Auction 44
Lot 152:
Letter handwritten and signed by the gaon Rabbi Yisrael Hornik, Av Beit Din of Radivitz, addressed to Rabbi Avraham Moshe Babad, Av Beit Din of Gura-Humora. The letter makes clear the strong love between the two rabbis of the small region of Europe. From 5th of Tishrei, with wishes for a “gmar hatima tova with many blessings … shana tova with happiness and may we all hear the kol shofar of the Redemption….” Size: 15.5×10.5cm. Lone moth holes damage the text (see picture).
The author, Rabbi Yisrael Hornik (1879-1940) was the son of Rabbi Ephraim Fishel. He descended from Rabbi Haim Rapaport and the Maharam of Lublin, students of the Ra’al Brenfeld whom they considered their muvhak rabbi, and Rabbi Mahari Shmelkis, and more. He was a huge pilpulan, and also carried out halachic research in the yeshivish style. His father-in-law was Rabbi Aharon Teiler, and he served in the rabbinate of many cities, the last of which was Radovitz. He wrote many works but he buried them in the ground when he was exiled during the First World War and they were not found later. He wrote Shut Peer Yisrael and “Bnei Rav Papa Pamphlet”, which is an exegesis on their mentions in the siyums of masechtot (Encyclopedia of Galician Sages, p. 363).
The recipient of the letter was Rabbi Avraham Moshe Babad (1900-1980) was the son of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Babad, and a rabbi and chassidic rosh yeshiva in Bukovina and Israel, a student of the Gaon Rabbi Meir Arik of Tornov. He inherited his father’s position, and after WWII tried to immigrate to Israel but was sent to Cyprus in 1948 by the British, where he served as rabbi of the detention camp. After making it to Israel he was in constant contact with the Chazon Ish. Around 1952 he was appointed for a time as the Rosh Yeshiva of Yechel Yisrael of the Seret-Vizhnitz Chassidic community, led by his son-in-law Admor Rabbi Baruch Hager.
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