Bidspirit auction | “Veyizkeh le’hachlish es Amalek ve’es

“Veyizkeh le’hachlish es Amalek ve’es amo” — Reb Amram Blau in a heart-rending letter to the Satmar Rebbe about saving the kever haRambam in Teveria — Adar 1957 A heart-rending letter from the tzaddik and fighter of milchemes Hashem, Reb Amram Blau zt”l, dated 17 Adar 1957, addressed to the Satmar Rebbe zy”a. Also signed by Rav Hillel Schlesinger z”l. The background The letter revolves around the stormy parsha that shook the chareidi world in 1956, when the Zionist authorities began construction and destruction in the vicinity of the kever haRambam in Teveria. By directive of the Brisker Rov zt”l, hundreds of Yidden from Yerushalayim — from the Eidah HaChareidis and Neturei Karta — traveled to Teveria and remained there for weeks, standing guard, protesting, and fighting to stop the chillul of the beis hakevaros. Reb Amram details the terrible destruction carried out around the cemetery near the Rambam: “The terrible and shocking act which the kofrim committed in the courtyard of the Rambam’s cemetery in Teveria… we found ourselves obligated to arouse the tzibbur against this frightful outrage, perhaps unparalleled in Jewish history — that people who call themselves Jews should ascend upon a Jewish cemetery of holy tzaddikim and, with picks and hammers, smash kevarim, scatter remains, and crush bones…” He then describes the organized protests and constant mishmaros at the site, all per the Brisker Rov’s instruction, and the enormous expenses involved: “Every notice of a drasha, asifah, or protest cost about forty lira. Every poster, every printed sheet. We had to fund travel to Teveria and back for hundreds of Yidden who dedicated themselves to protest there… and we had to provide them with food and lodging for the entire week, from Thursday to Thursday.” They succeeded in halting the destruction, but then faced the painful task of gathering scattered bones: “After we succeeded in stopping them, we had to send people again — together with the chevra kadisha of Yerushalayim — to collect holy bones for kevurah… and now the kofrim are preventing us from completing the restoration of the earth mixed with the bones of our holy tzaddikim — the situation is dreadful.” The request to the Satmar Rebbe They plead that the Rebbe come to their aid and also arouse the generous Reb Yisroel Zupnik z”l to shoulder a significant portion of the expenses. The closing bracha Reb Amram concludes: “May Hashem be with Maran shlit”a, upon whose shoulders rests the leadership to stand at the head of those fighting Hashem’s battle against the Amalek of our generation. May he merit to weaken Amalek and his people… and may we soon merit the complete mechiyas Amalek, when Hashem’s Name and Throne will be whole, and this month which was turned from sorrow to joy should become for us sasson v’simcha with the coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu, speedily in our days, Amen.” Signed: “With earnest tefillos and brochos, from those who struggle in the dust at his feet” — Amram b’rash”i Blau — Hillel Schlesinger.” Reb Amram was deeply connected to gedolei Yisroel such as the Brisker Rov, the Chazon Ish, and the Satmar Rebbe. He became a living symbol of mesirus nefesh for kedushas Yisroel, especially in the struggle against Zionist encroachments on Torah life. He was imprisoned many times and repeatedly placed himself in real danger for the sake of Shabbos and kedusha. When the Chazon Ish went to visit him in prison after one such arrest over Shabbos protests, he remarked: “I am going to visit Shabbos itself.”