Bidspirit auction | Letter of Request from Yeshivat

Letter of Request from Yeshivat Torat Chesed – Slonim in Baranovitch. 1934. - A fundraising request letter from the Union of Yeshivot in Vilna: “As you know, of the terrible tragedy that befell us at the beginning of last summer, with the passing of our master, the holy Rebbe, of blessed and holy memory, who served as the president of our holy Yeshiva, and under whose address all funds and correspondence were sent … Now I hereby inform you that in his place has been appointed his only son, the fruit of the tree of life, Rabbi Shlomo Weinberg, who is now the president of our holy Yeshiva. All funds, correspondence, and accounts belonging to the Yeshiva must therefore be addressed to him.” With the signatures and stamps of: Rabbi Mattityahu Aryeh HaKohen Fidel, administrator of Yeshivat Torat Chesed in Baranovitch. Rabbi Avraham Shmuel HaKohen Hirschowitz, Rosh Metivta of the Yeshiva. The Gain Rabbi Avraham Shmuel HaKohen Hirschowitz  was born in Talsen, Latvia, to Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac and his wife (daughter of Rabbi Eliezer Gordon). He studied at Telshe under his grandfather Rabbi Eliezer Gordon, and later at Volozhin. Known as the “Illui of Tulchin” for his brilliance and sharpness. On the recommendation of Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski, he married Elisheva, daughter of Rabbi Aharon Markles, dayan in Vilna, son-in-law of the Cheshak Shlomo. After his marriage, he lived in Vilna. He was one of the transcribers of the lectures of his teacher Rabbi Yosef Yehuda Leib Bloch (Rosh Yeshiva of Telshe), later published in Shiurei Daas. In 1927, after the passing of Rabbi Mordechai Yosef Mordkovsky (Rosh Yeshivat Torat Chesed, Baranovitch – Slonim), he was appointed as Rosh Yeshiva, serving until its closure during the Holocaust. In 1934, after the passing of Rabbi Meir Shapiro, he was appointed as a lecturer in Yeshivat Chachmei Lublin, and was even considered among the candidates to succeed him as Rosh Yeshiva. He was renowned for his sharpness; his lectures penetrated to the depths of the sugya, elucidated with his unique method. Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski remarked upon his arrival in Vilna that he was overjoyed that Vilna would merit such a great Torah authority. He was murdered with his entire family in the Holocaust Hy''d. Among his students at Yeshivat Slonim was Rabbi Shalom Noach Berezovsky (later the Slonimer Rebbe, author of Nesivos Shalom).