Auction 56
Lot 112:
Typewritten letter on official letterhead of the Beit Din Tzedek of the Haredi community Machzikei HaDat, Antwerp, Parshat Shmini. Addressed to Rabbi Hillel Medalya, who at the time served as the Av Beit Din and Chief Rabbi of the Shomrei HaDat community. Rabbi Chaim notifies him about a kashrut matter and emphasizes “if the matter touched upon financial matters I would not become involved…”. He ends with: “if butchers are allowed to disregard the rabbis’ requirements…the rabbis will have lost all power…and kashrut in the city will become hefker.” Handwritten signature.
Creases, overall very good condition.
Rabbi Haim Kreiswirth (1920-2001) was rabbi of Antwerp and founder and head of the Merkaz HaTorah yeshiva in Jerusalem. Born in Galicia in Voynich, his father was Rabbi Avraham Yosef hy”d, who served as Mara d’Atra. Studied in the Maharam Shapira’s yeshiva, Chochmei Lublin, and became known as the Ilui of Krakow. Moved to Israel in 1941, married the daughter of Rav Avraham Grodzinsky, the mashgiach of Slobodka yeshiva. For years he lived in Israel, until he moved to the US to serve as head of the Beit Midrash L’Torah in Chicago. In 1954 he was appointed the rabbi of the “Kehillat Machzikei HaDat” community in Antwerp, where he served until he died.
Rabbi Dr. Hillel Medalia (1916 – 1977), left Russia in 1922. He received a Torah and general education, and received a doctorate in philosophy. He was one of the leaders of the Mizrahi movement in England, served as rabbi of Leeds (England), Dublin (Ireland) and Antwerp (Belgium). He published a book, which he called ‘Sheila’, which alludes to the name of his father – Shmaryahu Yehuda Leib, in conjunction with his name – Hillel. He also exalted the Shulchan Aruch with an English translation.
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