Auction 75
Lot 41:
"וזולתם אינם בהכלל כי אפשר גרועים מצד אחד" – letter of zealotry handwritten and signed by the Gaon Av Beit Din Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld – about the non-religious schools of Jerusalem.
Rabbeinu wrote the letter to clarify his support of the Metzudat Zion Organization, which operated to prevent parents from sending their children to non-religious schools. In his letter. Rabbeinu wishes to clarify that in his support, he did not mean to render Kosher all religious schools but to prevent sending children to non-religious ones.
The letter was typewritten and at its end, Rabbeinu added a lengthy addition handwritten and signed by him:
"פשוט הדבר שכוונתי היתה לבתי הספר הראויים ליהודים נאמנים לתורתם ולדתם וזולתם
אינם בהכלל כי אפשר גרועים מצד אחד ובעה"ח לכבודה של תוה"ק ולקיומה הק’ יוסף חיים זוננפעלד…"
Apparently, he meant to protest against the religious schools that taught languages and science alongside Limudei Kodesh, which were banned by the rabbis of Jerusalem. It is interesting to note that the original version read "שומר נפשו ונפש ילדיו ירחיק אותם מכל חנוך זר לתורה ואמונה וימסור אותם לבתי הת"ת של היראים…" (he who protects his and his children’s soul shall distance them from any education that is foreign to Torah and Emunah). Rabbeinu drew a line on the words "ירחיק אותם וכו", preferring to leave only the positive "ימסור אותם לבתי היראים וכו’…". Apparently, the former version was too sharp for the addressees of the letter…
22X29 cm.
Fold lines. Good condition.
The Gaon Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld (1849-1932) Gaon Av Beit Din of HaEidah HaChareidit of Jerusalem, one of the prominent leaders of the Chareidi Jewry of Jerusalem. At the age of 16, started studying at the yeshiva of the Ketav Sofer and after his marriage, followed his Rav, Rabbi Avraham Shag. In 1874 immigrated with his Rav to Eretz Yisrael, where he became the right-hand man of Rabbi Moshe Yehuda Leib Diskin and Rabbi Yitzchak Yerucham Diskin in their activities for the Jews of Jerusalem. In 1919, he founded the HaEidah HaChareidit and was appointed head of its Beit Din.
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