Bidspirit auction | A Remarkable Letter on Shidduchim

A Remarkable Letter on Shidduchim — from Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer, author of Even HaEzel (1906) A thoughtful, content-rich letter on shidduchim from Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer to Rav Shlomo Carlebach, Av Beis Din of Lubeck. Rav Isser Zalman responds to Rav Shlomo’s inquiry regarding the family of the young woman in question — the daughter of Rav Zelig Persitz. He explains, with classic yeshivish clarity and derech eretz, that he cannot provide details about the girl herself, since he does not know her personally. If Rav Shlomo wishes him to look into the matter, he will gladly do so — but only after he is told the full particulars of the proposed chassan, Rav Shlomo’s son. A small letter, but a living lesson in Torah-true conduct in shidduchim: how to ask, how to answer, and how to protect kavod habriyos on all sides. This shidduch did in fact come to fruition. Tellingly, Rav Zelig Persitz — the future mechutan — is later mentioned at length in Rav Shlomo’s own biographical entry in Ohalei Shem (p. 540), where entries were typically supplied by the rabbanim themselves — a quiet indication of the esteem in which Rav Shlomo held his mechutan.