Auction 43
Lot 042:
Letter to the Anash kollels, residents of the ‘lands of peace’. Sent by Rabbi Meir Simcha Hen and Rabbi Shmuel Levitin, who served then as rabbi of Beit Chayenu. They appeal to the kollels to send support, the letters are filled with hints about things they could not write overtly because of censorship: “the natural order is such that we are in a terrible situation…and the commercial situation … takes everything from private individuals…and puts it in the gov’t trading centers…everything is such that we have to ‘yoshev b’seter.’
Signed by hand bu Rabbi Meir Simcha Hen and Rabbi Shmuel Levitin, who was rabbi of Beit Chayenu when the Rayatz was in Peterburg. Sent to Rabbi Schneur Zalman Shmotkin in Warsaw in duplicate, one to him and one to the Chassidic kollels. 4 pages. Folding creases, stains, good condition.
Rabbi Meir Simcha Hen (1862-1934) was an important follower of the Rashab. In 1908 he was sent by the Rashab to Israel to check matters. Rabbi Shmuel Evitin (1883-1974) was a mashpiya at the Tomchei Temimim main yeshiva in Beit Chayenu 770. He was a rabbi in a couple towns (Rokshik, Kirsanov, Kutayis). The Rayatz and the Rebbe would trust his psaks and would send him halachic questions.
Rabbi Schneur Zalman Shmotkin was a founder of the Tomchei Temimim yeshiva in Warsaw and served in its administration. He was also a member of the Ma’arechet HaTamim. At the end of his life he had a book business called “Beis Mechiras Sefarim Schneur”. After the Rayatz left Russia, he gave him a number of boxes of religious manuscripts. When a fire broke out in his home destroying all of his possessions, Rabbi Shmotkin was able to save the Rebbe’s manuscripts at the expense of his personal wealth, which caused the Rayatz great satisfaction. He died al kiddush hashem in 1942.
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