Auction 70
Lot 314:
"צר לי כי הכאבתי את לבך" (I am sorry that I caused you pain). Lengthy and interesting letter, with family and general details, by Rabbi Ephraim Epstein Av Beit Din of Baksht and the Sephardim community of Chicago, addressed to his brother the Gaon Rabbi Moshe Mordechai Epstein the Rosh yeshiva of Hebron – Chicago, 1930.
At the beginning of the letter, Rabbeinu apologizes to his brother for causing him pain informing him about his daughter’s sickness, "אבל מה אעשה חפצתי שישפכו בעדנו רנה ותפלה לאלקי הרחמים כי יחוננו ויסיר מעלי’ נגעי’ ומכאובי’". Then Rabbi Epstein describes in detail what they had gone through: "בחסדי ה’ הוקל מעט ממכאוביה אבל עדיין לא הוברר בהחלט אם תנצל מנתוח ח"ו".
Then, he discusses matters of donations to the Hebron Yeshiva, sending reciepts and original ideas for fundraising events in the USA. The letter reflects the situation of USA Jews during The Great Depression of the 1930s: "ובכל המצב הכללי של אחב"י באמריקא ירד פלאים וד’ יודע איך יוכלו כל המוסדות להתקיים…".
At the end of the letter, there is reference to a mysterious affair: "צבי חיים בן אחינו המנוח אד"ר (אליהו דוד עפשטיין) ברח למאסקווא אין כל אופן להוציאו מארץ הדמים…." (Zvi Chaim the son of our late brother Eliyahu David Epstein escaped to Moscow and there is no way to get him out of the bloody country).
Official stationery, written on both sides.
16X26 cm.
Filing holes. Good condition.
The Gaon Rabbi Ephraim Epstein, president of the Committee of Yeshivas of the USA and one of the leading rabbis of Chicago. The son of the Gaon Rabbi Zvi Chaim Epstein, Av Beit Din pf Baksht. After his father’s passing, Rabbeinu served as his successor at the rabbinate of Baksht. Later, he immigrated to the USA, where he served as Rav of Knesset Yisrael community of Chicago.
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