“For a long time I have been wandering from my hometown and residence because of the sword of war that is passing through our country” – a letter from the Admor Rabbi Meshulam Shraga Feivush Halperin of Berezhany, from when he was in Prague during WWI, addressed to Rabbi Chaim Brody, Av Beit Din of Prague. Filled with interesting content.
The author lists everything that has happened to him since being forced from Galicia as a result of the war, an experience that was shared by hundreds of thousands of members of Polish Jewry who arrived as refugees and deteriorated into starvation and destitution. But still he emphasizes
“and despite the struggle I tried as much as possible to avoid…asking for help from those of my city where I worked as Av Beit Din”. Later he requests from Rav Brody that he add him to the list of those receiving financial aid from the Austrian Jewish Foundation, since Rav Brody was close with the administration.
Rare! To the best of our knowledge, a letter from our Rabbi has never appeared in the auction houses.
Admor Rabbi Meshulam Feivush of Berezhany (1875-1943) was the grandson of the Sfat Emet of Berezhany, and his father’s successor as leader of the Berezhany community and its rabbi. It is said that when the Admor Rabbi Meshulam Feivush Halperin the “First” began serving as Admor, it was not approved of by members of his city and they worked to kick him out of the position. The gedolim of that period—Rabbi Meir of Przmysl and the Divrei Chaim of Sanz worked to keep him in the position. The Divrei Chaim and Rabbi Shalom of Kominka travelled especially for Shabbos in Berezhany to quiet the controversy. That same Shabbos the Divrei Chaim said
“I say that Rav Feivush is the rabbi and will be the rabbi.” But they lost the fight and the Sfat Emet was only the Admor in the city. Years later, when his grandson Rabbi Meshulam Feivush (the 2nd) was appointed Av Beit Din, this time with the entire city’s approval, it became clear the double valence of the Divrei Chaim’s utterance.
