimon Sofer of Orloy on the subject of people who want to invalidate the drink called Frank, and he writes vehemently against them. Page, written on both sides, with signature and stamp. Orloy 1926. Harav Shimon Sofer, son of the Gaon Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Binyamin Sofer ,the Katav Sofer, a representative of Hungarian Jewry in the 20th century. From the beginning of 1881 he started to serve as Rav and Av Beit Din of Orloy in Hungary, composed “Hitorerut Tshuva.” At age 95 he was sent to the extermination camp of Auschwitz with his community and family members, where he died in 1944. Hy”d. Important and rare letter.

Written with great pain to the Ashkenazi and Sefardi sages. A page, written on both sides, with signature and stamp. He turns to them to raise up a great cry over the desecration of graves in Jeursalem, especially by Jews. Hard language, bitter and attacking. Aharon Arat (1894-1947), in his youth studied in Munkatch and Weiweizen, stayed with Admorim, including Tzvi Elimelech Shapira of Blajov, Rav Yehosef Rotenberg of Kasani, Rav Yehoshua Heschel Fried of Kapisch, and Rav Isachar Dov Rokach of Belz. Short time he was with Rav Yisrael Hagar of Vizhnitz. Founded “Shomrei Emunim” group, his holy community continues today in Jerusalem, chassidut “Toldot Aharon,” and “Shomrei Emunim” and “Toldot Avraham Yitzhak.” Letter is 36 lines long in his handwriting. Size 18cm. Filing marks with damage to a few letters.