Bidspirit auction | Letter of the Gedolei HaDor

Letter of the Gedolei HaDor — The Brisker Rav and Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer, Baal Even HaEzel   Regarding the Hadpasah of Nesivos HaKodesh on Zevachim — Yerushalayim, 1947 A remarkable letter from Maranan the Brisker Rav and Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer, Baal Even HaEzel, addressed to the gaon R’ Eliezer Silver, in which they are asking of him to stand limin the gaon ha’mefursam R’ Avraham Yisroel Moshe Salomon — known as the Rav of Kharkov — in order to enable the hadpasah of his chiddushim and his famed sefer Nesivos HaKodesh on Maseches Zevachim. Yerushalayim, 1947. The Brisker Rav expresses himself in extraordinary terms regarding the ksavim of Rav Salomon: “Hu chibur gadol u’rachav yodayim…” Rav Isser Zalman testifies that should these ksavim come to print they will surely “…yairu es ha’sugyos ha’amumos b’devarov ha’me’irim…” and writes of the mechaber: “…shehu yagei’a tamid b’limud Torah lishmah u’b’iyun gadol; v’iyanti b’devarav, v’hinei azro Hashem, lechadesh al kol daf v’daf, le’orer u’lehakshos u’leyashev b’sevara amukah v’yesharah…” A Most Unusual Hishtatfus of the Brisker Rav! Haskamos and written recommendations from the Brisker Rav on seforim are exceedingly rare. Beyond the close kesher between Rav Salomon and the Brisker Rav, the chiddushim contained in this sefer were presented before the Brisker Rav one by one. In several places, teachings are brought explicitly in his name. As Rav Salomon himself writes in the hakdamah to the sefer: ”.. וב”ה שזכיתי ג”כ לארצי' קמי' על הענינים העמוקים כמעט כל סדר קדשים, והרבה דברים הבאתי כאן בספר אשר שמעתי ולמדתי מתורתו [הגרי”ז מבריסק], וכמעט כל הענינים אשר נתחדשו לי הרציתי לפניו והעתקתי בספר ..”. What lies before us are chiddushim from one of the foremost ma’atikei ha’shemuah of Rabbeinu the Brisker Rav — with the Rav’s clear agreement  to the chiddushim as they were formed. It is virtually unheard of to find another sefer whose entire content merited such direct hiskama and anticipation from the Brisker Rav himself, who eagerly awaited its hadpasah! The Gaon, the Rav of Kharkov — Baal Nesivos HaKodesh The gaon R’ Avraham Yisroel Moshe Salomon (1887–1957), known as the Rav of Kharkov and mechaber of Nesivos HaKodesh, was among the talmidim of Maran the Chofetz Chaim in Radin, and later became a son-in-law of the Rosh Yeshiva, the gaon R’ Moshe Landinsky. After his marriage he served as Rav of Melitopol (מלצ'ט ) until the outbreak of the First World War, at which time he relocated to Kharkov. In 1936 he came to Eretz Yisroel, where he became a talmid-chaver muvhak of the Brisker Rav. His Torah on Shas was later published in the well-known series of seforim, Nesivos HaKodesh.