Bidspirit auction | “One Who Casts Any Stigma

“One Who Casts Any Stigma Upon It Will Be Held Accountable” — Rbh”k of Satmar on the Montreal Mikvah Controversy — Original Halachic Ruling, 1954 The Original Teshuvah Important halachic responsum regarding the laws of mikvaos, entirely in the ksav yad kodsho and signature of Maran Rabbeinu HaKadosh of Satmar Zy”a, written in Sivan 1954 to Rav Yoel Moskowitz, the Shotzer Rebbe of Montreal, concerning the fierce controversy surrounding the new mikvah built in Montreal together with the renowned posek Rav Pinchos Hirschprung. The Montreal Mikvah Controversy The mikvah had been constructed with great care and hiddur, in an effort to satisfy all major halachic opinions. After completion, however, an unforeseen issue caused one of the boros to measure less than originally planned. Although leading poskim maintained that the mikvah was fully kosher, critics publicly questioned its validity, and one Rav even instructed women to immerse again with a berachah, creating a serious machlokes. The Shotzer Rebbe therefore presented the full matter to the Satmar Rebbe and requested his decisive ruling. The Original She'eilah and Teshuvah Together The Rebbe’s response was written directly on the sheet of the original she’eilah. The survival of the question together with the answer sheds important new light on several brief passages in the teshuvah, which the Rebbe himself wrote in exceptional concision because, as he notes, there was insufficient room in the margins for a full discussion. “One Who Casts Any Stigma Upon It…” While explaining the various opinions regarding the required shiur of a mikvah and noting the stricter custom followed in his own communities, the Satmar Rebbe firmly defended those who ruled leniently and wrote in unmistakable terms: “In places where they are lenient, one has no right to question them… and one who casts any stigma upon it will be held accountable.” Practical Guidance The Rebbe did not suffice with the halachic ruling alone. He also set forth several practical methods by which the boros could be corrected and all grounds for further complaint removed, writing that “everything can easily be corrected” and that “there are many ways to rectify it.” He concludes with warm praise for the Shotzer Rebbe, expressing confidence that a talmid chacham of his stature would know how to arrange the matter in the way of Torah scholars who increase peace in the world. The Original Manuscript The responsum was later published in Shu”t Divrei Yoel, Yoreh De’ah, siman 66. Presented here is the original autograph manuscript, together with the original letter of the Sho’el, which has never been published.