Auction 75
Lot 107:
A banknote of five Israel Pounds, issued in 1952. Given directly by the Admor of Karlin, Rabbi Yochanan Perlow, for purchasing a Mashkeh Lechaim.
The banknote was archived by Rabbi Yitzchak Sofer of Tiberius, Rosh Metivta DeRabbi Yochanan and a leading Karlin Chassid. It was found folded inside a paper clipping on which he wrote with pen: "5 Israel Pounds from the Admor for a Mashkeh".
Background
Rabbi Yitzchak Sofer of Tiberius, the leader of the group of Avreichim who were disciples of Rabbi Yochanan of Karlin, merited visiting his Rav during his final trip to the Holy Land. During that trip, Rabbi Yochanan did not travel to Tiberius but remained in Jerusalem. Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak came, of course, to visit his Rebbe. Before returning to the USA, the Rav of Karlin wanted to conduct a Hitva’adut with his Chassidim. He took out a 5-pound note from his pocket and in front of the entire crowd gave it to Rabbi Yaakov Sofer to buy a Mashkeh for the event. The loyal Chassid felt as if he had won a trophy and kept the banknote in his personal safe; he bought the Mashkeh, of course, from his own money.
It should be noted that, unlike other Tzaddikim, the Rav of Karlin did not hand out banknotes and coins for Shmirah. Thus, this banknote is extremely rare and precious!
The Gaon Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak Sofer was born in Tiberius in 1928 to his father, Rabbi Asher. On his mother’s side, he was a descendant of rabbi Moshe Ber of Stolin. In his youth, he studied in Jerusalem and at the Slabodka Yeshiva of Bnei Berak. By the order of the Admor [Rabbi Yochanan Perlow of Karlin], he founded the Chavurat Bachurim in Tiberius. Since 1957, he served as the Rosh Yeshiva of the Metivta DeRabbi Yochanan of Tiberius. When the yeshiva was closed in 1968, he moved to Jerusalem where he served as Ram of the Sochatchov Yeshiva. In 1973, he opened the Nezer Yerushalayim Kollel and was one of the founders of the Beit Aharon VeYisrael Beit Midrash of the Ezrat Torah neighborhood of Jerusalem. He passed away in Adar 2019 and was buried in the ancient cemetery of Tiberius (Issue 229 of Beit Aharon VeYisrael, p. 158).
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