Bidspirit auction | Letter of Blessings from the

Letter of Blessings from the Chafetz Chaim – Radin, Av 1924 - Lengthy letter signed by R. ”Yisrael Meir HaKohen”, the Chafetz Chaim. Radin, Av 1924. Addressed to R. Yehudah Leib Landau, Chief Rabbi of Johannesburg, South Africa. The main text of the letter is written by a scribe, with the signature and stamp of the Chafetz Chaim (”Yisrael Meir HaKohen of Radin – author of Chafetz Chaim and Mishnah Berurah”). The letter discusses an appeal for assistance for the celebrated Radin yeshiva, as a result of the harsh financial conditions endured after its exile in World War I: ”I hereby express to you and your community my great distress regarding the great house of Torah and fear of G-d here in Radin, Vilna region, world-famous for its high stature and the Torah giants who emerged from it – over the course of its more than fifty years of existence, many of whom are presently the great rabbis and expert poskim among the Jewish people. Now that we have merited to return to our place for three years and reestablish the holy yeshiva, after seven years of harsh and terrible displacement we suffered, we now, thank G-d, have a large and respectable group of nearly two hundred men exceptional in Torah and fear of G-d, who study Torah diligently day and night, and are ready to be, with G-d's help, the Torah leaders and halachic authorities of the Jewish people… However, to my distress, its material condition is very terrible, as its old sources of funding in our region have been completely destroyed as a result of changing borders and countries, and the support of our brethren in America is waning, to our distress, and we have already fallen into enormous debts. I strongly hope that the people of G-d, who devoted themselves to the holy Torah and defended it in every moment of distress and hardship, will not stand idly by at such a bitter and harsh time for the Torah, and will courageously rush to our aid” . At the end of the letter, the Chafetz Chaim blesses him, all donors and all who encourage others to donate. On the verso of the leaf is another letter (handwritten by a scribe), in which the Chafetz Chaim asks the Chief Rabbi of Johannesburg to help find them an appropriate emissary for yeshiva fundraising in South Africa. R. Yisrael Meir HaKohen of Radin (ca. 1838-1933), a foremost leader of the Jewish people. He was known as the Chafetz Chaim after his first book. Founder of the Radin yeshiva and author of many halachic and ethical books including Mishnah Berurah, Shemirat HaLashon, Ahavat Chesed and dozens more. [1] leaf. Official stationery. 28 cm. Good condition. Folding marks and filing holes (slightly affecting text).