Bidspirit auction | Rare! The Shocking Polemic against

Rare! The Shocking Polemic against the Nesi'ut of the Gaon Rabbi Yitzchak Aharon Ittinga at the Chibat Yerushalayim Kollel: Igeret Bikoret Ufetach Teshuvah - Single Edition Lemberg, 1877 - Booklet, ”Igeret Bikoret Ufetach Teshuvah for evil men who rattled the land with their lies... and I have written these words to show everyone the piety of the pious and the malice of the evil...Nesi Haleviyim the Gaon Rav Rabbi Yitzchak Aharon (Ittinga) Segal...”. Published by Rabbi Hirsch Goldenstern and printed in Lemberg in 1877. 16 pp. 21 cm. Moth perforations and some restorations. Stains. Good overall condition. Fine new binding.  Extremely rare booklet. Has never been auctioned and only few copies of it have survived .  The polemic After the passing of the Gaon Rabbi Mordechai Zeev Ittinga who was one of the leading Chassidim of the Chozeh of Lublin and ”Nassi Eretz Yisrael” of the Chibat Yerushalayim Kollel Galicia, Rabbeinu the Divrei Chaim of Sanz advocated for the appointment of his worthy son, the Gaon Rabbi Yitzchak Aharon Ittinga, as his father's successor. After the Divrei Chaim passed away in 1876, Rabbi Yitzchak Aharon became the target of slander, warmongers claiming that he had misused public funds. Rabbi Yitzchak Aharon could not withstand the pressure and resigned as Nassi of the Kollel, his state of health not allowing him to fight to prove his innocence. The Rav's opponents published his letter of resignation in a small Kuntres titled Igeret Petuchah (which had two editions that were published in Lemberg in 1877) and which also announced the appointment of Rabbi Yerachmiel as Nassi. The appointment was supported by Gedolei Hador headed by the sons of the Rav of Sanz, who innocently believed the Kuntres was telling the truth. Subsequently, Rabbi Yitzchak Aharon's friends and disciples published this Kuntres, revealing that Rabbi Yitzchak Aharon was forced to write the letter of resignation. They Kuntres also contained a touching letter by Rabbi Yitzchak Aharon to Rabbi Chaim Klein with a request that he appeal to the Gaon Rabbi Shimon Sofer Av Beit Din of Krakow to support him in proving that he was slandered.  Eventually, several Galician communities decided to stop sending donations to the Kollel due to the defaming of the Rav. Letters were also sent from the Holy Land defending the Rav's honor and Gedolei Hador decided to re-appoint Rabbi Yitzchak Aharon as the Nassi of the Kollel. Since he refused to hold the position alone, his brother-in-law, Rabbi Yisrael Aharon Rappaport, was also appointed Nassi until Rabbeinu's passing on Shevat 7, 1891 (the above information is based on the wonderful book Ateret Baruch by Rabbi Baruch Halberstam, Bnei Brak 2019, p. 276 and onwards).  Gift by the author On the title page there is a handwritten notation (cut): ””הישגתי במתנה מאת המחבר..” (apparently referring to the publisher of the booklet, Rabbi Hirsch Goldenstern).